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1 Njalo ngomnyaka wesikhombisa uJehoyada waziqinisa, wathatha induna zamakhulu ndawonye laye esivumelwaneni, oAzariya indodana kaJerohamu, loIshmayeli indodana kaJehohanani, loAzariya indodana kaObedi, loMahaseya indodana kaAdaya, loElishafati indodana kaZikiri.
After Joash had been hidden in the temple for six years, Jehoiada the priest decided that it was necessary to do something. So he made an agreement with the army commanders of groups of 100 soldiers: Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zicri.
2 Basebebhodabhoda koJuda, baqoqa amaLevi kuyo yonke imizi yakoJuda lenhloko zaboyise bakoIsrayeli, beza eJerusalema.
They went throughout Judah and gathered the descendants of Levi and the leaders of Israeli families from all the towns. When they came to Jerusalem,
3 Ibandla lonke laselisenza isivumelwano lenkosi endlini kaNkulunkulu. Wasesithi kubo: Khangelani indodana yenkosi izabusa njengokutsho kweNkosi mayelana lamadodana kaDavida.
the whole group went to the temple and made an agreement with the young king there. Jehoiada said to them, “This is the son of the previous king of Judah. So he is the one who must rule, like Yahweh promised that the descendants of King David must do.
4 Yilolu ulutho elizalwenza; ingxenye yesithathu yenu elingena ngesabatha, kubapristi lakumaLevi, bazakuba ngabalindi bemibundu;
“So this is what you must do: One-third of you priests and other descendants of Levi who are starting their work on the Sabbath day must guard the doors [of the temple].
5 lengxenye yesithathu izakuba sendlini yenkosi, lengxenye yesithathu esangweni lesisekelo; labo bonke abantu bazakuba semagumeni endlu kaJehova.
One-third of you must guard the king’s palace, and one-third of you must guard the Foundation Gate. All the other people will be in the courtyards outside the temple.
6 Kodwa kakungangeni muntu endlini yeNkosi ngaphandle kwabapristi lalabo abasebenzayo bamaLevi; bona bazangena ngoba bengcwele, kodwa bonke abantu bazagcina umlindo weNkosi.
Only the priests and the descendants of Levi who work there will enter the temple. They will be allowed to enter the temple because they are set apart [for that work]. All the others must remain in the courtyards, obeying what Yahweh has commanded.
7 LamaLevi azaphahla inkosi inhlangothi zonke, ngulowo lalowo elezikhali zakhe esandleni sakhe; lalowo ongenayo endlini uzabulawa. Kodwa yibani lenkosi ekungeneni kwayo lekuphumeni kwayo.
You descendants of Levi must stand around the young king, each of you with your weapon in your hand. Anyone else who tries to enter the temple you must kill. And stay close to the young king, wherever he goes.”
8 Ngakho amaLevi loJuda wonke benza njengakho konke uJehoyada umpristi ayekulayile. Zasezithatha, yileyo laleyo amadoda ayo angena ngesabatha kanye lalawo aphuma ngesabatha; ngoba uJehoyada umpristi wayengazikhululanga izigaba.
So the descendants of Levi and all [the men of] Judah did what Jehoiada had told them. He did not allow anyone to go home after having finished his work on that Sabbath day. Each commander took charge of his men, the ones who were finishing their work on that day and those who were starting their work on that day.
9 UJehoyada umpristi wasenika izinduna zamakhulu imikhonto lezihlangu ezinkulu lezihlangu ezazingezenkosi uDavida ezazisendlini kaNkulunkulu.
Then Jehoiada gave each of the commanders the spears and the large and small shields that had been put there in the temple by King David.
10 Wasemisa bonke abantu, langulowo elesikhali sakhe esandleni sakhe, kusukela kucele langakwesokunene lendlu kusiya kucele langakwesokhohlo lendlu, ngaselathini langasendlini, enkosini inhlangothi zonke.
He commanded all the guards to stand in their positions, each with his sword in his hand, all around the king—around the altar and the temple, from the north side to the south side.
11 Basebekhuphela phandle indodana yenkosi, bayithwalisa umqhele, bayipha ubufakazi, bayibeka yaba yinkosi. UJehoyada lamadodana akhe basebeyigcoba bathi: Kayiphile inkosi!
Then Jehoiada and his sons brought Joash out. They put a crown on his head and gave him [a scroll] on which were written the rules [that the kings needed to obey], and proclaimed that he was now the king. They anointed him with olive oil and shouted, “We hope that the king will live for many years!”
12 UAthaliya esizwa ilizwi labantu begijima bedumisa inkosi, weza ebantwini endlini kaJehova.
When Athaliah heard the noise being made by the people running [toward the king] and cheering, she ran to the temple.
13 Wasebona, khangela-ke, inkosi yayimi ngasensikeni yayo engenelweni, lezinduna, lezimpondo ngasenkosini; labo bonke abantu belizwe bathokoza bavuthela izimpondo, labahlabeleli belezinto zokuhlabelela labafundisa ukudumisa. UAthaliya wasedabula izigqoko zakhe, wathi: Umvukela! Umvukela!
She saw the young king there, standing alongside the pillar at the entrance of the temple, [which is the place at the temple] where the kings usually stood. The army commanders and trumpet players were standing beside the king, and all the people of Judah were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and singers with their musical instruments were leading the people while they praised God. Then Athaliah tore her robes and started screaming, “You are committing treason!”
14 UJehoyada umpristi wasekhupha izinduna zamakhulu ezazibekwe phezu kwebutho, wathi kuzo: Mkhupheni limsuse phakathi kwamaviyo; lomlandelayo uzabulawa ngenkemba. Ngoba umpristi wayethe: Lingambulaleli endlini kaJehova.
Jehoiada the Supreme Priest said to the army commanders, “Kill her, but do not kill her at the temple of Yahweh!” Then he said to them, “Bring Athaliah out in front of the troops and kill anyone who tries to follow her!”
15 Zasezimbamba ngezandla, wasesiya engenelweni lesango lamabhiza endlini yenkosi, zambulalela khona.
[She tried to flee, but] they seized her as she reached the gate where horses enter the palace area, and they killed her there.
16 UJehoyada wasesenza isivumelwano phakathi kwakhe labantu bonke lenkosi ukuthi babe ngabantu bakaJehova.
Then Jehoiada made an agreement that he and the king and all the other people would be Yahweh’s people.
17 Bonke abantu basebesiya endlini kaBhali, bayidiliza, baphahlaza lamalathi akhe lezithombe zakhe, babulala uMathani umpristi kaBhali phambi kwamalathi.
Then all the people who were there went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars [of Baal]. They also killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of those altars.
18 UJehoyada wasemisa izikhundla zendlu yeNkosi ngesandla sabapristi, amaLevi, uDavida ayebahlukanisile endlini yeNkosi ukunikela iminikelo yokutshiswa yeNkosi, njengokubhaliweyo emlayweni kaMozisi, ngenjabulo langokuhlabela, njengokumisa kukaDavida.
Then Jehoiada appointed the priests, who were also descended from Levi, to work at the temple. They were part of the group to whom King David had given various jobs at the temple, to sacrifice the animals that were to be completely burned on the altar, doing what was written in the laws that Moses had given to them. He also told them to rejoice and sing, which was also what David had commanded.
19 Wasebeka abalindi bamasango emasangweni endlu yeNkosi ukuze kungangeni muntu ongcolileyo ngolutho loba luphi.
He also put guards at the gates of the temple in order that anyone who was unacceptable to God would not be allowed to enter.
20 Wasethatha izinduna zamakhulu leziphathamandla lababusi phakathi kwabantu labo bonke abantu belizwe, wayehlisa inkosi isuka endlini kaJehova; basebengena endlini yenkosi ngaphakathi kwesango elingaphezulu, bayihlalisa inkosi esihlalweni sobukhosi sombuso.
Jehoiada took with him the army commanders, the important men, the leaders and many others, and brought the king down from the temple. They went into the palace through the Upper Gate, and put the king on his throne.
21 Labo bonke abantu belizwe bathokoza; lomuzi waba lokuthula sebembulele uAthaliya ngenkemba.
Then all the people of Judah rejoiced. And there was calm throughout the city, because Athaliah had been killed.

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