Ezra 8

¹Nazi izinhloko zawoyise, nazi izizukulwane zabakhuphuka nami eBabele ekubuseni kuka-Aritahishashita inkosi:

²Kumadodana kaFinehasi: nguGereshomu; kumadodana ka-Itamari: nguDaniyeli; kumadodana kaDavide: nguHathushi.

³Kumadodana kaShekaniya, kumadodana kaPharoshi: nguZakariya; kanye naye kwabhalwa ngezizukulwane abesilisa abayikhulu namashumi ayisihlanu.

⁴Kumadodana kaPhahati Mowabi: ngu-Eliyohenayi indodana kaZeraya; kanye naye ngabesilisa abangamakhulu amabili.

⁵Kumadodana kaShekaniya: yindodana kaJahaziyeli; kanye nayo ngabesilisa abangamakhulu amathathu.

⁶Kumadodana ka-Adini: ngu-Ebedi indodana kaJonathani; kanye naye ngabesilisa abangamashumi ayisihlanu.

⁷Kumadodana ka-Elamu: nguJeshaya indodana ka-Athaliya; kanye naye ngabesilisa abangamashumi ayisikhombisa.

⁸Kumadodana kaShefathiya: nguZebadiya indodana kaMikayeli; kanye naye ngabesilisa abangamashumi ayisishiyagalombili.

⁹Kumadodana kaJowabe: ngu-Obadiya indodana kaJehiyeli; kanye naye ngabesilisa abangamakhulu amabili neshumi nesishiyagalombili.

¹⁰Kumadodana kaShelomiti: yindodana kaJosifiya; kanye nayo ngabesilisa abayikhulu namashumi ayisithupha.

¹¹Kumadodana kaBebayi: nguZakariya indodana kaBebayi; kanye naye ngabesilisa abangamashumi amabili nesishiyagalombili.

¹²Kumadodana ka-Azigadi: nguJohanani indodana kaHakathani; kanye naye ngabesilisa abayikhulu neshumi.

¹³Kumadodana ka-Adonikamu, awokugcina: nanka amagama awo: ngo-Elifeleti, noJehiyeli, noShemaya, nabesilisa abangamashumi ayisithupha kanye nabo.

¹⁴Kumadodana kaBigivayi: ngo-Uthayi noZabudi; kanye nabo ngabesilisa abanamashumi ayisikhombisa.

¹⁵Ngababutha emfuleni oya e-Ahava; samisa khona izinsuku ezintathu; ngabheka abantu nabapristi, angifumananga khona noyedwa wamadodana kaLevi.

¹⁶Ngase ngithuma ngibiza o-Eliyezeri, no-Ariyeli, noShemaya, no-Elinathani, noJaribi, no-Elinathani, noNathani, noZakariya, noMeshulamu abayizinhloko, kanye noJoyaribi no-Elinathani abafundisayo.

¹⁷Ngabathuma ku-Ido, inhloko yasendaweni yaseKhasifiya, ngabeka emlonyeni wabo amazwi abayakuwakhuluma ku-Ido nakubafowabo amaNethini endaweni yaseKhasifiya ukuba basilethele izinceku zendlu kaNkulunkulu wethu.

¹⁸Ngesandla esihle sikaNkulunkulu wethu esasiphezu kwethu basilethela umuntu onengqondo wamadodana kaMaheli indodana kaLevi ka-Israyeli, kanye noSherebiya namadodana akhe nabafowabo, beyishumi nesishiyagalombili,

¹⁹noHashabiya enoJeshaya wamadodana kaMerari, nabafowabo namadodana abo, bengamashumi amabili,

²⁰nakuwo amaNethini uDavide nezikhulu ababewanikele enkonzweni yamaLevi amaNethini angamakhulu amabili namashumi amabili, abizwa onke ngamagama.

²¹Ngase ngimemezela khona ukuzila ukudla ngasemfuleni i-Ahava ukuba sizithobe phambi kukaNkulunkulu, sizifunele kuye indlela emhlophe, thina nabantwana bethu, nemfuyo yethu yonke.

²²Ngokuba nganginamahloni ukucela enkosini impi nabamahhashi ukuba basisize ezitheni zasendleleni, ngokuba sasikhulumile enkosini, sathi: “Isandla sikaNkulunkulu wethu siphezu kwabo bonke abamfunayo ukuba kube kuhle, kepha amandla akhe nentukuthelo yakhe kuphezu kwabo bonke abamshiyayo.”

²³Sase sizila-ke, sanxusa uNkulunkulu wethu ngalokho, wasizwa.

²⁴Ngase ngahlukanisa ezikhulwini zabapristi abayishumi nambili: oSherebiya, noHashabiya, nabafowabo abayishumi kanye nabo,

²⁵ngabalinganisela isiliva negolide nezitsha, umnikelo wendlu kaNkulunkulu wethu, okwakunikelwe ngawo yinkosi nabeluleki bayo, nezikhulu zayo, naye wonke u-Israyeli owayelapho;

²⁶ngalinganisela ezandleni zabo amatalenta angamakhulu ayisithupha namashumi ayisihlanu esiliva, namatalenta ayikhulu ayizitsha zesiliva, namatalenta ayikhulu egolide,

²⁷nezindebe ezingamashumi amabili zegolide ezingamadarike ayinkulungwane, nezitsha ezimbili zethusi elikhazimulayo nelihle, eliyigugu njengegolide.

²⁸Ngathi kubo: “Ningcwele kuJehova, nezitsha zingcwele; isiliva negolide kungumnikelo wesihle kuJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyihlo.

²⁹Lindani, nikugcine, nize nikulinganise ngaphambi kwezikhulu zabapristi nezamaLevi nezikhulu zawoyise bakwa-Israyeli eJerusalema emakamelweni endlu kaJehova.”

³⁰Base bamukela abapristi namaLevi okulinganisiweyo, isiliva negolide nezitsha, ukuba bakuyise eJerusalema endlini kaNkulunkulu wethu.

³¹Sase sisuka emfuleni i-Ahava ngolweshumi nambili lwenyanga yokuqala ukuba siye eJerusalema; isandla sikaNkulunkulu wethu sasiphezu kwethu, wasophula esandleni sesitha nakumqamekeli endleleni.

³²Safika eJerusalema, sahlala khona izinsuku ezintathu.

³³Ngosuku lwesine kwalinganiswa isiliva negolide nezitsha endlini kaNkulunkulu wethu, kwanikezwa esandleni sikaMeremoti, indodana ka-Uriya, umpristi; u-Eleyazare indodana kaFinehasi wayenaye; uJozabadi indodana kaJeshuwa noNohadiya, indodana kaBinuwi, amaLevi, babe nabo,

³⁴konke-ke kwenziwa ngomumo nangesisindo; sonke isisindo salotshwa ngaleso sikhathi.

³⁵Abathunjwa abaphuma ekuthunjweni banikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa kuNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli eyizinkunzi eziyishumi nambili ngaye wonke u-Israyeli, nezinqama ezingamashumi ayisihiyagalolunye nesithupha, namawundlu angamashumi ayisikhombisa nesikhombisa, nezimpongo eziyishumi nambili zibe ngumnikelo wokona; konke kwakungumnikelo wokushiswa kuJehova.

³⁶Banika imithetho yenkosi kothulasizwe benkosi nakubabusi phesheya koMfula; basekela abantu nendlu kaNkulunkulu.