Kufundzelwa kwebantfu umtsetfo ngu-Ezra
1Ngenyanga yesikhombisa onkhe ema-Israyeli abesatintile emadolobheni awo. Bonkhe bantfu bahlangana ndzawonye baba ngumuntfu munye eJerusalema enkhundleni lesembikweliSango Lemanti. Batjela Ezra, ingcweti yetemtsetfo, kutsi akaletse incwadzi yemtsetfo waSimakadze, labewunike sive sema-Israyeli ngaMosi.
2Kwatsi ngelilanga lekucala enyangeni yesikhombisa Ezra, umphristi, wabeka umtsetfo embikwawo wonkhe umhlangano, lapho kwakunemadvodza nebafati khona kanye nabo bonkhe lababekhona kuwucondzisisa. 3Wabafundzela wona kusukela ekuseni kuseluvivi, kwaze kwaba ngusemini, abeme abheke kulenkhundla lesembikweliSango Lemanti, lapho kwakubutsene khona emadvodza nebafati kanye nabo bonkhe lababenekuwucondza. Bonkhe bantfu balalelisisa nakufundvwa lencwadzi yemtsetfo.
4Ezra, ingcweti yetemtsetfo, bekeme endzaweni lephakeme leyayakhiwe ngemapulango, yakhelwe wona lowo msebenti. Eceleni kwakhe ngasesandleni sekudla bekume boMathithiya, naShema, na-Anaya, na-Uriya, naHilkiya kanye naMaseya; ngasesandleni sakhe sesancele bekume boPhedaya, naMishayeli, naMalkhiya, naHashumi, naHashabadana, naZakhariya kanye naMeshulamu.
5Ezra wayivula lencwadzi. Bonkhe bantfu babembona, ngobe abeme endzaweni lephakeme kunabo. Watsi nakayivula nje lencwadzi, bonkhe bantfu basukuma bema ngetinyawo. 6Ezra wadvumisa Simakadze, Nkulunkulu lomkhulu kakhulu.
Bonkhe bantfu baphakamisa tandla tabo bananatela yena batsi: “Amen! Amen!” Baguca phansi bakhotsama Simakadze babhekise buso phansi.
7Basukuma lapho bema etindzaweni tabo, kwase kutsi lamaLevi lalandzelako abachazela umtsetfo: boJeshuwa, naBani, naSherebiya, naJamini, na-Akhubi, naShabhethayi, naHodiya, naMaseya, naKhelita, na-Azariya, naJozabadi, naHanana kanye naPhelaya. 8Bafundza incwadzi yemtsetfo waNkulunkulu, bawucacisa kahle. Babechazela sive inshokutsini yawo, kuze kutsi sonkhe sive sicondzisise kahle kutsi kukhulunywa ngani.
9Batsi kube bantfu beve ngaloko lokwakufunwa ngumtsetfo, batsintseka badzimate bakhala. Ngako boNehemiya, umbusi, na-Ezra, labengumphristi nengcweti yetemtsetfo, kanye nemaLevi labenguwona achaza lomtsetfo, bakhuluma kulabantfu bonkhe, batsi: “Lelilanga lalamuhla lingcwele kuSimakadze Nkulunkulu wenu, ngako akukafaneli kutsi nilibale kukhala nidzindze sililo.”
10Nehemiya wakhuluma esiveni, watsi: “Hambani niye emakhaya enu niyekudla kudla kwelikhetselo netinatfo letimnandzi, niphe nalabo labangenalutfo. Leli lilanga lelingcwele kuSimakadze wetfu. Ningakhatsateki, ngobe injabulo yenu levela kuSimakadze ingemandla enu.”
11EmaLevi abindzisa bonkhe bantfu, atsi: “Thulani, ngobe leli lilanga lelingcwele. Ningakhatsateki.”
12Ngako bonkhe bantfu bahamba badla banatsa ngekujabula, bapha nalabanye kudla, ngobe bese bawacondzisisa kahle lawo mavi lababechazelwe wona.
UMkhosi Wemadlangala
13Ngelilanga lesibili kuleyo nyanga baholi bayo yonkhe imindeni, nebaphristi kanye nemaLevi babutsanela ku-Ezra, labeyingcweti yetemtsetfo, kuze batewufundza kahle timiso talomtsetfo. 14Bakhandza kubhaliwe emtsetfweni Simakadze labeyale ngawo ema-Israyeli ngaMosi kutsi afanele ahlale emadlangaleni ngesikhatsi semkhosi wenyanga yesikhombisa, 15nekutsi lelivi kufanele balisakate balimemetele kuwo onkhe emadolobha abo naseJerusalema, batsi: “Hambani, niye eveni letintsaba niyewugawula khona emagala etihlahla temncumo kanye newemncumo wesiganga, newabomabovana, newemasundvu kanye newetihlahla temtfunti nitekwenta emadlangala,” njengobe kubhaliwe emtsetfweni.
16Ngako bantfu baphuma bahamba bayawugawula emagala, babuya nawo batawutakhela emadlangala etikwetindlu tabo, nasemabaleni abo, nasetibuyeni tendlu yaNkulunkulu, nasetinkhundleni letatingaseSangweni Lemanti kanye nangaseSangweni laka-Efrayimu. 17Bonkhe bantfu labebabuya ekutfunjweni batakhela emadlangala, bahlala kuwo. Kusukela esikhatsini saJoshuwa, umsa waNuni, kwaze kwaba ngulelo langa babengazange bawugubhe lowo mkhosi ngaleyo ndlela labawugubha ngayo. Kujabula kwabo kwaba kukhulu kakhulu.
18Lilanga ngelilanga kusukela kulekucala kwaze kwaba kulekugcina, Ezra abebafundzela kulencwadzi yemtsetfo waNkulunkulu. Lomkhosi bawugubha emalanga lasikhombisa, kwatsi ngelilanga lesiphohlongo bahlangana ndzawonye, njengobe kwakusho lomtsetfo.
