UNehemiya 9

₁Ngosuku lwamashumi amabili nane lwaleyo nyanga abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babuthana, bazila ukudla benezindwangu zamasaka nothuli phezu kwabo. ₂Inzalo ka-Israyeli yayizahlukanisa nabezizwe bonke, yayimi ivuma izono zayo nokona kwawoyise. ₃Basukuma endaweni yabo, bafunda encwadini yomthetho kaJehova uNkulunkulu wabo inxenye yesine yosuku; inxenye yesine bavuma izono zabo, bakhuleka kuJehova uNkulunkulu wabo. ₄Kwase kukhwela ezikhwelweni zamaLevi oJeshuwa, noBani, noKadimiyeli, noShebaniya, noBuni, noSherebiya, noBani, noKhenani, bamemeza ngezwi elikhulu kuJehova uNkulunkulu wabo. ₅AmaLevi oJeshuwa, noKadimiyeli, noBani, noHashabineya, noSherebiya, noHodiya, noShebaniya, noPhethahiya athi: “Sukumani nimbonge uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu kusukela phakade kuze kube phakade.

“Malibongwe igama lakho elikhazimulayo, eliphakanyisiwe ngaphezu kwakho konke ukubonga nokudumisa. ₆Wena unguJehova, wena wedwa. Wenzile izulu, izulu lamazulu nalo lonke ibandla lawo, umhlaba nakho konke okukuwo, izilwandle nakho konke okukuzo, ulonda konke, nebandla lasezulwini likhuleka kuwe.

₇“Wena unguJehova uNkulunkulu owakhetha u-Abrama, wamkhipha e-Uri lamaKaledi, wametha igama lokuthi u-Abrahama; ₈wafumana inhliziyo yakhe ithembekile phambi kwakho, wenza isivumelwano naye ukunika inzalo yakhe izwe lamaKhanani, nelamaHeti, nelama-Amori, nelamaPherizi, nelamaJebusi, nelamaGirigashi, wawafeza amazwi akho, ngokuba ulungile.

₉“Wabona ukuhlupheka kwawobaba eGibithe, wezwa ukukhala kwabo ngaseLwandle Olubomvu; ₁₀wenza izibonakaliso nezimangaliso kuFaro nasezincekwini zakhe zonke, nakubo bonke abantu bezwe lakhe, ngokuba wazi ukuthi babebaqholoshela, wazenzela igama, njengalokhu kunjalo nanamuhla. ₁₁Wahlukanisa ulwandle phambi kwabo, badabula phakathi kolwandle emhlabathini owomileyo; nababaxoshayo wabaphonsa otweni njengetshe emanzini anamandla. ₁₂Wabahola ngensika yefu emini nangensika yomlilo ebusuku ukubakhanyisela endleleni ababeyakuhamba ngayo.

₁₃“Wehlela entabeni yaseSinayi, wakhuluma nabo usezulwini, wabanika izahlulelo ezilungileyo, nemithetho eqinisileyo, nezimiso, nemiyalo emihle; ₁₄wabazisa isabatha lakho elingcwele, wabayala ngemiyalo, nangezimiso, nangomthetho ngesandla sikaMose inceku yakho; ₁₅wabanika isinkwa esivela ezulwini ngokulamba kwabo, wabakhiphela amanzi edwaleni ngokoma kwabo, wabayala ukuba bangene ukulidla izwe owaphakamisa ngalo isandla sakho ukuba ubanike lona.

₁₆“Kepha bona nawoyise baqholosha, benza lukhuni izintamo zabo, kabalalelanga imiyalo yakho, ₁₇benqaba ukulalela, abakhumbulanga izimangaliso zakho owazenza phakathi kwabo, kepha benza lukhuni izintamo zabo, nangokuhlubuka kwabo bamisa induna ukuba babuyele ebugqileni babo; kodwa wena unguNkulunkulu othethelelayo, onomusa nesihe; wephuza ukuthukuthela, ugcwele isihawu; kawubashiyanga. ₁₈Yebo, lapho bezenzele ithole elibunjiweyo bethi: ‘Leli linguNkulunkulu wakho owakukhuphula eGibithe,’ benza izithuko ezinkulu, ₁₉nokho wena ngomusa wakho omkhulu awubashiyanga ehlane; insika yefu ayisukanga phezu kwabo emini ukubahola endleleni, nensika yomlilo ebusuku ukubakhanyisela endleleni ababeyakuhamba ngayo. ₂₀Wabanika nomoya wakho omuhle ukubafundisa; awugodlanga imana* lakho emilonyeni yabo, wabanika amanzi ngokoma kwabo. ₂₁Wabondla iminyaka engamashumi amane ehlane, kabaswelanga lutho; izingubo zabo aziguganga, nezinyawo azivuvukalanga.

₂₂“Wabanika imibuso nezizwe owababela khona izindawo ngezindawo; badla izwe likaSihoni, izwe lenkosi yaseHeshiboni, nezwe lika-Ogi inkosi yaseBashani. ₂₃Nabantwana babo wabandisa ngangezinkanyezi zezulu, wabangenisa ezweni owasho ngalo koyise ukuthi bayakungena ukulidla. ₂₄Abantwana bangena-ke, balidla izwe, wahlula phambi kwabo abakhe ezweni, amaKhanani, wabanikela ezandleni zabo, kanye namakhosi abo, nabantu bezwe, ukuba benze kubo njengokuthanda kwabo. ₂₅Bathatha imizi ebiyelweyo nezwe elivundileyo, badla izindlu ezigcwele okuhle konke: imithombo embiweyo, nezivini, neminqumo, nemithi eminingi yokudliwa; badla-ke, basutha, bakhuluphala, benama ngobuhle bakho obukhulu.

₂₆“Kepha babengalaleli, bakuhlubuka, balahla nyovane umthetho wakho, bababulala abaprofethi bakho abafakaza ngabo ukubabuyisela kuwe, benza izithuko ezinkulu. ₂₇Wawusubanikela esandleni sezitha zabo ezabahlupha; ngesikhathi sokuhlupheka kwabo sebekhala kuwe, wena wabezwa usezulwini, nangomusa wakho omkhulu wabanika abasindisi ababasindisa esandleni sezitha zabo.

₂₈“Kepha sebephumulile, babuye benza okubi ebusweni bakho; wawusubashiya esandleni sezitha zabo, zaze zabusa phezu kwabo; kodwa lapho bebuye bekhala kuwe, wena wabezwa usezulwini, wabophula kaningi ngomusa wakho omkhulu, ₂₉wabaxwayisa ukuba ubabuyisele emthethweni wakho, kepha baqholosha, kabayilalelanga imiyalo yakho, kodwa bona ezahlulelweni zakho, okothi uma umuntu ezenza, uyakuphila ngazo, baphendula ihlombe ngenkani, benza lukhuni intamo yabo, abaze bezwa. ₃₀Nokho iminyaka eminingi wababekezelela, wabaxwayisa ngoMoya wakho ngesandla sabaprofethi bakho, kepha abezwanga; wawusubanikela esandleni sabantu bezizwe. ₃₁Nokho ngomusa wakho omkhulu awubaqothulanga, awubashiyanga, ngokuba unguNkulunkulu onomusa nobumnene.

₃₂“Ngalokho, Nkulunkulu wethu, Nkulunkulu omkhulu onamandla owesabekayo, ogcina isivumelwano nomusa, yonke le nkathazo mayingabi ncane ebusweni bakho esificile thina, namakhosi ethu, nezikhulu zethu, nabapristi bethu, nabaprofethi bethu, nawobaba, nabo bonke abantu bakho, kusukela esikhathini samakhosi ase-Asiriya kuze kube namuhla. ₃₃Nokho wena ulungile kukho konke okusehleleyo, ngokuba wenze ngeqiniso, kepha thina sinecala; ₃₄namakhosi ethu, nezikhulu zethu, nabapristi bethu, nawobaba abagcinanga umthetho wakho, kabalalelanga imiyalo yakho nezixwayiso zakho obaxwayise ngazo. ₃₅Abakukhonzanga embusweni wabo, nasebuhleni bakho obukhulu owabanika bona, nasezweni elibanzi nelivundileyo owabapha lona ebusweni babo, ababuyanga emisebenzini yabo emibi.

₃₆“Bheka, siyizinceku namuhla, nezwe owalinika obaba ukuba badle izithelo zalo nokuhle kwalo, bheka, siyizinceku kulo. ₃₇Lithelela kakhulu amakhosi owabeke phezu kwethu ngenxa yezono zethu; abusa phezu kwemizimba yethu naphezu kwezinkomo zethu njengokuthanda kwawo; thina sisekuhluphekeni okukhulu.

₃₈“Ngenxa yakho konke lokho senza isivumelwano esiqinisileyo, sasiloba; kwanamatheliswa ngophawu yizikhulu zethu, namaLevi ethu, nabapristi bethu.”