UNehemiya 13

₁Ngalolo lusuku abantu bafundelwa incwadi yomthetho kaMose, kwafika endaweni lapho okwakubhalwe khona ukuthi akukho muntu wakwa-Amoni noma wakwaMowabi okufanele avunyelwe nanini ukuba yingxenye yebandla labantu bakaNkulunkulu, ₂ngoba labo bantu benqaba ukunika abakwa-Israyeli ukudla namanzi, kunalokho baqasha uBhalamu ukuba abaqalekise, kodwa uNkulunkulu wethu waguqula isiqalekiso saba yisibusiso. ₃Kwathi abantu sebekuzwile okushiwo ngumthetho, babaxosha bonke abantu ababenokhokho abaxubileyo, bashiya abakwa-Israyeli boqobo.

₄Ngaphambi kwalokho, u-Eliyashibhi, umphristi owayengamele amagumbi endlu kaNkulunkulu wethu, eyisihlobo sikaThobiya, ₅walungisela uThobiya igumbi elikhulu lapho kwakubekwa khona umnikelo wokusanhlamvu, impepho, izitsha, okweshumi kokusanhlamvu, iwayini, amafutha, okwakunikwe ngokomthetho abaLevi, abaculi, abalindisango neminikelo yabaphristi. ₆Ngaleso sikhathi ngangingekho eJerusalema, ngokuba ngonyaka wama-32 wokubusa kuka-Arithahishashitha, ngabuyela kuye ngayombikela ngokwakwenzekile. Emuva kwesikhathi ngacela imvume enkosini, ₇ngase ngiphindela eJerusalema. Ngafika ngabona into embi eyenziwa ngu-Eliyashibhi, elungisela uThobiya igumbi emagcekeni endlu kaNkulunkulu. ₈Ngathukuthela kakhulu, ngazijikijela phandle izimpahla zikaThobiya ezazisendlini. ₉Ngase ngiyala abaphristi ukuba bahlanze lezo zindlu, babuyisele izitsha zasendlini, neminikelo yokusanhlamvu nempepho.

₁₀Ngabuye ngezwa nokuthi abanye abaLevi nabaculi ababesebenza ethempelini sebehambile bayosebenza emasimini abo, ngoba abantu base beyekile ukuba babanike isabelo sabo. ₁₁Ngabathethisa abaholi, ngathi kubo: “Yini eyenze ukuba nilahle indlu kaNkulunkulu na?”

Ngawaqoqa lawo madoda, ngawabuyisela emsebenzini wawo ayewenza endlini kaNkulunkulu. ₁₂Bonke abantu bakwaJuda base beqala futhi ukunikela okweshumi kokusanhlamvu, iwayini elisha namafutha amasha, kwafakwa ezinqolobaneni. ₁₃Ngaqoka amanye amadoda ukuba abe ngabagcinimafa bezinqolobane: uShelemiya umphristi, uZadoki ungoti kwezomthetho noPhedaya umLevi. UHanani, indodana kaZakhuri indodana kaMathaniya, wayezoba ngumsizi wabo. Lawo madoda ngangiwethemba ukuthi ayezoba qotho lapho esehlukaniselana nabanye ayesebenza nabo.

₁₄Nkulunkulu wami, ngikhumbule kulokhu, ungakhohlwa ukwethembeka engikwenzile, ngikwenzela indlu yakho nomsebenzi owenziwa kuyo.

₁₅Ngalezo zinsuku ngabona abantu kwaJuda bekhama amagilebhisi ngeSabatha. Abanye babethwese izimbongolo zabo okusanhlamvu, iwayini, amagilebhisi, amakhiwane nezinye izinto, bekuyisa eJerusalema; ngabexwayisa ukuthi bangathengisi lutho ngeSabatha. ₁₆Kwakukhona futhi idlanzana labantu baseThire, ababehlala eJerusalema, bethengisa izinhlanzi nokunye, bekuthengisela abantu bakwaJuda emzini ngeSabatha. ₁₇Ngabathethisa abaholi bakwaJuda, ngathi kubo: “Nibenzelani lobu bubi bokungcolisa iSabatha na? ₁₈Akuyibo yini lobu bubi noyihlo ababenza, obalethela thina nalo muzi inhlekelele na? Manje nani niyaqhubeka nigovuza ulaka lukaNkulunkulu ukuba amelane no-Israyeli ngokuthi ningcolise iSabatha na?”

₁₉Manje sengishaya umthetho wokuthi amasango eJerusalema ahluthulelwe ngaphambi kokuqala kweSabatha, aze avulwe lapho sekwedlule iSabatha. Ngizobeka ezinye zezinceku zami emasangweni ukuze zibheke ukuthi akukho lutho olungeniswa emzini ngeSabatha. ₂₀Abahwebi nabathengisi nayo yonke impahla yabo babehlala ngaphandle kweJerusalema ebusuku, kanye noma kabili, ₂₁kodwa ngabenqabela, ngathi: “Yini eyenza nibe seceleni kogange ebusuku na? Uma niphinda nikwenza lokho ngizonibopha.”

Kusukela ngalolo suku abaphindanga balala lapho ngasogangeni ebusuku. ₂₂Ngayala abaLevi ukuba bazingcwelise, kube yibo abaqapha emasangweni ebusuku ukuze kugcinwe usuku lweSabatha lungcwele.

Ungikhumbule Nkulunkulu wami, ube nomusa kimi ngokuba mkhulu umusa wakho.

₂₃Ngalezo zinsuku, ngabona abanye abaJuda abasebeganwe ngabesifazane base-Ashidodi, kwa-Amoni nakwaMowabi. ₂₄Ingxenye yezingane zabo yayikhuluma ulimi lwase-Ashidodi kuphela, ingaluzwa ulimi lwakubo. ₂₅Ngawathethisa lawo madoda, ngawaqalekisa, amanye ngawashaya, ngawahluthula izinwele, ngathi awenze isifungo kuNkulunkulu: “Aniyukuwaganisela amadodana abo ngamadodakazi enu, futhi aniyukuwathathela amadodana enu, noma nizithathele nina abafazi emadodakazini abo. ₂₆USolomoni, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, akonanga yini ngenxa yabesifazane na? Phakathi kwezizwe eziningi, ayikho inkosi eyayifana naye. Nanxa uNkulunkulu ayemthanda waze wambeka inkosi ka-Israyeli, wadukiswa ngamakhosikazi akhe abezizwe. ₂₇Nani senenza isono esifanayo; nihlubuka uNkulunkulu ngokuganwa ngabafazi babezizwe na?”

₂₈UJehoyada, indodana ka-Eliyashibhi, umphristi omkhulu, wavumela indodana yakhe ukuba iganwe yindodakazi kaSanibhalathi waseBhethi Horoni, ngakho-ke ngamxosha.

₂₉Nkulunkulu wami, ungawakhohlwa lawo madoda ukuthi abungcolise kanjani ubuphristi nesivumelwano sabaphristi nabaLevi.

₃₀Abaphristi nabaLevi ngabahlambulula kukho konke ukungcola kwabezizwe. Ngamisa futhi imisebenzi eyehlukene yabaphristi nabaLevi, yilowo nalowo enomsebenzi wakhe. ₃₁Ngabuye ngahlela ukulethwa kwezinkuni ngezikhathi ezimisiweyo, nokwethulwa kwesivuno sokuqala. Nkulunkulu wami, ngikhumbule ngokuhle engikwenzileyo.