2 Imilando 15
1 UMoya kaNkulunkulu wasesehlela phezu kukaAzariya indodana kaOdedi.
The Spirit of God came upon Azariah, the son of Obed.
2 Wasephuma ukuhlangabezana loAsa, wathi kuye: Ngilalela, Asa loJuda wonke loBhenjamini; iNkosi ilani liselayo. Uba-ke liyidinga, izafunyanwa yini; kodwa uba liyilahla, izalilahla.
Azariah went to talk with Asa, and said to him, “Asa and all [you men of the tribes of] Judah and Benjamin, listen to me. Yahweh is with you whenever you are trusting in him. If you request him [to help you], he will help you, but if you abandon him, he will abandon you.
3 Okwensuku ezinengi uIsrayeli wayengelaye uNkulunkulu weqiniso, njalo engelaye umpristi ofundisayo, njalo engelawo umlayo.
For many years the Israeli people did not know the true God, and they did not have priests or God’s laws.
4 Kodwa ekubandezelweni kwakhe waphendukela eNkosini, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, basebemdinga, wasefunyanwa yibo.
But when they experienced trouble, they turned to Yahweh our God, and requested him to help them. And he helped them.
5 Langalezozikhathi kwakungelakuthula kophumayo lakongenayo, ngoba inhlupheko ezinengi zaziphezu kwabo bonke abakhi bamazwe.
At that time, people were not safe when they traveled, because all the people who lived in the nearby countries were experiencing many difficulties.
6 Basebephahlazwa, isizwe ngesizwe, lomuzi ngomuzi, ngoba uNkulunkulu wabahlupha ngayo yonke imbandezelo.
The people of various nations were thoroughly defeated by [armies of] other nations, and people in some cities were crushed by [armies from] other cities, because God was allowing them to experience many difficulties.
7 Ngakho lina qinani, zingadangali izandla zenu, ngoba kulomvuzo ngomsebenzi wenu.
But you people, you must be strong and do not become discouraged, because [God] will reward you for what you do [to please him.”]
8 Lapho uAsa esizwa lamazwi lesiprofetho sikaOdedi umprofethi, waziqinisa, wasusa izinengiso elizweni lonke lakoJuda loBhenjamini lemizini ayeyithumbile entabeni yakoEfrayimi, wavuselela ilathi leNkosi elalingaphambi kwekhulusi leNkosi.
When Asa heard what the prophet Azariah said, he was encouraged. He [commanded his workers to] remove all the detestable idols from everywhere in the land of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and from the towns that [his soldiers] had captured in the hills of the tribe of Ephraim. Asa’s workers repaired the altar [where people offered sacrifices] to Yahweh that was in front of the entrance to the temple [in Jerusalem].
9 Wasebuthanisa wonke uJuda loBhenjamini labemzini labo ababevela koEfrayimi loManase lakoSimeyoni; ngoba bawelela kuye bevela koIsrayeli ngobunengi lapho bebona ukuthi iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakhe yayilaye.
Then he gathered all [the people of the tribes of] Judah and Benjamin and many people from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were living among them. [He was able to do that] because many people from [those tribes in] Israel had come to me to Judah when they realized that Yahweh, the God that Asa [worshiped], was helping him.
10 Basebebuthana eJerusalema ngenyanga yesithathu ngomnyaka wetshumi lanhlanu wokubusa kukaAsa.
After Asa had been ruling for almost 15 years, in May of that year, those people gathered in Jerusalem.
11 Basebehlabela iNkosi ngalolosuku okwempango ababeyilethile, inkabi ezingamakhulu ayisikhombisa lezimvu ezizinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa.
At that time they sacrificed to Yahweh 700 bulls and 7,000 sheep and goats, from the animals that they had captured [when they defeated the army of Ethiopia/Sudan].
12 Basebengena esivumelwaneni sokudinga iNkosi, uNkulunkulu waboyise, ngenhliziyo yabo yonke langomphefumulo wabo wonke.
They solemnly made an agreement to very sincerely worship Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors [worshiped].
13 Njalo wonke ongadingi iNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli uzabulawa, kusukela komncinyane kusiya komkhulu, kusukela kowesilisa kusiya kowesifazana.
They promised to execute all those who would not worship Yahweh, including those who were important and those who were not important, both men and women.
14 Basebefunga eNkosini ngelizwi elikhulu langokumemeza langezimpondo langempondo zezinqama.
They shouted and blew trumpets and other horns while they solemnly promised to do that.
15 AbakoJuda bonke bathokoza-ke ngesifungo, ngoba babefungile ngenhliziyo yabo yonke, beyidingile ngaso sonke isifiso sabo, yasifunyanwa yibo; ngakho iNkosi yabaphumuza inhlangothi zonke.
All the people who were living in Judah were happy with the agreement because they had solemnly and very sincerely promised to keep it. They eagerly requested help from Yahweh, and he helped them. So he enabled them to have peace throughout their country.
16 Njalo mayelana loMahaka unina kaAsa inkosi, yamsusa ekubeni yindlovukazi, ngoba wayenzele isixuku into enengekayo. UAsa wasegamula into yakhe enengekayo, wayichola, wayitshisela esifuleni iKidroni.
King Asa’s grandmother Maacah had made a disgusting pole for [worshiping the goddess] Asherah. So Asa [commanded his workers to] cut down that pole and chop it into pieces and burn it in the Kidron Valley. He then did not allow Maacah to continue [to influence the people because of her] being the mother of the previous king.
17 Kanti indawo eziphakemeyo kazisuswanga koIsrayeli; lanxa kunjalo inhliziyo kaAsa yayiphelele insuku zakhe zonke.
Although Asa’s [workers] did not get rid of the shrines on the hilltops in Israel, he was very determined to [do what] pleased Yahweh all his life.
18 Wasengenisa endlini kaNkulunkulu izinto ezingcwele zikayise, lezinto zakhe ezingcwele, isiliva legolide lezitsha.
He [ordered his workers to] bring into God’s temple all the silver and gold and other valuable items that he and his father had dedicated [to God].
19 Kakusabanga khona impi kwaze kwaba ngumnyaka wamatshumi amathathu lanhlanu wokubusa kukaAsa.
There were no more wars [in Judah] until Asa had been ruling Judah almost 35 years.
