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1 Wathumela uHezekiya kuwo onke amaSirayeli namaYuda; kananjalo wabhala iincwadi eziya kumaEfrayim namaManase, ukuba kuziwe endlwini kaYehova eYerusalem, kwenziwe ipasika kuYehova, uThixo kaSirayeli.2 Ukumkani wacebisana nabathetheli bakhe nebandla lonke eYerusalem, ukuba kwenziwe ipasika ngeyesibini inyanga.3 Kuba babengenakuyenza ngexesha elililo; ngokuba ababingeleli baye bengazingcwalisanga ngokwaneleyo, nabantu baye bengazihlanganiselanga eYerusalem.4 Loo ndawo yathi tye emehlweni okumkani, nasemehlweni ebandla lonke.5 Bamisa indawo yokuba lihanjiswe ilizwi kumaSirayeli onke, kuthatyathelwe eBher-shebha, kuse kwaDan, ukuba baze kwenza ipasika kuYehova, uThixo wamaSirayeli, eYerusalem; ngokuba babengayenzanga bebaninzi, njengoko kubhaliweyo.6 Zahamba izigidimi zineencwadi ezivela ezandleni zokumkani nezabathetheli bakhe, zaya kuwo onke amaSirayeli namaYuda, zathi ngokomyalelo wokumkani, Nina, nyana bakaSirayeli, buyelani kuYehova, uThixo, ka-Abraham noIsake noSirayeli, abuyele kwabaseleyo kuni, abasindileyo esandleni sookumkani baseAsiriya.7 Musani ukuba njengooyihlo, nanjengabazalwana benu, abenza ubumenemene kuYehova, uThixo wooyihlo, wabanikela baba yinto yokumangalisa, njengoko nikubonayo.8 Musani ukuyenza lukhuni ngoku intamo yenu, njengooyihlo. Mnikeni uYehova isandla, nize engcweleni yakhe abeyingcwalisile ngonaphakade, nimkhonze uYehova uThixo wenu, kubuye kuni ukuvutha komsindo wakhe.9 Ngokuba, ukuba nithe nabuyela kuYehova, abazalwana benu noonyana benu bofumana imfesane kwababathimbileyo, babuyele kweli lizwe; ngokuba unobabalo, unemfesane uYehova uThixo wenu; akayi kubufihla kuni ubuso bakhe, ukuba nithe nabuyela kuye.10 Izigidimi ezo zathungela imizi ngemizi ezweni lakwaEfrayim nelakwaManase, zesa kwelakwaZebhulon. Bazihleka, bazigculela;11 kodwa amadoda athile akwa-Ashere nawakwaManase nawakwaZebhulon azithoba, eza eYerusalem.12 Kananjalo isandla sikaThixo sabakho kwaYuda, ukuba abanike ntliziyo-nye yokwenza umthetho wokumkani nowabathetheli, ngowelizwi likaYehova.

13 Kwahlangana eYerusalem abantu abaninzi, ukuze benze umthendeleko wezonka ezingenagwele ngenyanga yesibini; baba libandla elikhulu kunene.14 Besuka, bazisusa izibingelelo ezibe ziseYerusalem, bazisusa zonke iziqhumiselo, baziphosa emlanjaneni oyiKidron.15 Bayixhela ipasika ngolweshumi elinesine usuku lweyesibini inyanga. Ababingeleli nabaLevi bazidanela, bazingcwalisa, bazisa amadini anyukayo endlwini kaYehova.16 Bema endaweni yabo ngokwesiko labo, ngokomyalelo kaMoses umfo wakwaThixo; ababingeleli balitshiza igazi layo ipasika, belithabatha esandleni sabaLevi;17 ngokuba babebaninzi ebandleni abe bengazingcwalisanga. AbaLevi bamela ukuxhela ipasika ngenxa yabantu bonke abaziinqambi, ukuba iimvana zingcwaliselwe kuYehova;18 ngokuba ubuninzi babantu, abaninzi ababevele kwaEfrayim nakwaManase, kwaIsakare nakwaZebhulon, baye bengazihlambululanga. Bayidla ipasika ngokungengamthetho; kodwa uHezekiya wabathandazela, esithi, Wanga uYehova olungileyo19 angamxolela elowo uyibhekise intliziyo yakhe ekumquqeleni uThixo uYehova, uThixo wooyise, nakuba kungengokwentlambululo yendawo engcwele.20 UYehova wamva uHezekiya, wabaphilisa abantu.

21 Oonyana bakaSirayeli abafunyanwayo eYerusalem bawenza ke umthendeleko wezonka ezingenagwele imihla esixhenxe, bevuya kakhulu, bemdumisa uYehova iimini ngeemini abaLevi nababingeleli, ngeempahla zokumzukisa uYehova.22 UHezekiya wathetha kakuhle nabo abaLevi bonke, ababenokuyiqonda kakuhle inkonzo kaYehova. Badla ke umthendeleko imihla esixhenxe, bebingelela imibingelelo yoxolo, bebulela kuYehova uThixo wooyise.23 Ibandla lonke lacebisana ukwenza nesinye isixhenxe semihla; basenza ke isixhenxe semihla, bevuya.24 Ngokuba uHezekiya ukumkani wakwaYuda walirhumela ibandla iwaka leenkunzi ezintsha zeenkomo, namawaka asixhenxe empahla emfutshane; nabathetheli balirhumela ibandla iwaka leenkunzi ezintsha zeenkomo, namawaka alishumi empahla emfutshane; bazingcwalisa ababingeleli abaninzi.25 Lavuya lonke ibandla lakwaYuda, nababingeleli nabaLevi, nebandla lonke elavela kwaSirayeli, nabasemzini, abavela kwaSirayeli kwanabahleli kwaYuda.26 Kwabakho uvuyo olukhulu ke eYerusalem; ngokuba kususela kwiimini zikaSolomon unyana kaDavide, ukumkani wakwaSirayeli, akuzanga kubekho nto injalo eYerusalem.27 Besuka bema ababingeleli, abaLevi, babasikelela abantu; ilizwi labo laviwa, nomthandazo wabo wangena ekhayeni lakhe elingcwele emazulwini.