UNehemiya 13

13 ¹Ngalolo suku bafundela abantu incwadi kaMose ngezwi elikhulu, bafica kulotshiwe ukuthi akekho umAmoni noma umMowabi owayengangena ebandleni likaBaba wethu, ²ngokuba abazange babahlangabeze abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ngesinkwa namanzi, kodwa baqasha uBhalami ukuba abaqalekise—kepha uBaba wethu waguqula isiqalekiso saba yisibusiso. ³Kwathi lapho abantu bewuzwa umthetho, basusa kwa-Israyeli bonke abohlanga lwezizwe.

⁴Ngaphambi kwalokhu, u-Eliyashibi umpristi, owayebekwe phezu kwamakamelo okugcina endlini kaBaba wethu, wayehlobene eduze noThobiya. ⁵Wayemlungisele ikamelo elikhulu, lapho babevame khona ukubeka iminikelo yempuphu, impepho, izitsha zethempeli, nokweshumi kwamabele, newayini elisha, namafutha okwakumiselwe amaLevi, nabahlabeleli, nabalindimasango, kanye nomnikelo wabapristi. ⁶Phakathi nakho konke lokhu ngangingekho eJerusalema, ngokuba ngonyaka wamashumi amathathu nambili ka-Aritahishashita inkosi yaseBabiloni ngangiye enkosini. Emva kwesikhathi ngacela imvume yayo yokuhamba, ⁷ngabuyela eJerusalema, ngezwa ngobubi u-Eliyashibi ayebenzele uThobiya, emenzela ikamelo emagcekeni endlu kaBaba wethu. ⁸Ngadabuka kakhulu, ngaphonsa phandle kwekamelo yonke impahla yomuzi kaThobiya. ⁹Ngase ngiyala ukuba amakamelo ahlanjululwe, ngabuyisela kuwo izitsha zendlu kaBaba wethu, iminikelo yempuphu nempepho.

¹⁰Ngafica futhi ukuthi izabelo zamaLevi zazingaphiwanga wona, ngakho amaLevi nabahlabeleli ababesebenza babaleka, kwaba yilowo nalowo ensimini yakhe. ¹¹Ngase ngithethisa iziphathimandla, ngathi: “Yini indlu kaBaba wethu ishiywe inganakekwa?” Ngase ngiwabuthela ndawonye amaLevi, ngawabuyisela ezikhundleni zawo. ¹²Ngakho bonke abakwaJuda baletha okweshumi kwamabele, newayini elisha, namafutha, eziphaleni. ¹³Ngabeka uShelemiya umpristi, noZadoki umbhali, noPhedaya umLevi phezu kweziphala, kanye noHanani indodana kaZakuri indodana kaMathaniya ukuba babasize, ngokuba babethembekile; umsebenzi wabo kwakungukwaba izinto kubafowabo amaLevi.

¹⁴Ngikhumbule ngenxa yalokhu, Baba wami; ungazesuli izenzo zokwethembeka engizenzele indlu kaBaba wami nenkonzo yayo.

¹⁵Ngalezo zinsuku ngabona abantu kwaJuda benyathela izikhamo zewayini ngeSabatha, bethwala izinqwaba zamabele bezithwesa izimbongolo, kanye newayini, namagilebhisi, namakhiwane, nayo yonke imithwalo, bekungenisa eJerusalema ngeSabatha. Ngakho ngabaxwayisa ngalolo suku ngokuthengisa ukudla. ¹⁶AbaseTire ababehlala khona baletha izinhlanzi nazo zonke izinhlobo zempahla, bezithengisa ngeSabatha ebantwini bakwaJuda, eJerusalema uqobo. ¹⁷Ngase ngithethisa izikhulu zakwaJuda, ngathi kuzo: “Yini le nto embi eniyenzayo, ningcolisa usuku lweSabatha? ¹⁸Okhokho benu abazange bakwenze yini lokhu, uBaba wethu akazange yini asehlisele zonke lezi zinhlekelele phezu kwethu naphezu kwaleli dolobha? Manje seninezela intukuthelo eyengeziwe phezu kuka-Israyeli ngokungcolisa iSabatha.”

¹⁹Ngakho kwathi amasango aseJerusalema esehlwelwa ngaphambi kweSabatha, ngayala ukuba iminyango ivalwe, ingavulwa kuze kudlule iSabatha. Ngamisa abanye bezinceku zami emasangweni ukuze kungangeni mthwalo ngeSabatha. ²⁰Kwathi kanye noma kabili abathengi nabathengisi bezinhlobo zonke zempahla balala phandle kweJerusalema. ²¹Ngase ngibaxwayisa, ngathi: “Nilaleleni eceleni kodonga? Uma niphinda nikwenza, ngiyakunibamba ngezandla.” Kusukela lapho, abaphindanga beza ngeSabatha. ²²Ngase ngiyala amaLevi ukuba azihlambulule, eze alinde amasango, alugcine lungcwele usuku lweSabatha. Ngikhumbule nami ngalokhu, Baba wami, ungihawukele ngokothando lwakho olukhulu nolungapheli.

²³Ngalezo zinsuku ngabona futhi amaJuda ayethathe abesifazane abangama-Ashidodi, nabangama-Amoni, nabangamaMowabi. ²⁴Uhhafu wabantwana babo babekhuluma ulimi lwase-Ashidodi, noma lolwesinye isizwe, bengakwazi ukukhuluma ulimi lwakwaJuda. ²⁵Ngase ngibathethisa, ngabaqalekisa, ngashaya abanye babo, nganyothula izinwele zabo. Ngabafungisa ngoBaba wethu, ngathi: “Ningawaniki amadodana abo amadodakazi enu, ningawathatheli amadodana enu noma nina amadodakazi abo. ²⁶Imishado enjengale ayizange yini yonakalise uSolomoni inkosi yakwa-Israyeli? Kwakungekho nkosi phakathi kwezizwe eziningi eyayilingana naye; uBaba wethu wayemthanda, uBaba wethu wamenza inkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli wonke. Kodwa abesifazane bezizwe bamholela naye esonweni. ²⁷Kambe sizonilalela nina senze konke lokhu kubi okukhulu, sikhaphele uBaba wethu ngokuthatha abesifazane bezizwe na?”

²⁸Enye yamadodana kaJehoyada, indodana ka-Eliyashibi umpristi omkhulu, yayingumkhwenyana kaSanibhalati umHoroni, ngakho ngayixosha kimi. ²⁹Bakhumbule, Baba wami, ngokuba bangcolisa ubupristi, nesivumelwano sobupristi namaLevi.

³⁰Ngakho ngabahlambulula kukho konke okwezizwe, ngamisa imisebenzi yabapristi neyamaLevi, kwaba yilowo nalowo emsebenzini wakhe. ³¹Ngahlela umnikelo wezinkuni ngezikhathi ezimisiweyo, nezithelo zokuqala. Ngikhumbule, Baba wami, ngomusa.