UNehemiya 9

1 Ngelanga lamatshumi amabili lane aleyonyanga, ama-Israyeli ahlangana ndawonye, azila ukudla egqoke amasaka njalo bezithele uthuli emakhanda abo.

2 Labo ababengabako-Israyeli ngomdabuko bazehlukanisa kwabezizwe. Bema ezindaweni zabo bavuma izono zabo lobubi babokhokho babo.

3 Bema khonapho ababekhona babala eNcwadini yoMthetho kaThixo uNkulunkulu wabo okwengxenye yesine yosuku, kwathi enye ingxenye yesine babevuma izono zabo njalo bekhonza uThixo uNkulunkulu wabo.

4 Ethaleni kwakumi abaLevi, uJeshuwa, loBhani, loKhadimiyeli, loShebhaniya, loBhuni, loSherebhiya, loBhani loKhenani, abamemeza baqongisa amazwi kuThixo uNkulunkulu wabo.

5 Njalo abaLevi ababalisa uJeshuwa, loKhadimiyeli, loBhani, loHashabhineya, loSherebhiya, loHodiya, loShebhaniya, loPhethahiya bathi: “Sukumani lidumise uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, okhona kusukela phakade kuze kube phakade. Libusisiwe ibizo lakho elingcwele, sengathi lingaphakanyiswa ngaphezulu kwakho konke ukubusiswa lokudunyiswa.

6 Wena wedwa unguThixo. Wenza amazulu, kanye lamazulu aphezukonke, lazozonke izinkanyezi zawo, umhlaba lakho konke okukuwo, inlwandle lakho konke okukuzo. Uyapha ukuphila kukho konke, lamabutho wonke asezulwini ayakukhonza.

7 UnguThixo uNkulunkulu, owakhetha u-Abhrama wamkhupha e-Uri lamaKhaladiya wambiza ngokuthi ngu-Abhrahama.

8 Wabona ukuthi inhliziyo yakhe yayithembekile kuwe, ngakho wenza isivumelwano laye ukupha izizukulwane zakhe ilizwe lamaKhenani, lamaHithi, lama-Amori, lamaPherizi, lamaJebusi lamaGigashi. Usigcinile isithembiso sakho ngoba ulungile.

9 Wakubona ukuhlupheka kwabokhokho bethu eGibhithe; wezwa ukukhala kwabo eLwandle oluBomvu.

10 Wathumela izibonakaliso ezingumangaliso lezimanga kuFaro, kuzozonke izinduna zakhe lakubo bonke abantu belizwe lakhe, ngoba wawukwazi ukuthi amaGibhithe abaphatha njani ngodlakela. Wazenzela ibizo, elimiyo kuze kube lamuhla.

11 Walwehlukanisa ulwandle phambi kwabo, ukuze bedlule kulo emhlabathini owomileyo, kodwa waphosela labo ababebaxhuma ekujuleni, njengelitshe liphoselwa ethwaceni lwamanzi.

12 Emini wawubakhokhela ngensika yeyezi, ebusuku ngensika yomlilo ukubapha ukukhanya endleleni ababehamba ngayo.

13 Wehla weza eNtabeni yaseSinayi; wakhuluma kubo usezulwini. Wabapha izimiso lemithetho eqondileyo njalo elungileyo, lezimemezelo lemilayo elungileyo.

14 Wabazisa ngeSabatha lakho elingcwele njalo wabapha imilayo, lezimiso lemithetho ngenceku yakho uMosi.

15 Ngesikhathi belambile wabapha isinkwa sivela ezulwini njalo ekomeni kwabo wabalethela amanzi ephuma edwaleni; wabatshela ukuthi bangene balithathe ilizwe owafunga uphakamisa isandla ukubapha.

16 Kodwa bona, okhokho bethu, baba yiziqholo baqinisa intamo, kabaze balalela imilayo yakho.

17 Bala ukulalela njalo behluleka ukukhumbula izimanga owazenzayo phakathi kwabo. Baqinisa intamo kwathi ekuhlamukeni kwabo bakhetha umkhokheli ukuze babuyele ebugqilini babo. Kodwa unguNkulunkulu oxolelayo, olomusa lesihawu, ophuza ukuthukuthela kodwa wandile ngothando. Ngakho kawubafulathelanga,

18 lalapho sebezibumbele isithombe sethole besithi, ‘Lo ngunkulunkulu wenu owalikhuphayo eGibhithe,’ lanxa benze amanyala esabekayo.

19 Ngenxa yesihawu sakho esikhulu kawubakhalalanga enkangala. Emini insika yeyezi kayikhawulanga ukubakhokhela endleleni yabo, loba insika yomlilo ebusuku ukukhanyisa indlela ababemele bahambe ngayo.

20 Wanika uMoya wakho omuhle ukubafundisa. Kawuyigodlanga imana yakho emilonyeni yabo, njalo wabapha amanzi ukucitsha umhawu wabo.

21 Okweminyaka engamatshumi amane wabagcina enkangala; kabazange baswele lutho, izembatho zabo kaziguganga lezinyawo zabo kazivuvukanga.

22 Wabapha imibuso lezizwe, wababela lemingcele ekude. Balithatha ilizwe likaSihoni inkosi yaseHeshibhoni lelizwe lika-Ogi inkosi yaseBhashani.

23 Wenza amadodana abo aba manengi njengezinkanyezi zomkhathi, wabaletha elizweni owawutshele okhokho babo ukuba bangene kulo balithathe.

24 Amadodana abo angena alithatha ilizwe. Wawehlukanisa phambi kwabo amaKhenani, ababehlala phakathi kwelizwe; wanikela amaKhenani kubo, ndawonye lamakhosi awo labantu belizwe, ukuba benze kubo njengokuthanda kwabo.

25 Bathumba amadolobho abiyelweyo lomhlaba ovundileyo; bazithatha izindlu ezazigcwaliswe ngakho konke okuhle, lemithombo eyayivele igejiwe, izivini, lezivande zama-oliva lezihlahla ezinengi ezezithelo. Badla bazitika bakhithika imikhaba; bazithokozisa ngokulunga kwakho okukhulu.

26 Kodwa kabalalelanga bakuhlamukela; umthetho wakho bawubeka ngemva kwabo. Babulala abaphrofethi bakho, ababebakhuza ukuze babuyele kuwe; bahlambaza ngendlela eyesabekayo.

27 Ngakho wabanikela ezitheni zabo, zabancindezela. Kodwa kwathi sebencindezelwe bakhala kuwe. Usezulwini wabezwa, kwathi ngesihawu sakho esikhulu wabapha abakhululi, ababahlengayo ezandleni zezitha zabo.

28 Kodwa bonela ukuphumula, baphinda njalo benza okubi phambi kwakho. Wase ubadela ezandleni zezitha zabo ukuthi zibabuse. Kwathi lapho sebekhala kuwe njalo, wezwa usezulwini, kwathi ngesihawu sakho wabakhulula izikhathi ngezikhathi.

29 Wabaxwayisa ukuthi babuyele emthethweni wakho, kodwa baqholoza kabaze bayilalela imilayo yakho. Benza isono ngezimiso zakho, okuthi nxa umuntu ezilalela aphile. Ngobuqholo bakufulathela, baqinisa intamo, bala ukulalela.

30 Okweminyaka eminengi wababekezelela. NgoMoya wakho wabakhuza ngabaphrofethi bakho. Kodwa kabananzanga, ngakho wabanikela ebantwini abakhelene labo.

31 Kodwa ngomusa wakho omkhulu kawubaqedanga njalo kawubadelanga, ngoba unguNkulunkulu olomusa, olozwelo.

32 Ngakho-ke manje, Oh Nkulunkulu wethu, uNkulunkulu omkhulu, olamandla njalo omangalisayo, ogcina isivumelwano sakhe sothando, ungadeleli bonke lobu ubunzima obusehleleyo thina laphezu kwamakhosi ethu labakhokheli, phezu kwabaphristi labaphrofethi bethu, phezu kwabobaba labantu bakho bonke, kusukela ensukwini zamakhosi ase-Asiriya kuze kube lamuhla.

33 Kukho konke lokho okwenzakeleyo kithi, ubeqotho; wenze ngokuthembeka, thina sisenza okubi.

34 Amakhosi ethu, abakhokheli bethu, abaphristi bethu labobaba abawulandelanga umthetho wakho; abayinanzanga imilayo yakho izixwayiso owabapha zona.

35 Loba babesembusweni wabo, bekholisa ukulunga kwakho kubo elizweni elibanzi elivundileyo lelo owabapha lona, kabakukhonzanga futhi kabaguqukanga ezindleleni zabo ezimbi.

36 Kodwa ake ubone, siyizigqili lamuhla, izigqili elizweni owalipha okhokho bethu ukuthi badle izithelo zalo lezinye izinto ezinhle eziphuma kulo.

37 Ngenxa yezono zethu, isivuno salo esinengi siya emakhosini osuwabeke phezu kwethu. Abusa phezu kwemizimba yethu laphezu kwezinkomo zethu njengokuthanda kwawo. Siphakathi kosizi olumangalisayo.”

38 “Ngenxa yakho konke lokhu, sesisenza isivumelwano esibophayo, sisibhala phansi, njalo abakhokheli bethu, abaLevi labaphristi bethu bafaka uphawu lwabo kuso.”