Ezra 8:1-36
8 Nazi ke iintloko zezindlu nomlibo wabo bemka nam eBhabhiloni ngexesha lokulawula kukaKumkani uArtashashta:+
2 koonyana bakaFinehasi+ nguGershom, koonyana bakaItamare+ nguDaniyeli; koonyana bakaDavide nguHatushe;
3 koonyana bakaShekaniya woonyana bakaParoshe nguZekariya, yena wabhaliswa namadoda ayi-150;
4 koonyana bakaPahati-mowabhi+ nguEliyeho-henayi unyana kaZerahiya, ekunye namadoda ayi-200;
5 koonyana bakaZatu+ nguShekaniya unyana kaYahaziyeli, ekunye namadoda ayi-300;
6 koonyana baka-Adin+ nguEbhedi unyana kaYonatan, ekunye namadoda ayi-50;
7 koonyana bakaElam+ nguYeshaya unyana ka-Ataliya, ekunye namadoda ayi-70;
8 yaye koonyana bakaShefatiya+ nguZebhadiya unyana kaMikayeli, ekunye namadoda ayi-80;
9 koonyana bakaYowabhi nguObhadiya unyana kaYehiyele, ekunye namadoda ayi-218;
10 koonyana bakaBhani nguShelomiti unyana kaYosifiya, ekunye namadoda ayi-160;
11 koonyana bakaBhebhayi+ nguZekariya unyana kaBhebhayi, ekunye namadoda ayi-28;
12 koonyana baka-Azegadi+ nguYohanan unyana kaHakatan, ekunye namadoda ayi-110;
13 koonyana baka-Adonikam,+ ababengabokugqibela ukufika, nanga amagama abo: nguElifelete, uYeyeli noShemaya, bekunye namadoda ayi-60;
14 yaye koonyana bakaBhigevayi+ ngu-Utayi noZabhudi, bekunye namadoda ayi-70.
15 Ndababizela ngasemlanjeni ongena eAhava,+ samisa iinkampu apho iintsuku ezintathu. Ndithe ndakujonga phakathi kwabantu nababingeleli, ndafumanisa ukuba akukho baLevi.
16 Ngoko ndathumela ukuba kubizwe uEliyezere, uAriyeli, uShemaya, uElnatan, uYaribhi, uElnatan, uNatan, uZekariya noMeshulam, ababekhokela, noYoyaribhe noElnatan, ababefundisa.
17 Ndabanika umyalelo wokuba baye kuIdo inkokheli yaseKasifiya. Ndathi mabathi kuIdo nabantakwabo, abasebenzi basetempileni* ababeseKasifiya, mabathumele abantu abaza kusebenza endlini yoThixo wethu.
18 Ekubeni sasincedwa nguThixo wethu, basizisela indoda esisilumko koonyana bakaMahali+ umzukulwana kaLevi unyana kaSirayeli, uSherebhiya,+ oonyana bakhe nabantakwabo, bengamadoda ayi-18;
19 noHashabhiya ekunye noYeshaya ababengamaMerari,+ abantakwabo noonyana babo, bengamadoda ayi-20.
20 Kwakukho nabasebenzi basetempileni* abayi-220, ababemiselwe nguDavide neenkosana ukuba bancedise abaLevi, bonke babhaliswa ngamagama.
21 Ndathi ebantwini apho kumlambo iAhava masizile ukutya, ukuze sizithobe phambi koThixo wethu, simcele asikhusele kuhambo lwethu, thina nabantwana bethu nazo zonke izinto esinazo.
22 Ndonqena ukucela ukuba ukumkani akhuphe amajoni ahamba ngeenyawo nakhwele amahashe ukuze asikhusele kwiintshaba esidibana nazo endleleni, kuba sasithe kukumkani: “UThixo uyabakhusela bonke abo bafuna uncedo lwakhe,+ kodwa ulwa nabo ngamandla abo bamlahlayo.”+
23 Ngoko sazila ukutya, sicela uThixo wethu ukuba asikhusele, waza yena wasimamela.+
24 Ndakhetha iintloko zababingeleli eziyi-12, oko kukuthi, uSherebhiya, uHashabhiya+ nabantakwabo abalishumi.
25 Ndakala isilivere, igolide nezitya ezingumnikelo wendlu kaThixo wethu owawukhutshwe ngukumkani, abacebisi bakhe, iinkosana zakhe nawo onke amaSirayeli awayelapho.+
26 Ndakala ndaza ndabanika iitalente* eziyi-650 zesilivere, izitya zesilivere eziyi-100 ezixabisa iitalente ezimbini, iitalente eziyi-100 zegolide,
27 izitya ezincinci zegolide eziyi-20 ezixabisa iidarike* eziyi-1 000, nezitya ezibini zekopolo yodidi, ebomvu ngombala, nemenyezelayo, exabiseke okwegolide.
28 Ndathi kubo: “Ningcwele kuYehova,+ nezi zitya zingcwele, yona isilivere negolide zingumnikelo wokuzithandela kuYehova uThixo wookhokho benu.
29 Zigcineni kakuhle de nizikale phambi kweentloko zababingeleli, abaLevi neenkosana zezindlu zakwaSirayeli eYerusalem,+ emagumbini endlu* kaYehova.”
30 Ababingeleli nabaLevi bayithatha loo silivere negolide nezitya ezazikaliwe, ukuze bazizise eYerusalem endlini yoThixo wethu.
31 Ekugqibeleni semka kuMlambo iAhava+ ngosuku lwe-12 kwinyanga yokuqala,+ saya eYerusalem. Isandla sikaThixo wethu saba phezu kwethu, waza wasisindisa kutshaba nakwabo babesilalele endleleni.
32 Safika eYerusalem,+ sahlala apho iintsuku ezintathu.
33 Ngosuku lwesine sakala isilivere, igolide nezitya endlini yoThixo wethu,+ sazinika uMeremoti+ unyana kaUriya umbingeleli, ekunye noEleyazare unyana kaFinehasi noYozabhadi+ unyana kaYeshuwa noNowadiya unyana kaBhinuwi.+
34 Yonke into yabalwa yaza yakalwa, kwabhalwa phantsi.
35 Abo babesuka ekuthinjweni benza imibingelelo etshiswayo kuThixo kaSirayeli ngeenkunzi zeenkomo+ eziyi-12 zikaSirayeli wonke, iinkunzi zeegusha+ eziyi-96, amatakane eegusha aziinkunzi ayi-77 neenkunzi zeebhokhwe+ eziyi-12 zomnikelo wesono, zonke zingumnikelo otshiswayo kuYehova.+
36 Emva koko, sadlulisela umyalelo kakumkani+ kubaphathiswa bamaphondo* kakumkani nakubalawuli bommandla oPhesheya KoMlambo,*+ baza bona baxhasa abantu nomsebenzi owenziwa endlini yoThixo wokwenene.+
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Okanye “abangamaNethini.” Ngokoqobo, “abo banikelweyo.”
^ Okanye “namaNethini.” Ngokoqobo, “abo banikelweyo.”
^ Italente yayilingana ne-34,2 kg. Funda Isihlomelo B14.
^ Idarike yayiyingqekembe yegolide yasePersi. Funda Isihlomelo B14.
^ Okanye “kwiiholo zokutyela zendlu.”
^ Isibizo esithetha “abakhuseli bobukumkani.” Apha kubhekiselwa kubalawuli bamaphondo oBukhosi BasePersi.
^ Oko kukuthi, umEfrate.
