U-Ezra 10

10 ¹Kwathi u-Ezra ekhuleka, evuma izono, ekhala, ewa phansi phambi kwendlu kaBaba wethu, ibandla elikhulu lakwa-Israyeli—amadoda, abesifazane, nezingane—labuthana kuye, abantu bakhala kabuhlungu. ²Khona-ke uShekaniya indodana kaJehiyeli, omunye wenzalo ka-Elamu, wathi ku-Ezra: “Siphule ukwethembeka kuBaba wethu ngokuthi sashada abesifazane bezizwe abavela kubantu baleli zwe. Nokho lisekhona ithemba kwa-Israyeli naphezu kwalokhu. ³Ngalokho manje, masenze isivumelwano noBaba wethu sokuxosha bonke laba bafazi nabantwana babo, njengokwelulekwa kwenkosi yami nalabo abathuthumela emyalweni kaBaba wethu; makwenziwe ngokoMthetho. ⁴Sukuma, ngokuba le ndaba ikuwe, thina sinawe. Yiba namandla wenze.”

⁵U-Ezra wayesesukuma, wenza abapristi abakhulu, namaLevi, no-Israyeli wonke bafunga ukwenza njengokuvunyelwene. Bafunga.

⁶U-Ezra wayesesuka phambi kwendlu kaBaba wethu, waya ekamelweni likaJehohanani indodana ka-Eliyashibi, wachitha ubusuku engadli sinkwa engaphuzi manzi, ngokuba wayelilela ukungathembeki kwabathunjwa. ⁷Base bethumela izwi kulo lonke elakwaJuda naseJerusalema ukuthi bonke abathunjwa ababuyile babuthane eJerusalema. ⁸Noma ngubani owayengafiki ezinsukwini ezintathu, ngesinqumo sezikhulu namadoda amadala, wayelahlekelwa yiyo yonke impahla yakhe, akhishwe ebandleni labathunjwa.

⁹Onke amadoda akwaJuda nakwaBhenjamini abuthana eJerusalema ezinsukwini ezintathu—ngosuku lwamashumi amabili lwenyanga yesishiyagalolunye. Bonke abantu bahlala enkundleni phambi kwendlu kaBaba wethu, bethuthumela ngenxa yale ndaba nangenxa yezimvula ezinkulu.

¹⁰U-Ezra umpristi wasukuma wathi kubo: “Beningathembekile, nishada abesifazane bezizwe, nandisa icala lakwa-Israyeli. ¹¹Manje vumani kuBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu wawoyihlo, nenze intando yakhe. Zahlukaniseni nabantu baleli zwe nabesifazane bezizwe.”

¹²Lase lonke ibandla liphendula ngezwi elikhulu, lathi: “Yebo! Kumele senze njengoba usho. ¹³Kodwa abantu baningi, futhi yisikhathi sezimvula, ngakho ngeke sikwazi ukuma ngaphandle. Lo akusiwona umsebenzi wosuku olulodwa noma ezimbili, ngokuba sone kakhulu kule ndaba. ¹⁴Abaholi bethu mabenzele lonke ibandla. Bonke abasemadolobheni ethu abashade abesifazane bezizwe mabeze ngezikhathi ezimisiwe, kanye namadoda amadala nabahluleli bedolobha ngalinye, kuze kusuke kithi ulaka oluvuthayo lukaBaba wethu ngale ndaba.”

¹⁵UJonathani indodana ka-Asaheli noJahaziya indodana kaThikiva kuphela yibo abaphikisa lokhu; uMeshulamu noShabethayi umLevi babasekela.

¹⁶Ngakho abathunjwa benza lokhu. U-Ezra umpristi wakhetha amadoda, izinhloko zezindlu zawoyise, lilinye liqanjiwe ngegama, ngendlu kayise. Ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yeshumi bahlala phansi ukuhlola le ndaba, ¹⁷baqeda ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yokuqala ngawo wonke amadoda ayeshade abesifazane bezizwe.

Labo Ababephule Ukwethembeka

¹⁸Phakathi kwamadodana abapristi atholakala eshade abesifazane bezizwe: amadodana kaJeshuwa indodana kaJozadaki nabafowabo—uMahaseya, u-Eliyezeri, uJaribi, noGedaliya.

¹⁹Bathembisa ukuxosha omkabo; benecala, banikela ngenqama yomhlambi ngecala labo.

²⁰Emadodaneni ka-Imeri: uHanani noZebadiya.

²¹Emadodaneni kaHarimu: uMahaseya, u-Eliya, uShemaya, uJehiyeli, no-Uziya.

²²Emadodaneni kaPashuri: u-Eliyohenayi, uMahaseya, u-Ishmayeli, uNethaneli, uJozabadi, no-Elasa.

²³EmaLevini: uJozabadi, uShimeyi, uKelaya (okungukuthi, uKelita), uPethahiya, uJuda, no-Eliyezeri.

²⁴Kubahlabeleli: u-Eliyashibi. Kubalindisango: uShalumi, uTelemu, no-Uri.

²⁵Kwa-Israyeli: emadodaneni kaParoshi—uRamiya, u-Iziya, uMalkiya, uMiyamini, u-Eleyazare, uMalkiya, noBhenaya.

²⁶Emadodaneni ka-Elamu: uMathaniya, uZakariya, uJehiyeli, u-Abidi, uJeremothi, no-Eliya.

²⁷Emadodaneni kaZathu: u-Eliyohenayi, u-Eliyashibi, uMathaniya, uJeremothi, uZabadi, no-Aziza.

²⁸Emadodaneni kaBhebayi: uJehohanani, uHananiya, uZabayi, no-Athlayi.

²⁹Emadodaneni kaBhani: uMeshulamu, uMaluki, u-Adaya, uJashubi, uSheyali, noJeremothi.

³⁰Emadodaneni kaPahathi-Mowabi: u-Adina, uKelali, uBhenaya, uMahaseya, uMathaniya, uBhezaleli, uBhinuwi, noManase.

³¹Emadodaneni kaHarimu: u-Eliyezeri, u-Ishiya, uMalkiya, uShemaya, uShimeyoni, ³²uBhenjamini, uMaluki, noShemariya.

³³Emadodaneni kaHashumi: uMathenayi, uMathata, uZabadi, u-Elifeleti, uJeremayi, uManase, noShimeyi.

³⁴Emadodaneni kaBhani: uMahadayi, u-Amramu, u-Uweli, ³⁵uBhenaya, uBhedeya, uKeluhi, ³⁶uVaniya, uMeremothi, u-Eliyashibi, ³⁷uMathaniya, uMathenayi, noJahasu. ³⁸Emadodaneni kaBhinuwi: uShimeyi, ³⁹uShelemiya, uNathani, u-Adaya, ⁴⁰uMakinadebayi, uShashayi, uSharayi, ⁴¹u-Azareli, uShelemiya, uShemariya, ⁴²uShalumi, u-Amariya, noJosefa.

⁴³Emadodaneni kaNebo: uJeyiyeli, uMathithiya, uZabadi, uZebina, uJadayi, uJoweli, noBhenaya.

⁴⁴Bonke laba babeshade abesifazane bezizwe, abanye babo babenabafazi ababezale nabo abantwana.