UNehemiya
8:1 Bonke abantu babuthana ndawonye njengomuntu munye
isitaladi esasiphambi kwesango lamanzi; bakhuluma ku-Ezra the
umbhali ukuba alethe incwadi yomthetho kaMose, uJehova ayenayo
walaya uIsrayeli.
8:2 U-Ezra, umpristi, wawuletha umthetho phambi kwenhlangano kokubili amadoda
nabesifazane, nabo bonke abezwa ngokuqonda, ekuqaleni
usuku lwenyanga yesikhombisa.
8:3 Futhi wafunda kuwo phambi komgwaqo owawuphambi kwesango lamanzi
kusukela ekuseni kuze kube semini, phambi kwabesilisa nabesifazane, nalabo
engaqonda; izindlebe zabo bonke abantu zazilalele
encwadini yomthetho.
8:4 Futhi u-Ezra, umbhali, wayemi phezu epulpiti ngokhuni, ababelenzele
injongo; eceleni kwakhe kwakumi uMatithiya, noShema, no-Anaya, kanye
o-Uriya, noHilikiya, noMahaseya, ngakwesokunene sakhe; futhi ngakwesokhohlo sakhe
isandla, uPhedaya, noMishayeli, noMalikhiya, noHashumi, noHashibadana,
uZakariya, noMeshulamu.
8:5 U-Ezra wayivula incwadi phambi kwamehlo abo bonke abantu; (ngoba waye
phezu kwabo bonke abantu;) lapho eyivula, bonke abantu basukuma;
8:6 U-Ezra wambonga uJehova, uNkulunkulu omkhulu. Basebephendula bonke abantu.
Amen, Amen, bephakamisa izandla zabo: futhi bagebisa amakhanda abo, futhi
bakhuleka kuJehova, ubuso babo bubheke phansi.
8:7 NoJeshuwa, noBani, noSherebiya, noJamini, no-Akubi, noShabethayi, noHodiya,
noMahaseya, noKelitha, no-Azariya, noJozabadi, noHanani, noPhelaya, namaLevi,
waqondisa abantu umthetho; abantu bema emandleni abo
indawo.
8:8 Base befunda encwadini yomthetho kaNkulunkulu ngokucacile, banika izwi
umqondo, futhi wabenza baqonda okufundwayo.
8:9 NoNehemiya, onguTirshatha, no-Ezra umpristi, umbhali.
amaLevi ayefundisa abantu athi kubo bonke abantu: "Lokhu."
usuku lungcwele kuJehova uNkulunkulu wakho; ningalili, ningakhali. Kubo bonke
abantu bakhala, lapho bezwa amazwi omthetho.
8:10 Wayesethi kubo: "Hambani, nidle amanoni, niphuze okumnandi;
nithumele izabelo kwabangalungiselwanga lutho kuze kube namuhla
ungcwele eNkosini yethu; ngoba intokozo kaJehova injalo
amandla akho.
8:11 AmaLevi abathulisa abantu bonke, ethi: "Thulani, ngokuba uJehova."
usuku lungcwele; futhi ningadabuki.
8:12 Futhi bonke abantu bahamba ukuze badle, futhi baphuze, futhi ukuthumela
izabelo, nokwenza intokozo enkulu, ngokuba babewaqondile amazwi
lokho okwamenyezelwa kubo.
8:13 Kwathi ngosuku lwesibili kwabuthana izinhloko zawoyise
bonke abantu, nabapristi, namaLevi, ku-Ezra umbhali, yebo
ukuqonda amazwi omthetho.
8:14 Futhi bathola kulotshiwe emthethweni uJehova ayeyale ngesandla sikaMose.
ukuze abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bahlale emadokodweni ngomkhosi kaJehova
inyanga yesikhombisa:
8:15 Futhi ukuze bamemezele futhi bamemezele kuyo yonke imizi yabo, futhi
eJerusalema, ethi: “Phumani niye entabeni, nilande amagatsha omnqumo;
namagatsha ophayini, namagatsha ombomvana, namagatsha esundu, namagatsha
yezihlahla eziminyene, ukwenza amadokodo, njengokulotshiweyo.
8:16 Base bephuma abantu, baziletha, bazenzela amadokodo.
kwaba yilowo nalowo ophahleni lwendlu yakhe, nasemagcekeni abo, nasendlini
namagceke endlu kaNkulunkulu, nasesigcawini sesango lamanzi, naphakathi
isitaladi sesango lika-Efrayimi.
8:17 Futhi lonke ibandla labo ababebuye bephuma
abathunjwa benza amadokodo, bahlala phansi kwamadokodo, ngokuba kusukela ezinsukwini zikaJehova
UJeshuwa indodana kaNuni kuze kube yilolo suku abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babengenzanga
ngakho. Futhi kwaba khona intokozo enkulu kakhulu.
8:18 Futhi usuku nosuku, kusukela osukwini lokuqala kuze kube usuku lokugcina, wafunda encwadini
incwadi yomthetho kaNkulunkulu. Bawenza umkhosi izinsuku eziyisikhombisa; futhi ku
ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili kwaba ngumhlangano onesizotha njengomthetho.