Nehemiya Chapter 13

1. Ngalolo suku kwafundwa encwadini kaMose ezindlebeni zabantu; kwafunyanwa kulotshiwe kuyo ukuthi owakwa-Amoni nowakwaMowabi abanakungena ebandleni likaNkulunkulu kuze kube phakade,

2. ngokuba abahlangabezanga abakwa-Israyeli ngesinkwa namanzi, kepha babaqashela uBileyamu ukuba abaqalekise; kodwa uNkulunkulu wethu waphendula isiqalekiso saba yisibusiso.

3. Kwathi sebezwile umthetho, bahlukanisa no-Israyeli yonke ingxubevange.

4. Ngaphambi kwalokho u-Eliyashibi, umpristi, owayemiselwe amakamelo endlu kaNkulunkulu wethu, isihlobo sikaThobiya,

5. wayemlungisele ikamelo elikhulu, lapho kade bebeka khona iminikelo yempuphu, nenhlaka, nezitsha, nokweshumi kwamabele, newayini, namafutha, okwakunqunyelwe ngomthetho amaLevi, nabahlabeleli, nabalindisango, kanye neminikelo yabapristi.

6. Kepha kukho konke lokho ngangingekho eJerusalema, ngokuba ngomnyaka wamashumi amathathu nambili ka-Aritahishashita inkosi yaseBabele ngaya enkosini; nangasekugcineni kwezinsuku ngacela enkosini,

7. ngaya eJerusalema, ngaqonda okubi u-Eliyashibi akwenzele uThobiya ngokumlungisela ikamelo emagcekeni endlu kaNkulunkulu.

8. Kwaba kubi kakhulu kimi; ngalahla phandle zonke izinto zendlu kaThobiya zikhishwe ekamelweni.

9. Ngase ngithi mabahlambulule amakamelo; ngabuyisela khona izitsha zendlu kaNkulunkulu kanye neminikelo yempuphu nenhlaka.

10. Ngase ngazi ukuthi amaLevi awanikwanga izabelo zawo; amaLevi nabahlabeleli abenza umsebenzi babebalekele, kwaba yilowo nalowo ensimini yakhe.

11. Ngase ngiphikisana nababusi, ngathi: “Ishiyelweni indlu kaNkulunkulu na?” Ngababutha, ngababeka ezindaweni zabo.

12. Wonke uJuda wayeseletha okweshumi kwamabele, nokwewayini, nokwamafutha engcebeni.

13. Ngabeka abaphathizikhwama phezu kwengcebo: nguShelemiya umpristi, noSadoki umbhali, noPhedaya wamaLevi; eceleni kwabo kwakunguHanani kaZakuri kaMathaniya, ngokuba kwathiwa bathembekile; babeyakwabela abafowabo.

14. Ngalokho ngikhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, ungesuli izenzo zami zomusa engizenzileyo endlini kaNkulunkulu wami nasenkonzweni yayo.

15. Ngalezo zinsuku ngabona kwaJuda abanyathela izikhamo zewayini ngesabatha nabaletha izithungu zamabele, bethwesa izimbongolo, newayini, nezithelo zewayini, namakhiwane, nemithwalo yonke, bekungenisa eJerusalema ngosuku lwesabatha; ngabaxwayisa ngosuku abathengisa ngalo lokho kudla.

16. AbaseTire ababehlala khona bangenisa izinhlanzi nezimpahla zezinhlobo zonke, bathengisa ngakho ngesabatha kubantwana bakwaJuda naseJerusalema.

17. Ngase ngiphikisana nabakhulu bakwaJuda, ngathi kubo: “Okubi kuni lokhu enikwenzayo, nilona usuku lwesabatha na?

18. Abenzanga kanjalo oyihlo, noNkulunkulu wenu akehliselanga yini phezu kwenu konke lokho okubi, naphezu kwalo muzi, na? Nokho nina niyenezela intukuthelo phezu kuka-Israyeli ngokulona isabatha.”

19. Kwathi lapho amasango aseJerusalema eseqala ukuba mnyama lingakafiki isabatha, ngathi mazivalwe izivalo, ngathi futhi mazingavulwa lize lidlule isabatha, ngabeka ezinye izinceku zami ngasemasangweni ukuba kungangeniswa mthwalo ngosuku lwesabatha.

20. Abathengi nabathengisi bezimpahla zezinhlobo zonke base belala ngaphandle kweJerusalema kanye nakabili.

21. Ngabaxwayisa, ngathi kubo: “Nilalelani malungana noganga na? Uma niphinda, ngiyakubeka isandla sami kini.” Kusukela kuleso sikhathi abafikanga ngesabatha.

22. Ngasho kumaLevi ukuba azihlambulule, eze, alinde amasango, angcwelise usuku lwesabatha. Ngalokho ngikhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, ungihawukele ngokobuningi bomusa wakho.

23. Futhi ngalezo zinsuku ngabona abaJuda ababezithathele abesifazane base-Ashidodi, nabakwa-Amoni, nabakwaMowabi.

24. Abantwana babo bakhuluma ngokwenxenye ngesi-Ashidodi; bengenakukhuluma isiJuda bakhuluma ngolimi lwezizwe ngezizwe.

25. Ngabasola ngalokho, ngabathuka, ngashaya abanye abantu, ngabahluthula izinwele, ngabafungisa uNkulunkulu, ngathi: “Ninganiki amadodana abo amadodakazi enu, ningathatheli amadodana enu amadodakazi abo.

26. Akonanga ngalokho uSolomoni inkosi yakwa-Israyeli na? Phakathi kwezizwe eziningi kwakungekho nkosi enjengaye; wayethandekile kuNkulunkulu wakhe; uNkulunkulu wambeka inkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli wonke; nokho abesifazane babezizwe bamonisa naye.

27. Sekuzwakele nangani ukuthi nenzile konke lokho okubi kakhulu ukuba niphambuke kuNkulunkulu wethu ngokuzithathela abesifazane babezizwe.”

28. Enye yamadodana kaJoyada indodana ka-Eliyashibi umpristi omkhulu yayingumkhwenyana kaSanibalati umHoroni; ngamxosha kimi.

29. Bakhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, ngokuba bangcolisile ubupristi nesivumelwano sabapristi nesamaLevi.

30. Ngase ngibahlambulula kukho konke okwabezizwe, nganquma izimfanelo zabapristi namaLevi, kwaba yilowo nalowo emsebenzini wakhe,

31. nomnikelo wezinkuni ngezikhathi ezinqunyiweyo, nolibo. Ngikhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, kube kuhle kimi.