U-Ezra 10

₁U-Ezra esakhuleka, evuma izono ngokukhala, eziwise phansi phambi kwendlu kaNkulunkulu, kwabuthana kuye kuvela ku-Israyeli ibandla elikhulu kakhulu labesilisa nabesifazane nabantwana, ngokuba abantu bakhala ngokukhala okukhulu. ₂UShekaniya, indodana kaJehiyeli, enye yamadodana ka-Elamu, wathatha wathi ku-Ezra: “Siphambukile kuNkulunkulu wethu, sithathe abesifazane babezizwe kubantu bezwe. Nokho lisekhona ithemba ku-Israyeli ngale nto. ₃Ngalokho masenze isivumelwano noNkulunkulu wethu ukuba silahle bonke abesifazane nabazelwe yibo ngesiluleko senkosi nesabathuthumela ngomyalo kaNkulunkulu wethu; akwenziwe ngomthetho. ₄Vuka, ngokuba iphezu kwakho le ndaba; thina sinawe; yiba nesibindi, ukwenze.”

₅Wayesevuka u-Ezra, wafungisa izikhulu zabapristi, namaLevi, naye wonke u-Israyeli ukuba benze ngokwaleli zwi. Bafunga-ke. ₆Wayesevuka u-Ezra phambi kwendlu kaNkulunkulu, wangena ekamelweni likaJehohanani indodana ka-Eliyashibi, kepha esefike khona akadlanga sinkwa, kaphuzanga manzi, ngokuba walila ngenxa yesiphambeko sabathunjwa.

₇Bathumela izwi kwaJuda naseJerusalema kubo bonke abathunjwa ukuba babuthane eJerusalema ₈ngokuthi bonke abangafiki ngezinsuku ezintathu ngokwesiluleko sezikhulu namalunga kuyakudliwa yonke impahla yabo, bona bahlukaniswe nebandla labathunjwa.

₉Bonke abantu bakwaJuda nabakwaBenjamini babuthana eJerusalema ngezinsuku ezintathu; kwakuyinyanga yesishiyagalolunye, ngolwamashumi amabili lwenyanga; bonke abantu bahlala esigcawini ngaphambi kwendlu kaNkulunkulu bethuthumela ngale ndaba nangemvula enkulu. ₁₀U-Ezra, umpristi, wasukuma, wathi kubo: “Niphambukile nithathe abesifazane babezizwe ukwandisa icala lakwa-Israyeli. ₁₁Ngalokho vumani izono kuJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyihlo, nenze intando yakhe, nizahlukanise nabantu bezwe nabesifazane babezizwe.”

₁₂Lase liphendula lonke ibandla, lathi ngezwi elikhulu: “Njengokusho kwakho kithina nga sikwenza. ₁₃Kepha abantu baningi, futhi kuyisikhathi semvula enkulu, asinakuma phandle, futhi lo msebenzi awusiwo walusuku lunye nowezimbili, ngokuba siphambukile kakhulu ngale ndaba. ₁₄Izinduna zethu mazime phambi kwebandla lonke; bonke abasemizini yethu abathathe abesifazane babezizwe mabeze ngesikhathi esinqunyiweyo, benamalunga emizi ngemizi nabahluleli bayo, ize ibuye kithi intukuthelo evuthayo kaNkulunkulu wethu kule ndaba.” ₁₅UJonathani, indodana ka-Asaheli, noJahazeya indodana kaThikiva kuphela bamelana nalokho; oMeshulamu noShabethayi umLevi babasiza.

₁₆Kepha abathunjwa benze njalo. Kwakhethwa u-Ezra, umpristi, namadoda ayizinhloko zawoyise njengezindlu zawoyise, bonke ngamagama; bahlala ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yeshumi ukuyiphenya le ndaba. ₁₇Baqeda namadoda ayethathe abesifazane babezizwe ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yokuqala.

₁₈Abafunyaniswa phakathi kwamadodana abapristi ukuthi bathathe abesifazane babezizwe nampa: kumadodana kaJeshuwa indodana kaJosadaki nakubafowabo: ngoMahaseya, no-Eliyezeri, noJaribi, noGedaliya. ₁₉Banika izandla zabo zokuthi bayakulahla abafazi babo; lokhu benecala, banikela ngenqama yomhlambi ngecala labo. ₂₀Kumadodana ka-Imeri: ngoHanani noZebadiya. ₂₁Kumadodana kaHarimi: ngoMahaseya, no-Eliya, noShemaya, noJehiyeli, no-Uziya. ₂₂Kumadodana kaPhashuri: ngo-Eliyohenayi, noMahaseya, no-Ishmayeli, noNethaneli, noJozabadi, no-Eleyasa. ₂₃KumaLevi: ngoJozabadi, noShimeyi, noKhelaya onguKelitha, noPhethahiya, noJuda, no-Eliyezeri. ₂₄Kubahlabeleli: ngu-Eliyashibi; kubalindisango: ngoShalumi, noTeleme, no-Uri. ₂₅Ku-Israyeli: Kumadodana kaPharoshi: ngoRamiya, no-Iziya, noMalikhiya, noMijamini, no-Eleyazare, noMalikhiya, noBenaya. ₂₆Kumadodana ka-Elamu: ngoMathaniya, noZakariya, noJehiyeli, no-Abidi, noJeremoti, no-Eliya. ₂₇Kumadodana kaZathu: ngo-Eliyohenayi, no-Eliyashibi, noMathaniya, noJeremoti, noZabadi, no-Aziza. ₂₈Kumadodana kaBebayi: ngoJehohanani, noHananiya, noZabayi, no-Atilayi. ₂₉Kumadodana kaBani: ngoMeshulamu, noMaluki, no-Adaya, noJashubi, noSheyali, noJeremoti. ₃₀Kumadodana kaPhahati Mowabi: ngo-Adina, noKhelali, noBenaya, noMahaseya, noMathaniya, noBesaleli, noBinuwi, noManase. ₃₁Amadodana kaHarimi: o-Eliyezeri, noJishiya, noMalikhiya, noShemaya, noShimeyoni, ₃₂noBenjamini, noMaluki, noShemariya. ₃₃Kumadodana kaHashumi: ngoMathenayi, noMathatha, noZabadi, no-Elifeleti, noJeremayi, noManase, noShimeyi. ₃₄Kumadodana kaBani: ngoMahadayi, no-Amramu, no-Uweli, ₃₅noBenaya, noBedeya, noKeluhi, ₃₆noVaniya, noMeremoti, no-Eliyashibi, ₃₇noMathaniya, noMathenayi, noJahasu, ₃₈noBani, noBinuwi, noShimeyi, ₃₉noShelemiya, noNathani, no-Adaya, ₄₀noMakenadebayi, noShashayi, noSharayi, ₄₁no-Azareli, noShelemiya, noShemariya, ₄₂noShalumi, no-Amariya, noJosefa. ₄₃Kumadodana kaNebo: ngoJehiyeli, noMatithiya, noZabadi, noSebina, no-Ido, noJoweli, noBenaya.

₄₄Bonke labo babethathe abesifazane babezizwe; kwakukhona phakathi kwabo abesifazane ababezele abantwana.