Nehemiya
8 Bonke abantu babuthana njengomuntu oyedwa+ esigcawini+ esasiphambi kweSango Lamanzi.+ Khona-ke bathi ku-Ezra+ umkopishi, makalethe incwadi+ yomthetho kaMose,+ uJehova ayeyale ngawo u-Israyeli.+ 2 Ngakho u-Ezra umpristi+ wawuletha umthetho phambi kwebandla+ lamadoda kanye nabesifazane nabo bonke ababenengqondo ngokwanele ukuba balalele,+ ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yesikhombisa.+ 3 Waqhubeka ewufunda+ ngokuzwakalayo ngaphambi kwesigcawu esiphambi kweSango Lamanzi, kusukela ekuntweleni kokusa+ kwaze kwaba semini bebade, phambi kwamadoda nabesifazane nabanye abanengqondo yokulalela; izindlebe+ zabo bonke abantu zazilalele+ incwadi yomthetho. 4 U-Ezra umkopishi wayelokhu emi endaweni yesikhulumi yokhuni,+ ababesenzele lesi senzakalo; futhi kwakumi eceleni kwakhe uMatithiya noShema no-Anaya no-Uriya noHilikiya noMahaseya ngasesandleni sakhe sokunene, kwesobunxele sakhe kumi uPhedaya noMishayeli noMalikhiya+ noHashumi+ noHashi-badana, uZakariya noMeshulamu.
5 U-Ezra wayivula+ incwadi phambi kwamehlo abo bonke abantu, ngoba wayengaphezu kwabo bonke abantu; futhi lapho eyivula abantu bonke basukuma.+ 6 Khona-ke u-Ezra wamtusa uJehova+ uNkulunkulu weqiniso, Omkhulu, bonke abantu baphendula bathi, “Amen! Amen!”+ bephakamisa izandla zabo.+ Khona-ke bakhothama+ bawa ngobuso kuJehova ubuso babo bubheke phansi.+ 7 UJeshuwa noBhani noSherebiya,+ uJamini, u-Akhubi, uShabhethayi, uHodiya, uMahaseya, uKelitha, u-Azariya, uJozabhadi,+ uHanani, uPhelaya,+ yebo amaLevi, babechazela abantu umthetho,+ abantu bemile.+ 8 Baqhubeka beyifunda+ ngokuzwakalayo incwadi, umthetho kaNkulunkulu weqiniso, uchazwa, futhi ucaciswa; futhi baqhubeka bekwenza kuqondwe lokho okwakufundwa.+
9 UNehemiya,+ okungukuthi, iThirishatha,+ no-Ezra+ umpristi, umkopishi, namaLevi ayefundisa abantu bathi kubo bonke abantu: “Lolu suku lungcwele kuJehova uNkulunkulu wenu.+ Musani ukulila noma nikhale.”+ Ngoba bonke abantu babekhala njengoba babezwa amazwi omthetho.+ 10 Futhi waqhubeka wathi kubo: “Hambani nidle okunonileyo niphuze okumnandi, nithumele izabelo+ kulowo ongalungiselelwanga lutho; ngoba lolu suku lungcwele eNkosini yethu, ningazizwa kabuhlungu, ngoba injabulo kaJehova iyisiphephelo senu.” 11 AmaLevi ayeyala bonke abantu ukuba bathule, ethi: “Thulani! ngoba lolu suku lungcwele; ningazizwa kabuhlungu.” 12 Ngakho bonke abantu bahamba ukuze bayokudla baphuze futhi bathumele izabelo+ futhi bajabule kakhulu,+ ngoba babewaqondile amazwi ababaziswe wona.+
13 Ngosuku lwesibili izinhloko zawoyise zabo bonke abantu, abapristi namaLevi, zabuthana ndawonye ku-Ezra umkopishi, yebo ukuze zizuze ukuqondisisa amazwi omthetho.+ 14 Khona-ke zathola kulotshiwe emthethweni uJehova ayewuyale ngoMose+ ukuthi abantwana bakwa-Israyeli kufanele bahlale emadokodweni+ ngomkhosi ngenyanga yesikhombisa,+ 15 nokuthi kumelwe bamemezele+ futhi badlulise izwi kuyo yonke imizi yakubo nakulo lonke iJerusalema,+ elithi: “Phumani niye esifundeni sezintaba+ nilethe amaqabunga omnqumo+ namaqabunga emithi enamafutha namaqabunga ombomvana namaqabunga esundu namaqabunga emithi enamagatsha amaningi ukuze nenze amadokodo, ngokwalokho okulotshiwe.”
16 Abantu baphuma bawaletha bazenzela amadokodo, yilowo nalowo phezu kophahla lwakhe+ nasemagcekeni abo nasemagcekeni+ endlu kaNkulunkulu weqiniso nasesigcawini+ seSango Lamanzi+ nasesigcawini seSango Lika-Efrayimi.+ 17 Kanjalo lonke ibandla lalabo ababebuyile bevela ekuthunjweni lenza amadokodo lahlala kuwo; ngoba abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babengenzanga kanjalo kusukela ezinsukwini zikaJoshuwa indodana kaNuni+ kuze kube yilolo suku, kangangokuthi kwaba khona ukujabula okukhulu.+ 18 Yafundwa ngokuzwakalayo incwadi yomthetho kaNkulunkulu weqiniso usuku nosuku,+ kusukela ngosuku lokuqala kwaze kwaba usuku lokugcina; futhi baqhubeka begubha umkhosi izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili kwaba khona umbuthano onesizotha, ngokuvumelana nomthetho.+