Nerhemiya
9 Ngelanga lama-24 lenyanga le, ama-Israyeli ahlangana; bekazilile, ambethe imigodla azithele ngethuli eenhloko zawo.+ 2 Labo abama-Israyeli ngokubelethwa bazihlukanisa nabo boke abantu abavela kwezinye iintjhaba,+ basikima, bavuma izono zabo nemitjhapho yaboyise.+ 3 Nje-ke basikima endawenabo, bafunda ngokuzwakalako incwadi yomThetho+ kaJehova uZimabo ama-awara amathathu; amanye ama-awara amathathu bebavuma izono, bakhothame kuJehova uZimabo.
4 UJetjhuwa, uBhani, uKhadimiyeli, uTjhebaniya, uBhuni, uTjherebiya,+ uBhani noKenani bajama endaweni yesikhulumi ephezudlwana+ yamaLevi, barhuwelela ngelizwi elikhulu kuJehova uZimabo. 5 AmaLevi uJetjhuwa, uKhadimiyeli, uBhani, uRhatjhabineya, uTjherebiya, uHodiya, uTjhebaniya noPetharhiya bathi: “Sikimani nidumise uJehova uZimenu ngokungapheliko.+ Abadumise igama lakho eliphazimulako, elikhulu kinazo zoke iimbusiso nokudunyiswa okunganikelwa babantu.
6 “Wena wedwa unguJehova;+ wenze izulu, iye, izulu lezulwini nakho koke okukilo,* iphasi nakho koke okukilo, amalwandle nakho koke okukiwo. Nguwe owenza koke lokhu kuphile namabutho wezulwini akhothama kuwe. 7 UnguJehova uZimu weqiniso, owakhetha u-Abramu+ wamkhupha e-Uri+ yamaKhaledi,* wamthiya bona ngu-Abrahama.+ 8 Ufumane ihliziywakhe ithembekile phambi kwakho,+ yeke wenza isivumelwano naye bona umnikele inarha yamaKanana, yamaRhiti, yama-Amori, yamaPerizi, yamaJebusi neyamaGirigatjhi, bona uyinikele iinzukulwana zakhe;+ ukwenzile okuthembisileko, ngombana ulungile.
9 “Nje-ke wakubona ukutlhaga kwabokhokho bethu eGibhide,+ wezwa nesililo sabo eLwandle eliBomvu. 10 Wenza iimbonakaliso neemangaliso bona ujezise uFaro nazo zoke iinsebenzi zakhe nabo boke abantu benarhakhe,+ ngombana bewazi ukuthi batlhagise abantu bakho.+ Uzenzele igama bekwaba kunamhlanjesi.+ 11 Wahlukanisa ilwandle phambi kwabo, bona bayame ilwandle ehlabathini eyomileko,+ waphosela nalabo ebebabagijimisa ekuzikeni kwelwandle njengelitje eliphoswa emanzini anamandla.+ 12 Wabanqophisa ngesika yelifu emini, begodu ebusuku ngesika yomlilo, bona ibakhanyisele indlela ebekufuze bayikhambe.+ 13 Wehlela eNtabeni yeSinayi,+ wakhuluma nabo usezulwini+ wabanikela izahlulelo zakho ezilungileko, imithetho yeqiniso, iinqophiso ezihle nemiyalo.+ 14 Wabazisa iSabatha lakho elicwengileko,+ wabanikela imiyalo, iinqophiso nomthetho ngencekwakho uMosi. 15 Nabalambileko, wabanikela uburotho obuvela ezulwini,+ nabomileko,+ wabakhuphela amanzi edwaleni, wabatjela bona bangene bebahlale enarheni owafunga ukubanikela yona.
16 “Kodwana bona, abokhokho bethu, bazikhakhazisa,+ baba nekani+ begodu akhenge balalele imiyalwakho. 17 Babhala ukulalela,+ bakhohlwa nezenzo zakho ezirarako owazenza hlangana nabo, kodwana baba nekani bebazibekela umdosiphambili bona babuyele ebugqilini babo eGibhide.+ Kodwana wena unguZimu olungele ukulibalela, onezwelo nomusa, obuthaka ekusilingekeni nonethando* elikhulu,+ yeke akhenge ubalahle.+ 18 Ngitjho nangesikhathi bazenzela isithombe sesimbi sekonyana bathi, ‘Lo nguZimenu owanikhupha eGibhide,’+ begodu benza izenzo ezikulu zokungahloniphi, 19 nanyana kunjalo, ngebanga lesirhawu sakho esikhulu, akhenge ubatjhiye emmangweni.+ Isika yelifu akhenge isuke phezu kwabo bona ibanqophise endleleni emini, nesika yomlilo akhenge ibatjhiye bona ibakhanyisele indlela ekufuze bakhambe ngayo ebusuku.+ 20 Wabanikela ummoyakho omuhle bona ubanikele ilemuko,+ akhenge ubadime imanakho bona badle,+ wabanikela namanzi nabomileko.+ 21 Wabanikela ukudla iminyaka ema-40 emmangweni.+ Akhenge batlhoge litho. Izambatho zabo akhenge ziphele,+ neenyawo zabo akhenge zivuvuke.
22 “Wabanikela imibuso neentjhaba, wababela yona ingcenye nengcenye,+ bona bathathe inarha kaSirhoni,+ okuyinarha yekosi uRhetjhibhoni,+ kunye nenarha ka-Ogi+ ikosi yeBhatjhani. 23 Wenza nabantwababo baba banengi njengeenkwekwezi zezulwini.+ Wabaletha enarheni ebewuyithembise abakhokho babo bona bangene bahlale kiyo.+ 24 Nje-ke abantwababo bangena enarheni leyo bayithatha,+ wahlula amaKanana phambi kwabo+ ebekungiwo izakhamuzi zenarha leyo, wawanikela esandleni sabo, wawanikela amakhosawo neentjhaba zenarha leyo bona bazenzele umathanda ngazo. 25 Bathatha amadorobho avikelekileko+ namasimu avundileko,+ bathatha izindlu ezizele yoke imihlobo yezinto ezihle nemithombo eyenjiweko, amasimu wamadiribe, amasimu wama-oliva+ nemithi yeenthelo eminengi. Badla baneliseka bebazimuka, bathaba ebuhleni bakho obukhulu.
26 “Nanyana kunjalo, akhenge balalele, bahlubuka+ bebafulathela umThethwakho. Babulala abaphorofidi bakho ebebabayelelisa bona babuyele kuwe, benza nezenzo ezikulu zokungahloniphi.+ 27 Ngebanga lalokhu wabanikela esandleni samanababo,+ ebekasolo ababangela isizi.+ Kodwana bebalila kuwe nabaqalene nesizi labo, ubezwe usezulwini; ngebanga lesirhawu sakhe esikhulu, bewubanikela abatjhaphululi bona babasindise esandleni samanababo.+
28 “Kodwana ngemva kokobana batjhaphulukile, bebabuyelela benze okungakalungi phambi kwakho,+ begodu bewubaliselela ezandleni zamanababo, ebewababusa.+ Ngemva kwalokho babuye babawe isizo lakho,+ ubezwe usezulwini begodu bewusolo ubatjhaphulula ngebanga lesirhawu sakho esikhulu.+ 29 Ngitjho nanyana bewubayelelisa bona balalele umThethwakho, bazikhakhazisa babhala nokulalela imiyalwakho;+ benza isono malungana neenqophiso zakho, umuntu aphila ngazo nakazilalelako.+ Ngekani bakufulathela, baqinisa iinhloko babhala nokulalela. 30 Wababekezelela+ iminyaka eminengi begodu bewusolo ubayelelisa ngommoyakho usebenzisa abaphorofidi bakho, kodwana akhenge balalele. Emaswapheleni wabatjhiyela ezandleni zabantu beentjhaba.+ 31 Ngesirhawu sakho esikhulu, akhenge ubarhayile+ namkha ubalahle, ngombana unguZimu onezwelo nomusa.+
32 “Nje-ke Zimethu, Zimu omkhulu, onamandla nosabekako, ozalisa isivumelwano sakhe notjengise ithando,*+ ungabuthathi kancani boke ubudisi esiqalene nabo, bamakhosethu, bamakhosanethu,+ babaphristi bethu,+ babaphorofidi bethu,+ babokhokho bethu nebabo boke abantu bakho kusukela emihleni yamakhosi we-Asiriya+ bekube lilangeli. 33 Bewusolo wenza ngokulunga kikho koke ebesiqalana nakho, ngombana wenze ngokuthembeka; kodwana ngithi esenze ngokukhohlakala.+ 34 Nje-ke amakhosethu, amakhosanethu, abaphristi bethu nabokhokho bethu, akhenge balalele umThethwakho namkha imiyalwakho namkha iinkhumbuzo zakho owabayelelisa ngazo. 35 Ngitjho nalokha basembuswenabo, bathabela ubuhle bakho obukhulu obanikele bona, basenarheni ebanzi nenothileko obanikele yona, akhenge bakulotjhe+ begodu akhenge balise imikghwabo emimbi. 36 Nje-ke nakhu silapha namhlanjesi, siziingqila,+ iye, siziingqila enarheni owayinikela abokhokho bethu bona badle iinthelo nezinto zayo ezihle. 37 Inala yomkhiqizwayo ngeyamakhosi owabeke bona asibuse ngebanga lezono zethu.+ Abusa phezu kwemizimbethu nefuywethu ngendlela athanda ngayo, begodu sisesizini elikhulu.
38 “Nje-ke ngebanga lakho koke lokhu, soke sizibopha ngesivumelwano+ esitloliweko besaqinisekiswa ngetshwayo lamakhosanethu, lamaLevi nabaphristi bethu.”+