20. Wayalela uHilekiya, uAhikam unyana kaShafan, uAbhedon unyana kaMika, unobhala uShafan, noAsayi intong' esekhosi kakumkani, wathi:
21. “Hambani niye kubuzisa kuNdikhoyo malunga nam namasalela kaSirayeli noJuda, malunga noko kubhaliweyo kule ncwadi ivelileyo. Ayinganganto ingqumbo kaNdikhoyo ayiphokozele phezu kwethu, kuba oobawo abawathobelanga amazwi kaNdikhoyo, abaziphathanga ngokwala mazwi abhalwe kule ncwadi.”
22. Ke kaloku uHilekiya nâbo wayethunywe nabo ngukumkani baya *kumshumayeli obhinqileyo uHulda, owayengumfazi kaShulam unyana kaTokati, kaHasera umgcini-wegumbi lezambatho. Yena ke wayehlala eJerusalem kwisithili sesibini.
23. Wathetha nabo wathi: “Utsho uNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli ukuthi: Mxelele loo mntu unithumileyo nithi:
24. ‘Utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: Uyabona, le ndawo, ikunye nabantu bayo, ndiza kuyizisela isithwakumbe. Ziza kuwa phezu kwayo zonke iziqalekiso ezibhaliweyo kule ncwadi ayifundelweyo ukumkani wakwaJuda.
25. Kaloku bandishiyile, baza benzela abanye *oothixo iziqhumiso. Ewe, bawuxhokonxile umsindo wam ngezi zinto bazenze ngezandla zabo. Ingqumbo yam iza kuwa phezu kwale ndawo, ingabi nakucimeka.’
26. Ukumkani wakwaJuda onithume ukuza kubuzisa kuNdikhoyo mxeleleni nithi: ‘Mayela namazwi owevileyo utsho uNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli ukuthi:
27. Ngenxa yokuba wena uhlabekile, waza wazithoba phambi koThixo wakuba uwevile amazwi ayikhalimela ngawo uThixo le ndawo nabemi bayo, wada ke wena wazithoba phambi kwam, wakrazula nezambatho zakho, ulila phambi kwam, ngoko ke ndikuvile, utsho uNdikhoyo.
28. Wena ke ndiya kukusa kooyihlo, ungcwatywe unoxolo. Awakho amehlo akayi kusibona esi sithwakumbe ndiza kusithoba phezu kwale ndawo kunye nabemi bayo.’ ”Loo mpendulo ke bayixelela ukumkani.
29. Ukumkani ke wawaqokelela onke amadoda amakhulu akwaJuda naseJerusalem.
30. Waya endlwini kaNdikhoyo, ehamba namadoda akwaJuda, abemi baseJerusalem, ababingeleli nabaLevi, enabantu bonke kuqalela koyena mncinci kuye koyena mkhulu. Wabafundela onke amazwi aloo ncwadi yomnqophiso, leyo yayifunyenwe endlwini kaNdikhoyo.
31. Ke ukumkani wema ngasentsikeni, wawuhlaziya umnqophiso wokuba yena uya kulandela uNdikhoyo, ayithobele imiyalelo, imiqathango, nemimiselo yakhe, oko akwenze ngentliziyo yakhe iphela, nomphefumlo wakhe uphela, ahambe ngokwamazwi omnqophiso abhalwe kule ncwadi.
32. Kananjalo wonke umntu eJerusalem nakwaBhenjamin wathi makazibophelele kuwo. Ke abemi baseJerusalem bayenza le nto ngokomnqophiso kaThixo, nditsho uThixo wooyise.