U-Ezra Ufundela Abantu Incwadi Yomthetho
1Abantu base behlangana, kwangathi bamuntu munye, egcekeni elaliphambi kweSango Lamanzi. Bamtshela u-Ezra, umbhali, ukuba alethe incwadi yomthetho kaMose, uSimakade awunika u-Israyeli. 2Kwakulusuku lokuqala lwenyanga yesikhombisa. U-Ezra, umphristi, wayiletha incwadi yomthetho phambi kwebandla, abesilisa, nabesifazane nabo bonke ababezwa, baqonde. 3Wafunda kuyo ebheke ngaseshashalazini elalingaphambi kweSango Lamanzi. Waqala entathakusa kwaze kwaba semini, phambi kwabesilisa nabesifazane nalabo abasebenokuqonda. 4U-Ezra, umbhali, wayemi phezu kwebhesituli yokhuni, yenzelwe lowo msebenzi. Eceleni ngakwesokunene sakhe kwakumi uMathathiya, uShema, u-Anaya, u-Uriya, uHilikiya noMahaseya; ngakwesokhohlo sakhe kunguPhedaya, uMishayeli, uMalikhija, uHashumi, uHashibhadana, uZekhariya noMeshulami.
5U-Ezra wema phezu kobamba, wayivula incwadi phambi kwabo bonke abantu bembuka, ngoba wayemi ngenhla kwabo. Kwathi lapho eyivula, bonke basukuma. 6U-Ezra wamdumisa uSimakade uNkulunkulu, bonke abantu baphendula, bathi: “Amen! Amen,” bephakamise izandla zabo, bakhothama, bathi mbo ngobuso emhlabathini, bakhuleka kuNkulunkulu.
7AbaLevi: uJeshuwa, uBhani, uSherebhiya, uJamini, u-Akhubhi, uShebhethayi, uHodiya, uMahaseya, uKhelitha, u-Azariya, uJozabhadi, uHanani noPhelaya, bachazela abantu umthetho; ngesikhathi abantu bemi endaweni yabo. 8Bafunda encwadini yomthetho kaNkulunkulu, bawuhumusha ukuze abantu bawuqonde ukuthi uthini.
9Abantu lapho bezwa amazwi omthetho, balila kodwa uNehemiya umbusi, no-Ezra umphristi nombhali, nabaLevi ababefundisa abantu bathi kubo: “Ningakhali, ningalili, ngokuba lolu lusuku lungcwele kuSimakade uNkulunkulu wenu.”
10Wayesethi kubo: “Hambani nidle izibiliboco, niphuze newayini elimtoti, nabele nalabo abantulayo, ngokuba lolu lusuku olumiselwe uSimakade iNkosi yethu, ningabi lusizi, ngokuba intokozo eniyiphiwa nguSimakade iyinqaba yenu.”
11NabaLevi babaqinisa idolo, bathi: “Yekani ukukhala, ningabe nisadabuka, ngokuba namuhla lusuku olungcwele.”
12Bonke abantu bahamba bayokudla, baphuza, bapha abantulayo ukudla, bajabula kakhulu, ngokuba babekuzwile abakutshelwayo.
UMkhosi Wamadokodo
13Ngosuku olulandelayo, zonke izinhloko zemindeni, abaphristi nabaLevi, beza ku-Ezra, umbhali, ukuze abafundise kabanzi amazwi omthetho. 14Bafumanisa kulotshiwe emthethweni uSimakade ayeyale ngawo uMose ukuthi abantu bakwa-Israyeli kumele bahlale emadokodweni ngesikhathi somkhosi, ngenyanga yesikhombisa. 15Kumele bamemezele eJerusalema nakuyo yonke eminye imizi, bathi: “Khuphukelani ezintabeni, nigawule amagatsha omnqumo nomnqumo wasendle, uthathawe, amasundu nezinye izihlahla, nakhe amadokodo njengokulotshiweyo.”
16Abantu base bephuma beyogawula amagatsha, yilowo nalowo wazakhela idokodo ophahleni lwendlu yakhe, emagcekeni abo, emagcekeni endlu kaNkulunkulu, naseshashalazini elingaphambi kweSango Lamanzi, nelingaphambi kweSango Lika-Efrayimi. 17Lonke ibandla lababekade bethunjiwe, lakha amadokodo, lahlala kuwo. Kwakungokokuqala kwenzeka kanje, kusukela ezinsukwini zikaJoshuwa, indodana kaNuni, kuze kube namuhla, abantu bakwa-Israyeli babengakaze benze kanjalo. Umkhosi bawugubha ngenjabulo enkulu. 18Nsuku zonke, kusukela osukwini lokuqala lomkhosi kuze kube ngolokugcina, wayefunda encwadini yomthetho kaNkulunkulu. Bawugubha izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, kwathi ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili bahlangana, ukuze bawuvale ngesizotha umkhosi njengoba kubekwe emthethweni.
