UNehemiya
13 Ngalelolanga ibhuku loMthetho kaMosi labalwa phambi kwabantu+ njalo bathola kubhalwe ukuthi ama-Amoni lamaMowabi+ akumelanga angene ebandleni likaNkulunkulu weqiniso,+ 2 ngoba awazange anike abako-Israyeli ukudla lamanzi kodwa athenga uBhalamu ukuthi abaqalekise.+ Lanxa kunjalo, uNkulunkulu wethu wasitshintsha isiqalekiso leso saba yisibusiso.+ 3 Abako-Israyeli bathi besizwa okutshiwo nguMthetho bahle baqalisa ukuzehlukanisa labo bonke ababedabuka kwezinye izizwe.+
4 Kungakenzakali konke lokho, umphristi owayekhangela iziphala zendlu kaNkulunkulu*+ wethu kwakungu-Eliyashibhi+ isihlobo sikaThobhiya.+ 5 U-Eliyashibhi wayenike uThobhiya indlu enkulu eyayikade isetshenziswa ukugcinela iminikelo yamabele, lenhlaka yokwenza impepha, lezitsha, lokwetshumi kwamabele, lokwewayini elitsha, lokwamafutha.+ Izinto lezi kwakumele ziphiwe amaLevi,+ labahlabeleli, labalindi bamagedi futhi okunye kwakungokwabaphristi.+
6 Kusenzakala konke lokhu ngangingekho eJerusalema ngoba ngomnyaka wesi-32+ wokubusa kuka-Athakisekisi+ inkosi yeBhabhiloni ngabuyela enkosini. Ngemva kwesikhathi ngacela enkosini ukuthi ngike ngiye eJerusalema. 7 Ngathi ngifika eJerusalema ngabona into embi eyayenziwe ngu-Eliyashibhi.+ Wayenike uThobhiya+ indlu yokugcinela impahla eyayisegumeni lethempeli likaNkulunkulu weqiniso. 8 Lokhu kwangicaphula kakhulu yikho ngathatha zonke impahla zikaThobhiya ngaziphosela phandle kwendlu. 9 Ngemva kwalokho ngathi izindlu zokugcinela impahla* zihlanjululwe ngasengibuyisela izitsha zendlu kaNkulunkulu weqiniso+ lomnikelo wamabele kanye lenhlaka yokwenza impepha.+
10 Ngathola lokuthi amaLevi+ ayengasaphiwa lutho,+ yikho amaLevi labahlabeleli basebeyitshiyile imisebenzi yabo, ngamunye wayalima ensimini yakhe.+ 11 Ngakho ngabasola kakhulu abasekeli bababusi+ ngathi kubo: “Kungani indlu kaNkulunkulu ingasakhangelwa?”+ Ngasengibiza bonke abasebetshiye umsebenzi ngababuyisela emisebenzini yabo. 12 Bonke abakoJuda baletha okwetshumi+ kwamabele abo lokwewayini elitsha lokwamafutha, kwafakwa eziphaleni.+ 13 Ngasengifaka uShelemiya umphristi, loZadokhi umbhali,* loPhedaya umLevi ukuthi kube yibo abakhangela iziphala bencediswa nguHanana indodana kaZakhuri indodana kaMathaniya. Amadoda la ngawakhetha ngoba ayesaziwa ngokuthi athembekile. Umsebenzi wabo wawungowokwabela abafowabo ukudla.
14 Awu Nkulunkulu wami, ngicela ungikhumbule+ ngenxa yakho konke lokhu njalo ungalukhohlwa uthando lwami oluqotho lakho konke engikwenzele indlu yakho lemisebenzi eyenziwa phakathi kwayo.+
15 Ngalezonsuku ngabona abantu bakoJuda bevoxa amagilebisi besenza iwayini ngeSabatha.+ Babebuthelela amabele bawathwale ngabobabhemi. Babethwala lewayini lamagilebisi lamakhiwane leminye nje imithwalo beyingenisa eJerusalema ngelanga leSabatha.+ Ngakho ngabaxwayisa ukuthi bangathengisi ukudla ngalelolanga.* 16 Abantu beThire ababehlala eJerusalema babebuya lenhlanzi lezinye impahla bezozithengisela abantu bakoJuda eJerusalema ngelanga leSabatha.+ 17 Ngakho ngazisola kakhulu izikhulu zakoJuda ngathi kuzo: “Kungani lisenza into embi kangaka lingcolisa iSabatha? 18 Ayisikho yini lokho okwenziwa ngokhokho benu okwabangela ukuthi uNkulunkulu ehlisele umonakalo wonke lo phezu kwethu lasedolobheni leli? Manje kungani selisenza uNkulunkulu abathukuthelele kakhulu abako-Israyeli ngokungcolisa iSabatha?”+
19 Ilanga lathi selisiyatshona ngathi amagedi eJerusalema avalwe iSabatha lingakaqalisi. Ngabatshela lokuthi bangawavuli iSabatha lize liphele njalo ngathuma ezinye izisebenzi zami ukuthi zilinde emagedini ukuze kungabi lomuntu ongenisa impahla ngeSabatha. 20 Bonke abathengisi bempahla ezitshiyeneyo balala phandle kweJerusalema kanye loba kabili. 21 Yikho ngabaxwayisa ngathi kubo: “Kungani lilala duze lomduli wedolobho? Lingakuphinda futhi lokhu ngizalisusa ngenkani.” Kusukela ngalelolanga abazange baphinde babuye ngelanga leSabatha.
22 Ngatshela amaLevi ukuthi kumele ahlale ezihlambulula lokuthi abuye azolinda amagedi ukuze agcine iSabatha lingcwele.+ Awu Nkulunkulu wami, ngicela ungikhumbule langenxa yalokho njalo ube lomusa kimi ngoba ulothando oluqotho futhi olumangalisayo.+
23 Ngalezonsuku ngananzelela ukuthi amanye amaJuda ayethethe abesifazana+ be-Ashidodi+ labako-Amoni labakoMowabi.+ 24 Abanye abantwababo babekhuluma* ulimi lwesi-Ashidodi, abanye bekhuluma indimi zezinye izizwe futhi bonke babengalwazi ulimi lwamaJuda. 25 Yikho ngawasola kakhulu amadoda lawo ngawaqalekisa, amanye ngawatshaya+ futhi ngawasiphuna inwele ngathi kuwo: “Fungani ngoNkulunkulu ukuthi alisoze lendisele amadodakazi enu emadodaneni abo, lokuthi alisoze lithathele amadodana enu amakhosikazi kubo njalo lani alisoze lithathe khona.+ 26 Abesifazana bezinye izizwe ayisibo yini abenza iNkosi uSolomoni yenza isono? Kuzo zonke izizwe kwakungelankosi enjengaye+ njalo wayethandwa nguNkulunkulu wakhe,+ yikho wambeka waba yinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli wonke kodwa abesifazana bezinye izizwe bamenza waphambuka.+ 27 Kuyamangalisa ukuthi lani selisenza into embi kangaka! Kalithembekanga kuNkulunkulu wethu ngoba selithatha abafazi kwezinye izizwe.”+
28 Enye indodana kaJoyada+ indodana ka-Eliyashibhi+ umphristi omkhulu yayingumkhwenyana kaSanibhalathi+ umHoroni, yikho ngayixotsha.
29 Awu Nkulunkulu wami, ngicela ungakukhohlwa abakwenzileyo ngoba bangcolise ubuphristi lesivumelwano esenziwa labaphristi+ lamaLevi.+
30 Ngabahlambulula kuzo zonke izinto ezingcolileyo zabantu bezinye izizwe ngasenginika abaphristi lamaLevi imisebenzi, ngamunye wabo ngamnika umsebenzi oqondane laye.+ 31 Ngahlela ukuthi inkuni zilethwe+ ngezikhathi ezibekiweyo lokuthi kulethwe lezithelo zokuqala.
Awu Nkulunkulu wami, ngicela ungikhumbule ube lomusa kimi.+