1bahlangana boke njengomuntu oyedwa etatawini elingaphambi kwesango uManzi. Babawa u-Ezra omtloli bonyana alethe incwadi yomthetho kaMosi egade inikelwe nguSomnini kuma-Israyeli. 2Nje-ke u-Ezra umphristi waletha umthetho lowo phambi kwehlangano ngelanga lokuthoma lenyanga yekhomba. Bekuyihlangano yamadoda nabafazi kanye nabo boke abazwisisa umthetho. 3Wafunda umthetho lowo kusukela ekuseni bekwaba semini aphambi kwamadoda nabafazi kanye nalabo abazwisisako. Gade aqalene netatawu ngaphambili kwesango uManzi. Boke abantu bebabeke indlebe emthethweni lowo. 4U-Ezra omtloli gade ajame esithaleni seengodo ebesakhelwe umsebenzi lowo. Eqadi kwakhe ngesidleni bekujame uMatitiya, uTjhema, u-Anaya, u-Uriya, uRhilikhiya noMaseya; ngesinceleni kujame uPedaya, uMitjhayeli, uMalikiya, uRhatjhumu, uRhatjhibhadana, uZakariya noMetjhulamu.
5U-Ezra wavula incwadi aqalwe babantu boke ngombana gade ajame endaweni ephakamileko. Kwathi nakayivulako, abantu basikima boke. 6Lokha u-Ezra nakadumisa uSomnini uZimu omkhulu, abantu baphendula bathi: “Amen! Amen!” Baphakamisa izandla, baguqa bahloma iinhloko phasi phambi kwakaSomnini.
7Kwathi abantu basajame eendaweni zabo njalo, amaLevi ahlathululela abantu umthetho. Wona bekunguJetjhuwa, uBhani, uTjherebiya, uJamini, u-Akhubu, uTjhabatayi, uHodiya, uMaseya, uKhelitha, u-Azariya, uJozabadi, uRhanani noPelaya. 8Afunda encwadini yomthetho kaZimu abe ahlathulula ukuze abantu bazwisise umthetho ofundiweko.
9Kwathi lokha uNerhemiya ogade ambusi no-Ezra omphristi nomtloli kanye namaLevi nabafundisa abantu, bathi kibo boke: “Ilangeli licwengile kuSomnini uZimenu, yeke ningadabuki namkha nilile ngalo.” Batjho lokho ngombana abantu balila lokha nabezwa amezwi womthetho. 10UNerhemiya wathi kibo: “Khambani nifese nibethe esimonyongwana, nithumele isabelo konganalitho. Iye, ilangeli licwengile kuSomnini, ngalokho ningaphatheki kumbi ngombana ukwenama enikuphiwa nguSomnini kumamandlenu.”
11Godu namaLevi athulisa boke abantu athi: “Thulani ngombana ilangeli licwengile, ningaphatheki kumbi.”
12Mbala, abantu bakhamba kobana bayokudla, basele bebathumele isabelo konganalitho. Godu bebasase khulu ngombana bebazwisise amezwi amenyezelwe kibo.
13Kwathi ngelanga lesibili abaphristi namaLevi kanye neenhloko zemindeni yoke, beza babuthana ku-Ezra omtloli kobana bazokutlhadlhuluka kuhle ngeemiso zakaSomnini. 14Bafunyana iimiswezo zitlolwe emthethweni uSomnini agade ayale ngazo ngoMosi kobana ama-Israyeli kufuze ahlale emitlhatlhaneni nakusikhathi somnyanya wenyanga yekhomba, 15nokobana kumele azwakalise abe amemezele kiwo woke amadorobhawo neJerusalema athi: “Phumani, niye entatjaneni nifese nilethe amatjhwaba we-oliva, we-oliva yommango, wemithi yemiritlili, wesundu kanye naweminye imithi yamakari ukuze nizokwakha imitlhatlhana njengombana kutloliwe.” 16Nje-ke abantu baphuma beza namatjhwaba kobana bazozakhela imitlhatlhana. Omunye nomunye wazakhela umtlhatlhana ephahleni lendlwakhe namkha ecabazini lakhe, nanyana esirhodlweni sethempeli lakaZimu namkha etatawini lesango uManzi netatawini lesango u-Efrayimu. 17Yoke ihlangano yalabo ababuya ekuthunjweni yakha imitlhatlhana yahlala kiyo ngombana kusukela emihleni kaJotjhuwa umsa kaNuni, ama-Israyeli bekangazange enze njalo. Ngalokho kwaba khona ukwenama okukhulu. 18Imihla ngemihla ukusukela elangeni lokuthoma bekube kelokugcina, uNerhemiya wafunda encwadini yomthetho kaZimu. Bagidinga umnyanya amalanga alikhomba. Kwathi ngelanga lobunane kwaba khona umgidi omkhulu ukuya ngomyalo.
