Imisebenzi yokugcina yakaNerhemiya
1Kwathi mhlana kwahlukaniselwa umthangala, incwadi kaMosi yafundelwa phezulu abantu balalele. Nje-ke kwafunyanwa kutloliwe bonyana umAmoni namkha umMowabi akukafaneli angene ehlanganweni kaZimu 2ngombana azange bahlangabeze ama-Israyeli ngokudla namanzi. Kunalokho baqatjha uBhalamu bonyana awanikelele. Nanyana kunjalo uZimethu waphendula amanikelela aba ziimbusiso. 3Kwathi lokha abantu nabezwa umthetho lowo, bakhupha boke ebebangasiwo ama-Israyeli ngokuzeleko.
4Ngaphambi kwalokho, u-Eliyatjhibu umphristi ogade akhethelwe ukuba mphathi weenlulu zethempeli lakaZimu nogade amkhozi kaThobiya, 5walungiselela uThobiya loyo ilawu elikhulu. Ilawelo belisilulu lapho gade bafaka khona umnikelo weenthoro, itjhwalo nezitja zethempeli. Godu lapho bekubekwe kwetjhumi kweenthoro, kwewayini nekwamafutha we-oliva ebekusisabelo samaLevi, sabavumi nesabalindisango. Isabelo sabaphristi naso besigcinwe ngesilulwinapho. 6Lokha nakwenzeka lokhu, mina bengingekho eJerusalema ngombana bengiye ku-Aritarhitjhasta ikosi yeBhabheli ngomnyaka wamatjhumi amathathu nambili wokubusa kwakhe. Ngemva kwesikhathi ngabawa isiphande ekosini 7ngabuyela eJerusalema. Nangifika lapho ngafunyana u-Eliyatjhibu enze ubumbi ngokunikela uThobiya ilawu eenrhodlweni zethempeli lakaZimu. 8Into leyo yangikghabhudlha khulu, yeke ngafuthela ngaphandle kwelawelo yoke ipahla kaThobiya yangendlini. 9Ngabeka umyalo wokobana kuhlanjululwe amalawu. Emva kwalokho ngabuyisela lapho izitja zethempeli lakaZimu kanye neminikelo yakhona yeenthoro neyetjhwalo.
10Godu ngafunyana bonyana amaLevi azange abelwe izabelo zawo; kangangobana wona nabavumi ekubabantu abenza umsebenzi, gade sele omunye nomunye wabo abalekile waziyela esiminakhe. 11Nje-ke ngakhalima iinkhulu ngathi kizo: “Kubangelwe yini bona indlu kaZimu iliselelwe?” Khonokho ngahlanganisa amaLevi nabavumi ngababeka eendaweni zabo zokusebenza. 12Ngalokho woke uJuda waletha kwetjhumi kweenthoro, kwewayini nekwamafutha we-oliva eenlulwini. 13Ngakhetha uTjhelemiya umphristi, uTsadokhi omtloli noPedaya ongomunye wamaLevi bonyana babe baphathi beenlulu. Njengombana gade bathathwa njengabathembekileko, ngenza bona uRhanani umsa kaZakuru omsa kaMataniya abe msizabo. Nje-ke bona bebasebenza ukwabela abafowabo.
14Hawu Zimami, ngikhumbule mayelana nalokhu; ungasuli izenzo zami ezihle engizenzele ithempeli lakaZimami nomsebenzakhe! 15Kwathi emihleni leyo ngabona kwaJuda amadoda atlhodlha amadiribe ngokugadanga ngelanga leSabatha. Begodu bekunabodumbana abathwele imithwalo yokuziinthoro. Ngabona newayini, amadiribe, amakhiwani nemihlobohlobo yezinto ezithengiswako kungeniswa eJerusalema. Lokho kwenzeka nangaphezu kokobana kulilanga leSabatha! Nje-ke ngawakhalima bonyana angathengisi ukudla ngelangelo. 16Kanti-ke namaTirosi agade ahlala ngedorobheni, aletha ihlambi kanye nayo yoke imihlobohlobo yepahla ethengiswako; ayithengisela amaJuda ngeSabatha khona eJerusalemapho. 17Nje-ke ngakhalima abosaziwako bakwaJuda ngathi: “Ayini amanyala eniwenzako la? Nisilaphaza iSabatha ngento yenu leyo! 18Angitjho aboyihlomkhulu benza njalo, uZimu bewehlisela yoke ihlekelele phezu kwethu naphezu kwedorobheli? Ngokusilaphaza kwenu ilanga leSabatha, ningezelela ilaka lakaZimu phezu kwama-Israyeli!”
19Kwathi nakurhwalalako emasangweni weJerusalema ngaphambi kobana kube liSabatha, ngayala bona iimvalo zivalwe begodu zingavulwa bekube ngemva kweSabatha. Ngabeka abanye beensebenzi zami bona baqaphele emasangweni ukuze kungabikhona umthwalo ongeniswako ngelanga leSabatha. 20Nje-ke abenani nabathengisi bemihlobohlobo yepahla balala ngaphandle amahlandla ambadlwana. 21Ngabayelelisa ngathi kibo: “Kungani nilala phambi komthangala? Nange nakhe nabuyelela into leyo, ngizonibopha ngiyanitjela!” Ukusukela ngesikhatheso ukuya phambili azange baseza ngeSabatha. 22Nje-ke ngayala amaLevi kobana azihlambulule bese eza azokuqapha esangweni ukuze iSabatha lilondeke licwengile.
Zimami, ngikhumbule godu nangalokhu, ungilonde ngokwethembeka kwakho.
23Emihleni leyo ngabona namaJuda egade athethe abafazi be-Atjhidodi, bakwa-Amoni nebakwaMowabi. 24Ingcenye yabantwana bawo besele ikhuluma ilimi le-Atjhidodi kanye namanye amalimi atjhili. Abantwanaba bebangasakwazi ukukhuluma isiJuda. 25Ngawakhalimela amaJuda lawo bengawathuwelelisa. Amanye wawo ngawabetha bengawayobula iinhlutjhwana zawo. Ngawafungisa ebizweni lakaZimu ngathi: “Ningasanikela amadodakazenu emadodaneni wabantwabo begodu ningazithatheli namkha nithathele amadodanenu amadodakazabo. 26Angitjho noSolomoni ikosi yakwa-Israyeli wona ngenca yokuthatha abafazi abanjalo. Ezizweni ezinengi bekungekho ikosi enjengaye begodu niyazi bonyana bekathandwa nguZimu. Nanyana uZimu wamenza ikosi ngaphezu kwama-Israyeli woke, abafazi bakosozizwe naye bamonisa. 27Alo, kufanele sizwe bonyana nani nenze izonokazi ezingakwezo na? Anithembeki kuZimu nanithatha abafazi bezizwe!”
28Ngitjho nomunye wamadodana kaJehoyada umsa ka-Eliyatjhibu umphristi omkhulu gade amkhwenyana wakaSanibhalathi umRhoroni; nje-ke ngamqotjha kimapha. 29Awu Zimami, bakhumbule ngombana basilaphaze ubuphristi nesibopho sobuphristi kanye nesamaLevi.
30Ngalokho ngahlambulula abaphristi namaLevi kikho koke kwabezizwe. Ngajamisa kabutjha imisebenzi yabaphristi namaLevi, kwaba ngomunye nomunye emsebenzinakhe. 31Ngabuya ngahlela bonyana kuthi ngeenkhathi ezijanyisiweko, kwethulwe ngesikhathi esifaneleko iinkuni zomlilo we-aldari nezeminikelo yeenthelo zokuthoma.
Zimami, yewungikhumbule ngobuhle.
