Lisekho Ithemba Kubantu bakaBawo wethu

UShekaniya uthetha ngokuvakalayo ukuba lisekho ithemba, laza ibandla lahlanganisana emvuleni yasebusika ukuze lenze umnqophiso noBawo wethu wokuba imitshato yeentlanga iya kuchithwa. UEzra umisa amadoda ukuba aphengulule ityala ngalinye umzi ngomzi, baza abo baphula ukholo bachazwa ngamagama.

Isahluko 10.

Wathi uEzra esathandaza, exela izono, elila, ewile phambi kwendlu kaBawo wethu, laqokelelana kuye ibandla elikhulu lakwaSirayeli—amadoda, abafazi, abantwana—balila kakhulu abantu. Waza uShekaniya unyana kaYehiyeli, omnye woonyana bakaElam, wathi kuEzra: “Siye saphula ukholo kuBawo wethu, sazeka abafazi bezinye iintlanga abaphuma ebantwini belizwe. Kodwa lisekho ithemba kumaSirayeli nangona kunjalo. Ngoko ke, masenze umnqophiso kuBawo wethu wokuba sibandulule bonke aba bafazi nabantwana babo, njengoko kucetyiswa yinkosi yam nangabo bathuthumela ngomthetho kaBawo wethu; makwenziwe ngokomthetho. Suka, kuba le nto imi phezu kwakho, thina sinawe. Yomelela, wenze.”

Waza uEzra wasuka, wenza ukuba ababingeleli abaziintloko, nabaLevi, namaSirayeli onke bafunge ukuba benze njengokuba kuvunyelwene. Bafunga ke.

Waza uEzra wasuka phambi kwendlu kaBawo wethu, waya egumbini likaYehohanan unyana kaEliyashibhi, walala khona ubusuku engadli sonka nokusela manzi, kuba ebelilela ukungathembeki kwababuyileyo ekuthinjweni. Baza bathumela ilizwi kulo lonke lakwaYuda naseYerusalem ukuba bonke ababuyileyo ekuthinjweni baqokelelane eYerusalem. Bonke abangezanga ngemihla emithathu, ngesigqibo sezikhulu namadoda amakhulu, bawaphulukana nempahla yabo yonke, baza bakhutshwa ebandleni lababuyileyo ekuthinjweni.

Aqokelelana eYerusalem onke amadoda akwaYuda nakwaBhenjamin ngemihla emithathu—ngomhla wamashumi amabini wenyanga yesithoba. Bonke abantu bahlala endaweni evulekileyo phambi kwendlu kaBawo wethu, bethuthumela ngenxa yale nto nangenxa yeziphango ezinkulu.

Wasuka uEzra umbingeleli, wathi kubo: “Niye naphula ukholo, nazeka abafazi bezinye iintlanga, nongeza etyaleni lamaSirayeli. Ngoku ke vumani kuBawo wethu, uThixo wooyihlo, nenze ukuthanda kwakhe. Zahluleni ebantwini belizwe nasebafazini bezinye iintlanga.”

Laza lonke ibandla laphendula ngezwi elikhulu, lathi: “Ewe! Simelwe kukwenza njengoko uthethileyo. Kodwa abantu baninzi, lixesha leziphango, ngoko asinako ukuma phandle. Asinto yomhla mnye nokuba yemihla emibini le, kuba sonile kakhulu kule nto. Mazenze izikhulu zethu egameni lebandla lonke. Bonke abasemizini yethu abazeka abafazi bezinye iintlanga mabeze ngamaxesha amisiweyo, kunye namadoda amakhulu nabagwebi bemizi ngemizi, ide ikuthi jika kuthi ukuvutha komsindo kaBawo wethu ngenxa yale nto.”

Nguye yedwa uYonatan unyana ka-Asaheli noYahezeya unyana kaTikva owachasa le nto; uMeshulam noShabhetayi umLevi babancedisa.

Benza ke njalo ababuyileyo ekuthinjweni. UEzra umbingeleli wanyula amadoda, iintloko zezindlu zooyise, elowo ebizwa ngegama, ngokwendlu kayise. Ngomhla wokuqala wenyanga yeshumi bahlala phantsi ukuphengulula loo nto, bada ngomhla wokuqala wenyanga yokuqala bagqiba kuwo onke amadoda abezeka abafazi bezinye iintlanga.

Abo Babeluphule Ukholo

Phakathi koonyana bababingeleli abafunyanwa bezeka abafazi bezinye iintlanga: ngoonyana bakaYeshuwa unyana kaYotsadaki nabazalwana bakhe—uMahaseya, noEliyezere, noYaribhi, noGedaliya.

Bazibophelela ukuba bandulule abafazi babo; benetyala nje, basondeza inkunzi yemvu yomhlambi ngenxa yetyala labo.

Koonyana bakaImere: nguHanani noZebhadiya.

Koonyana bakaHarim: nguMahaseya, noEliya, noShemaya, noYehiyeli, noUziya.

Koonyana bakaPashuri: nguEliyohenayi, noMahaseya, noIshmayeli, noNataniyeli, noYozabhadi, noElasa.

KubaLevi: nguYozabhadi, noShimehi, noKelaya (oko kukuthi uKelita), noPetahiya, noYuda, noEliyezere.

Kwiimvumi: nguEliyashibhi. Kubagcini-masango: nguShalum, noTelem, noUri.

NakumaSirayeli: koonyana bakaParoshi—nguRamiya, noIziya, noMalekiya, noMiyamin, noElazare, noMalekiya, noBhenaya.

Koonyana bakaElam: nguMataniya, noZekariya, noYehiyeli, noAbhedi, noYeremoti, noEliya.

Koonyana bakaZatu: nguEliyohenayi, noEliyashibhi, noMataniya, noYeremoti, noZabhadi, noAziza.

Koonyana bakaBhebhayi: nguYehohanan, noHananiya, noZabhayi, noAtelayi.

Koonyana bakaBhani: nguMeshulam, noMaluki, noAdaya, noYashubhi, noShehali, noYeremoti.

Koonyana bakaPahati-mowabhi: nguAdina, noKelali, noBhenaya, noMahaseya, noMataniya, noBhetsaleli, noBhinuwi, noManase.

Koonyana bakaHarim: nguEliyezere, noIshiya, noMalekiya, noShemaya, noShimon, noBhenjamin, noMaluki, noShemariya.

Koonyana bakaHashum: nguMatenayi, noMatata, noZabhadi, noElifelete, noYeremayi, noManase, noShimehi.

Koonyana bakaBhani: nguMahadayi, noAmram, noUweli, noBhenaya, noBhedeya, noKeluhi, noVaniya, noMeremoti, noEliyashibhi, noMataniya, noMatenayi, noYahasu. Koonyana bakaBhinuwi: nguShimehi, noShelemiya, noNatan, noAdaya, noMakenadebhayi, noShashayi, noSharayi, nguAzareli, noShelemiya, noShemariya, noShalum, noAmariya, noYosefu.

Koonyana bakaNebho: nguYehiyeli, noMatitiya, noZabhadi, noZebhina, noYadayi, noYoweli, noBhenaya.

Bonke aba babezeka abafazi bezinye iintlanga; inxenye yabo yayinabafazi eyayinabantwana ngabo.