Abafazi abaziintlanga bayagxothwa
1Ke kaloku ngoku athandazayo uEzra evuma izono, elila egqusha phantsi phambi kwendlu kaThixo, kwabakho isihlwele samaSirayeli esaqokelelana kuye – amadoda, abafazi, nabantwana. Babelila ngokubindeka okukhulu. 2Ke uShekaniya unyana kaYehiyeli oyinzala kaElam wathetha noEzra, wathi: “Ngokuthatha abafazi kwiintlanga esimelene nazo sonile kuThixo wethu. Kodwa nakuba kunjalo lisekho ithemba ngoSirayeli. 3Ngoku ke masenze umnqophiso noThixo wethu wokuba siza kubagxotha aba bafazi ndawonye nabantwana babo, ngokwesigqibo senkosi yam, nabo bonke abayoyikayo imithetho kaThixo wethu. Ewe, makwenzeke ngokomthetho. 4Ngoko ke phakama; lo mcimbi usezandleni zakho. Thina siza kukuxhasa. Yomelela wenze.”
5Ke kaloku waphakama uEzra, waqokelela bonke ababingeleli abaphambili nabaLevi noSirayeli ephela, wathi mabafunge ukuba baza kwenza njengoko sekuthethiwe. Basenza ke isifungo. 6Waza uEzra waphuma endlwini kaThixo, waya endlwini kaYohanan unyana kaEliyashibhi. Ngoko alapho ke wayengatyi engaseli manzi, kuba esazilele ukunganyaniseki kwabathinjwa. 7Ke kaloku kwenziwa isihlokomiso kuye wonke uJuda neJerusalem, kusithiwa abathinjwa mabahlangane eJerusalem. 8Nabani na ongezanga kwithuba leentsuku ezintathu, kwathiwa uza kuthathelwa izinto anazo. Eso ke isisigqibo samaphakathi namadoda amakhulu; umntu onjalo ke wayeza kusikwa kwibandla labathinjwa.
9Ngezo ntsuku zintathu ke onke amadoda akwaJuda nawakwaBhenjamin aqokelelana eJerusalem. Ngomhla wamashumi amabini kwinyanga yethoba bonke abantu babesebehleli kwibala eliphambi kwendlu kaThixo, bengcangcazela ngenxa yalo mbandela nangenxa yemvula. 10Umbingeleli uEzra ke waphakama wathi: “Nenze ukunganyaniseki; ityala likaSirayeli nilongezelele ngokuthatha abafazi abaziintlanga. 11Ngoko ke, sivumeni isono senu phambi *koNdikhoyo uThixo wooyihlo, nenze ukuthanda kwakhe. Zahluleni kwezi ntlanga ziningqongileyo, ngokunjalo nakwaba bafazi benu baziintlanga.”
12Ke lonke ibandla laphendula likhwaza lisithi: “Unyanisile! Siza kuyenza le nto uyithethayo. 13Kambe ke sibaninzi gqitha apha, ibe ke ngoku lixesha lemvula; asinako ukuma apha phandle. Ngaphezu koko ke lo mbandela awunako ukugqitywa ngemini enye nezimbini, kuba ngenene sone sagqithisa kulo mbandela. 14Amaphakathi ethu makamele ibandla lilonke. Kwiidolophu zethu wonke umntu othathe intombi yeentlanga makamiselwe ixesha, aze eze kunye namadoda amakhulu nabagwebi bedolophu nganye, ide le ngqumbo kaThixo wethu ngalo mbandela ibe nokususwa phezu kwethu.”
15Ke kaloku yaba nguJonatan unyana ka-Asayeli kunye noYazeya unyana kaTikwa, bexhaswa nguMeshulam noShabhetayi umLevi, abasichasayo eso sigqibo.
16Ngoko ke abathinjwa abo benza ngokwezo zigqibo. Umbingeleli uEzra wanyula amadoda aziinkulu zemizi, yanye kumzi ngamnye, onke ke akhankanywa ngamagama. Ngomhla wokuqala kwinyanga yeshumi bahlala phantsi, benza uphando ngalo mbandela, 17baza ke kumhla wokuqala wenyanga yokuqala bawufeza umcimbi wawo onke amadoda awayethathe abafazi abaziintlanga.
Amadoda awayethathe abafazi abaziintlanga
18Kwinzala yababingeleli naba abathathe abafazi abaziintlanga:
Kwinzala kaYeshuwa kaYozadaki nabantakwabo nguMaseya noElezere noYaribhi noGedaliya. 19Bona bathembisa ukuba bobagxotha abafazi, baza banikela ngenkunzi yebhokhwe ngenxa yetyala labo.
20Kwinzala kaImere nguHanani noZebhadiya.
21Kwinzala kaHarim nguMaseya noEliya noShemaya noYehiyeli noUziya.
22Kwinzala kaPashure nguEliyohenayi noMaseya noIshmayeli noNataniyeli noYozabhadi noElasa.
23KubaLevi nguYozabhadi noShimeyi noKelaya, lo ugama limbi linguKelita, noPetaya noJuda noElizere.
24Kwiimvumi nguEliyashibhi.
Kubagcini-masango nguShalum noTelem noUri.
25Kwamanye amaSirayeli ngâba:
Kwinzala kaParoshe nguRamiya, noIziya noMalekiya noMiyamin noElazare noMalekiya noBhenaya.
26Kwinzala kaElam nguMataniya noZakariya noYehiyeli noAbhedi noJeremoti noEliya.
27Kwinzala kaZatu nguEliyohenayi noEliyashibhi noMataniya noJeremoti noZabhadi noAziza.
28Kwinzala kaBhebhayi nguYohanan noHananiya noZabhayi noAtelayi.
29Kwinzala kaBhani nguMeshulam noMaluki noAdaya noYashubhi noSheyali noJeremoti.
30Kwinzala kaPahati-mowabhi nguAdena noKelali noBhenaya noMaseya noMataniya noBhezaleli noBhinuwi noManase.
31Kwinzala kaHiram nguElizere noIshiya noMalekiya noShemaya noSimon 32noBhenjamin noMaluki noShemariya.
33Kwinzala kaHashum nguMatenayi noMatata noZabhadi noElifelete noJeremayi noManase noShimeyi.
34Kwinzala kaBhani nguMadayi noAmram noUweli 35noBhenaya noBhedeya noKeluwi 36noVaniya noMeremoti noEliyashibhi 37noMataniya noMatenayi noYayasu.
38KwekaBhinuwi nguShimeyi 39noShelemiya noNatan noAdaya 40noManadebhayi noShashayi noSharayi 41noAzarele noShelemiya noShemeriya 42noShalum noAmariya noJosefu.
43Kwinzala kaNebho nguYehiyeli noMatitiya noZabhadi noZebhina noYadayi noJoweli noBhenaya.
44Bonke abo babethathe abafazi abaziintlanga. Kwaba bafazi bekukho ababezele oonyana.
