Eyesibili EyemiLando 31:1-21
31 Bathi beqeda umkhosi, bonke abantu bako-Israyeli ababekhona basuka baya emadolobheni akoJuda bafika bagamula izithombe zika-Ashera,*+ badiliza insika ezazikhonzwa,+ lezindawo eziphakemeyo,*+ lama-alithare+ kulo lonke elakoJuda, lakoBhenjamini, lako-Efrayimi kanye lakoManase.+ Badiliza konke nje, ngemva kwalokho bonke babuyela emadolobheni abo, ngamunye waya emzini wakhe.
2 UHezekhiya wahlela abaphristi ngamaqembu abo,+ lamaLevi ngamaqembu awo+ ukuze benze imisebenzi ababeyiphiwe.+ Babesenza iminikelo yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo yobudlelwano futhi besenza inkonzo engcwele, bebonga njalo bedumisa emagedini amaguma kaJehova.+
3 Kwathathwa enye impahla yenkosi kwenziwa ngayo iminikelo yokutshiswa,+ leminikelo yekuseni leyantambama,+ leminikelo yokutshiswa eyenziwa ngamaSabatha+ lasekuthwaseni kwenyanga+ langezikhathi zemikhosi,+ njengoba nje kubhaliwe eMthethweni kaJehova.
4 Phezu kwalokho watshela abantu abahlala eJerusalema ukuthi banike abaphristi lamaLevi+ lokho okumele bakuthole ukuze banamathele* ngokupheleleyo emthethweni kaJehova.
5 Umlayo wathi usanda kubekwa, ama-Israyeli ahle aletha iminikelo eminengi kakhulu. Aletha izithelo zokuqala zamabele, lewayini elitsha, lamafutha,+ loluju, lakho konke ababekuthole emasimini.+ Baletha lokwetshumi kwakho konke ababelakho njalo kwakukunengi kakhulu.+
6 Abantu bako-Israyeli labakoJuda ababehlala emadolobheni akoJuda baletha lokwetshumi kwemihlambi yenkomo leyezimvu kanye lokwetshumi kwezinto ezingcwele+ ezazinikelwe kuJehova* uNkulunkulu wabo. Bakuletha bakuqoqa kwaba kunengi kakhulu.
7 Baqalisa ukubuthelela iminikelo yabo ngenyanga yesithathu+ baze bayaqeda ngenyanga yesikhombisa.+
8 UHezekhiya lezikhulu zakhe bathi befika futhi bebona iminikelo eyayibuthelelwe, badumisa uJehova babusisa labantu bako-Israyeli.
9 UHezekhiya wasebuza abaphristi lamaLevi ngeminikelo leyo eyayibuthelelwe.
10 U-Azariya umkhokheli wabaphristi owosendo lukaZadokhi, wamphendula wathi: “Kusukela abantu beqalisa ukuletha iminikelo endlini kaJehova,+ bebesidla besutha futhi kunengi kakhulu okuseleyo ngoba uJehova ubabusisile abantu bakhe. Yikho kukunengi kangaka okuseleyo.”+
11 UHezekhiya wathi ekuzwa lokhu wabatshela ukuthi balungise iziphala*+ ezazisendlini kaJehova. Ngakho bazilungisa.
12 Baqhubeka beletha iminikelo ngokuthembeka. Babeletha lokwetshumi+ kanye lezinto ezingcwele. UKhonaniya umLevi nguye owabekwa ukuthi akhangele konke lokhu futhi umsekeli wakhe kwakungumfowabo uShimeyi.
13 Abaphathi ababebekwe yiNkosi uHezekhiya ukuthi bancedise uKhonaniya lomfowabo uShimeyi kwakunguJehiyela, lo-Azaziya, loNahathi, lo-Asaheli, loJerimothi, loJozabhadi, lo-Eliyeli, lo-Isimakhiya, loMahathi, loBhenaya. U-Azariya yena wayekhangela indlu kaNkulunkulu weqiniso.
14 UKhore indodana ka-Imna, umLevi owayelinda egedini elisempumalanga,+ wayekhangela iminikelo yokuzithandela+ eyayilethwa kuNkulunkulu weqiniso. Nguye owayenika abanye iminikelo eyayilethwa kuJehova+ kanye lezinto ezingcwele kakhulu.+
15 Ngaphansi kwakhe kwakulo-Edeni, loMiniyamini, loJeshuwa, loShemaya, lo-Amariya, loShekhaniya futhi babesemadolobheni abaphristi.+ Baphathiswa umsebenzi wokwabela abafowabo ababesemaqenjini atshiyeneyo+ ukudla okulinganayo, bonke abakhulu labancane.
16 Abafowabo laba babephiwa ukudla njengalabo ababebhalwe emibhalweni yosendo yalabo ababebuya endlini kaJehova nsuku zonke bezokwenza imisebenzi yabo ngamaqembu abo. Ababebhalwe emibhalweni yosendo kwakungabesilisa, kusukela kwabaleminyaka emithathu kusiya phezulu.
17 Abaphristi babebhalwe emibhalweni yosendo kusiya ngezimuli zaboyise.+ Kwakunjalo langamaLevi ayeleminyaka engu-20 kusiya phezulu,+ kusiya ngemisebenzi eyayisenziwa ngamaqembu awo.+
18 Emibhalweni yosendo lwamaLevi kwakubhalwe labomkawo, lamadodana awo, lamadodakazi awo kanye labantwana abancane. Babebhalwe bonke ngenxa yokuthi amaLevi ayezigcine engcwele ukuze enze imisebenzi engcwele ayeyiphathisiwe, njengoba ayethembekile.
19 Kwakubhalwe lezizukulwane zika-Aroni, abaphristi ababehlala ngaphandle kwamadolobho abo.+ Emadolobheni wonke kwakhethwa amadoda ayezanika bonke abesilisa phakathi kwabaphristi ukudla, anike laye wonke umuntu owayebhalwe emibhalweni yosendo lwamaLevi.
20 UHezekhiya wenza lokhu kulo lonke elakoJuda futhi waqhubeka esenza okuhle lokulungileyo njalo ethembekile phambi kukaJehova uNkulunkulu wakhe.
21 Konke akwenzayo ukuze adinge uNkulunkulu wakhe, kungaba yilokho okuphathelane lomsebenzi wendlu kaNkulunkulu weqiniso,+ loba okuphathelane loMthetho lemilayo, wakwenza ngenhliziyo yonke futhi waphumelela.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Kumbe, “bazinikele.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “ezazingcweliselwe uJehova.”
^ Kumbe, “izindlu zokudlela.”
