Eminye imisebenzi kaNehemiya
1Ngalolo suku kwafundwa encwadini kaMose ezindlebeni zabantu; kwafunyanwa kulotshiwe kuyo ukuthi owakwa-Amoni nowakwaMowabi abanakungena ebandleni likaNkulunkulu kuze kube phakade, 2ngokuba abahlangabezanga abakwa-Israyeli ngesinkwa namanzi, kepha babaqashela uBileyamu ukuba abaqalekise; kodwa uNkulunkulu wethu waphendula isiqalekiso saba yisibusiso. 3Kwathi sebezwile umthetho, bahlukanisa no-Israyeli yonke ingxubevange.
4Ngaphambi kwalokho u-Eliyashibi, umpristi, owayemiselwe amakamelo endlu kaNkulunkulu wethu, isihlobo sikaThobiya, 5wayemlungisele ikamelo elikhulu, lapho kade bebeka khona iminikelo yempuphu, nenhlaka, nezitsha, nokweshumi kwamabele, newayini, namafutha, okwakunqunyelwe ngomthetho amaLevi, nabahlabeleli, nabalindisango, kanye neminikelo yabapristi.
6Kepha kukho konke lokho ngangingekho eJerusalema, ngokuba ngomnyaka wamashumi amathathu nambili ka-Aritahishashita inkosi yaseBabele ngaya enkosini; nangasekugcineni kwezinsuku ngacela enkosini, 7ngaya eJerusalema, ngaqonda okubi u-Eliyashibi akwenzele uThobiya ngokumlungisela ikamelo emagcekeni endlu kaNkulunkulu. 8Kwaba kubi kakhulu kimi; ngalahla phandle zonke izinto zendlu kaThobiya zikhishwe ekamelweni. 9Ngase ngithi mabahlambulule amakamelo; ngabuyisela khona izitsha zendlu kaNkulunkulu kanye neminikelo yempuphu nenhlaka.
10Ngase ngazi ukuthi amaLevi awanikwanga izabelo zawo; amaLevi nabahlabeleli abenza umsebenzi babebalekele, kwaba yilowo nalowo ensimini yakhe. 11Ngase ngiphikisana nababusi, ngathi: “Ishiyelweni indlu kaNkulunkulu na?” Ngababutha, ngababeka ezindaweni zabo.
12Wonke uJuda wayeseletha okweshumi kwamabele, nokwewayini, nokwamafutha engcebeni. 13Ngabeka abaphathizikhwama phezu kwengcebo: nguShelemiya umpristi, noSadoki umbhali, noPhedaya wamaLevi; eceleni kwabo kwakunguHanani kaZakuri kaMathaniya, ngokuba kwathiwa bathembekile; babeyakwabela abafowabo.
14Ngalokho ngikhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, ungesuli izenzo zami zomusa engizenzileyo endlini kaNkulunkulu wami nasenkonzweni yayo.
15Ngalezo zinsuku ngabona kwaJuda abanyathela izikhamo zewayini ngesabatha nabaletha izithungu zamabele, bethwesa izimbongolo, newayini, nezithelo zewayini, namakhiwane, nemithwalo yonke, bekungenisa eJerusalema ngosuku lwesabatha; ngabaxwayisa ngosuku abathengisa ngalo lokho kudla. 16AbaseTire ababehlala khona bangenisa izinhlanzi nezimpahla zezinhlobo zonke, bathengisa ngakho ngesabatha kubantwana bakwaJuda naseJerusalema. 17Ngase ngiphikisana nabakhulu bakwaJuda, ngathi kubo: “Okubi kuni lokhu enikwenzayo, nilona usuku lwesabatha na? 18Abenzanga kanjalo oyihlo, noNkulunkulu wenu akehliselanga yini phezu kwenu konke lokho okubi, naphezu kwalo muzi, na? Nokho nina niyenezela intukuthelo phezu kuka-Israyeli ngokulona isabatha.”
19Kwathi lapho amasango aseJerusalema eseqala ukuba mnyama lingakafiki isabatha, ngathi mazivalwe izivalo, ngathi futhi mazingavulwa lize lidlule isabatha, ngabeka ezinye izinceku zami ngasemasangweni ukuba kungangeniswa mthwalo ngosuku lwesabatha. 20Abathengi nabathengisi bezimpahla zezinhlobo zonke base belala ngaphandle kweJerusalema kanye nakabili. 21Ngabaxwayisa, ngathi kubo: “Nilalelani malungana noganga na? Uma niphinda, ngiyakubeka isandla sami kini.” Kusukela kuleso sikhathi abafikanga ngesabatha.
22Ngasho kumaLevi ukuba azihlambulule, eze, alinde amasango, angcwelise usuku lwesabatha. Ngalokho ngikhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, ungihawukele ngokobuningi bomusa wakho.
23Futhi ngalezo zinsuku ngabona abaJuda ababezithathele abesifazane base-Ashidodi, nabakwa-Amoni, nabakwaMowabi. 24Abantwana babo bakhuluma ngokwenxenye ngesi-Ashidodi; bengenakukhuluma isiJuda bakhuluma ngolimi lwezizwe ngezizwe. 25Ngabasola ngalokho, ngabathuka, ngashaya abanye abantu, ngabahluthula izinwele, ngabafungisa uNkulunkulu, ngathi: “Ninganiki amadodana abo amadodakazi enu, ningathatheli amadodana enu amadodakazi abo. 26Akonanga ngalokho uSolomoni inkosi yakwa-Israyeli na? Phakathi kwezizwe eziningi kwakungekho nkosi enjengaye; wayethandekile kuNkulunkulu wakhe; uNkulunkulu wambeka inkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli wonke; nokho abesifazane babezizwe bamonisa naye. 27Sekuzwakele nangani ukuthi nenzile konke lokho okubi kakhulu ukuba niphambuke kuNkulunkulu wethu ngokuzithathela abesifazane babezizwe.”
28Enye yamadodana kaJoyada indodana ka-Eliyashibi umpristi omkhulu yayingumkhwenyana kaSanibalati umHoroni; ngamxosha kimi.
29Bakhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, ngokuba bangcolisile ubupristi nesivumelwano sabapristi nesamaLevi.
30Ngase ngibahlambulula kukho konke okwabezizwe, nganquma izimfanelo zabapristi namaLevi, kwaba yilowo nalowo emsebenzini wakhe, 31nomnikelo wezinkuni ngezikhathi ezinqunyiweyo, nolibo. Ngikhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, kube kuhle kimi.
