Nehemiya 13:1-31
13 Ngaloo mini abantu bafundelwa incwadi kaMoses,+ beva ukuba ama-Amoni namaMowabhi+ awafanele nanini na avunyelwe angene kwibandla loThixo wokwenene,+
2 kuba engazange anike amaSirayeli isonka namanzi, endaweni yoko aqesha uBhileham ukuba awaqalekise.+ Kodwa uThixo wethu wayijika yonke loo nto yaba yintsikelelo.+
3 Bathi bakuva loo Mthetho, babasusa kumaSirayeli bonke abo babengeyiyo inzala kaSirayeli.*+
4 Ngaphambi koku, umbingeleli owayephethe oovimba bendlu* kaThixo wethu+ yayinguEliyashibhi,+ ezalana noTobhiya.+
5 Wayemnike indlu enkulu eyayinguvimba,* apho yayikade igcinwa khona iminikelo yokutya, intlaka yokuqhumisa, izinto ezisetyenziswa etempileni, isishumi sokutya, iwayini entsha namafutha,+ ezazifanele zibe zezabaLevi,+ iimvumi noonogada basegeyithini, kunye nomnikelo wababingeleli.+
6 Ngalo lonke eli xesha ndandingekho eYerusalem, kuba ngonyaka we-32+ kaKumkani uArtashashta+ waseBhabhiloni ndandiye kukumkani, ndaza ethubeni ndamcela ukuba khe ndihambe.
7 Ndafika eYerusalem ndayibona into embi eyenziwa nguEliyashibhi+ ngokunika uTobhiya+ indlu enguvimba eyadini yendlu yoThixo wokwenene.
8 Ndayicaphukela kakhulu le nto, kangangokuba ndayikhupha yonke ifenitsha kaTobhiya kuloo ndlu.*
9 Emva koko ndakhupha umyalelo wokuba kucocwe oovimba,* ndaza ndabuyisela izinto zendlu yoThixo wokwenene,+ umnikelo wokutya nentlaka yokuqhumisa.+
10 Ndafumanisa nokuba abaLevi+ babengasazifumani izinto abamele bazinikwe,+ baza bona neemvumi ezazisebenza etempileni babuyela emasimini abo.+
11 Ndabangxolisa abaphathi+ ndathi: “Kutheni ingakhathalelwanga nje indlu yoThixo wokwenene?”+ Emva koko ndaqokelela bonke abo babebuyele emasimini abo, ndababuyisela emsebenzini.
12 Bonke abantu bakwaYuda bazisa isishumi+ sokutya, iwayini entsha namafutha koovimba.+
13 Emva koko ndabeka uShelemiya umbingeleli, uTsadoki umkhupheli* noPedaya umLevi ukuba bajongane noovimba, bencediswa nguHanan unyana kaZakure unyana kaMataniya, kuba la madoda ayesaziwa ngokuthembeka. Ngawo awayesabela abantakwabo.
14 Ndicela uzikhumbule,+ Thixo wam, ezi zinto ndizenzileyo, ungazilibali izinto endizenze ngenxa yokuthanda indlu kaThixo wam nomsebenzi owenziwa kuyo.+
15 Ngaloo mihla ndabona kwaYuda abantu bexovula izixovulelo zewayini ngeSabatha,+ bekhwelisa iimfumba zokutya kwiidonki, besizisa iwayini, iidiliya, amafiya* nalo lonke uhlobo lomthwalo eYerusalem ngeSabatha.+ Ndabalumkisa ukuba bangathengisi ngaloo mini.*
16 NamaTire awayehlala kwesi sixeko ayesizisa iintlanzi nalo lonke uhlobo lwezinto ezithengiswayo, ezithengisela abantu bakwaYuda nabaseYerusalem ngemini yeSabatha.+
17 Ndazingxolisa izikhulu zakwaYuda ndisithi: “Yintoni na le imbi kangaka niyenzayo, ningcolisa imini yeSabatha?
18 Ayifani na le nto niyenzayo naleyo yenziwa ngookhokho benu, ukuze uThixo wethu azisele thina nesi sixeko yonke le ntlekele? Ngoku nimenza acaphuke kakhulu uThixo ngokungcolisa iSabatha.”+
19 Kwathi xa kuqala ukuba mnyama kwiigeyithi zaseYerusalem, ngaphambi kokuba kuqale iSabatha, ndathi makuvalwe iingcango. Ndathi mazingavulwa de kuphele iSabatha, ndaza ndabeka abam oonogada ezigeyithini ukuze kungangeniswa mthwalo ngeSabatha.
20 Oosomashishini nabathengisi balo lonke uhlobo lwezinto bahlala ubusuku bonke ngaphandle kweYerusalem kwaba kanye okanye kabini.
21 Ndabalumkisa ndathi: “Kutheni nihleli phambi kolu donga ubusuku bonke nje? Ukuba nikhe naphinda, ndiza kunigxotha ngenkani.” Zange baphinde beze ngeSabatha ukususela ngoko.
22 Ndabaxelela nabaLevi ukuba bamele bahlale bezicoca, bagade ezigeyithini ukuze ihlale ingcwele imini yeSabatha.+ Owu Thixo wam, ndicela uyikhumbule nale into, undisizele ngenxa yothando lwakho olungagungqiyo.+
23 Ngaloo mihla ndabona namaYuda awayetshate abafazi bama-Ashdode,+ ama-Amoni namaMowabhi.+
24 Ihafu yoonyana bawo yayithetha isiAshdode enye ihafu ithetha iilwimi zezinye iintlanga, kungekho namnye kubo owayekwazi ukuthetha ulwimi lwamaYuda.
25 Ndawangxolisa, ndiwaqalekisa, amanye amadoda ndiwabetha,+ ndiwaxhwitha iinwele, ndiwafungisa ngoThixo ndisithi: “Sanukunikisa ngeentombi zenu koonyana bawo, ningathatheli noonyana benu kwiintombi zawo.+
26 Andithi uKumkani uSolomon wakwaSirayeli woniswa zizo? Kwakungekho kumkani unjengaye phakathi kweentlanga,+ ibe wayethandwa nguThixo wakhe,+ kangangokuba wamenza ukumkani kaSirayeli wonke. Kodwa naye lo bamenza wona abafazi basemzini.+
27 Ayisosimanga na esi nisenzileyo, ukwenza isono esikhulu kangaka sokungathembeki kuThixo wethu, ngokutshata abafazi basemzini?”+
28 Omnye woonyana bakaYoyada+ unyana kaEliyashibhi+ umbingeleli omkhulu waba ngumkhwenyana kaSanebhalati+ umHoron, ngoko ndamgxotha.
29 Uze uyikhumbule, Thixo wam, into abayenzileyo, kuba bangcolise ububingeleli nesivumelwano sababingeleli+ nabaLevi.+
30 Ndabacoca kuko konke ukungcola kweentlanga, ndanika ababingeleli nabaLevi imisebenzi amabayenze,+
31 ndaza ndalungiselela ukuba kuziswe iinkuni+ neziqhamo zokuqala ngamaxesha azo.
Owu Thixo wam, ndicela undikhumbule ngezinto ezintle endizenzileyo.+
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Okanye “abo babenegazi elixubileyo.”
^ Okanye “iiholo zokutyela zetempile.”
^ Okanye “iholo yokutyela enkulu.”
^ Okanye “kuloo holo yokutyela.”
^ Okanye “iiholo zokutyela.”
^ Okanye “umbhali.”
^ Okanye “amakhiwane.”
^ Okanye kusenokwenzeka, “ndabalumkisa ngaloo mini ukuba bangathengisi.”
