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.
King Hezekiah of Judah
(2 Kings 18.1-3)1 Hezekiah became king of Judah at the age of twenty-five, and he ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. 2 Following the example of his ancestor King David, he did what was pleasing to the Lord.
The Purification of the Temple
3 In the first month of the year after Hezekiah became king, he reopened the gates of the Temple and had them repaired. 4 He assembled a group of priests and Levites in the east courtyard of the Temple 5 and spoke to them there. He said, “You Levites are to consecrate yourselves and purify the Temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove from the Temple everything that defiles it. 6 Our ancestors were unfaithful to the Lord our God and did what was displeasing to him. They abandoned him and turned their backs on the place where he dwells. 7 They closed the doors of the Temple, let the lamps go out, and failed to burn incense or offer burnt offerings in the Temple of the God of Israel. 8 Because of this the Lord has been angry with Judah and Jerusalem, and what he has done to them has shocked and frightened everyone. You know this very well. 9 Our fathers were killed in battle, and our wives and children have been taken away as prisoners.
10 “I have now decided to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, so that he will no longer be angry with us. 11 My sons, do not lose any time. You are the ones that the Lord has chosen to burn incense to him and to lead the people in worshiping him.”
12-14 The following Levites were there:
From the clan of Kohath, Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of AzariahFrom the clan of Merari, Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of JehallelelFrom the clan of Gershon, Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of JoahFrom the clan of Elizaphan, Shimri and JeuelFrom the clan of Asaph, Zechariah and MattaniahFrom the clan of Heman, Jehuel and ShimeiFrom the clan of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel15 These men assembled their fellow Levites, and they all made themselves ritually clean. Then, as the king had commanded them to do, they began to make the Temple ritually clean, according to the Law of the Lord. 16 The priests went inside the Temple to purify it, and they carried out into the Temple courtyard everything that was ritually unclean. From there the Levites took it all outside the city to Kidron Valley.
17 The work was begun on the first day of the first month, and by the eighth day they had finished it all, including the entrance room to the Temple. Then they worked for the next eight days, until the sixteenth of the month, preparing the Temple for worship.
The Temple Is Rededicated
18 The Levites made the following report to King Hezekiah: “We have completed the ritual purification of the whole Temple, including the altar for burnt offerings, the table for the sacred bread, and all their equipment. 19 We have also brought back all the equipment which King Ahaz took away during those years he was unfaithful to God, and we have rededicated it. It is all in front of the Lord's altar.”
20 Without delay King Hezekiah assembled the leading men of the city, and together they went to the Temple. 21 As an offering to take away the sins of the royal family and of the people of Judah and to purify the Temple, they took seven bulls, seven sheep, seven lambs, and seven goats. The king told the priests, who were descendants of Aaron, to offer the animals as sacrifices on the altar. 22 The priests killed the bulls first, then the sheep, and then the lambs, and sprinkled the blood of each sacrifice on the altar. 23 Finally they took the goats to the king and to the other worshipers, who laid their hands on them. 24 Then the priests killed the goats and poured their blood on the altar as a sacrifice to take away the sin of all the people, for the king had commanded that burnt offerings and sin offerings be made for all Israel.
25 The king followed the instructions that the Lord had given to King David through Gad, the king's prophet, and through the prophet Nathan; he stationed Levites in the Temple, with harps and cymbals, 26 instruments like those that King David had used. The priests also stood there with trumpets. 27 Hezekiah gave the order for the burnt offering to be presented; and as the offering began, the people sang praise to the Lord, and the musicians began to play the trumpets and all the other instruments. 28 Everyone who was there joined in worship, and the singing and the rest of the music continued until all the sacrifices had been burned. 29 Then King Hezekiah and all the people knelt down and worshiped God. 30 The king and the leaders of the nation told the Levites to sing to the Lord the songs of praise that were written by David and by Asaph the prophet. So everyone sang with great joy as they knelt and worshiped God.
31 Hezekiah said to the people, “Now that you are ritually clean, bring sacrifices as offerings of thanksgiving to the Lord.” They obeyed, and some of them also voluntarily brought animals to be sacrificed as burnt offerings. 32 They brought 70 bulls, 100 sheep, and 200 lambs as burnt offerings for the Lord; 33 they also brought 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep as sacrifices for the people to eat. 34 Since there were not enough priests to kill all these animals, the Levites helped them until the work was finished. By then more priests had made themselves ritually clean. (The Levites were more faithful in keeping ritually clean than the priests were.) 35 In addition to offering the sacrifices that were burned whole, the priests were responsible for burning the fat that was offered from the sacrifices which the people ate, and for pouring out the wine that was presented with the burnt offerings.
And so worship in the Temple was begun again. 36 King Hezekiah and the people were happy, because God had helped them to do all this so quickly.