Abantu bafundelwa umthetho
1Bonke abantu babuthana njengomuntu munye esigcawini esasiphambi kweSango laManzi; bakhuluma kuEzra umbhali ukuba alethe incwadi yomthetho kaMose, uJehova ayeyalé ngawo uIsrayeli.
2UEzra umpristi wawuletha umthetho phambi kwebandla, abesilisa nabesifazane nabo bonke ababenengqondo yokuzwa, ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yesikhombisa.
3Wafunda kuwo phambi kwesigcawu esasiphambi kweSango laManzi, kusukela ekuseni kuze kube-semini, phambi kwabesilisa nabesifazane nababenengqondo yokuzwa; izindlebe zabantu bonke zalalela incwadi yomthetho.
4UEzra umbhali wayemi ebhesitulu* lamapulangwe ababelenzele lomgomo; eceleni kwakhe kwakumi oMatithiya, noShema, noAnaya, noUriya, noHilikiya, noMahaseya ngakwesokunene sakhe, nangakwesokhohlo sakhe ngoPhedaya, noMishayeli, noMalikhiya, noHashumi, noHashibadana, noZakariya, noMeshulamu.
5UEzra wayivula incwadi emehlweni abantu bonke, ngokuba wayengaphezulu kwabantu bonke, nalapho eyivula, bonke abantu basukuma.
6UEzra wambonga uJehova uNkulunkulu omkhulu. Bonke abantu baphendula bathi: Amen, Amen, bephakamisa izandla zabo; bakhothama, bakhuleka kuJehova, ubuso babo bubheké phansi.
7NoJeshuwa, noBani, noSherebiya, noJamini, noAkubi, noShabethayi, noHodiya, noMahaseya, noKelitha, noAzariya, noJozabadi, noHanani, noPhelaya, namaLevi bafundisa abantu umthetho, abantu besezindaweni zabo.
8Bafunda encwadini, emthethweni kaNkulunkulu, bephumesela kahle; bachaza, babaqondisa okufundwayo.
9UNehemiya owayengumbusi, noEzra umpristi nombhali, namaLevi ayebafundisa abantu bathi kubantu bonke: Lolusuku lungcwele kuJehova uNkulunkulu wenu; ningalili, ningakhali; ngokuba bonke abantu bakhala, lapho bezwa amazwi omthetho.
10Wayesethi kubo: Hambani nidle okunonileyo, niphuze okumnandi, nithumele izabelo kwabangalungiselwangalutho, ngokuba lolusuku lungcwele kuJehova; ningadabuki, ngokuba injabulo kaJehova iyinqaba yenu.
11AmaLevi ayesethulisa abantu bonke, ethi: Thulani, ngokuba lolusuku lungcwele; ningadabuki.
12Abantu bonke bahamba ukuba badle, baphuze, bathumele izabelo, bajabule kakhulu, ngokuba babeqondile amazwi ababewazisiwe.
Umkhosi wamadokodo
13Ngosuku lwesibili kwabuthana izinhloko zawoyise babantu bonke, nabapristi, namaLevi kuEzra umbhali ukuba baqaphele amazwi omthetho.
14Bafumanisa kulotshiwe emthethweni ukuthi uJehova wayeyalile ngesandla sikaMose ukuba abantwana bakwaIsrayeli bahlale emadokodweni ngomkhosi wenyanga yesikhombisa,
15bezwakalise, bathumele izwi emizini yabo yonke naseJerusalema lokuthi: Phumani, niye entabeni, nilande amagatsha omnqumo, namagatsha omnqumo wasendle, namagatsha ombomvana, namagatsha esundu, namagatsha emithi edumbileyo, nenze amadokodo njengokulotshiweyo.
16Base bephuma abantu, balanda lokho, bazenzela amadokodo, kwaba-yilowo nalowo ophahleni lwendlu, nasemagcekeni abo, nasemagcekeni endlu kaNkulunkulu, nasesigcawini seSango laManzi, nasesigcawini seSango lakwaEfrayimi.
17Ibandla lonke lababuyileyo ekuthunjweni lenza amadokodo, lahlala emadokodweni, ngokuba kusukela ezinsukwini zikaJeshuwa indodana kaNuni kuze kubeyilolosuku abantwana bakwaIsrayeli babengenzanga kanjalo. Kwakukhona ukuthokoza okukhulu kakhulu.
18Wafunda encwadini yomthetho kaNkulunkulu imihla ngemihla kusukela osukwini lokuqala kuze kube-lusuku lokugcina. Bagubha umkhosi izinsuku eziyisikhombisa; ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili kwakungumhlangano ozothileyo njengomthetho.
