Nehemiya

9 Ngomhla we-24 wale nyanga amaSirayeli adibana, azila ukutya, anxiba amalaphu okwenza ingxowa, aza azigalela ngothuli.+ 2 Abo babeyinzala kaSirayeli bazahlula kwabo babengaphumi kuye,+ bema baza bavuma izono zabo nezooyise.+ 3 Afundelwa incwadi yoMthetho kaYehova uThixo wawo+ malunga neeyure ezintathu; kwaza kwadlula ezinye iiyure ezintathu evuma izono zawo, equbuda kuYehova uThixo wawo.

4 UYeshuwa, uBhani, uKademiyeli, uShebhaniya,+ uBhuni, uSherebhiya, uBhani noKenani bema eqongeni+ labaLevi, bakhwaza bethandaza kuYehova uThixo wabo. 5 UYeshuwa, uKademiyeli, uBhani, uHashabheneya, uSherebhiya, uHodiya, uShebhaniya noPetahiya abangabaLevi bathi: “Phakamani nize nidumise uYehova uThixo wenu ngonaphakade.+ Owu Thixo, malidunyiswe igama lakho elizukileyo. Siswele amazwi okulidumisa igama lakho eliphakamileyo.

6 “Nguwe wedwa uYehova;+ nguwe owadala amazulu, izulu lamazulu, nawo wonke umkhosi wawo, umhlaba nazo zonke izinto ezikuwo, iilwandle nazo zonke izinto ezikuzo. Uzinika ubomi zonke, ibe umkhosi wamazulu uqubuda kuwe. 7 Wena unguYehova uThixo wokwenene, owakhetha uAbram,+ wamkhupha eUre+ yamaKhaledi, waza wamnika igama elinguAbraham.+ 8 Wabona ukuba intliziyo yakhe ithembekile kuwe,+ waza wenza isivumelwano kunye naye sokunika inzala* yakhe ilizwe lamaKanan,+ elamaHiti, elama-Amori, elamaPerizi, elamaYebhusi nelamaGirgashi; ibe wasigcina isithembiso sakho, kuba ulilungisa.

9 “Wayibona intlungu yookhokho bethu eYiputa,+ wasiva nesikhalo sabo kuLwandle Olubomvu. 10 Ngoko wenza imimangaliso ukuze ubethe uFaro, zonke izicaka zakhe, nabo bonke abantu belizwe lakhe,+ kuba babebaphethe kakubi+ abantu bakho. Wazenzela igama elisahleliyo nanamhlanje.+ 11 Walwahlula phakathi ulwandle bejongile, wabaweza olo lwandle behamba kumhlaba owomileyo,+ waza waphosa iintshaba ezazibaleqa enzulwini yolwandle ngokungathi lilitye eliphoswe kumanzi alwayo.+ 12 Emini wawubakhokela ngelifu, ebusuku ngedangatye lomlilo, ubakhanyisela indlela ababemele bahambe kuyo.+ 13 KwiNtaba YeSinayi+ wathetha nabo usezulwini,+ wabanika izigwebo zobulungisa, imithetho nemiyalelo elungileyo nabanokuyithemba.*+ 14 Wabaxelela ngeSabatha yakho engcwele,+ wabanika imiyalelo nemithetho ngomkhonzi wakho uMoses. 15 Wabanika isonka esivela ezulwini xa babelambile,+ wabakhuphela namanzi eliweni xa babenxaniwe,+ wathi mabathathe umhlaba owawufunge ukuba uza kubanika wona.

16 “Kodwa bona ookhokho bethu babedelela, beneenkani,*+ bengafuni+ ukuthobela imithetho yakho. 17 Zange bafune ukukumamela,+ bengazange bazikhumbule nezinto ezimangalisayo owazenzayo, kodwa baba neenkani,* bazikhethela umntu wokubakhokela ababuyisele ebukhobokeni eYiputa.+ Kodwa wena unguThixo oxolelayo, onovelwano* nenceba, ocaphuka kade nobathanda ngokungagungqiyo abantu,+ ibe awuzange ubalahle.+ 18 Naxa bazenzela umfanekiso wethole lenkomo besithi, ‘Lo nguThixo wenu owanikhupha eYiputa,’+ baza bakudelela ngeyona ndlela, 19 nangelo xesha, zange ubalahle entlango,+ ngenxa yenceba yakho enkulu. Zange uyeke ukubakhokela ngelifu emini, nokubakhanyisela ngedangatye lomlilo ebusuku, ubabonisa indlela abamele bahambe ngayo.+ 20 Wabanika umoya wakho ukuze babe zizilumko,+ awabavimba nemana yakho,+ wabapha namanzi xa babenxaniwe.+ 21 Wabanika ukutya entlango iminyaka eyi-40.+ Akukho nto babeyidinga. Iimpahla zabo zange ziguge,+ neenyawo zabo zange zidumbe.

22 “Wabanika izizwe* nezizwana, wabahlulela esinye emva kwesinye,+ balithatha ilizwe likaSihon+ ukumkani waseHeshbhon,+ nelizwe likaOgi+ ukumkani waseBhashan. 23 Oonyana babo wabenza baba baninzi okweenkwenkwezi zamazulu.+ Emva koko, wabazisa kwilizwe owawulithembise ookhokho babo.+ 24 Oonyana babo bahlala kwelo lizwe,+ waza wena woyisa amaKanan awayehlala kulo,+ wanikela izizwana nookumkani bawo kubo, ukuze benze loo nto bafuna ukuyenza kuwo. 25 Bathimba izixeko ezibiyelweyo+ nemihlaba echumileyo,+ bathatha izindlu ezinento yonke, amaqula asele embiwe, amasimi eediliya, awomnquma,+ nemithi yeziqhamo emininzi kakhulu. Batya bahlutha, batyeba, bonwatyiswa kukulunga kwakho.

26 “Kodwa bakudelela baza abakuthobela,+ bawufulathela uMthetho wakho. Babulala abaprofeti bakho ababebalumkisa, bebanceda ukuze babuyele kuwe, wena abakubonela ntweni.+ 27 Ngoko wabanikela kwiintshaba zabo,+ ezazibaphatha kabuhlungu.+ Kodwa babekhalela kuwe xa bekuloo ntlungu, uze wena ubeve usemazulwini; ibe ngenxa yokuba unenceba, wawubanika abantu bokubasindisa kwiintshaba zabo.+

28 “Kodwa babesithi bakufumana isiqabu, baphinde benze izinto ezimbi,+ uze wena ubanikele kwiintshaba zabo, zona zibacinezele.+ Babephinda babuyele kuwe bekhalela uncedo,+ ibe wena wawubeva usemazulwini, umana ubasindisa ngenceba yakho.+ 29 Nangona wawubalumkisa, ubabuyisela eMthethweni wakho, babesenza unothanda, bengafuni ukuthobela imiyalelo yakho, besona ngokungayihoyi imithetho yakho+ esindisa abo bayithobelayo.+ Baba neenkani, bakufulathela, abafuna ukukumamela. 30 Kodwa wabanyamezela+ iminyaka, waqhubeka ubalumkisa ngomoya wakho usebenzisa abaprofeti bakho, kodwa zange bamamele. Ekugqibeleni wabanikela ezandleni zaloo mazwe.+ 31 Yaye ngenxa yokuba unenceba, zange ubatshabalalise+ okanye ubashiye, kuba unguThixo onovelwano* nenceba.+

32 “Ngoku ke Thixo wethu, Thixo omkhulu, onamandla nomangalisayo, osigcinileyo isivumelwano sakhe, akagungqa ekubathandeni abantu bakhe,+ sicela ungayithathi kancinci intlungu yethu nookumkani bethu, iinkosana zethu,+ ababingeleli bethu,+ abaprofeti bethu,+ ookhokho bethu nabo bonke abantu bakho ukususela kwimihla yookumkani baseAsiriya+ de kube ngoku. 33 Asinakukubeka tyala ngezinto ezisehleleyo, kuba wena uye wahlala uthembekile; sithi abaye benza izinto ezimbi.+ 34 Bona ookumkani bethu, iinkosana zethu, ababingeleli bethu nookhokho bethu, zange bawuthobele uMthetho wakho, abayihoya imiyalelo nezikhumbuzo owabalumkisa ngazo. 35 Nangokuya babesalawulwa ngookumkani babo besonwabile ngenxa yezinto owabanika zona, besenawo nomhlaba omkhulu nochumileyo owabanika wona, zange bakukhonze,+ bengazange baziyeke nezinto ezimbi ababezenza. 36 Ngoku silapha namhlanje, singamakhoboka+ kanye kweli lizwe walinika ookhokho bethu ukuba batye isivuno salo nezinto zalo ezimnandi. 37 Ngenxa yezono zethu, imveliso eninzi yeli lizwe ithathwa ngookumkani obabeke ukuba basilawule.+ Benza unothanda kuthi nakwimfuyo yethu, ibe ngoku sisentlungwini engathethekiyo.

38 “Kungenxa yezi zizathu le nto sizibophelela ngesi sivumelwano+ sibhaliweyo, nesibekwe isitampu seenkosana, abaLevi nababingeleli bethu.”+