U-Ezra 8

8 ¹Laba yizinhloko zemindeni yabo, nozalo lwalabo abenyuka nami bevela eBhabhiloni ngesikhathi sokubusa kwenkosi u-Arthakisasi:

²Emadodaneni kaFinehasi, uGereshoni; emadodaneni ka-Ithamari, uDaniyeli; emadodaneni kaDavida, uHathushi.

³Emadodaneni kaShekaniya; emadodaneni kaParoshi: uZakariya, kanye nabesilisa abangu-150 ababhalwe ngozalo.

⁴Emadodaneni kaPhahati-Mowabi, u-Eliyehowenayi indodana kaZerahiya, kanye naye abesilisa abangu-200.

⁵Emadodaneni kaZathu, uShekaniya indodana kaJahaziyeli, kanye naye abesilisa abangu-300.

⁶Emadodaneni ka-Adini, u-Ebedi indodana kaJonathani, kanye naye abesilisa abangu-50.

⁷Emadodaneni ka-Elamu, uJeshaya indodana ka-Athaliya, kanye naye abesilisa abangu-70.

⁸Emadodaneni kaShefathiya, uZebadiya indodana kaMikhayeli, kanye naye abesilisa abangu-80.

⁹Emadodaneni kaJowabi, u-Obadiya indodana kaJehiyeli, kanye naye abesilisa abangu-218.

¹⁰Emadodaneni kaBani, uShelomithi indodana kaJosifiya, kanye naye abesilisa abangu-160.

¹¹Emadodaneni kaBebayi, uZakariya indodana kaBebayi, kanye naye abesilisa abangu-28.

¹²Emadodaneni ka-Azigadi, uJohanani indodana kaHakathani, kanye naye abesilisa abangu-110.

¹³Amadodana ka-Adonikamu, abokugcina—amagama: u-Elifeleti, uJehuweli, uShemaya—kanye nabesilisa abangu-60.

¹⁴Emadodaneni kaBigivayi, u-Uthayi noZakuri, kanye nabo abesilisa abangu-70.

U-Ezra Ufuna Abakhonzi Bendlu

¹⁵Ngababutha emfuleni ogeleza uya e-Ahava, samisa khona izinsuku ezintathu. Ngathi ngihlola abantu nabapristi, angatholanga madodana kaLevi lapho. ¹⁶Ngabe sengibiza abaholi u-Eliyezeri, u-Ariyeli, uShemaya, u-Elinathani, uJaribi, u-Elinathani, uNathani, uZakariya, noMeshulami, nabantu abanokuqonda uJoyaribi no-Elinathani. ¹⁷Ngabathuma ku-Ido, umholi waseKhasifiya, ngabatshela ukuthi bazothini kuye nakubafowabo, izinceku zethempeli khona, ukuze basilethele abakhonzi bendlu kaBaba wethu. ¹⁸Ngesandla esihle sikaBaba wethu phezu kwethu, basilethela indoda enokuqonda evela emadodaneni kaMahli indodana kaLevi indodana ka-Israyeli: uSherebiya, kanye namadodana akhe nabafowabo, beyishumi nesishiyagalombili. ¹⁹UHashabiya, kanye naye uJeshaya ovela emadodaneni kaMerari, kanye nabafowabo namadodana abo—bengamashumi amabili bebonke, ²⁰kanye nezinceku zethempeli ezingu-220, lezo uDavida nezikhulu abazimisa ukuba zisebenzele amaLevi—zonke zibhalwe ngamagama azo.

²¹Ngakho lapho, emfuleni i-Ahava, ngamemezela ukuzila ukudla, ukuze sizithobe phambi kukaBaba wethu, sifune kuye indlela ephephile thina, nabantwana bethu, nayo yonke impahla yethu. ²²Nganginamahloni okucela enkosini amabutho nabagibeli bamahhashi ukuba basivikele esitheni endleleni, ngokuba sasimtshelile ukuthi: “Isandla sikaBaba wethu siphezu kwabo bonke abamfunayo ukuze bazuze okuhle, kodwa amandla akhe nolaka lwakhe kumelene nabo bonke abamshiyayo.” ²³Ngakho sazila ukudla, sanxusa uBaba wethu ngalokhu, wawuzwa umkhuleko wethu.

²⁴Ngahlukanisa abapristi abayinhloko abayishumi nambili—uSherebiya, uHashabiya—kanye nabafowabo abayishumi kanye nabo. ²⁵Ngabakalela isiliva, igolide, nezitsha—umnikelo wendlu kaBaba wethu owawunikelwe yinkosi, nabeluleki bayo, nezikhulu zayo, nawo wonke u-Israyeli owayekhona. ²⁶Ngakalela ezandleni zabo isiliva esingaba ngamathani angu-24, izitsha zesiliva ezinesisindo esingaba ngamathani angu-4, igolide elingaba ngamathani angu-4, ²⁷imicengezi yegolide engu-20 elingana namadarikhi angu-1 000, nezitsha ezimbili zethusi elicwebezelayo elihle, eliyigugu njengegolide. ²⁸Ngathi kubo: “Ningcwele kuBaba wethu, nezitsha zingcwele, isiliva negolide kungumnikelo wokuzithandela kuBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu wawoyihlo. ²⁹Qaphelani nizigcine zize nizikale phambi kwabapristi abakhulu, namaLevi, nezinhloko zemindeni yakwa-Israyeli eJerusalema, emakamelweni endlu kaBaba wethu.”

³⁰Abapristi namaLevi bathatha isiliva, igolide, nezitsha okwakukaliwe, ukuba bakuyise eJerusalema, endlini kaBaba wethu.

³¹Sasuka emfuleni i-Ahava ngosuku lweshumi nambili lwenyanga yokuqala siya eJerusalema. Isandla sikaBaba wethu sasiphezu kwethu, sasisindisa esitheni nasekuqamekeleni endleleni.

³²Safika eJerusalema, saphumula khona izinsuku ezintathu. ³³Ngosuku lwesine, isiliva, igolide, nezitsha kwakalwa endlini kaBaba wethu, kwanikezwa uMeremoti umpristi indodana ka-Uriya, kunaye u-Eleyazare indodana kaFinehasi eceleni kwakhe, namaLevi uJozabadi indodana kaJeshuwa noNowadiya indodana kaBinuwi eceleni kwabo. ³⁴Konke kwabalwa kwakalwa, saqoshwa sonke isisindo ngaleso sikhathi.

³⁵Khona-ke abathunjwa ababebuyile banikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa kuBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli: izinkunzi eziyishumi nambili zawo wonke u-Israyeli, izinqama ezingamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye nesithupha, amawundlu angamashumi ayisikhombisa nesikhombisa, izimpongo eziyishumi nambili zaba ngumnikelo wesono—konke lokhu kwaba ngumnikelo wokushiswa kuBaba wethu. ³⁶Baphinde balethula imiyalo yenkosi kuziphathimandla zenkosi nakubabusi besifundazwe esiNgaphesheya koMfula, labo basekela abantu nendlu kaBaba wethu. ^a a v36 IsiNgaphesheya koMfula kwakuyigama elisemthethweni lesiPheresiya lesifundazwe sabo esisentshonalanga yoMfula i-Ewufrathe.