UNehemiya 12:27-47

Ekuhlanjululweni kogange lwaseJerusalema bafuna amaLevi ezindaweni zawo zonke ukuba ayiswe eJerusalema ukwenza ukuhlambulula ngokuthokoza, nangokubonga, nangokuhlabelela ngamasimbali* nangezingubhu nangamahabhu.* Abantwana babahlabeleli babuthana bevela ethafeni elalizungeza iJerusalema nasemizaneni yamaLevi, naseBeti Giligali, nasemasimini aseGeba, nase-Azimaveti, ngokuba babezakhele imizana nxazonke zeJerusalema. Abapristi namaLevi base bezihlambulula; bahlambulula nabantu, namasango, nogange. Ngase ngikhuphulela ogangeni izikhulu zakwaJuda, ngabeka izigaba ezimbili ezinkulu ezabongayo, zahlaba ihele; esinye sahamba ngakwesokunene ogangeni, saya ngaseSangweni Lomquba; emva kwaso kwahamba uHoshaya nenxenye yezikhulu zakwaJuda, no-Azariya, no-Ezra, noMeshulamu, noJuda, noBenjamini, noShemaya, noJeremiya, kanye namadodana athile abapristi ephethe amacilongo: uZakariya kaJonathani, kaShemaya, kaMathaniya, kaMikhaya, kaZakuri, ka-Asafa, nabafowabo oShemaya, no-Azareli, noMilalayi, noGilalayi, noMahayi, noNethaneli, noJuda, noHanani, bephethe izinto zokubethwa zikaDavide, umuntu kaNkulunkulu; u-Ezra, umbhali, wayengaphambi kwabo. NgaseSangweni Lomthombo malungana nabo bakhuphuka ngezikhwelo zomuzi kaDavide ezikhwelweni zogange, ngasenhla kwendlu kaDavide, kwaze kwaba seSangweni Lamanzi. Esinye isigaba saya ngakwesokhohlo, mina ngasilandela kanye nenxenye yabantu ogangeni, ngasenhla koMbhoshongo Wezithando, kwaze kwaba soGangeni Olubanzi, nangenhla kweSango lakwa-Efrayimi, naseSangweni Elidala, naseSangweni Lezinhlanzi, naseMbhoshongweni KaHananeli naseMbhoshongweni KaHameya, kwaze kwaba seSangweni Lezimvu; bema eSangweni Letilongo. Zase zima lezo zigaba zombili zababongayo endlini kaNkulunkulu kanye nami, nenxenye yababusi inami, nabapristi o-Eliyakimi, noMahaseya, noMiniyamini, noMikhaya, no-Eliyohenayi, noZakariya, noHananiya, bephethe amacilongo, noMahaseya, noShemaya, no-Eleyazare, no-Uzi, noJehohanani, noMalikhiya, no-Elamu, no-Ezeri. Abahlabeleli bahlabelela ngokuzwakalisayo, benoJizirahiya umbonisi wabo. Banikela ngemihlatshelo emikhulu ngalolo suku, bathokoza, ngokuba uNkulunkulu wayebathokozisile ngentokozo enkulu; nabesifazane nabantwana bathokoza, kwezwakala kude ukuthokoza kweJerusalema. Ngalolo suku amiswa amadoda ukuba abe ngabaphathi bamakamelo engcebo, nabeminikelo yokuphakanyiswa, nabolibo, nabokweshumi ukuba baqoqele kuwo njengamasimu emizi izabelo ezinqunyelwe abapristi namaLevi ngomthetho, ngokuba uJuda wathokoza ngabapristi namaLevi asebebekiwe. Bagcina imfanelo kaNkulunkulu wabo nemfanelo yokuhlambulula kanye nabahlabeleli nabalindisango njengemiyalo kaDavide noSolomoni indodana yakhe. Ngokuba nasemihleni kaDavide neka-Asafa kwasendulo kwakukhona abaholi babahlabeleli kanye nezihlabelelo zokudumisa nezokubonga uNkulunkulu. Wonke u-Israyeli wayesenika emihleni kaZerubabele nasemihleni kaNehemiya abahlabeleli nabalindisango izabelo njengokufunekayo imihla ngemihla; bakungcwelisela amaLevi, namaLevi akungcwelisela amadodana ka-Aroni.