1 U-Athaliya unina ka-Ahaziya wathi ebona ukuthi indodana yakhe isifile, waqhubeka ebulala bonke abendlunkulu. 2 Kodwa uJehoshebha, indodakazi yenkosi uJehoramu njalo engudadewabo ka-Ahaziya, wathatha uJowashi indodana ka-Ahaziya wamnqenqisa emsusa phakathi kwamakhosana ayesezabulawa. Wamfihla kanye lomlizane wakhe endlini yokulala emcatshisa ukuze u-Athaliya angaze ambona; yikho kasazange abulawe. 3 Wahlala ecatshisiwe yena kanye lomlizane wakhe ethempelini likaThixo okweminyaka eyisithupha yokubusa kuka-Athaliya.

4 Ngomnyaka wesikhombisa uJehoyada wamema abalawuli bamakhulu, amaKharithi kanye labalindi, bonke balethwa phambi kwakhe ethempelini likaThixo. Wenza isivumelwano labo wabafungisa ethempelini likaThixo. Wasebatshengisa indodana yenkosi. 5 Wabalaya wathi, “Nanku elizakwenza: Lina elisemaviyweni amathathu azabe elindile ngeSabatha, ingxenye yokuthathu yenu kumele ilinde isigodlo, 6 lengxenye yokuthathu eseSangweni laseSuri, lengxenye yokuthathu esangweni elingemuva kwabalindi, abazophisanayo ukulinda ithempeli, 7 lani elisemaviyweni amabili okuvame ukuthi lingasebenzi ngeSabatha, lonke lizalindela inkosi ithempeli. 8 Lizalinda lizingelezele inkosi, ngulowo ehlomile ngesikhali sakhe esandleni sakhe. Loba ngubani osondela kini kumele abulawe. Hlalani liseduze kwenkosi loba ingaze iye ngaphi.”

9 Abalawuli bekhulu benza njengokulaywa kwabo nguJehoyada umphristi. Umlawuli munye ngamunye wathatha iviyo lakhe lamadoda lawo ayesiya ekulindeni ngeSabatha lalawo ayezakuba engasebenzi eza kuJehoyada umphristi. 10 Ngakho yena wanika abalawuli imikhonto lamahawu ayengawenkosi uDavida ayegcinwa ethempelini likaThixo. 11 Kwathi abalindi ngamunye, ephethe isikhali esandleni sakhe, bajama bephahle inkosi iseduze kwe-alithari lethempelini, kusukela ezansi kusiya enyakatho yethempeli.

12 UJehoyada waseveza indodana yenkosi wayethwesa umqhele; wayiqhubela lesivumelwano sikaThixo wahle wamemezela ukuba isiyinkosi. Bayigcoba inkosi, abantu batshaya izandla bahlaba umkhosi besithi, “Mpilo ende enkosini!”

13 U-Athaliya uthe esizwa umkhosi wokujabula kwabalindi kanye labantu bonke, waya ebantwini ngasethempelini likaThixo. 14 Uthe ethi mehlo suka, wabona nansi inkosi, yayimi eduze kwensika njengomkhuba. Izikhulu labatshayi bamacilongo babesekele inkosi, abantu bonke bejabula ngokutshaya amacilongo. Ngakho u-Athaliya wadabula izembatho zakhe wamemeza esithi, “Umvukela! Umvukela!”

15 UJehoyada waselaya abalawuli bekhulu, ababelawula amabutho wathi: “Mkhupheni limfake phakathi kwamaviyo amabutho limhlasele ngenkemba lowo ozama ukumlandela.” Ngenxa yokuthi umphristi wayethe, “Akumelanga abulawelwe ethempelini likaThixo.” 16 Ngakho bamdumela ekufikeni kwakhe endaweni lapha okungenela khona amabhiza esigodlweni, kulapho abulawelwa khona.

17 UJehoyada wasesenza isivumelwano phakathi kukaThixo lenkosi kanye labantu ukuthi bavume ukuba ngabantu bakaThixo. Wenza njalo isivumelwano phakathi kwenkosi labantu. 18 Abantu bonke belizwe baya ethempelini likaBhali bafika balidilizela phansi. Babhidliza ama-alithare lezithombe kwaba yizicucu, babulala uMathani umphristi kaBhali phambi kwama-alithare.

Ngakho uJehoyada umphristi wasebeka abalindi ethempelini likaThixo. 19 Wathatha abalawuli bamakhulu, amaKharithi, abalindi labantu bonke belizwe, sebendawonye behla lenkosi ethempelini likaThixo baya layo esigodlweni, bengenela esangweni labalindi. Inkosi yasithatha indawo yayo esihlalweni sobukhosi, 20 abantu bonke belizwe baba lokujabula okukhulu. Kwaba lokuthula emzini, ngoba u-Athaliya wayesebulewe ngenkemba esigodlweni.

21 UJowashi waqalisa ukubusa eleminyaka eyisikhombisa.

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