Bible Reading Plan – Day 253

₂₁Khona apho ngakumlambo waseAhava ndamisela uzilo, ukuze sizithobe phambi koThixo wethu, simcele asithi jize ngohambo olukhuselekileyo, thina neentsapho zethu nako konke esinako. ₂₂Kambe ke ndaba neentloni ukucela ukuba ukumkani asinike amajoni nabakhweli-mahashe ukuze asikhusele ezintshabeni zendlela; kaloku apho kukumkani sasithe: “Isandla esikulunga sikaThixo wethu siphezu kwabo bonke abakhangela kuye ukuze balungelwe; ke wona amandla akhe nengqumbo yakhe iyabachasa bonke abo bamlahlayo.” ₂₃Ngoko ke sazila sakhunga kuThixo wethu ngalo mbandela, waza wawuphendula umthandazo wethu.

₂₄Ndamisela ababingeleli abaphambili abalishumi elinambini, inguSherebhiya noHashabhiya neshumi kubantakwabo. ₂₅Ndabalinganisela umnikelo wesiliva negolide nezo zinto zazinikelwe ngukumkani, abacebisi bakhe, amaphakathi akhe, naye wonke umSirayeli owayekhona, benikelela indlu kaThixo wethu.

₂₆Nanku ke umlinganiso wezinto endabanika zona:

₂₈Ndathi kubo: “Nina ke ningcwalisekile *kuNdikhoyo; zikwanjalo nezi zitya. Isiliva negolide zinikezelwe kuNdikhoyo uThixo wooyihlo zingumnikelo wokuqhutywa yintliziyo. ₂₉Ngoko ke zigcineni ngenyameko nide nizifake emlinganisweni kumagumbi endlu kaNdikhoyo eJerusalem phambi kwababingeleli abaziinkokheli nabaLevi neenkulu zezindlu zakwaSirayeli.”

₃₀Ababingeleli nabaLevi ke bayamkela isiliva negolide nezitya ezingcwele ezazifakwe emlinganisweni ziza kusiwa endlwini kaThixo eJerusalem.

₃₁Ke kaloku ngomhla weshumi elinambini kwinyanga yokuqala sanduluka kumlambo waseAhava, sasinga eJerusalem. Isandla sikaThixo wethu saba phezu kwethu, wasikhusela ezintshabeni zethu nakwizikrelemnqa zendlela. ₃₂Saya kufika eJerusalem, saza ke saphumla iintsuku zantathu.

₃₃Ke kaloku ngosuku lwesine sayilinganisa isiliva negolide nezinto ezingcwele, sazinikela kuMeremoti unyana kaUriya umbingeleli endlwini kaThixo wethu. UElazare unyana kaPineyasi wayekunye naye, ngokunjalo naba baLevi: uYozabhadi unyana kaYeshuwa noNowadiya unyana kaBhinuwi. ₃₄Yonke ke into eyayilapho yabalwa ngamanani nangobunzima, kwaza ke kwangelo thuba kwabhalwa phantsi.

₃₅Ke kaloku abathinjwa ababuyayo benzela uThixo kaSirayeli amadini atshiswayo: ishumi elinambini leenkunzi zeenkomo ngenxa kaSirayeli ephela, iinkunzi zeegusha ezimashumi alithoba anesithandathu, namashumi asixhenxe anesixhenxe amaxhwane angamaduna, kunye neshumi elinambini leebhokhwe ezingamaduna zokwenza idini lesono. Yonke loo nto ke yayiyeyokwenzela uNdikhoyo idini elitshiswayo.

₃₆Bayinikezela nencwadi eyayiphuma kukumkani, bayinika iirhuluneli nabalawuli bakwelentshona ye-Efrati; ke bona babancedisa abantu, bafaka igxalaba nakumsebenzi wokwakhiwa kwendlu kaThixo.

₁Ke kaloku emva kwezi zinto iinkokheli zeza kum, zathi: “AmaSirayeli la ndawonye nababingeleli nabaLevi abazahluli kwizizwe ezingabamelwana ngokubhekiselele kunqulo lwazo olungamasikizi olufana nolwamaKanana, amaHiti, amaPerezi, amaJebhusi, ama-Amon, amaMowabhi, amaJiputa, nama-Amori. ₂Basuke bathatha iintombi zazo zangabafazi babo noonyana babo. Olu hlanga lulodwa baluxube nezi ntlanga zibangqongileyo. Ewe, ziinkokheli namagosa kanye ezi zihamba phambili koku kunganyaniseki.”

₃Ndakuyiva le nto, ndasuka ndazikrazula iimpahla endandizinxibile, ezangaphantsi nezingaphezulu, ndazixhwitha iinwele neendevu zam, ndaza ndahlala phantsi ndimatshekile. ₄Bonke ke abantu abalihlonelayo ilizwi likaThixo kaSirayeli baqokelelana ngakum ngenxa yoku kunganyaniseki kwabathinjwa. Ndahlala apho ndimangalisekile kwada kwalithuba lamadini asemalanga.

₅Ngelo thuba lamadini amatshona ndaphakama kuloo ndawo yokuzithoba kwam, nezo mpahla zam zidlaka-dlaka zinjalo, ndaza ndaguqa ngamadolo, izandla ndaziphakamisela *kuNdikhoyo uThixo wam, ₆ndathandaza ndathi: “Yhoo, Thixo wam! Ndidanile, ndineentloni, ndingenako nokubuphakamisela kuwe ubuso bam, Thixo wam. Kaloku izono zethu zisuke zayinkabankaba esiveleleyo; ubutyala bethu sebufikelele emazulwini. ₇Ukususela kwimihla yoobawo-mkhulu kude kube kalokunje sinetyala elikhulu. Ngenxa yobugwenxa bethu thina nookumkani bethu nababingeleli bethu sesaba sisisulu sekrele, ukuthinjwa, ukuhluthwa izinto zethu, nokuhlazeka ezandleni zookumkani beentlanga, njengoko kusenjalo nanamhla.

₈“Kodwa ke ngoku okwalo mzuzu, wena Ndikhoyo Thixo wethu, usibabale ngokusishiyela amasalela, wasizinzisa nakule ndawo ingcwele. Ewe, Thixo wethu, usenzele umnyinyiva nebuya-mbo ekuthinjweni. ₉Nangona singamakhoboka, wena Thixo wethu akusilahlanga ekuthinjweni. Izikumkani zasePeshiya uzenze zanobubele kuthi. Usithe jize ngebuya-mbo lokuba sivuse indlu kaThixo wethu, siwavuse namabhodlo, waza ke wasikhusela thina bakwaJuda naseJerusalem.

₁₀“Ngoku ke, Thixo wethu, sothini kodwa xa kunje? Kaloku sisuke sayidela imiyalelo ₁₁owasinika ngezicaka zakho *abashumayeli usithi: ‘Lo mhlaba ningena nisiya kuma kuwo udyobhekile kukonakala kwabantu bawo. Ngemikhuba yabo emasikizi bawutsho waphuphuma kukungcola. ₁₂Ngoko ke nina ze ningazendiseli koonyana babo iintombi zenu, noonyana benu bangazithathi iintombi zabo. Naphantsi kwaziphi na iimeko ningaze niyikhuthaze intlalo nenkqubela yabo, khon' ukuze nomelele nikuxhamle ukulunga kweli lizwe, kananjalo libe lilifa labantwana benu ngonaphakade.’

₁₃“Le nto isihleleyo sisiphumo sezenzo zethu ezingcolileyo, neli tyala lethu lingaka. Kodwa naxa kunjalo, wena Thixo wethu akusohlwayanga ngokwezono zethu, koko usuke wasithi jize ngala masalela. ₁₄Singathini ke ngoku thina ukubuya siyaphule imiyalelo yakho ngokuzibandakanya ngomtshato nabantu abamikhuba imanyumnyezi kanje? Khona, ubungathini wena ukungakhathazeki ude usitshabalalise angabikho naloo masalela asindileyo? ₁₅Ewe, wena Ndikhoyo Thixo kaSirayeli, ulunge kwaphela! Namhlanje thina sinawo amasalela. Nakuba sinobutyala sinjalo, kodwa silapha. Phofu ngenxa yeli tyala lethu akukho namnye kuthi ungemayo phambi kwakho.”

₁Ke kaloku ngoku athandazayo uEzra evuma izono, elila egqusha phantsi phambi kwendlu kaThixo, kwabakho isihlwele samaSirayeli esaqokelelana kuye – amadoda, abafazi, nabantwana. Babelila ngokubindeka okukhulu. ₂Ke uShekaniya unyana kaYehiyeli oyinzala kaElam wathetha noEzra, wathi: “Ngokuthatha abafazi kwiintlanga esimelene nazo sonile kuThixo wethu. Kodwa nakuba kunjalo lisekho ithemba ngoSirayeli. ₃Ngoku ke masenze umnqophiso noThixo wethu wokuba siza kubagxotha aba bafazi ndawonye nabantwana babo, ngokwesigqibo senkosi yam, nabo bonke abayoyikayo imithetho kaThixo wethu. Ewe, makwenzeke ngokomthetho. ₄Ngoko ke phakama; lo mcimbi usezandleni zakho. Thina siza kukuxhasa. Yomelela wenze.”

₅Ke kaloku waphakama uEzra, waqokelela bonke ababingeleli abaphambili nabaLevi noSirayeli ephela, wathi mabafunge ukuba baza kwenza njengoko sekuthethiwe. Basenza ke isifungo. ₆Waza uEzra waphuma endlwini kaThixo, waya endlwini kaYohanan unyana kaEliyashibhi. Ngoko alapho ke wayengatyi engaseli manzi, kuba esazilele ukunganyaniseki kwabathinjwa. ₇Ke kaloku kwenziwa isihlokomiso kuye wonke uJuda neJerusalem, kusithiwa abathinjwa mabahlangane eJerusalem. ₈Nabani na ongezanga kwithuba leentsuku ezintathu, kwathiwa uza kuthathelwa izinto anazo. Eso ke isisigqibo samaphakathi namadoda amakhulu; umntu onjalo ke wayeza kusikwa kwibandla labathinjwa.

₉Ngezo ntsuku zintathu ke onke amadoda akwaJuda nawakwaBhenjamin aqokelelana eJerusalem. Ngomhla wamashumi amabini kwinyanga yethoba bonke abantu babesebehleli kwibala eliphambi kwendlu kaThixo, bengcangcazela ngenxa yalo mbandela nangenxa yemvula. ₁₀Umbingeleli uEzra ke waphakama wathi: “Nenze ukunganyaniseki; ityala likaSirayeli nilongezelele ngokuthatha abafazi abaziintlanga. ₁₁Ngoko ke, sivumeni isono senu phambi *koNdikhoyo uThixo wooyihlo, nenze ukuthanda kwakhe. Zahluleni kwezi ntlanga ziningqongileyo, ngokunjalo nakwaba bafazi benu baziintlanga.”

₁₂Ke lonke ibandla laphendula likhwaza lisithi: “Unyanisile! Siza kuyenza le nto uyithethayo. ₁₃Kambe ke sibaninzi gqitha apha, ibe ke ngoku lixesha lemvula; asinako ukuma apha phandle. Ngaphezu koko ke lo mbandela awunako ukugqitywa ngemini enye nezimbini, kuba ngenene sone sagqithisa kulo mbandela. ₁₄Amaphakathi ethu makamele ibandla lilonke. Kwiidolophu zethu wonke umntu othathe intombi yeentlanga makamiselwe ixesha, aze eze kunye namadoda amakhulu nabagwebi bedolophu nganye, ide le ngqumbo kaThixo wethu ngalo mbandela ibe nokususwa phezu kwethu.”

₁₅Ke kaloku yaba nguJonatan unyana ka-Asayeli kunye noYazeya unyana kaTikwa, bexhaswa nguMeshulam noShabhetayi umLevi, abasichasayo eso sigqibo.

₁₆Ngoko ke abathinjwa abo benza ngokwezo zigqibo. Umbingeleli uEzra wanyula amadoda aziinkulu zemizi, yanye kumzi ngamnye, onke ke akhankanywa ngamagama. Ngomhla wokuqala kwinyanga yeshumi bahlala phantsi, benza uphando ngalo mbandela, ₁₇baza ke kumhla wokuqala wenyanga yokuqala bawufeza umcimbi wawo onke amadoda awayethathe abafazi abaziintlanga.

₁₈Kwinzala yababingeleli naba abathathe abafazi abaziintlanga:

₄₄Bonke abo babethathe abafazi abaziintlanga. Kwaba bafazi bekukho ababezele oonyana.