UEzra ufundela abantu umlayo

8Bonke abantu basebebuthana njengamuntu munyea egcekeni eliphambi kwesango lamanzib; bakhuluma kuEzra umbhali ukuletha ugwalo lomlayo kaMozisi, iNkosi eyayiwulaye uIsrayelic. 2 UEzra umpristi wasewuletha umlayo phambi kwebandla, kusukela kowesilisa kusiya kowesifazanad, laye wonke owaqedisisa ukuzwa, ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yesikhombisae. 3 Wasebala kuwo phambi kwegcekef eliphambi kwesango lamanzi kusukela emadabukakusa kwaze kwaba semini enkulu, phambi kwabesilisa labesifazana labaqedisisayo; lendlebe zabo bonke abantu zazingasegwalweni lomlayog. 4 UEzra umbhali wasesima phezu kwendawo ephakemeyo yamapulanka ababeyenzele loludaba. Leceleni kwakhe kwakumi oMathithiya loShemah loAnayai loUriyaj loHilikhiya loMahaseya ngakwesokunene sakhek; langakwesokhohlo sakhe oPhedaya, loMishayeli, loMalikiyal, loHashumam, loHashibadana, uZekhariyan, uMeshulamuo. 5 UEzra wasevula ugwalo phambi kwamehlo abo bonke abantu; ngoba wayengaphezu kwabantu bonkep; lapho eluvula, bonke abantu basukuma. 6 UEzra waseyibusisa iNkosi, uNkulunkulu omkhuluq. Bonke abantu basebephendula bathi: Ameni, amenir, ngokuphakamisa izandla zabos; basebekhothama, bayikhonza iNkosi ngobuso emhlabathinit. 7 OJeshuwau, loBaniv, loSherebiyaw, uJamini, uAkubi, uShabethayix, uHodiyay, uMahaseyaz, uKelitaa, uAzariyab, uJozabadic, uHananid, uPelayae, lamaLevi basebesenza abantu baqedisise umlayof, abantu besendaweni yabog. 8 Basebebala egwalweni, emlayweni kaNkulunkulu, ngokucacileyo, bechasisa, bebenza bazwisise ekubalenih.

9 UNehemiya owayengumbusi, lompristi uEzra umbhali, lamaLevi ayefundisa abantui, basebesithi ebantwini bonke: Lolusuku lungcwele eNkosini uNkulunkulu wenuj; lingalili njalo lingakhali inyembezi. Ngoba bonke abantu bakhala inyembezi lapho besizwa amazwi omlayok. 10 Wasesithi kibo: Hambani, lidle okunonileyo, linathe okumnandi, lithumele izabelo kongalungiselwanga lutho; ngoba lolusuku lungcwele eNkosini yethu, njalo lingadabuki, ngoba intokozo yeNkosi ingamandla enu. 11 AmaLevi asebathulisa bonke abantu esithi: Thulani, ngoba lolusuku lungcwele, lingadabuki. 12 Bonke abantu basebehamba ukuyakudla, lokunatha, lokuthumela izabelol, lokwenza intokozo enkulu, ngoba babewaqedisisile amazwi ababebazise wonam.

13 Langosuku lwesibili kwabuthana inhloko zaboyise zabo bonke abantu, abapristi, lamaLevi, kuEzra umbhalin, ukuze baqedisise amazwi omlayo. 14 Basebethola kubhaliwe emlayweni iNkosi eyayiwulayile ngesandla sikaMozisi ukuthi abantwana bakoIsrayeli bahlale emadumbeni ngomkhosi ngenyanga yesikhombisao, 15 lokuthi bazwakalise bedlulise isimemezelo kuyo yonke imizi yabop laseJerusalemaq besithi: Phumelani entabeni lilethe ingatsha zezihlahla zemihlwathi, lengatsha zezihlahla zamafutha, lengatsha zezihlahla zamamiteli*r, lengatsha zamalalas, lengatsha zezihlahla ezilamahlamvu aminyeneyo, ukwenza amadumba, njengokubhaliweyot. 16 Basebephuma abantu, baziletha, bazenzela amadumba, ngulowo lalowo ephahleni lwakhe, lemagumeni abo, lemagumeni endlu kaNkulunkuluu, legcekeni lesango lamanziv, legcekeni lesango lakoEfrayimiw. 17 Ibandla lonke lalabo ababebuyile ekuthunjweni basebesenza amadumba, bahlala emadumbeni. Ngoba kusukela ensukwini zikaJoshuwa indodana kaNuni kwaze kwaba yilolosuku abantwana bakoIsrayeli babengenzanga njalox. Kwasekusiba lentokozo enkulu kakhuluy. 18 Njalo usuku ngosuku kusukela osukwini lokuqala kwaze kwaba lusuku lokucina wabala egwalweni lomlayo kaNkulunkulu. Bawenza-ke umkhosi insuku eziyisikhombisa; kwathi ngosuku lwesificaminwembili kwaba lenhlangano enzulu, njengesimisoz.