UNehemiya 13
1 Ngalelolanga iNcwadi kaMosi yabalelwa abantu besizwa kwafunyanwa kuyo kubhaliwe ukuthi akungabi lamʼAmoni loba umʼMowabi ovunyelwa emhlanganweni kaNkulunkulu, loba sekutheni,
Now on that day, they read from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people. And in it, there was found written that the Ammonites and the Moabites must not enter the church of God, even for all time,
2 ngoba babengahlangabezanga ama-Israyeli ngokudla lamanzi kodwa bathenga uBhalamu ukuba abaqalekise. (UNkulunkulu wethu kodwa waguqula isiqalekiso leso saba yisibusiso.)
because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, and they hired Balaam against them, to curse them. But our God turned the curse into a blessing.
3 Kwathi abantu sebewuzwile umthetho, babasusa ko-Israyeli bonke labo ababedabuka ezizweni.
Now it happened that, when they had heard the law, they separated every foreigner from Israel.
4 Mandulo kwalokhu, u-Eliyashibi umphristi nguye owayephethe iziphala zendlu kaNkulunkulu wethu. Wasuka wezwana kakhulu loThobhiya,
And Eliashib, the priest, was over this task; he had been given charge of the treasury of the house of our God, and he was a close relative of Tobiah.
5 wasemlungisela indlu enkulu eyayikade isetshenziswa ukulondoloza amabele omnikelo lempepha kanye lempahla zethempeli, kanye njalo lamabele awokwetshumi, lewayini elitsha lamafutha, konke okwakumiswe ukuthi kube ngokwabaLevi, labahlabeleli labalindimasango, kanye lezipho eziya kubaphristi.
Then he made for himself a large storeroom, and in that place, there was laid before him gifts, and frankincense, and vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, the portions of the Levites, and of the singing men, and of the gatekeepers, and the first-fruits of the priests.
6 Kodwa kwathi kusenzakala konke lokhu, mina ngangingekho eJerusalema, ngoba ngomnyaka wamatshumi amathathu lambili wokubusa kuka-Athazekisisi inkosi yaseBhabhiloni ngabuyela enkosini. Muva kwalokho ngacela imvumo kuye
But during all this, I was not in Jerusalem, because in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, the king of Babylon, I went to the king, and at the end of some days, I petitioned the king.
7 ngabuyela eJerusalema. Kulapho engafika ngabona khona ngaleyonto embi eyenziwa ngu-Eliyashibi ngokupha uThobhiya indlu emagumeni asendlini kaNkulunkulu.
And I went to Jerusalem, and I understood the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, such that he would make him a storeroom in the vestibules of the house of God.
8 Ngacaphuka kakhulu ngaphosela phandle zonke impahla zikaThobhiya.
And it seemed to me very evil. And I cast the vessels of the house of Tobiah outside of the storeroom.
9 Ngakhupha ilizwi ukuthi kazihlanjululwe izindlu, ngasengibuyisela kuzo impahla zendlini kaNkulunkulu, ndawonye lamabele omnikelo lempepha.
And I gave instructions, and they cleansed again the storeroom. And I brought back, into that place, the vessels of the house of God, the sacrifice, and the frankincense.
10 Ngezwa njalo ukuthi abaLevi babengaphiwanga lokho okwakuyisabelo sabo, lokuthi bonke abaLevi labahlabeleli ababeqhuba inkonzo basebebuyele emasimini abo.
And I realized that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, and that each one had fled into his own region, from the Levites, and from the singing men, and from those who were ministering.
11 Ngazikhwazela izinduna ngazibuza ngathi, “Kungani indlu kaNkulunkulu ingasakhathalelwa na?” Ngasengibabizela ndawonye ngababeka ezindaweni zemisebenzi yabo.
And I brought the case before the magistrates, and I said, “Why have we forsaken the house of God?” And I gathered them together, and I caused them to stand at their stations.
12 Bonke abakoJuda baletha okwetshumi kwamabele, iwayini elitsha lamafutha eziphaleni.
And all of Judah brought the tithes of the grain, and the wine, and the oil into the storehouses.
13 Ngasengibeka uShelemiya umphristi, loZadokhi umbhali, lomLevi owayethiwa nguPhedaya ukuba baphathe iziphala, ngenza uHanani indodana kaZakhuri, indodana kaMathaniya, ukuba ngumsekeli wabo, ngoba amadoda la kwakuthiwa athembekile. Baphiwa umlandu wokwabela abafowabo isabelo sabo.
And we appointed over the storehouses, Shelemiah, the priest, and Zadok, the scribe, and Pedaiah from the Levites, and next to them Hanan, the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah. For they had proven to be faithful. And so the portions of their brothers were entrusted to them.
14 Ungikhumbule ngalokhu, Oh Nkulunkulu wami, ungakucitshi lokho engikwenzele indlu kaNkulunkulu wami ngokuthembeka kanye lezinkonzo ezikuyo.
Remember me, O my God, because of this, and may you not wipe away my acts of compassion, which I have done for the house of my God and for his ceremonies.
15 Ngalezonsuku ngabona abantu bakoJuda bevoxa izikhamelo zewayini ngeSabatha njalo beletha amabele bewethesa kubobabhemi, kunye lewayini, lamagrebisi, lomkhiwa leminye imithwalo. Konke lokhu babekuletha eJerusalema ngeSabatha. Ngakho-ke ngasengibaxwayisa ukuthi bangathengisi ukudla ngosuku lolo.
In those days, I saw, in Judah, some who were treading the presses on the Sabbath, and who were carrying sheaves, and placing on donkeys burdens of wine, and of grapes, and of figs, and all manner of burdens, and who were bringing these into Jerusalem on the day of the Sabbath. And I contended with them, so that they would sell on a day when it was permitted to sell.
16 Abantu beThire ababehlala eJerusalema babeletha inhlanzi lemihlobo yonke yezimpahla bezithengisa eJerusalema ebantwini bakoJuda ngeSabatha.
And some Tyrians dwelt within, who were bringing fish and all kinds of items for sale. And they were selling on the Sabbaths to the sons of Judah in Jerusalem.
17 Ngazikhuza izikhulu zakoJuda ngathi kuzo, “Manyala bani la eliwenzayo lingcolisa usuku lweSabatha na?
And I put the nobles of Judah under oath, and I said to them: “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?
18 Kakusikho yini okwenziwa ngoyihlomkhulu, okwabangela ukuthi uThixo wethu, ehlisele kithi laphezu kwalelidolobho lobubunzima na? Manje selibuye lisandisa ulaka ku-Israyeli ngokugcolisa iSabatha.”
Did not our fathers do these things, and so our God brought all this evil upon us and upon this city? And you are adding more wrath upon Israel by violating the Sabbath!”
19 Kwathi nxa selimathunzi emasangweni aseJerusalema kungakabi yiSabatha, ngalaya ukuthi iminyango kayivalwe ingaze yavulwa iSabatha ize idlule. Ngamisa emasangweni abanye abantu bami ukuze kungangeni mthwalo ngosuku lweSabatha.
And it happened that, when the gates of Jerusalem had rested on the day of the Sabbath, I spoke, and they closed the gates. And I instructed that they should not open them until after the Sabbath. And I appointed some of my servants over the gates, so that no one would carry in a burden on the day of the Sabbath.
20 Okwezikhathi ezimbalwa abathengi labathengisi bezinhlobo zonke zezimpahla balala ngaphandle kweJerusalema.
And so the merchants and those who sold all kinds of items remained just outside of Jerusalem, once and again.
21 Kodwa ngabaxwayisa ngathi, “Lenzelani ukulala phansi komduli na? Lingakuphinda lokhu kuzakuba lokuxabana.” Kusukela kulesosikhathi kabasaphindanga beza ngeSabatha.
And I contended with them, and I said to them: “Why are you remaining just beyond the wall? If you do this again, I will send hands upon you.” And so, from that time, they no longer came on the Sabbath.
22 Ngasengilaya abaLevi ukuthi bazihlambulule besebesiyalinda amasango ukuze kugcinwe usuku lweSabatha lungcwele. Ungikhumbule langalokhu njalo, Oh Nkulunkulu wami, njalo utshengise umusa kimi mayelana lothando lwakho olukhulu.
I also spoke to the Levites, so that they would be cleansed, and would arrive to guard the gates and to sanctify the day of the Sabbath. Because of this also, O my God, remember me and spare me, in accord with the multitude of your mercies.
23 Phezu kwalokho, ngalezonsuku ngabona amadoda akoJuda ayethethe abafazi base-Ashidodi, le-Amoni laseMowabi.
But also in those days, I saw some Jews taking wives from the Ashdodites, and the Ammonites, and the Moabites.
24 Ingxenye yabantwababo babekhuluma ulimi lwase-Ashidodi kumbe ulimi lwabanye abantu, bengakwazi ukukhuluma isiHebheru.
And their sons spoke partly in the speech of Ashdod, and they did not know how to speak the Jewish language, and they were speaking according to the language of one people or another.
25 Ngabathethisa, ngakhuluma iziqalekiso phezu kwabo. Amanye amadoda ngawatshaya ngaze ngawasiphuna inwele zawo. Ngathi kabenze isifungo ngebizo likaNkulunkulu ngathi, “Lingendiseli amadodakazi enu emadodaneni abo, njalo lingathatheli amadodana enu amadodakazi abo futhi lani lingazithatheli wona.
And I put them under oath, and I cursed them. And I struck some of their men, and I shaved off their hair, and I made them swear to God that they would not give their daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for their sons, nor for themselves, saying:
26 Kwakungasimitshado enjengale yini eyenza uSolomoni inkosi yako-Israyeli yenze isono? Phakathi kwezizwe ezinengi kwakungelankosi efana laye. Wayethandwa nguNkulunkulu wakhe, njalo uNkulunkulu wamenza inkosi ka-Israyeli wonke, kodwa laye wahugelwa esonweni ngabafazi bezizweni.
“Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin in this kind of thing? And certainly, among many nations, there was no king similar to him, and he was beloved of his God, and God set him as king over all of Israel. And yet foreign women led even him into sin!
27 Manje-ke sesingezwa ukuthi lani selisenza wonke amanyala la esabekayo njalo kalisathembekanga kuNkulunkulu wethu ngokuthatha abafazi bezizwe na?”
So how could we disobey and do all this great evil, so that we would transgress against our God, and take foreign wives?”
28 Omunye wamadodana kaJoyada indodana ka-Eliyashibi umphristi omkhulu wayengumkhwenyana kaSanibhalathi umHoroni. Ngahle ngamxotshela khatshana kwami.
Now one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib, the high priest, was a son-in-law to Sanballat, a Horonite, and I made him flee from me.
29 Ubakhumbule, Oh Nkulunkulu wami, ngoba babungcolisile ubuphristi lesivumelwano sobuphristi lesabaLevi.
O Lord, my God, remember against those who defile the priesthood and the law of the priests and the Levites!
30 Ngakho ngabahlambulula abaphristi labaLevi kuzozonke izinto zezizweni, ngababela imisebenzi yabo, ngulowo waqondana lomsebenzi wakhe.
And so I cleansed them from all foreigners, and I established the orders of the priests and the Levites, each one in his ministry.
31 Ngaphinde ngenza amalungiselelo okulethwa kwenkuni ngezikhathi ezimisiweyo, njalo lawezithelo zokuqala. Ungikhumbule ngomusa, Oh Nkulunkulu wami.
O my God, remember me also, for good, because of the offering of wood, at the appointed times, and because of the first-fruits. Amen.
