Nehemiya 8:1-18
8 Bonke abantu badibana kwindawo kawonke-wonke eyayiphambi kweGeyithi Yamanzi,+ baza baxelela uEzra+ umkhupheli* ukuba eze nencwadi yoMthetho KaMoses,+ lowo uYehova wayewunike uSirayeli.+
2 UEzra umbingeleli weza nayo kwelo bandla+ lamadoda nabafazi nabantwana ababesele beqabukile, ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yesixhenxe.+
3 Wayifunda esiva+ amadoda nabafazi nabantwana ababesele beqabukile kuloo ndawo kawonke-wonke eyayiphambi kweGeyithi Yamanzi, ukususela ekuthini qheke kwemini de kwasemini emaqanda; ibe abantu bayimamelisisa+ loo ncwadi yoMthetho yayifundwa.
4 UEzra umkhupheli* wayemi kwiqonga elenziwe ngamaplanga, lenzelwe le ndibano; ibe ngasekunene kwakhe kwakumi uMatitiya, uShema, uAnaya, u-Uriya, uHilekiya noMahaseya; ngasekhohlo inguPedaya, uMishayeli, uMalekiya,+ uHashum, uHash-bhadana, uZekariya noMeshulam.
5 UEzra wayivula incwadi bembona bonke abantu, kuba wayemi eqongeni. Wathi akuyivula baphakama bonke.
6 Emva koko uEzra wamdumisa uYehova uThixo wokwenene, Lowo mkhulu, baza bonke abantu bathi, “Amen!*+ Amen!” bephakamise izandla zabo. Baqubuda kuYehova.
7 UYeshuwa, uBhani, uSherebhiya,+ uYamin, uAkubhi, uShabhetayi, uHodiya, uMahaseya, uKelita, uAzariya, uYozabhadi,+ uHanan noPelaya, ababengabaLevi, bacacisa uMthetho ngoxa abantu babemile.+
8 Baqhubeka bebafundela incwadi yoMthetho kaThixo wokwenene, bewucacisa kakuhle yaye bebaxelela ukuba uthetha ukuthini; babanceda abantu batsho bayiqonda le nto ifundwayo.+
9 UNehemiya, owayengumlawuli* ngelo xesha, uEzra+ umbingeleli nomkhupheli,* nabaLevi ababefundisa bonke abantu, bathi kubo: “Le yimini engcwele kuYehova uThixo wenu.+ Sanukuzila, yekani ukulila.” Kaloku bonke abantu babeliliswa kukuva amazwi oMthetho.
10 UNehemiya wathi kubo: “Hambani niyokutya nisele nezinto ezimnandi,* nize niphe nabo bangenakutya;+ kuba le yimini engcwele kwiNkosi yethu; ningakhathazeki, kuba uvuyo enilunikwa nguYehova luza kunomeleza.”*
11 AbaLevi babathuthuzela bonke, besithi: “Thulani! sanukukhathazeka, kuba le yimini engcwele.”
12 Ngoko bonke abantu bemka baya kutya, basela, baphisa nangokutya bevuya,+ kuba babewaqonda kakuhle amazwi ababewaxelelwe.+
13 Ngosuku lwesibini, iintloko zezindlu zabo bonke abantu, ababingeleli nabaLevi, bonke baya kuEzra umkhupheli* befuna ukucaciselwa amazwi oMthetho.
14 Bafunda eMthethweni kaYehova ukuba wayeyalele amaSirayeli ngoMoses ukuba ahlale kumakhusi* ngexesha letheko lenyanga yesixhenxe,+
15 nokuba babemele benze isaziso+ kuzo zonke izixeko naseYerusalem, esithi: “Hambani niyokukha amahlamvu ezintabeni kwimithi yomnquma, eyompayina, eyommirtile, eyesundu nakweminye imithi, nenze amakhusi, njengokuba usitsho uMthetho.”
16 Ngoko ke abantu beza nawo baza bazenzela amakhusi emaphahleni naseziyadini zabo, kwiiyadi zendlu yoThixo wokwenene,+ kwindawo kawonke-wonke ekwiGeyithi Yamanzi+ nakuleyo ikwiGeyithi KaEfrayim.+
17 Ngaloo ndlela lonke ibandla elalibuye ekuthinjweni lenza amakhusi laza lahlala kuwo; kaloku amaSirayeli ayegqibele ngomhla kaYoshuwa+ unyana kaNun ukuyenza loo nto, ngoko ayonwabe kakhulu.+
18 Kwafundwa incwadi yoMthetho kaThixo wokwenene+ yonke imihla ukususela kusuku lokuqala ukuyokutsho kolokugqibela. Baba netheko iintsuku ezisixhenxe, kwaza kwabakho indibano ngosuku lwesibhozo, belandela uMthetho.+
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Okanye “umbhali.”
^ Okanye “umbhali.”
^ Okanye “Makube njalo!”
^ Okanye “nombhali.”
^ Okanye “owayeyiTirshata,” indlela awayebizwa ngayo umphathi wephondo ePersi.
^ Ngokoqobo, “izinto ezinamanqatha.”
^ Okanye “luyindawo yenu ekhuselekileyo.”
^ Okanye “umbhali.”
^ Okanye “eminqubeni.”
