2 Imilando 30

1 UHezekhiya wanxusa bonke abako-Israyeli labakoJuda, wanxusa labako-Efrayimi labakoManase ngezincwadi eJerusalema, ukuthi bazokudla iPhasika ethempelini likaThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.

Then Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah, and sent letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, requesting them to come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel.

2 Inkosi lezikhulu zayo lebandla lonke eJerusalema bavumelana ukwenza ukugcina iPhasika ngenyanga yesibili.

For the king, after discussion with his chiefs and all the body of the people in Jerusalem, had made a decision to keep the Passover in the second month.

3 Babengenelisanga ukwenza umkhosi ngesikhathi sawo ngoba abaphristi babebalutshwana ababezingcwelisile njalo labantu babengabuthananga eJerusalema.

It was not possible to keep it at that time, because not enough priests had made themselves holy, and the people had not come together in Jerusalem.

4 Icebo leli lakhanya lilihle enkosini lasebandleni lonke.

And the thing was right in the eyes of the king and all the people.

5 Baquma ukuthi kukhutshwe ilizwi kulolonke elako-Israyeli kusukela eBherishebha kusiya koDani, kunxuswa abantu ukuthi beze eJerusalema emkhosini wePhasika likaThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. Umkhosi lo wawungakaze wenziwe ngabanengi kusiya ngomthetho owalotshwa phansi.

So it was ordered that word was to be sent out through all Israel, from Beer-sheba to Dan, that they were to come to keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem: because they had not kept it in great numbers in agreement with the law.

6 Ngokulaya kwenkosi, izithunywa zangena kulolonke elako-Israyeli lelakoJuda ziphethe izincwadi ezazivela enkosini lasezikhulwini zayo, ezazilotshwe ukuthi: “Bantu bako-Israyeli, buyelani kuThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Abhrahama lo-Isaka lo-Israyeli, ukuze abuyele kulabo benu abaseleyo abaphunyuke ezandleni zamakhosi ase-Asiriya.

So runners went with letters from the king and his chiefs through all Israel and Judah, by the order of the king, saying, O children of Israel, come back again to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he may come again to that small band of you which has been kept safe out of the hands of the kings of Assyria.

7 Lingabi njengaboyihlo lezihlobo zenu ababengathembekanga kuThixo, uNkulunkulu wabokhokho babo, waze wabenza baba yisibonelo sokwesabekayo njengoba libona.

Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were sinners against the Lord, the God of their fathers, so that he made them a cause of fear, as you see.

8 Lingabi ntamolukhuni njengaboyihlo; zehliseni kuThixo. Wozani endlini yokukhonza aseyingcwelisile kuze kube nininini. Mkhonzeni uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, ukuze ulaka lwakhe olwesabekayo lusuke kini.

Now do not be hard-hearted, as your fathers were; but give yourselves to the Lord, and come into his holy place, which he has made his for ever, and be the servants of the Lord your God, so that the heat of his wrath may be turned away from you.

9 Nxa libuyela kuThixo, abafowenu labantwabenu bazathola umusa kulabo ababathumbayo, babuye kulelilizwe, ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ulomusa lesihawu. Kayikulifulathela nxa libuyela kuye.”

For if you come back to the Lord, those who took away your brothers and your children will have pity on them, and let them come back to this land: for the Lord your God is full of grace and mercy, and his face will not be turned away from you if you come back to him.

10 Ngakho izithunywa zaphuma zangena kuyo yonke imizi lemizana ko-Efrayimi lakoManase, zayafika lakhonale koZebhuluni, kodwa abantu bazihleka ulunya njalo baziklolodela.

So the runners went from town to town through all the country of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun: but they were laughed at and made sport of.

11 Lanxa kunjalo, abanye abantu bako-Asheri labakoManase labakoZebhuluni bazithoba baya eJerusalema.

However, some of Asher and Manasseh and Zebulun put away their pride and came to Jerusalem.

12 Njalo lakoJuda isandla sikaNkulunkulu sasisebantwini ukubapha ukubambana engqondweni ukuze benze lokho inkosi lezikhulu zayo eyayithe abakwenze, njengokutsho kwelizwi likaThixo.

And in Judah the power of God gave them one heart to do the orders of the king and the captains, which were taken as the word of the Lord.

13 Kwabuthana abantu abalixuku elikhulu eJerusalema bethakazelela uMkhosi weSinkwa esingelaMvubelo ngenyanga yesibili.

So a very great number of people came together at Jerusalem to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month.

14 Basusa ama-alithare eJerusalema bakhucula ama-alithare empepha bawathwala bayawaphosela eSigodini saseKhidironi.

And they got to work and took away all the altars in Jerusalem, and they put all the vessels for burning perfumes into the stream Kidron.

15 Babulala amazinyane ezimvu awePhasika ngosuku lwetshumi lane lwenyanga yesibili. Abaphristi labaLevi bayangeka bazihlambulula baletha iminikelo yokutshiswa ethempelini likaThixo.

Then on the fourteenth day of the second month they put the Passover lambs to death: and the priests and the Levites were shamed, and made themselves holy and took burned offerings into the house of the Lord.

16 Basebebuyela ezikhundleni zabo zenjayelo njengokumisiweyo emthethweni kaMosi umuntu kaNkulunkulu. Abaphristi bachela igazi ababeliqhutshelwa ngabaLevi.

And they took their places in their right order, as it was ordered in the law of Moses, the man of God: the priests draining out on the altar the blood given them by the Levites.

17 Njengoba babebanengi ababengazihlambululanga exukwini, abaLevi bahlaba amanye amazinyane ezimvu awePhasika besenzela labo ababengahlanjululwanga ngokomkhuba njalo bengelakho ukuzahlukanisela izimvu zabo phambi kukaThixo.

For there were still a number of the people there who had not made themselves holy: so the Levites had to put Passover lambs to death for those who were not clean, to make them holy to the Lord.

18 Lanxa abantu abanengi ababevela ko-Efrayimi, koManase, ko-Isakhari lakoZebhuluni babengakazihlambululi, kodwa badla iPhasika, okwakungekho emthethweni olotshiweyo. Kodwa uHezekhiya wabakhulekela wathi: “Kungathi uThixo, olungileyo, angathethelela bonke

For a great number of the people from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not made themselves clean, but they took the Passover meal, though not in the right way. For Hezekiah had made prayer for them, saying, May the good Lord have mercy on everyone

19 abamdingayo uNkulunkulu uThixo, uNkulunkulu wabokhokho babo loba bengahlambulukanga ngokomthetho wendawo engcwele.”

Who, with all his heart, is turned to God the Lord, the God of his fathers, even if he has not been made clean after the rules of the holy place.

20 Lakanye uThixo wawuzwa umkhuleko kaHezekhiya wasilisa abantu.

And the Lord gave ear to Hezekiah, and made the people well.

21 Ama-Israyeli ayeseJerusalema athakazelela uMkhosi weSinkwa esingelaMvubelo okwensuku eziyisikhombisa ngokujabula okukhulu, abaLevi labaphristi behlabelela kuThixo insuku zonke, bephathiswa ngamachacho okudumisa uThixo.

So the children of Israel who were present in Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread for seven days with great joy: and the Levites and the priests gave praise to the Lord day by day, making melody to the Lord with loud instruments.

22 UHezekhiya wabakhuthaza bonke abaLevi abatshengisela ukuzinikela emsebenzini kaThixo. Ngalezonsuku eziyisikhombisa badla leyongxenye eyayiyisabelo sabo njalo banikela umnikelo wobudlelwano bamdumisa uThixo, uNkulunkulu waboyise.

And Hezekiah said kind words to the Levites who were expert in the ordering of the worship of the Lord: so they kept the feast for seven days, offering peace-offerings and praising the Lord, the God of their fathers.

23 Ibandla lonke laselivumelana ukuthakazelela umkhosi lo okwezinye insuku eziyisikhombisa; ngakho umkhosi bawuqhuba okwezinye insuku eziyisikhombisa bejabula.

And by the desire of all the people, the feast went on for another seven days, and they kept the seven days with joy.

24 UHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda walethela ibandla inkunzi eziyinkulungwane lezimvu ezizinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa lembuzi zingezebandla, kwathi izikhulu lazo zaletha inkunzi eziyinkulungwane lezimvu lembuzi ezizinkulungwane ezilitshumi. Abaphristi abanengi kakhulu bazihlambulula.

For Hezekiah, king of Judah, gave to the people for offerings, a thousand oxen and seven thousand sheep; and the rulers gave a thousand oxen and ten thousand sheep; and a great number of priests made themselves holy.

25 Ibandla lonke lakoJuda lajabula, ndawonye labaphristi labaLevi labo bonke ababebuthene bevela ko-Israyeli, ndawonye labezizweni ababevela ko-Israyeli lababehlala koJuda.

And all the people of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and those who had come from Israel, and men from other lands who had come from Israel or who were living in Judah, were glad with great joy.

26 Kwaba lokujabula okukhulu eJerusalema, ngoba kusukela ensukwini zikaSolomoni indodana kaDavida inkosi yako-Israyeli kwakungazange kube lomkhosi onjalo eJerusalema.

So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for nothing like this had been seen in Jerusalem from the time of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.

27 Abaphristi labaLevi bema babusisa abantu, uNkulunkulu wabezwa, ngoba imikhuleko yabo yafika ezulwini, endaweni yakhe engcwele ahlala kiyo.

Then the priests and the Levites gave the people a blessing: and the voice of their prayer went up to the holy place of God in heaven.