King Hezekiah of Judah
(2 Kings 18.1-3)1 Hezekiah was 25 years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled 29 years from Jerusalem. His mother was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. 2 Hezekiah obeyed the Lord by doing right, just as his ancestor David had done.
The Temple Is Purified
3 In the first month of the first year of Hezekiah's rule, he unlocked the doors to the Lord's temple and had them repaired. 4 Then he called the priests and Levites to the east courtyard of the temple 5 and said:
It's time to purify the temple of the Lord God of our ancestors. You Levites must first go through the ceremony to make yourselves clean, then go into the temple and bring out everything that is unclean and unacceptable to the Lord. 6 Some of our ancestors were unfaithful and disobeyed the Lord our God. Not only did they turn their backs on the Lord, but they also completely ignored his temple. 7 They locked the doors, then let the lamps go out and stopped burning incense and offering sacrifices to him. 8 The Lord became terribly angry with the people of Judah and Jerusalem, and everyone was shocked and horrified at what he did to punish them. Not only were 9 our ancestors killed in battle, but our own children and wives were taken captive.
10 So I have decided to renew our agreement with the Lord God of Israel. Maybe then he will stop being so angry with us. 11 Let's not waste any time, my friends. You are the ones who were chosen to be the Lord's priests and to offer him sacrifices.
12-14 When Hezekiah finished talking, the following Levite leaders went to work:
Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah from the Kohath clan; Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel from the Merari clan; Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah from the Gershon clan; Shimri and Jeuel from the Elizaphan clan; Zechariah and Mattaniah from the Asaph clan; Jehuel and Shimei from the Heman clan; Shemaiah and Uzziel from the Jeduthun clan.
15 These leaders gathered together the rest of the Levites, and they all went through the ceremony to make themselves clean. Then they began to purify the temple according to the Law of the Lord, just as Hezekiah had commanded.
16 The priests went into the temple and carried out everything that was unclean. They put these things in the courtyard, and from there, the Levites carried them outside the city to Kidron Valley.
17 The priests and Levites began their work on the first day of the first month. It took them one week to purify the courtyards of the temple and another week to purify the temple. So on the sixteenth day of that same month 18 they went back to Hezekiah and said:
Your Majesty, we have finished our work. The entire temple is now pure again, and so is the altar and its utensils, as well as the table for the sacred loaves of bread and its utensils. 19 And we have brought back all the things that King Ahaz took from the temple during the time he was unfaithful to God. We purified them and put them back in front of the altar.
Worship in the Temple
20 At once, Hezekiah called together the officials of Jerusalem, and they went to the temple. 21 They brought with them seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven goats as sacrifices to take away the sins of Hezekiah's family and of the people of Judah, as well as to purify the temple. Hezekiah told the priests, who were descendants of Aaron, to sacrifice these animals on the altar.
22 The priests killed the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, then splattered the blood on the altar. 23 They took the goats to Hezekiah and the worshipers, and they laid their hands on the animals. 24 The priests then killed the goats and splattered the blood on the altar as a sacrifice to take away the sins of everyone in Israel, because Hezekiah had commanded that these sacrifices be made for all the people of Israel.
25 Next, Hezekiah assigned the Levites to their places in the temple. He gave them cymbals, harps, and other stringed instruments, according to the instructions that the Lord had given King David and the two prophets, Gad and Nathan. 26 The Levites were ready to play the instruments that had belonged to David; the priests were ready to blow the trumpets.
27 As soon as Hezekiah gave the signal for the sacrifices to be burned on the altar, the musicians began singing praises to the Lord and playing their instruments, 28 and everyone worshiped the Lord. This continued until the last animal was sacrificed.
29 After that, Hezekiah and the crowd of worshipers bowed down and worshiped the Lord. 30 Then Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to sing the songs of praise that David and Asaph the prophet had written. And so they bowed down and joyfully sang praises to the Lord.
31 Hezekiah said to the crowd, “Now that you are once again acceptable to the Lord, bring sacrifices and offerings to give him thanks.”
The people did this, and some of them voluntarily brought animals to be offered as sacrifices. 32 Seventy bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs were brought as sacrifices to please the Lord; 33 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep were brought as sacrifices to ask the Lord's blessing. 34 There were not enough priests to skin all these animals, because many of the priests had not taken the time to go through the ceremony to make themselves clean. However, since all the Levites had made themselves clean, they helped the priests until the last animal was skinned. 35 Besides all the sacrifices that were burned on the altar, the fat from the other animal sacrifices was burned, and the offerings of wine were poured over the altar.
So the temple was once again used for worshiping the Lord. 36 Hezekiah and the people of Judah celebrated, because God had helped them make this happen so quickly.
Mambo Hezekiya we Juda
(2 Bomambo 18:1-3)1 Hezekiya wakatangisa kubusa ana makole ali makumi mabili ana mashanu (25) ngono wakabusa makole ali makumi mabili ana makole ali zhanalume (29) mu Jerusalema. Mmeyabe bakabe bedang'wa Abija nkololokadzi wa Zakhariya. 2 Wakathama ndulamo mbeli kwa Yahwe, wakatobela thambo dza batategulu babe Dafite.
Kutjenapadziwa kwe Ng'umba ye Ndzimu
3 Mu gole le kutanga le mbuso uwe, mu mwedzi we kutanga, kazhula mikoba ye Ng'umba ya Yahwe ngono kaimusa. 4 Wakazhisa bapirisiti ne Balevi ngono kabakubunganyila ku tjibata tjikunobhuda zhuba kwe Ng'umba ye Ndzimu, 5 ngono kabadwa kati, “Munditeedze Balevi! Muzwitjenapadze mube mutjenapadza Ng'umba ya Yahwe Ndzimu wa bobatategulu benyu, muduse shambgwa yose mu bugalo gwakayengemala. 6 Bobatategulu bedu bakabe ne kusagalikabgwe kakale bakathama mbipo mbeli kwa Yahwe Ndzimu wedu, bakabalashila kutjena bakasibe ne hanya ne magalo abo bepapha bebafupatila. 7 Bakazhalila mikoba ye Ng'umba ye Ndzimu bakadzima mavone ayo, bakasipise motsha kene kudusa zwibhayilo mu bugalo gwakayengemala bedusila Ndzimu we Iziraela. 8 Ndizo bushongola gwa Yahwe gwakadelukila mu Juda ne Jerusalema, ngono bakadzithama zwithu zwinopalusamoyo ne zwinotjenamisa sekwa munozwibonegwa nge mesho enyu. 9 Bonani, botate bedu bakabulawa nge thumo, bana ne bakadzi bedu bakatogwa bakathamiwa basungwa.
10 “Ngono ngwenu ndoshakathama tjidumano na Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela kuti ndizo bushongola gwabo gutileye. 11 Ngono ngwenu bakololo bangu musisimbapale ngobe Yahwe bakashalula imwi kuti ndimwi munowozha mbeli kwabo kubashingila ne kubapisila motsha.”
12 Ipapo Balevi bakamilika; Mahati nkololo wa Amasayi na Jowele nkololo wa Azariya, kudwa mu bakololo be Bakohati kwakabe kuli bakololo ba Merari na Kishi nkololo wa Abidi na Azariya nkololo wa Jehaleleli, kudwa mu bakololo be Bagereshoni kwakabe kuli Joahi nkololo wa Zima na Edeni nkololo wa Joahi, 13 kudwa mu bakololo ba Elizafani kwakabe kuli Shimiri na Jeuele, kudwa mu bakololo ba Asafa ndi Zakhariya na Mataniya, 14 kudwa mu bakololo ba Hemani kwakabe kuli Jehiele na Shimeyi, kudwa mu bakololo ba Jeduthuni kwakabe kuli Shemaya na Uziele.
15 Bakakubunganya bamwe babo bakazwitjenapadza ngono bakangina koga mambo sekwa bakalaula nge matama a Yahwe, kuti kutjenapadziwe Ng'umba ya Yahwe. 16 Ipapo bapirisiti bakangina mu Ng'umba ye Ndzimu kuitjenapadza ngono bakadusila kuzhe zose zwakatemapala zwabakawana mu Ng'umba ya Yahwe bezwidusila ku nsha we Ng'umba ya Yahwe ngono Balevi ibo bekowozwitola bezwisengela ku nkuku we Kidironi.
17 Bakatangisa kuyengemadza ng'umba mu zhuba le kutanga le mwedzi we kutanga ngono mu zhuba le buzhanakadzi le mwedzi iwoyu bakaswika pa nsha wa Yahwe umbeli ku nkoba, bakayengemadza Ng'umba ya Yahwe ngono bakati mu zhuba le bugumi lina tathatu (16) le mwedzi we kutanga bakawidza.
Ng'umba ye Ndzimu inopiwa Ndzimu
18 Balevi bakayenda kuna Hezekiya ngono bakaswika bakan'dwa bakati, “Tatjenapadza Ng'umba ya Yahwe yose ne tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo ne zwishingisiwa zwatjo zose ne tafuli ye tjiwunga ne zwishingisiwa zose zwayo. 19 Tabuza zwishingisiwa zose zwakati zwikatogwa ndi Mambo Ahazi tjibaka atjabusa asingagalikebgwe ku Ndzimu ngono naizo tazwitjenapadza. Zose zwimbeli kwe tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo tja Yahwe.”
20 Tjimuka Hezekiya mambo kabinduka kakubunganya makulukota e nzi nkulu ngono bakayenda bose ku Ng'umba ya Yahwe. 21 Bakadusa mikono ili kutendeka ne nyundo dzili kutendeka ne pkhwizana ndume dzili kutendeka ne mbudzi ndume dzili kutendeka, bedzidusa dzili tjibhayilo tje tjibi be tjidusila mbuso ne bugalo gwakayengemala gwe Juda. Mambo wakabe adwa bapirisiti ibo zwizekugwana zwa Aroni kuti badusile zwibhayilo izwezwi pa tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo tja Yahwe. 22 Ndizo bakabhaya mikono ngono bapirisiti bekotola malopa ayo bebebenyasa malopa mu tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo, bakabhaya nyundo ngono malopa adzo kanyasiwa mu tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo, kudwapo bakabhaya phkwizana ngono malopa adzo akanyasiwa mu tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo. 23 Mbudzi dze tjibhayilo tje tjibe dzakazhisiwa mbeli kwa mambo ne gubungano ngono bakabiga maboko abo mudzili. 24 Bapirisiti bakadwapo bakabhaya mbudzi idzedzi bekowozhisa malopa adzo ku tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo dzili tjibhayilo tje gadzanyo ne Baiziraela bose ngoti mambo wakabe ati kudusiwe tjibhayilo tjinopisiwa ne tjibhayilo tje tjibi tjili tje Baiziraela bose.
25 Mambo kabiga Balevi nge mamo abo mu Ng'umba ya Yahwe bakabhata matende ne zwilidzo zwe dzisimbali koga Dafite sekwa akaleba nge mboni wa Mambo Gadi nenge nlebesambeli Nathani, ngoti ndaulo yakabe idwa kuna Yahwe nge balebesambeli babo. 26 Ndizo Balevi bakama zubuyanana nge zwilidzo zwa Dafite bapirisiti naibo bakabhata nyanga dzabo. 27 Ipapo Hezekiya kadusa ndaulo kuti kudusiwe tjibhayilo tjinopisiwa mu tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo. Kwakati kutangisiwa dusiwa tjibhayilo njimbo dza Yahwe dzikatangisa bo kulidziwa nyanga ne zwilidzo zwa Dafite mambo we Iziraela. 28 Gubungano lose likathigama likanamata ha bambi ibo bakabhata bemba be nyanga belidza nyanga, bakadwilila koga kudza kupisa zwibhayilo kwapela. 29 Kwakati kupisa zwibhayilo kwapela mambo na bose bakabe bali ipapo bakathigama bakanamata. 30 Hezekiya mambo ne makulukota awe bakadwa Balevi kuti bambile Yahwe njimbo dzinokudza nge matama a Dafite na Asafa mboni. Ndizo bakamba njimbo dzinokudza ngekushatha ngono bakawa nge zwidwi benamata.
31 Ipapo Hezekiya kati, “Matjizwipa kuna Yahwe. Sedzelani pejo muzhise zwibhayilo ne zwipo zwe mboko ku Ng'umba ya Yahwe.” Gubungano likazhisa zwibhayilo ne zwipo zwe mboko ne zwipo zwakabe zwidusiwa ne moyo ntjena zwili zwibhayilo zwinopisiwa. 32 Bakazhisa mikono ili makumi ali kutendeka (70) ne nyundo dzili zana (100) ne pkhwizana dzili mazana mabili (200) zose zwili zwibhayilo zwinopisiwa zwipisigwa Yahwe. 33 Zwithuwo zose zwakabe zwadusiwa zwili zwibhayilo zwakabe zwili mazana ali tathatu (600) e mikono ne pkhwizi ne mbudzi dzili zwiwulu zwitatu (3 000). 34 Koga bapirisiti bakabe bali bashomanana kuviya zwithuwo zose zwe zwibhayilo zwinopisiwa ndizo makamu abo Balevi bakababhatsha kuswikila nshingo wawila, ngobe Balevi bakabe bakatambunuka kwazo mu mimoyo kupinda bapirisiti bakabe bazwitjenapadza. 35 Kuzhe kwe zwibhayilo zwinopisiwa zwinjinji kwakabe kuna mafuta e zwipo zwe mbakiso ne zwipo zwe zwing'o.
Ndizo kunamata mu Ng'umba ya Yahwe kukatangisa kakale. 36 Hezekiya ne bathu bose bakashatha kwazo muna tjabathamigwa ne Ndzimu ngoti tjimwe ne tjimwe tjakashingwa tjinyolotjo.