< 2 Imilando 23 >
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.
2 Basebebhodabhoda koJuda, baqoqa amaLevi kuyo yonke imizi yakoJuda lenhloko zaboyise bakoIsrayeli, beza eJerusalema.
3 Ibandla lonke laselisenza isivumelwano lenkosi endlini kaNkulunkulu. Wasesithi kubo: Khangelani indodana yenkosi izabusa njengokutsho kweNkosi mayelana lamadodana kaDavida.
4 Yilolu ulutho elizalwenza; ingxenye yesithathu yenu elingena ngesabatha, kubapristi lakumaLevi, bazakuba ngabalindi bemibundu;
5 lengxenye yesithathu izakuba sendlini yenkosi, lengxenye yesithathu esangweni lesisekelo; labo bonke abantu bazakuba semagumeni endlu kaJehova.
6 Kodwa kakungangeni muntu endlini yeNkosi ngaphandle kwabapristi lalabo abasebenzayo bamaLevi; bona bazangena ngoba bengcwele, kodwa bonke abantu bazagcina umlindo weNkosi.
7 LamaLevi azaphahla inkosi inhlangothi zonke, ngulowo lalowo elezikhali zakhe esandleni sakhe; lalowo ongenayo endlini uzabulawa. Kodwa yibani lenkosi ekungeneni kwayo lekuphumeni kwayo.
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.
9 UJehoyada umpristi wasenika izinduna zamakhulu imikhonto lezihlangu ezinkulu lezihlangu ezazingezenkosi uDavida ezazisendlini kaNkulunkulu.
10 Wasemisa bonke abantu, langulowo elesikhali sakhe esandleni sakhe, kusukela kucele langakwesokunene lendlu kusiya kucele langakwesokhohlo lendlu, ngaselathini langasendlini, enkosini inhlangothi zonke.
11 Basebekhuphela phandle indodana yenkosi, bayithwalisa umqhele, bayipha ubufakazi, bayibeka yaba yinkosi. UJehoyada lamadodana akhe basebeyigcoba bathi: Kayiphile inkosi!
12 UAthaliya esizwa ilizwi labantu begijima bedumisa inkosi, weza ebantwini endlini kaJehova.
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!
14 UJehoyada umpristi wasekhupha izinduna zamakhulu ezazibekwe phezu kwebutho, wathi kuzo: Mkhupheni limsuse phakathi kwamaviyo; lomlandelayo uzabulawa ngenkemba. Ngoba umpristi wayethe: Lingambulaleli endlini kaJehova.
15 Zasezimbamba ngezandla, wasesiya engenelweni lesango lamabhiza endlini yenkosi, zambulalela khona.
16 UJehoyada wasesenza isivumelwano phakathi kwakhe labantu bonke lenkosi ukuthi babe ngabantu bakaJehova.
17 Bonke abantu basebesiya endlini kaBhali, bayidiliza, baphahlaza lamalathi akhe lezithombe zakhe, babulala uMathani umpristi kaBhali phambi kwamalathi.
18 UJehoyada wasemisa izikhundla zendlu yeNkosi ngesandla sabapristi, amaLevi, uDavida ayebahlukanisile endlini yeNkosi ukunikela iminikelo yokutshiswa yeNkosi, njengokubhaliweyo emlayweni kaMozisi, ngenjabulo langokuhlabela, njengokumisa kukaDavida.
19 Wasebeka abalindi bamasango emasangweni endlu yeNkosi ukuze kungangeni muntu ongcolileyo ngolutho loba luphi.
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.
21 Labo bonke abantu belizwe bathokoza; lomuzi waba lokuthula sebembulele uAthaliya ngenkemba.
