Neh 8 | NdeIBE | STEP | Kwathi sekuyinyanga yesikhombisa abako-Israyeli basebehlezi emadolobheni akibo. Bonke abantu babuthana ngangqondo yinye egcekeni elaliphambi kweSango laManzi. Bacela u-Ezra umbhali ukuthi alethe iNcwadi yoMthetho kaMosi, uJehova ayelaye ngawo aba-Israyeli.

Nehemiah 8

U-Ezra Ufundela Abantu Umthetho

1 Kwathi sekuyinyanga yesikhombisa abako-Israyeli basebehlezi emadolobheni akibo. Bonke abantu babuthana ngangqondo yinye egcekeni elaliphambi kweSango laManzi. Bacela u-Ezra umbhali ukuthi alethe iNcwadi yoMthetho kaMosi, uJehova ayelaye ngawo aba-Israyeli.

2 Yikho kwathi ngelanga lokuqala lenyanga yesikhombisa u-Ezra umphristi wawuletha uMthetho phambi komhlangano, owawugcwele amadoda labafazi labo bonke ababelokuzwisisa.

3 Wafunda kakhulu kusukela ekuphumeni kwelanga kwaze kwaba semini enkulu ekhangele egcekeni leSango laManzi phambi kwamadoda, labafazi labanye ababelokuzwisisa. Bonke abantu balalelisisa ukuzwa iNcwadi yoMthetho.

4 U-Ezra umbhali wayemi phezu kwethala eliphakemeyo elalenziwe ngezigodo lenzelwe umkhosi lo. Eceleni kwakhe kwesokunene kwakumi uMathithiya, loShema, lo-Aniya, lo-Uriya, loHilikhiya, loMaseya; kwathi kwesokhohlo kunguPhediya, loMishayeli, loMalikhija, loHashumi, loHashibhadana, loZekhariya loMeshulami.

5 U-Ezra wayivula incwadi. Bonke abantu babembona ngoba wayemi ekuphakameni ngaphezu kwabo; kwathi lapho eyivula abantu basukuma.

6 U-Ezra wamdumisa uJehova, uNkulunkulu omkhulu, kwathi bonke abantu baphendula baphakamisa izandla zabo bathi, “Ameni! Ameni!” Basebekhothama bekhonza uJehova bethe mbo ngobuso phansi.

7 AbaLevi – oJeshuwa, loBhani, loSherebhiya, loJamini, lo-Akhubi, loShabethayi, loHodiya, loMaseya, loKhelitha, lo-Azariya, loJozabhadi, loHanani loPhelaya – bafundisa abantu uMthetho abantu belokhu bemi khonapho. 8 Babebala eNcwadini yoMthetho kaNkulunkulu, bewuchasisa baveze lokho okutshoyo ukuze abantu bakuzwisise lokho okwakubalwa.

9 Kwasekusithi uNehemiya umbusi, lo-Ezra umphristi lombhali, kanye labaLevi ababefundisa abantu bathi kubo bonke, “Lelilanga lingcwele kuJehova uNkulunkulu wenu. Lingalili kumbe likhale.” Kwakungoba bonke babekhala lapho babelalele amazwi oMthetho.

10 UNehemiya wathi, “Hambani liyozitika ngokudla okumnandi lokunathwayo okumnandi, okunye likuthumele labo abangelakho okulungisiweyo. Ilanga lanamhla lingcwele kuJehova wethu. Malingadani, ngoba ukuthokoza kukaJehova kungamandla enu.”

11 AbaLevi babathulisa bonke abantu, bathi, “Thulani, ngoba lolu lusuku olungcwele. Lingadani.”

12 Kwathi abantu bonke basebehamba bayakudla banatha, bathumela okunye ukudla kwabanye bazithokozisa kakhulu, ngoba manje basebewazwisisa lawomazwi abasebewazwile.

13 Ngosuku lwesibili lwenyanga, abayizinhloko zezimuli zonke, kanye labaphristi labaLevi, babuthana ku-Ezra umbhali ukuba bahlolisise amazwi oMthetho. 14 Bakufumana kubhaliwe eMthethweni, owalaywa nguJehova ngoMosi, ukuthi aba-Israyeli babemele bahlale ezihonqweni ngesikhathi somkhosi wenyanga yesikhombisa 15 lokuthi njalo lelilizwi babemele balimemezele liye kuwo wonke amadolobho abo laseJerusalema elithi: “Phumani liye emaqaqeni liyokhwebula amagatsha ama-oliva lama-oliva eganga, lamamikhili, lamalala lezihlahla ezilomthunzi, lenze izihonqo,” njengoba kulotshiwe.

16 Ngakho abantu baphuma babuya lamagatsha bazakhela izihonqo ephahleni lwezindlu zabo, emagumeni abo, emagumeni endlu kaNkulunkulu lasegcekeni eliseSangweni laManzi lalelo elaliseSangweni lika-Efrayimi.

17 Ixuku lonke elavela ebugqilini lakha izihonqo lahlala kuzo. Kusukela ezinsukwini zikaJoshuwa indodana kaNuni kuze kube yilolosuku, aba-Israyeli babengazange bawenze kanjalo lowomkhosi. Kwakukukhulu ukuthokoza kwabo.

18 Insuku ngensuku, kusukela kolokuqala kusiya kolokucina, u-Ezra wayebala eNcwadini yoMthetho kaNkulunkulu. Baliqhuba lelodili okwezinsuku eziyisikhombisa, kwathi ngosuku lwesitshiyangalombili, kwabakhona umhlangano omkhulu, njengokumisiweyo emthethweni.