1 UJosiya wenza uMkhosi wePhasika kuThixo eJerusalema, iwundlu lePhasika lahlatshwa ngosuku lwetshumi lane lwenyanga yakuqala. 2 Wabeka abaphristi ngemisebenzi yabo njalo wabakhuthaza emsebenzini wethempeli likaThixo. 3 KubaLevi, ababefundisa abako-Israyeli bonke njalo ababevele behlukaniselwe uThixo wathi: “Bekani ibhokisi lesivumelwano elingcwele ethempelini elakhiwa nguSolomoni indodana kaDavida inkosi yako-Israyeli. Akumelanga libe lithwalwa ngamahlombe enu. Khathesi khonzani uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu labantu bakhe bako-Israyeli. 4 Hlanganani ngezindlu zenu langezigaba zenu, kusiya ngeziqondiso ezalotshwa nguDavida inkosi yako-Israyeli kanye loSolomoni indodana yakhe.

5 Manini endaweni engcwele leqembu labaLevi kuzozonke izigaba ngezindlu zezihlobo zenu, kube ngabemuli. 6 Hlabani amawundlu ePhasika, lizihlambulule lilungisele izihlobo zenu lenze njengokutsho kwelizwi likaThixo ngoMosi.”

7 UJosiya wanika abantu makhaza bonke ababekhona izimvu lembuzi eziyizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu zomnikelo wePhasika, kanye lenkomo eziyizinkulungwane ezintathu, zonke zingezayo inkosi.

8 Izikhulu zakhe lazo zapha ngokuzinikela ebantwini zapha labaphristi labaLevi. UHilikhiya, loZakhariya loJehiyeli, abaphrofethi bethempeli likaNkulunkulu, bapha abaphristi iminikelo yePhasika engamakhulu angamatshumi amabili lesithupha lenkomo ezingamakhulu amathathu. 9 Abanye abapha kanye loKhenaniya loShemaya, loNethaneli, abafowabo, kanye loHashabhiya, loJeyiyeli, loJozabhadi, abakhokheli babaLevi, bapha okomnikelo wePhasika izinkulungwane ezinhlanu kanye lenkomo ezingamakhulu amahlanu ezabaLevi.

10 Inkonzo yalungiswa kwathi abaphristi bema ezindaweni zabo labaLevi ezigabeni zabo ngeziqondiso zenkosi. 11 Amawundlu ePhasika ahlatshwa, abaphristi bemukela igazi bachela ngalo, abaLevi ngalesosikhathi babehlinza. 12 Babeka eceleni iminikelo yokutshiswa ukuze banike izigaba ngezigaba zezimuli zabantu ukuze banikele kuThixo, njengokulotshiweyo eGwalweni lukaMosi. Benza okufaneleyo lasenkomeni. 13 Bosa izinyamazana zePhasika emlilweni njengokulaywa kwabo, babilisa iminikelo engcwele ezimbizeni, ezindengezini lasemapaneni baphanga bakuphakela abantu. 14 Ngemva kwalokho, bazilungisela okwabo ndawonye lokwabaphristi, ngoba abaphristi, abayinzalo ka-Aroni, babephathekile ngeminikelo yokutshiswa kanye leyamahwahwa kwaze kwaba kusihlwa. Ngakho abaLevi bazilungisela okwabo lokwabaphristi abangabendlu ka-Aroni.

15 Abahlabeleli, abenzalo ka-Asafi, babesezindaweni ezaqanjwa nguDavida, lo-Asafi, loHemani kanye loJeduthuni umboni wenkosi. Abalindi bamasango esangweni linye ngalinye akuzange kudingeke ukuthi basuke ezindaweni zabo, ngoba abaLevi abayizihlobo zabo babebalungisele okwabo.

16 Ngakho ngalesosikhathi umsebenzi kaThixo wenzelwa ukugcinwa kwePhasika lokunikelwa kweminikelo yokutshiswa e-alithareni likaThixo, njengoba inkosi uJosiya yayitshilo. 17 Abako-Israyeli ababekhona bathakazelela iPhasika ngalesosikhathi njalo bathakazelela uMkhosi weSinkwa esingelaMvubelo okwensuku eziyisikhombisa. 18 IPhasika lalingazange ligcinwe ngalindlela ko-Israyeli kusukela ngezinsuku zomphrofethi uSamuyeli; njalo kayikho leyodwa inkosi yako-Israyeli eyayike yathakazelela iPhasika elinjengaleli elenziwa nguJosiya, labaphristi, labaLevi labo bonke abakoJuda labako-Israyeli ababelapho labantu baseJerusalema. 19 LeliPhasika lathakazelelwa ngomnyaka wetshumi lasificaminwembili mibili wokubusa kukaJosiya.

20 Ngemva kwakho konke lokhu uJosiya eseqondisile konke ngeThempeli, uNekho inkosi yaseGibhithe wayahlasela iKharikhemishi eYufrathe, uJosiya waphuma ukuyadibana laye empini. 21 Kodwa uNekho wamthumela amanxusa esithi, “Kulokuxabana bani phakathi kwami lawe, we nkosi yakoJuda? Phela angihlaseli wena khathesi, ngihlaselana laleyondlu engilwa layo impi. UNkulunkulu ungitshele ukuba ngiphangise; wena mana ungaphikisani loNkulunkulu, yena olami, funa akubhubhise.”

22 Kodwa uJosiya kazange amyekele, wazifihla ukuze abe sempini. Kazange alalele akutshelwa nguNekho kuvela kuNkulunkulu kodwa laye wayakulwa emagcekeni aseMegido.

23 Abatshoki bayiciba inkosi uJosiya, yatshela izikhulu zayo yathi, “Ngisusani lapha, sengilimele kakubi.” 24 Ngakho bamethula enqoleni yakhe yokulwa, bamfaka kweyinye ayelayo bamusa eJerusalema, lapho afela khona. Wangcwatshwa emathuneni abokhokho bakhe, bonke abakoJuda labako-Israyeli bamlilela.

25 UJeremiya laye waloba isililo ngoJosiya, njalo kuze kube lamuhla abahlabeleli bonke abesilisa labesifazane lokhu behaya isililo ngoJosiya. Lokhu kulila kwaba ngumkhuba ko-Israyeli njalo kubhaliwe eZililweni.

26 Ezinye izehlakalo ngokubusa kukaJosiya lezinye izenzo zokuzinikela kwakhe, mayelana lokulotshiweyo eMthethweni kaThixo 27 zonke izehlakalo, kusukela ekuqaleni kuze kube sekuphetheni, kulotshiwe egwalweni lwamakhosi ako-Israyeli lakoJuda.

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