1 UManase waba yinkosi eleminyaka elitshumi lambili ubudala njalo wabusa eJerusalema okweminyaka engamatshumi amahlanu lanhlanu. 2 Wenza ububi emehlweni kaThixo, elandela imikhuba eyenyanyekayo yezizwe uThixo ayezixotshile phambi kuka-Israyeli. 3 Wavuselela izindawo zokukhonzela ezazibhidlizwe nguyise uHezekhiya; waphinda wakhela oBhali ama-alithare kanye lezinsika zika-Ashera. Wakhothamela zonke izinkanyezi zezulu wazikhonza. 4 Wakha ama-alithare ethempelini likaThixo, lona uThixo ayekhulume ngalo wathi: “IBizo lami lizahlala eJerusalema kuze kube nininini.” 5 Emagumeni womabili ethempeli likaThixo wakhela izinkanyezi zezulu ama-alithare. 6 Wanikela amadodana akhe emlilweni eSigodini saseBheni-Hinomu, wenza imilingo, ukuvumisa, lokuthakatha njalo wayahlahlula lakwabalamadlozi. Wenza okubi kakhulu phambi kukaThixo, wamthukuthelisa.

7 Wathatha isithombe ayesibazile wasibeka ethempelini likaNkulunkulu, lelo uNkulunkulu ayethe kuDavida lasendodaneni yakhe uSolomoni, “Kulelithempeli kanye laseJerusalema, engilikhethileyo ezizwaneni zako-Israyeli, ngizafaka iBizo lami kuze kube nininini. 8 Angiyikuyekela inyawo zabako-Israyeli zisuke kulelilizwe engalabela okhokho babo, nxa bezananzelela benze konke engabalaya ngakho okwemithetho, izimiso leziqondiso ezaphiwa uMosi.” 9 Kodwa uManase wakhokhelela abakoJuda labaseJerusalema ekulahlekeni, benza ububi okwedlula izizwe uThixo azibhubhisa mandulo kokufika kwabako-Israyeli.

10 UThixo wakhuluma kuManase labantu bakhe, kodwa kabalalelanga. 11 Ngakho uThixo wabehlisela abalawuli bamabutho enkosi yase-Asiriya, abathumba uManase, bamfaka umkhala emakhaleni, bambopha ngamaketane ethusi bamusa eBhabhiloni. 12 Ekuhlulukelweni kwakhe wacela umusa kaThixo uNkulunkulu waboyise. 13 Ngakho uthe esekhuleka kuThixo, wezwa ukuncenga kwakhe walalela isicelo sakhe; wambuyisela eJerusalema ebukhosini bakhe. Ngalokho uManase wakwazi ukuthi uThixo unguNkulunkulu.

14 Ngemva kwalokho wakha kutsha umduli wangaphandle owoMuzi kaDavida, entshonalanga kwentombo yesigodini seGihoni, kusiya emangenelweni eSango leNhlanzi kubhoda uqaqa lwe-Ofeli; njalo wawakha waba mude kulakuqala. Wafaka abalawuli bamabutho kuwo wonke amadolobho alezinqaba koJuda.

15 Wasusa bonke onkulunkulu bezizweni wasusa lesithombe ethempelini likaThixo, lawo wonke ama-alithare ayewakhele eqaqeni lwethempeli kanye laseJerusalema; konke lokhu wakulahlela ngaphandle kwedolobho. 16 Wavuselela i-alithari likaThixo wenza iminikelo yobudlelwano leminikelo yokubonga phezu kwalo njalo watshela uJuda ukumkhonza uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. 17 Kodwa abantu baqhubeka benikela imihlatshelo ezindaweni zokukhonzela, kodwa benikela kuphela kuThixo uNkulunkulu wabo.

18 Ezinye izehlakalo ngombuso kaManase, kanye lomkhuleko wakhe kuNkulunkulu wakhe lamazwi akhulunywa ngababoni kuye ngebizo likaThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, kulotshiwe embalini yamakhosi ako-Israyeli. 19 Umkhuleko wakhe lokuthi uNkulunkulu wakwamukela njani ukuncenga kwakhe, lokona kwakhe konke, kanye lokungathembeki, lalezozindawo zokukhonzela ayezakhile lezinsika zika-Ashera lezithombe engakazehlisi ngokuzithoba, kulotshiwe konke emibhalweni yababoni. 20 UManase waphumula labokhokho bakhe wangcwatshwa esigodlweni sakhe. U-Amoni indodana yakhe yathatha isikhundla sakhe.

21 U-Amoni wayeleminyaka engamatshumi amabili lambili ubudala esiba yinkosi, njalo wabusa eJerusalema okweminyaka emibili. 22 Wenza ububi phambi kukaThixo, njengalokhu okwakwenziwe nguyise uManase. U-Amoni wakhonza njalo wanikela imihlatshelo kuzozonke izithombe ezazenziwe nguManase. 23 Kodwa kenzanga njengoyise uManase, ngoba yena kazehlisanga phansi kukaThixo; u-Amoni wenza amacala ngokuphindiweyo.

24 Izikhulu zika-Amoni zathama icebo zambulalela esigodlweni sakhe. 25 Kodwa abantu belizwe babulala bonke labo ababethame amacebo ngenkosi u-Amoni, babeka uJosiya indodana yakhe wathatha ubukhosi.

<- 2 ImiLando 322 ImiLando 34 ->