Nehemiah 9

Aba-Israyeli bavuma izono zabo

1Ngelanga lamatshumi amabili lane aleyonyanga, aba-Israyeli bahlangana ndawonye, bazila ukudla begqoke amasaka njalo bezithele uthuli emakhanda abo. 2Labo ababengaba-Israyeli ngomdabuko bazehlukanisa kwabezizwe. Bema ezindaweni zabo bavuma izono zabo lobubi babokhokho babo. 3Bema khonapho ababekhona babala eNcwadini yoMthetho kaJehova uNkulunkulu wabo okwengxenye yesine yosuku, kwathi enye ingxenye yesine babevuma izono zabo njalo bekhonza uJehova uNkulunkulu wabo. 4Ethaleni kwakumi abaLevi – uJeshuwa, loBhani, loKhadimiyeli, loShebhaniya, loBhuni, loSherebhiya, loBhani loKhenani – abamemeza baqongisa amazwi kuJehova uNkulunkulu wabo. 5Njalo abaLevi – uJeshuwa, loKhadimiyeli, loBhani, loHashabhineya, loSherebhiya, loHodiya, loShebhaniya, loPhethahiya – bathi; “Sukumani lidumise uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu, okhona kusukela phakade kuze kube phakade.” “Libusisiwe ibizo lakho elingcwele, sengathi lingaphakanyiswa ngaphezulu kwakho konke ukubusiswa lokudunyiswa.

6Wena wedwa unguJehova. Wenza amazulu, kanye lamazulu aphezukonke, lazo zonke izinkanyezi zawo, umhlaba lakho konke okukuwo, izilwandle lakho konke okukuzo. Uyapha ukuphila kukho konke, lamabandla wonke asezulwini ayakukhonza.

7“UnguJehova uNkulunkulu, owakhetha u-Abhrama wamkhupha e-Uri lamaKhaladiya wambiza ngokuthi ngu-Abhrahama. 8Wabona ukuthi inhliziyo yakhe yayithembekile kuwe, ngakho wenza isivumelwano laye ukupha izizukulwana zakhe ilizwe lamaKhenani, lamaHithi, lama-Amori, lamaPherizi, lamaJebusi lamaGirigashi. Usigcinile isithembiso sakho ngoba ulungile.

9“Wakubona ukuhlupheka kwabokhokho bethu eGibhithe; wezwa ukukhala kwabo eLwandle oluBomvu.

10Wathumela izibonakaliso ezingummangaliso lezimanga kuFaro, kuzo zonke izinduna zakhe lakubo bonke abantu belizwe lakhe, ngokuba wawukwazi ukuthi amaGibhithe abaphatha njani ngodlakela. Wazenzela ibizo, elimiyo kuze kube lamuhla. 11Walwehlukanisa ulwandle phambi kwabo, ukuze bedlule kulo emhlabathini owomileyo, kodwa waphosela labo ababebaxhuma ekujuleni, njengelitshe liphoselwa ethwaceni lwamanzi.

12Emini wawubakhokhela ngensika yeyezi, ebusuku ngensika yomlilo ukubapha ukukhanya endleleni ababehamba ngayo.

13“Wehla weza eNtabeni yase-Sinayi; wakhuluma kubo usezulwini. Wabapha izimiso lemithetho eqondileyo njalo elungileyo, lezimemezelo lemilayo elungileyo. 14Wabazisa ngeSabatha lakho elingcwele njalo wabapha imilayo, lezimiso lemithetho ngenceku yakho uMosi. 15Ekulambeni kwabo wabapha isinkwa sivela ezulwini njalo ekomeni wabalethela amanzi ephuma edwaleni; wabatshela ukuthi kabayongena balithathe ilizwe owafunga uphakamisa isandla ukubapha.

16“Kodwa bona, okhokho bethu, baba yiziqholo baqinisa intamo, kabaze balalela imilayo yakho. 17Bala ukulalela njalo behluleka ukukhumbula izimanga owazenzayo phakathi kwabo. Baqinisa intamo kwathi ekuhlamukeni kwabo bakhetha umkhokheli ukuze babuyele ebugqilini babo. Kodwa unguNkulunkulu oxolelayo, olomusa lesihawu, ophuza ukuthukuthela kodwa wandile ngothando. Ngakho kawubafulathelanga, 18lalapho sebezibumbele isithombe sethole besithi, ‘Lo nguNkulunkulu wenu owalikhuphayo eGibhithe,’ lanxa benze amanyala esabekayo.

19“Ngenxa yesihawu sakho esikhulu kawubakhalalanga enkangala. Emini insika yeyezi kayikhawulanga ukubakhokhela endleleni yabo, loba insika yomlilo ebusuku ukukhanyisa indlela ababemele bahambe ngayo. 20Wanika uMoya wakho omuhle ukubafundisa. Kawuyigodlanga imana yakho emilonyeni yabo, njalo wabapha amanzi ukucitsha umhawu wabo. 21Okweminyaka engamatshumi amane wabagcina enkangala; kabazange baswele lutho, izambatho zabo kaziguganga lezinyawo zabo kazivuvukanga.

22“Wabapha imibuso lezizwe, wababela lemingcele ekude. Balithatha ilizwe likaSihoni inkosi yaseHeshibhoni lelizwe lika-Ogi inkosi yaseBhashani.

23Wenza amadodana abo aba manengi njengezinkanyezi zomkhathi, wabaletha elizweni owawutshele okhokho babo ukuba bangene kulo balithathe.

24Amadodana abo angena alithatha ilizwe. Wawehlukanisa phambi kwabo amaKhenani, ababehlala phakathi kwelizwe; wanikela amaKhenani kubo, ndawonye lamakhosi awo labantu belizwe, ukuba benze kubo njengokuthanda kwabo.

25Bathumba amadolobho abiyelweyo lomhlaba ovundileyo; bazithatha izindlu ezazigcwaliswe ngakho konke okuhle, lemithombo eyayivele igejiwe, izivini, lezivande zama-oliva lezihlahla ezinengi ezezithelo. Badla bazitika bakhithika imikhaba; bazithokozisa ngokulunga kwakho okukhulu.

26“Kodwa kabalalelanga bakuhlamukela; umthetho wakho bawubeka ngemuva kwabo. Babulala abaphrofethi bakho, ababebakhuza ukuze babuyele kuwe; bahlambaza ngendlela eyesabekayo.

27Ngakho wabanikela ezitheni zabo, zabacindezela. Kodwa kwathi sebecindezelwe bakhala kuwe. Usezulwini wabezwa, kwathi ngesihawu sakho esikhulu wabapha abakhululi, ababahlengayo ezandleni zezitha zabo.

28“Kodwa bonela ukuphumula, baphinda njalo benza okubi phambi kwakho. Wase ubadela ezandleni zezitha zabo ukuthi zibabuse. Kwathi lapho sebekhala kuwe njalo, wezwa usezulwini, kwathi ngesihawu sakho wabakhulula izikhathi ngezikhathi.

29“Wabaxwayisa ukuthi babuyele emthethweni wakho, kodwa baqholoza kabaze bayilalela imilayo yakho. Benza isono ngezimiso zakho, okuthi nxa umuntu ezilalela aphile. Ngobuqholo bakufulathela, baqinisa intamo, bala ukulalela.

30Okweminyaka eminengi wababekezelela. NgoMoya wakho wabakhuza ngabaphrofethi bakho. Kodwa kabananzanga, ngakho wabanikela ebantwini abakhelene labo.

31Kodwa ngomusa wakho omkhulu kawubaqedanga njalo kawubadelanga, ngokuba unguJehova olomusa, olozwelo.

32“Ngakho-ke manje, O Nkulunkulu wethu, uNkulunkulu omkhulu, olamandla njalo omangalisayo, ogcina isivumelwano sakhe sothando, ungadeleli bonke lobu ubunzima – ubunzima obusehleleyo thina, laphezu kwamakhosi ethu labakhokheli, phezu kwabaphristi labaphrofethi bethu, phezu kwabobaba labantu bakho bonke, kusukela ezinsukwini zamakhosi ase-Asiriya kuze kube lamuhla. 33Kukho konke lokho okwenzakeleyo kithi, ube qotho; wenze ngokuthembeka, thina sisenza okubi. 34Amakhosi ethu, abakhokheli bethu, abaphristi bethu labobaba abawulandelanga umthetho wakho; abayinanzanga imilayo yakho izixwayiso owabapha zona. 35Loba babesembusweni wabo, bekholisa ukulunga kwakho kubo elizweni elibanzi elivundileyo lelo owabapha lona, kabakukhonzanga futhi kabaguqukanga ezindleleni zabo ezimbi.

36“Kodwa ake ubone, siyizigqili lamuhla, izigqili elizweni owalipha okhokho bethu ukuthi badle izithelo zalo lezinye izinto ezinhle eziphuma kulo.

37Ngenxa yezono zethu, isivuno salo esinengi siya emakhosini osuwabeke phezu kwethu. Abusa phezu kwemizimba yethu laphezu kwezinkomo zethu njengokuthanda kwawo. Siphakathi kosizi olumangalisayo.

38“Ngenxa yakho konke lokhu, sesisenza isivumelwano esibophayo, sisibhala phansi, njalo abakhokheli bethu, abaLevi labaphristi bethu bafaka uphawu lwabo kuso.”