Nerhemiya 13:1-31
13 Ngelangelo kwafundwa incwadi kaMosi abantu balalele,+ kwafunyanwa lapha itlolwe ukuthi ama-Amoni namkha bakwaMowabi+ akukafuzi bangene ebandleni lakaZimu weqiniso,+
2 ngombana akhenge bahlangabeze ama-Israyeli ngoburotho nangamanzi, kunalokho baqatjha uBhalami bona awaqalekise.+ Kodwana uZimethu watjhugulula isiqalekiso saba sibusiso.+
3 Kuthe msinyana nabezwa umThetho, bathoma ukukhupha boke abangasima-Israyeli hlangana nama-Israyeli.+
4 Nje-ke ngaphambi kobana kwenzeke lokhu, umphristi ebekamphathi weenlulu zendlu kaZimethu+ bekungu-Eliyatjhibu+ isihlobo sakaThobiya.+
5 Wamvumela bona asebenzise isilulu esikhulu, ngaphambilini ebesisetjenziselwa ukufaka umnikelo weenthoro, ipepho emhlophe, izitja nokwetjhumi kweenthoro, kwewayini elitjha, nekwamafutha,+ ebekuyalwe bona kunikelwe amaLevi,+ abavumi nabalindisango, kuhlanganise nomnikelo wabaphristi.+
6 Nakwenzeka koke lokho bengingekho eJerusalema, ngombana ngaya ekosini ngomnyaka wama-32+ weKosi u-Aritarhitjhasta+ weBhabhiloni; ngokukhamba kwesikhathi ngabawa imvumo ekosini yokobana ngibuyele eJerusalema.
7 Ngithe nangifika eJerusalema ngabona ubumbi obenziwe ngu-Eliyatjhibu+ ngokuvumela uThobiya+ asebenzise isilulu esingesirhodlweni sendlu kaZimu weqiniso.
8 Lokhu kwangisilinga khulu, nje-ke ngalahlela zoke izinto* zakaThobiya ngaphandle kwesilulu.
9 Ngemva kwalokho, ngakhupha umyalo wokobana kuhlwengiswe iinlulu; ngabuyisela izitja zendlu kaZimu weqiniso+ nomnikelo weenthoro nepepho emhlophe.+
10 Ngafumana nokuthi amaLevi+ akhenge anikelwe ingcenye yawo,+ kangangobana amaLevi nabavumi abenze umsebenzi bakhamba, ngamunye waya esiminakhe.+
11 Yeke ngakhalima amasekela wababusi+ ngathi: “Kubayini niliselele indlu kaZimu weqiniso?”+ Ngemva kwalokho, ngabuthelela abakhambileko bengababela bona babuyele emisebenzinabo.
12 Woke amaJuda aletha ngeenlulwini kwetjhumi+ kweenthoro, kwewayini elitjha nekwamafutha.+
13 Ngabeka uTjhelemiya umphristi, uTsadokhi umkopululi* noPedaya ongomunye wamaLevi bona kube ngibo abaphathi beenlulu begodu uRhanani indodana kaZakuru indodana kaMathaniya bekamsizi wabo, ngombana amadoda la bekaqalwa njengathembekileko. Bekumthwalawo ukwabela abafowabo.
14 Ngibawa ungikhumbule+ Zimami malungana nalokhu begodu ungazisuli izenzo zami zethando* engizenzele indlu kaZimami nomsebenzayo.+
15 Emihleni leyo ngabona abantu kwaJuda batlhodlha amadiribe ngokuwagadanga ngeSabatha,+ baletha iinquthulo zeenthoro bazilayitjha kibodumbana, baletha newayini, amadiribe, amafeyi nayo yoke imihlobo yezinto ezithengiswako eJerusalema ngeSabatha.+ Nje-ke ngabayelelisa bona bangathengisi litho ngelangelo.*
16 Abantu beTirosi abahlala edorobheni baletha iinhlambi nayo yoke imihlobo yezinto ezithengiswako, bazithengisela abantu bakwaJuda eJerusalema ngeSabatha.+
17 Nje-ke ngakhalima iinkhulu zakwaJuda ngathi kizo: “Bubumbi bani enibenzakobu? Nisilaphaza ngitjho nelanga leSabatha!
18 Kghani lokhu akusingikho na okwenziwa bokhokho benu, kangangobana uZimu wasilethela ihlekelele le wayiletha naphezu kwedorobheli? Yeke ngokusilaphaza iSabatha,+ ningezelela ilaka lakaZimu phezu kwama-Israyeli.”
19 Msinyana nakuthoma ukurhwalala emasangweni weJerusalema ngaphambi kobana kube lilanga leSabatha, ngakhupha umyalo wokobana kuvalwe iminyango. Ngathi akukafuzi ivulwe bekube ngemva kweSabatha, ngabeka nezinye zeensebenzi zami emasangweni bona kungabi nemithwalo engeniswako ngelanga leSabatha.
20 Nje-ke abarhwebi nabathengisi bayo yoke imihlobo yezinto ezithengiswako balala ngaphandle kweJerusalema kanye namkha kabili.
21 Ngabayelelisa ngathi kibo: “Kubayini nilala phambi kweboda? Nange ningabuyelela godu, ngizonibopha.” Kusukela mhlokho, akhenge baseza ngeSabatha.
22 Ngatjela amaLevi ukuthi kufuze azihlambulule qobe, eze azokugada emasangweni bona enze iSabatha lihlale licwengile.+ Nalokhu Zimami ukukhumbule, ungibusise, ungirhawukele ngethando* lakho elikhulu.+
23 Emihleni leyo ngabona namaJuda atjhade nabafazi+ be-Atjhidodi,+ bakwa-Amoni nabakwaMowabi.+
24 Ingcenye yamadodanabo beyikhuluma isi-Atjhidodi namalimi wabantu abatjhili, akukho namunye wabo ebekakwazi ukukhuluma ilimi lamaJuda.
25 Nje-ke ngabakhalima, ngabaqalekisa, ngabetha abanye babo,+ ngatsomula iinhluthu zabo, ngabenza bafunga ngoZimu, ngathi: “Ninganikeli amadodakazenu emadodanenabo begodu ningazithatheli namkha nithathele amadodanenu amadodakazawo.+
26 Kghani akusingilokho okwenza iKosi yakwa-Israyeli uSolomoni yona? Hlangana neentjhaba ezinengi ayikho ikosi ebeyinjengaye;+ bekathandwa nguZimakhe,+ kangangobana uZimu wamenza waba yikosi yama-Israyeli woke. Kodwana abafazi beentjhaba bamenza wona.+
27 Nje-ke kuyarara ukuthi ningenza ubumbi obungaka ningathembeki kuZimethu ngokutjhada nabafazi bezinye iintjhaba!”+
28 Omunye wamadodana kaJoyada+ indodana ka-Eliyatjhibu+ umphristi ophakemeko waba mkhwenyana kaSanibhalathi+ umRhoroni. Nje-ke ngamqotha.
29 Bakhumbule Zimami, ngombana basilaphaze ubuphristi nesivumelwano sobuphristi+ namaLevi.+
30 Ngabahlambulula kikho koke ukusilaphala kweentjhaba, ngabela abaphristi namaLevi imisebenzi, ngamunye waya emsebenzinakhe,+
31 ngahlela nokobana kulethwe iinkuni+ ngeenkhathi ezibekiweko, kulethwe neenthelo zokuthoma ezivuthiweko.
Ngikhumbula ngobuhle Zimami.+
Imitlolo Ephasi
^ Namkha “ipahla yangendlini.”
^ Namkha “umtloli.”
^ Namkha “zethando elithembekileko.”
^ Namkha kungenzeka “ngabayelelisa mhlokho bona bangathengisi litho.”
^ Namkha “ngethando elithembekileko.”
