UNehemiya 8 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

¹ Bonke abantu babuthana njengomuntu munye egcekeni eliphambi kweSango laManzi; bacela uEzra umbhali ukuletha ugwalo lomlayo kaMose iNkosi eyayiwunike uIsrayeli.

² UEzra umpristi wawuletha umlayo phambi kwebandla labesilisa labesifazana, labantwana bonke ababelamandla okuqedisisa. Kwakulusuku lokuqala lwenyanga yesikhombisa.

³ Wabala ekhangelene legceke elaliphambi kweSango laManzi kusukela ekuseni kwaze kwaba semini, phambi kwabesilisa labesifazana, labantwana bonke abalamandla okuqedisisa; abantu bawulalela umlayo.

⁴ UEzra umbhali wayemi phezu kwethala ababelenzile. Kwakumi eceleni kwakhe oMathithiya loShema loAnaya loUriya loHilikiya loMahaseya ngakwesokunene; oPedaya loMishayeli loMalikiya loHashuma loHashibadana loZekariya loMeshulamu bengakwesokhohlo.

⁵ UEzra waluvula ugwalo phambi kwabo bonke abantu, wayemi ngaphezu kwabo bonke; nxa eluvula, bonke basukuma.

⁶ UEzra wayibonga iNkosi, uNkulunkulu omkhulu. Bonke abantu baphakamisa izandla zabo bathi: Kakube njalo, kakube njalo. Bakhothama, bayikhonza iNkosi bethe mbo ngobuso phansi.

⁷ OJeshuwa loBani loSherebiya loJamini loAkubi loShabethayi loHodiya loMahaseya loKelita loAzariya loJozabadi loHanani loPelaya ababengamaLevi bachasisela abantu umlayo, abantu besendaweni zabo.

⁸ Babala ogwalweni lomlayo kaNkulunkulu ngokucacileyo, bechasisela abantu ukuba bawuzwisise.

⁹ UNehemiya owayengumbusi, loEzra umpristi lombhali, lamaLevi ayefundisa abantu, bathi ebantwini bonke: Lolu lusuku olungcwele eNkosini uNkulunkulu wenu; lingalili likhale. Ngoba bonke abantu bakhala lapho besizwa amazwi omlayo.

¹⁰ UEzra wasesithi kibo: Hambani kuhle, lidle inyama enonileyo, linathe iwayini elimnandi, labelane labo izabelo bonke abangelalutho; ngoba lolusuku lungcwele eNkosini yethu, kungabi khona ukudana, ngoba ukuthokoza ngeNkosi kungamandla enu.

¹¹ AmaLevi asebathulisa bonke abantu esithi: Thulani, ngoba lolusuku lungcwele, lingadani.

¹² Bonke abantu basebehamba, badla banatha, babelana labanye, bathokoza kakhulu, ngoba babewazwile kuhle amazwi ayekhulunywe kibo.

¹³ Ngosuku lwesibili inhloko zezindlu zabo bonke abantu kanye labapristi lamaLevi babuthana kuEzra umbhali ukuba bafunde amazwi omlayo.

¹⁴ Bafumanisa kulotshiwe emlayweni ukuthi iNkosi yayilayile ngoMose ukuba abantu bakoIsrayeli bahlale emadumbeni ngesikhathi somkhosi ngenyanga yesikhombisa,

¹⁵ lokuba bamemezele kuzwakale kuyo yonke imizi yabo laseJerusalema bathi: Yanini ezintabeni liyegamula ingatsha zezihlahla zamaoliva, lezamaphane, lezomtshekisane, lezamalala lezezinye izihlahla ezilamahlamvu amanengi ukuba lakhe amadumba, njengokulotshiweyo.

¹⁶ Basebehambake abantu, babuya lazo, bazakhela amadumba, ilowo lalowo ophahleni lwendlu yakhe, lasemagumeni abo, lasegumeni lendlu kaNkulunkulu, lasegcekeni eliseSangweni laManzi leliseSangweni lakoEfrayimi.

¹⁷ Lonke ibandla lalabo ababebuyile ekuthunjweni bakha amadumba, bahlala kiwo. Ngoba kusukela ensukwini zikaJoshuwa indodana kaNuni kwaze kwaba yilolosuku abakoIsrayeli babengakwenzanga lokho. Bathokoza kakhulu.

¹⁸ Insuku zonke kusukela osukwini lokuqala kwaze kwaba ngolokucina kwabalwa ugwalo lomlayo kaNkulunkulu. Bawugcina umkhosi insuku eziyisikhombisa; kwathi ngosuku lwesificaminwembili kwaba khona inkonzo yokucina, njengokumiswa komthetho.