< 2 Amakhosi 22 >
1 UJosiya wayeleminyaka eyisificaminwembili lapho esiba yinkosi; wabusa iminyaka engamatshumi amathathu lanye eJerusalema. Lebizo likanina lalinguJedida indodakazi kaAdaya weBhozikhathi.
Josiah was eight years old when he became the king [of Judah]. He ruled from Jerusalem for 31 years. His mother was Jedidah and his grandfather was Adaiah from Bozkath [town].
2 Wasesenza okulungileyo emehlweni eNkosi, wahamba ngayo yonke indlela kaDavida uyise, kaze aphambukela ngakwesokunene langakwesokhohlo.
Josiah did things that were pleasing to Yahweh and conducted his life as his ancestor King David had done. He completely obeyed [IDM] all the laws of God.
3 Kwasekusithi ngomnyaka wetshumi lesificaminwembili wenkosi uJosiya, inkosi yathuma uShafani indodana kaAzaliya indodana kaMeshulamu, umabhalane, endlini yeNkosi, esithi:
After Josiah had been ruling for almost 18 years, he sent his secretary Shaphan, the son of Azaliah and grandson of Meshullam, to the temple with these instructions:
4 Yenyukela kuHilikhiya umpristi omkhulu ukuthi ahlanganise imali elethwe endlini yeNkosi, abalindi bombundu womnyango ababeyiqoqe ebantwini.
“Go to Hilkiah, the Supreme Priest, and tell him to give me a report, telling me how much money the men who guard the doors of the temple have collected from the people [as offerings].
5 Kabayinikele esandleni sabenzi bomsebenzi abamiswe phezu kwendlu yeNkosi, kabayinike abenzi bomsebenzi osendlini yeNkosi, ukulungisa izikhala zendlu,
Then tell him to give all that money to the men who are supervising the work of repairing the temple.
6 kubabazi, lakubakhi, lakubabazi bamatshe, lokuthenga amapulanka lamatshe abaziweyo ukulungisa indlu.
They must give that money to the carpenters, the builders, and the masons, and they should also buy the timber and the stones that they will use to repair the temple.
7 Kodwa akubalelwananga labo imali eyayinikelwe esandleni sabo ngoba benza ngokuthembeka.
But the men who supervise the work will not be required to make a report on the money that is given to them, saying what they spent it for, because those men are completely honest.”
8 UHilikhiya umpristi omkhulu wasesithi kuShafani umabhalane: Sengifice ugwalo lomlayo endlini yeNkosi. UHilikhiya wasenika uShafani ugwalo, waselufunda.
[After Shaphan said that to Hilkiah] the king’s secretary, Hilkiah said to Shaphan, “I have found in the temple a scroll on which is written the laws [that God gave to Moses]!” Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan, and he started to read it.
9 UShafani umabhalane wasefika enkosini, wabuyisela ilizwi enkosini wathi: Izinceku zakho seziyithulule imali eficwe endlini, zayinikela esandleni sabenzi bomsebenzi abamiswe phezu kwendlu yeNkosi.
Then Shaphan [took the scroll] to the king and said to him, “Your temple guards have taken the money that was in the temple, and they have given it to the men who will supervise the work of repairing the temple.”
10 UShafani umabhalane wasebika enkosini esithi: UHilikhiya umpristi unginike ugwalo. UShafani waselufunda phambi kwenkosi.
Then Shaphan said to the king, [“I have brought to you] a scroll that Hilkiah gave to me.” And Shaphan started to read it to the king.
11 Kwasekusithi inkosi isizwile amazwi ogwalo lomlayo, yadabula izigqoko zayo.
When the king heard the laws that were written in the scroll that Shaphan was reading to him, he tore his clothes [because he was very dismayed].
12 Inkosi yasilaya uHilikhiya umpristi loAhikhamu indodana kaShafani loAkhibhori indodana kaMikhaya loShafani umabhalane loAsaya inceku yenkosi, isithi:
Then he gave these instructions to Hilkiah, to Shaphan’s son Ahikam, to Micaiah’s son Achbor, and to Asaiah, the king’s special advisor:
13 Hambani liyengibuzela eNkosini mina labantu loJuda wonke mayelana lamazwi alolugwalo oluficiweyo; ngoba yinkulu intukuthelo yeNkosi esesiyibaselwe, ngoba obaba kabawalalelanga amazwi alolugwalo, ukwenza konke okubhaliweyo mayelana lathi.
“Go and ask Yahweh for me and for all the people of Judah, about what is written in this scroll that has been found. Because [it is clear that] Yahweh is very angry with us because our ancestors disobeyed what was written on this scroll, things that we [should have done].”
14 Ngakho uHilikhiya umpristi loAhikhamu loAkhibhori loShafani loAsaya baya kuHulida umprofethikazi umkaShaluma indodana kaTikiva indodana kaHarihasi, umgcini wezigqoko. Wayehlala-ke eJerusalema esiGabeni seSibili. Basebekhuluma laye.
So Hilkiah, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to (consult/talk with) a woman whose name was Huldah, who was a prophetess who lived in the newer/northern part of Jerusalem. Her husband Shallum, son of Tikvah and grandson of Harhas, took care of the robes that were worn [in the temple] (OR, [by the king]). [Those five men told her about the scroll].
15 Wasesithi kibo: Itsho njalo iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Mtsheleni lowomuntu olithume kimi:
She said to them, “This is what Yahweh the God whom we Israelis [worship] says: ‘Go back and tell the king who sent you
16 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangela, ngizakwehlisela okubi kulindawo laphezu kwabakhileyo bayo, wonke amazwi ogwalo inkosi yakoJuda elufundileyo.
that this is what Yahweh says: “Listen to this carefully. I am going to cause all the people who live here in Jerusalem to experience a disaster, which is what was written in the scroll that the king has read.
17 Ngenxa yokuthi bangidelile, batshisela abanye onkulunkulu impepha, ukuze bangithukuthelise ngawo wonke umsebenzi wezandla zabo. Ngakho intukuthelo yami izavutha imelene lale indawo, ingacitshwa.
I will do that because they have abandoned me, and they burn incense to [honor] other gods. They have caused me to become very angry by [worshiping] the idols that they have made (OR, by all the wicked things that they have done), and my anger is like [MET] a fire that will not be put out.”
18 Kodwa enkosini yakoJuda elithumileyo ukubuza eNkosini, lizakutsho njalo kuyo: Itsho njalo iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Mayelana lamazwi eliwezwileyo:
The king of Judah sent you to inquire what I, Yahweh, wanted you to do, so this is what you should say to him: “Because you have heeded what was written in the scroll,
19 Ngoba inhliziyo yakho ibithambile, wazithoba phambi kweNkosi, lapho usizwa engikukhulume ngimelene lalindawo labakhileyo bayo, ukuthi bazakuba yincithakalo lesiqalekiso, wadabula izigqoko zakho, wakhala inyembezi phambi kwami, lami-ke ngizwile, kutsho iNkosi.
and you repented and humbled yourself when you heard what I said to warn you [about what would happen to] this city and the people who live here and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you. I said that I would cause this city to be abandoned. It will be a city whose name people will use when they curse someone. But I have heard what you prayed,
20 Ngakho, khangela, ngizakubuthela kuboyihlo, njalo uzabuthelwa engcwabeni lakho ngokuthula, lamehlo akho kawayikubona bonke ububi engizabehlisela phezu kwalindawo. Basebebuyisela ilizwi enkosini.
so I will allow you to die [EUP] and be buried peacefully. I will cause the people who live here to experience a terrible disaster, but you will not [be alive to] see it.”’” After the men heard that, they returned to King Josiah and gave him that message.