1 Sekuphelile konke lokhu abako-Israyeli ababesemkhosini bangena emizini yakoJuda, badiliza izinsika zokukhonzela u-Ashera. Badiliza izindawo zokukhonzela lama-alithare kulolonke elakoJuda lakoBhenjamini kanye lako-Efrayimi lakoManase. Bathe sebekudilizile konke lokhu, abako-Israyeli babuyela emizini yabo, ezindaweni zabo.

2 UHezekhiya wamisa abaphristi labaLevi ngezigaba ngamunye wabo kusiya ngemisebenzi yabo yobuphristi kumbe eyabaLevi eyokunikela ngeminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yobudlelwano, ukukhonza, ukubonga kanye lokuhlabelela indumiso emasangweni endaweni ehlala uThixo. 3 Inkosi yapha okuvela kweyayo inotho iminikelo yokutshiswa yekuseni lantambama kanye lokweminikelo yokutshiswa ngamaSabatha, leyokuThwasa kweziNyanga kanye leyemikhosi emisiweyo njengokulotshiweyo eMthethweni kaThixo. 4 Inkosi yathi abantu abahlala eJerusalema kumele banike abaphristi labaLevi imfanelo yabo ukuze basebenze ngokuzinikela eMthethweni kaThixo. 5 Masinyazana ngemva kwesiqondiso, abako-Israyeli banikela kakhulu ngokwesivuno sakuqala samabele, lokwewayini elitsha, lokwamafutha lokwenyosi lakho konke okwakutholakala emasimini. Baletha okunengi kakhulu, okwetshumi kukho konke. 6 Amadoda ako-Israyeli lawakoJuda ayehlala emizini yakoJuda lawo aletha okwetshumi kwemihlambi yenkomo leyezimvu zawo lezinto ezingcwele zokunikela kuThixo uNkulunkulu wawo, azibuthelela inqwabanqwaba. 7 Baqalisa ukukwenza lokhu ngenyanga yesithathu baze baqeda ngenyanga yesikhombisa. 8 UHezekhiya lezikhulu zakhe befika bebona lezozinqwabanqwaba badumisa uThixo njalo babusisa abantu bakhe bako-Israyeli.

9 UHezekhiya wabuza abaphristi labaLevi ngenqwabanqwaba; 10 u-Azariya umphristi omkhulu, owendlu kaZadokhi wamphendula wathi, “Kusukela abantu beqalise ukuletha iminikelo yabo ethempelini likaThixo, sesizuze ukudla okunengi njalo okusalayo kunengi kakhulu, ngoba uThixo ubabusisile abantu bakhe, yikho kulalokhu okunengi kangaka okuseleyo.”

11 UHezekhiya wapha imilayo yokuba kwakhiwe iziphala ethempelini likaThixo, lakanye lokho kwenziwa. 12 Ngakho baqhubeka beletha izipho ngokwethembeka, lokwetshumi kanye lezipho eziqakathekileyo. UKhenaniya induna enkulu, umLevi, wayephethe lezizinto, njalo umfowabo uShimeyi wayengumsekeli wakhe. 13 UJehiyeli, lo-Azaziya, loNahathi, lo-Asaheli, loJerimothi, loJozabhadi, lo-Eliyeli, lo-Isimakhiya loMahathi kanye loBhenaya babekhangele umsebenzi bengaphansi kukaKhenaniya lomfowabo uShimeyi, njengokukhethwa kwabo yinkosi uHezekhiya lo-Azariya isikhulu esasikhangele ithempeli likaNkulunkulu.

14 UKhore indodana ka-Imna umLevi, owayengumlindi weSango langeMpumalanga, wayephethe iminikelo yokuzithandela kuNkulunkulu, enguye owaba okunikelwe kuThixo kanye lezipho ezingcwelisiweyo. 15 U-Edeni, loMiniyamini, loJeshuwa, loShemaya, lo-Amariya kanye loShekhaniya bamncedisa kakhulu bethembekile emizini yabaphristi, besabelana kusiya ngezigaba zabaphristi, abadala labatsha, ngokufananayo.

16 Phezu kwalokho, babesabela abesilisa kusukela kwabaleminyaka emithathu ngokulotshwa egwalweni lokuzalana kwabo bonke ababezangena ethempelini likaThixo besiyakwenza imisebenzi etshiyeneyo kusiya ngemilandu yabo ngezigaba zabo. 17 Babela abaphristi ngezimuli zabo njengokulotshiweyo egwalweni lokuzalana kwabo njalo kwabanjalo lakubaLevi abaleminyaka engamatshumi amabili yokuzalwa labadala, kusiya ngemisebenzi yabo langezigaba zabo. 18 Lokhu kwakuhlanganisa abantwana, abesifazane kanye lamadodana lamadodakazi esigaba sonke kwabasegwalweni lokuzalana kwabo. Ngoba babethembekile ngokuzahlala bengcwele.

19 Abaphristi abayinzalo ka-Aroni, ababehlala eziqintini eduzane lamadolobho loba kwamanye amadolobho, babeqanjwe ngamabizo ukuthi babelane iziqa baze babele lalabo bonke ababelotshiwe ezingwalweni zokuzalana kwabaLevi.

20 Lokhu yikho okwenziwa nguHezekhiya kulolonke elakoJuda, esenza okufaneleyo lokulungileyo ngokwethemba kuThixo uNkulunkulu wakhe. 21 Kukho konke ayekwenza emsebenzini wethempeli likaNkulunkulu lasekulaleleni kwakhe umthetho lemilayo, wadinga uNkulunkulu njalo wasebenza ngenhliziyo yakhe yonke. Ngalokho waphumelela.