Eyesibili YeziKronike
23 Ngonyaka wesikhombisa uJehoyada wabonisa isibindi wenza isivumelwano nezinduna zamakhulu, + okungukuthi, u-Azariya indodana kaJerohamu, u-Ishmayeli indodana kaJehohanani, u-Azariya indodana ka-Obede, uMahaseya indodana ka-Adaya no-Elishafathi indodana kaZikiri. 2 Ngemva kwalokho balizungeza lonke elakwaJuda, baqoqa amaLevi + akuwo wonke amadolobha akwaJuda nezinhloko zemindeni yoyise yakwa-Israyeli. Lapho befika eJerusalema, 3 lonke ibandla lenza isivumelwano + nenkosi endlini kaNkulunkulu weqiniso, okwathi ngemva kwalokho wathi kubo:
“Bhekani! Indodana yenkosi izobusa, njengoba nje uJehova athembisa ngokuphathelene namadodana kaDavide. + 4 Nakhu okumele nikwenze: Kumele nihlukanise abapristi namaLevi abeza + ngeSabatha babe amaqembu amathathu. Iqembu elilodwa lizoba abalindimnyango; + 5 elinye lizoba sendlini yenkosi, *+ elinye libe seSangweni Lesisekelo, bonke abantu bazoba semagcekeni endlu kaJehova. + 6 Ningavumeli muntu angene endlini kaJehova ngaphandle kwabapristi namaLevi akhonzayo. + Laba bangangena ngoba bayiqembu elingcwele futhi bonke abantu bazogcina isibopho kuJehova. 7 AmaLevi kumele ahaqe inkosi nxazonke, ngamunye ephethe izikhali zakhe. Noma ubani ongena endlini uyobulawa. Ningahlukani nenkosi nomaphi lapho iya khona.”
8 AmaLevi nawo wonke uJuda benza njengoba nje uJehoyada umpristi ayeyalile. Ngakho ngamunye wathatha amadoda angaphansi kwakhe ayesebenza ngeSabatha kanye nalawo ayengasebenzi ngeSabatha, + ngoba uJehoyada umpristi wayengazange azikhulule lezi zigaba + emsebenzini wazo. 9 UJehoyada umpristi wanika izinduna zamakhulu + imikhonto namahawu* kanye namahawu ayindilinga okwakungokweNkosi uDavide, + okwakusendlini kaNkulunkulu weqiniso. + 10 Ngemva kwalokho wamisa bonke abantu, ngamunye ephethe isikhali* sakhe, kusukela ngasohlangothini lwesokudla lwendlu kuze kufike ohlangothini lwesobunxele lwendlu, ngase-altare nangasendlini, nxazonke zenkosi. 11 Bakhiphela ngaphandle indodana yenkosi, + bayithwesa umqhele nobuFakazi *+ bayibeka yaba inkosi, uJehoyada namadodana akhe bayigcoba. Bathi: “Mana njalo nkosi!” +
12 Lapho u-Athaliya ezwa umsindo wabantu begijima bedumisa inkosi, waphuthuma waya kubantu endlini kaJehova. + 13 Wabona inkosi imi ngasensikeni yayo ngasekungeneni. Izikhulu + nabashaya amacilongo babekanye nenkosi, nabo bonke abantu bezwe babejabule + beshaya amacilongo, abahlabelela ngezinsimbi zomculo babehola ekuculeni izindumiso. Lapho ebona lokhu, u-Athaliya waklebhula izingubo zakhe wamemeza wathi: “Uzungu! Uzungu!” 14 Kodwa uJehoyada umpristi wakhipha izinduna zamakhulu, ezaziphethe ibutho lempi, wathi kuzo: “Mkhipheni phakathi kwebutho, uma kukhona omlandelayo, mbulaleni ngenkemba!” Ngoba umpristi wayethe: “Ningambulaleli endlini kaJehova u-Athaliya.” 15 Ngakho bambamba, kwathi lapho efika ekungeneni kweSango Lamahhashi lendlu yenkosi,* bambulalela lapho ngaso leso sikhathi.
16 Ngakho uJehoyada wenza isivumelwano phakathi kwakhe nabo bonke abantu nenkosi sokuthi babeyoqhubeka bengabantu bakaJehova. + 17 Ngemva kwalokho bonke abantu baya endlini* kaBhali bayidiliza, + baphihliza ama-altare akhe nemifanekiso yakhe, + babulala noMathani umpristi kaBhali + phambi kwama-altare. 18 UJehoyada wabe esenza ukuba indlu kaJehova yenganyelwe abapristi namaLevi, uDavide ayebabeke ngezigaba phezu kwendlu kaJehova ukuba banikele imihlatshelo kaJehova eshiswayo + ngokuvumelana nalokho okulotshwe eMthethweni KaMose, + ngokujabula nangengoma njengoba uDavide ayeyalile. 19 Wamisa nabalindisango + ngasemasangweni endlu kaJehova ukuze kungangeni muntu ongcole nganoma iyiphi indlela. 20 Wathatha izinduna zamakhulu, + izicukuthwane, ababusi babantu nabo bonke abantu bezwe wahamba nenkosi behla besuka endlini kaJehova. Bangena ngesango elingenhla baya endlini yenkosi,* bahlalisa inkosi esihlalweni sobukhosi + sombuso. + 21 Ngakho bonke abantu bezwe bajabula, idolobha laba nokuthula ngoba u-Athaliya babembulale ngenkemba.