Nehemiya 13

₁Ngalelo langa kwafundvwa iNcwadzi yaMosi, ifundvwa ngelivi leliphakeme kakhulu ifundzelwa sive, lapho kwatfolakala kubhaliwe kutsi kute um-Amoni nome um-Mowabi lekufanele angeniswe emhlanganweni waNkulunkulu, ₂ngobe babengazange bahlangabete ema-Israyeli nekudla emanti, kodvwa bacasha Bhalamu kutsi abehlisele sicalekiso. Noko Nkulunkulu wetfu wasigucula leso sicalekiso saba sibusiso. ₃Sive satsi kube siwuve lowo mtsetfo, sabakhetsa kuma-Israyeli bonkhe labo lababeyintalelwane yebetive.

₄Ngembili kwaloko bekukadze kubekwe Eliyashibi, umphristi, kutsi engamele tingungumakamelo tasendlini yaNkulunkulu wetfu. Abetayelene kakhulu naThobiya, futsi ₅abemnikete lenkhulu indlu leyayikadze iyingungu yeminikelo yalokutinhlavu, neyemphepho, neyetintfo tasethempelini, neyekwelishumi kwalokutinhlavu, neyekweliwayini lelisha, neyekwemafutsa labekabelwe emaLevi, nebahlabeli, nabomahlalesangweni kanye naloko lokwakuletselwa baphristi.

₆Kodvwa ngaleso sikhatsi kwenteka konkhe loko mine ngangingekho eJerusalema, ngobe ngemnyaka wema-32 wekubusa kwa-Athazeksesi, inkhosi yaseBhabhulona, ngase ngibuyele enkhosini. Emvakwesikhatsi ngacela kuyo imvume, ₇ngabuyela eJerusalema, lapho ngafike ngatfola ngebubi lobabentiwe ngu-Eliyashibi ngekutsi anikete Thobiya likamelo lelalisekhatsi etibuyeni tendlu yaNkulunkulu wetfu. ₈Loko kwangenta ngatfukutsela ngadzimate ngatsatsa tonkhe timphahla tasendlini yaThobiya ngatijikijela ngaphandle kwalelikamelo. ₉Ngase ngitsi akuhlanjululwe lamakamelo, emvakwaloko-ke ngase ngibuyisela letimphahla tasendlini yaNkulunkulu kanye naleyo minikelo yalokutinhlavu nemphepho.

₁₀Ngaphindze ngakhandza nekutsi emaLevi abengasanikwa tabelo tawo, ngaloko onkhe emaLevi nebahlabeli labangubona bengamele inkonzo sebatibuyelela emasimini abo. ₁₁Ngako ngatitsetsisa letindvuna, ngabuta ngatsi: “Lendlu yaNkulunkulu ayinakekelwa ngani kodvwa?” Ngako lamaLevi ngawabutsela ndzawonye onkhe, nguloyo naloyo ngammisa endzaweni yakhe.

₁₂Ngako onkhe emaJuda aletsa kwelishumi kwawo kwalokutinhlavu nekweliwayini lelisha, nekwemafutsa, etingungwini tendlu yaNkulunkulu. ₁₃Ngabeka umphristi Shelemiya, naSadoki, ingcweti yetemtsetfo, nalomunye umLevi lekwakutsiwa nguPhedaya kutsi bengamele letingungumakamelo, ngabeka naHanana, umsa waZakhuri, umsa waMathaniya, waba ngumsiti wabo, ngobe lamadvodza abetsatfwa ngekutsi etsembekile. Babenikwe kutsi banakekele kwabelwa kwalabanakabo tintfo.

₁₄Awu, Nkulunkulu wami, ngikhumbule ngaloku; ungakwesuli konkhe loku lengikwente ngekwetsembeka, ngikwentela indlu yaNkulunkulu wami nenkonzo yayo.

₁₅Ngalawo malanga ngabona emadvodza akaJuda agcobagcoba litje lekuhlutela emagelebisi ngelilanga leliSabatha, bangenisa lokutinhlavu bakwetjatsisa timbongolo, batetfwesa neliwayini, nemagelebisi, nemakhiwa, nayo yonkhe nje leminye imitfwalo. Konkhe loko babekumikisa eJerusalema kuliSabatha. Ngako ngabadvonsa ngendlebe kutsi bangabokutsengisa kudla ngelilanga leliSabatha. ₁₆Emadvodza aseThire labehlala eJerusalema abeletsa tinhlanti nako konkhe lokutsengwa kutsengiswe, atewutsengisela emaJuda, eJerusalema ngeliSabatha. ₁₇Ngako ngabatsetsisa baholi bakaJuda, ngatsi: “Yini lamanyala leniwentako, ekona liSabatha? ₁₈Abazange benta njalo yini bona boyihlomkhulu, kuze Nkulunkulu wetfu asehlisele yonkhe lenhlekelele leyaze yehlela nalelidolobha letfu? Nyalo nine seniphindze nichukuluta lulaka lolukhulu kutsi lwehlele ema-Israyeli ngalokona liSabatha.”

₁₉Kwatsi nase limatfunti emasangweni aseJerusalema kutawusa kube liSabatha, ngatsi akuvalwe yonkhe iminyango ingavulwa kuze kube ngusekupheleni kweliSabatha. Ngamisa lamanye emadvodza akami emasangweni kuze kungabikho umtfwalo longenako ngelilanga leliSabatha. ₂₀Kwaze kwaba kanye nakabili, solomane batsengi nebatsengisi bato tonkhe tinhlobonhlobo talokutsengiswako bavalelwa ngephandle kweJerusalema, balale khona busuku bonkhe. ₂₁Kodvwa noko ngabayala ngatsi: “Nilalelani busuku bonkhe lapha ngephandle kwelubondza? Naniphindza nikwenta loko, ngitawugcina senginiphetse ngetandla.” Kusukela ngalelo langa abazange baphindze babuye kutewutsengisa ngeliSabatha. ₂₂Ngase ngitjela emaLevi kutsi akatihlambulule ahambe ayewuciza emasango, kuze agcine liSabatha lingcwele.

Nangenca yaloko ngikhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, ungihawukele njengekwelutsandvo lwakho lolukhulu.

₂₃Ngetulu kwaloko, kulawo malanga ngabona emadvodza akaJuda labeteke bafati base-Ashdodi, nebaka-Amoni, nebakaMowabi. ₂₄Incenye yebantfwababo yayikhuluma lulwimi lwase-Ashdodi, nome-ke lwaletinye taleto tive bangakwati sanhlobo nje kukhuluma siJuda. ₂₅Ngabatsetsisa kamatima, ngaze ngabacalekisa. Ngavele ngawashaya lamanye alawo madvodza, ngaze ngawabamba ngetihlutfu. Ngabafungisa ngelibito laNkulunkulu, ngatsi: “Aniyikwendzisa emadvodzakati enu emajaheni abo, futsi nani ningawatsatseli emadvodzana enu bafati etintfombini tabo, nani futsi ningabatsatsi bafati kubo. ₂₆Akoniswanga nguko yini loku Solomoni, inkhosi yaka-Israyeli, ngekutsatsa bafati ngalendlela lefanana nalena? Kuto tonkhe tive kwakute inkhosi leyayifanana naye. Abetsandvwe nguNkulunkulu wakhe, kangangobe Nkulunkulu wadzimate wamenta inkhosi etikwaso sonkhe sive sema-Israyeli, kodvwa noko wadvonseleka esonweni ngenca yekutsatsa bafati betive. ₂₇Nyalo sekufanele sive kutsi nani senenta wona lawo manyala? Intfo lembi kangaka! Aniketsembeki kuNkulunkulu wetfu ngekutsatsa bafati betive.”

₂₈Lomunye wemadvodzana aJoyada, umsa wa-Eliyashibi, umPhristi Lomkhulu, abengumkhwenyana waSanbalati, umHoroni. Ngamcosha lapha kimi.

₂₉Awu, Nkulunkulu wami, bakhumbule, ngobe bayingcolisile inkonzo yebuphristi nesivumelwane sebuphristi nesebuLevi.

₃₀Ngako ngabahlambulula baphristi nemaLevi kuko konkhe lokwakukwebetive, ngase ngibanika imisebenti, ngulowo ngamnika wakakhe. ₃₁Ngase ngenta nelitfuba leminikelo yetinkhuni ngetikhatsi letimisiwe newetitselo tekucala.

Awu, Nkulunkulu wami, ngikhumbule ngekwesihawu sakho.