UNehemiya 12:27-47

Ngomkhosi wokubusiswa kogange eJerusalema abaLevi bafunwa ezindaweni zabo zonke, ukuba bayiswe eJerusalema ukuyogubha umkhosi ngentokozo, ngokubonga, ngokuhlabelela, ngamasimbali, ngezigubhu nangamahabhu. Amaqembu abaculi abuthana evela ethafeni elalizungeze iJerusalema, nasemizaneni yabaLevi, naseBhethi Giligali, nasemasimini eGebha, nase-Azimavethi, ngokuba babezakhele imizana nxazonke zeJerusalema. Abaphristi nabaLevi base bezihlambulula; bahlambulula nabantu, amasango nogange. Ngase nginyusela phezu kogange abaholi bakwaJuda, ngabeka izigaba ezimbili ezinkulu ezazibonga, zahlaba ihele; esinye sahamba ngakwesokunene sogange, saya ngaseSangweni Lomquba; emva kwaso kwahamba uHoshaya nengxenye yabaholi bakwaJuda, u-Azariya, u-Ezra, uMeshulamu, uJuda, uBhenjamini, uShemaya, uJeremiya namadodana athile abaphristi ephethe amacilongo: uZakhariya kaJonathani, kaShemaya, kaMathaniya, kaMikhaya, kaZakhuri, ka-Asafa nabafowabo uShemaya, u-Azareli, uMilalayi, uGilalayi, uMahayi, uNethaneli, uJuda noHanani, bephethe izinto zokubethwa zikaDavide, umuntu kaNkulunkulu; u-Ezra, umbhali, engaphambi kwabo. NgaseSangweni Lomthombo, phambi kwabo, bakhuphuka ngezikhwelo zomuzi kaDavide, ezikhwelweni zogange, ngasenhla kwendlu kaDavide, kwaze kwaba seSangweni Lamanzi, empumalanga. Esinye isigaba saya ngakwesokhohlo, mina ngasilandela nengxenye yabantu ogangeni, ngasenhla kombhoshongo wezithando, kwaze kwaba soGangeni Olubanzi, nangenhla kweSango Lakwa-Efrayimi, naseSangweni Elidala, eSangweni Lenhlanzi, eMbhoshongweni KaHananeli, eMbhoshongweni KaHameya, naseMbhoshongweni Wekhulu, kwaze kwaba seSangweni Lezimvu; bema eSangweni Lejele. Zase zima endlini kaNkulunkulu lezo zigaba zombili zababongayo, nami nezikhulu engangihamba nazo; nabaphristi u-Eliyakimi, uMahaseya, uMiniyamini, uMikhaya, u-Eliyohenayi, uZakhariya, noHananiya, bephethe amacilongo, noMahaseya, uShemaya, u-Eleyazare, u-Uzi, uJehohanani, uMalikhiya, u-Elamu, no-Ezeri. Abahlabeleli bahlabelela bebhidiswa ngumphathi wabo, uJizirahiya. Banikela ngemihlatshelo emikhulu ngalolo lusuku, bathokoza, ngokuba uNkulunkulu wayebathokozise ngentokozo enkulu; abesifazane nabantwana bathokoza, kwezwakala kude ukuthokoza kweJerusalema. Ngalolo lusuku kwaqokwa amadoda okuqapha amagumbi lapho kwakugcinwe khona izipho ethempelini; izithelo zokuqala, nokweshumi kwamabele, nokwezithelo, minyaka yonke. Lawo madoda ayehambele yonke imizi ukuyoqoqa umkhiqizo owawunikelelwa ukunakekela abaphristi nabaLevi, njengalokhu kubhaliwe emthethweni. Bonke abantu bakwaJuda babewuthokozela umsebenzi owenziwa ngabaphristi nabaLevi, ngoba yibona ababenza isiko lokuhlanza abantu ngokwemithetho kaNkulunkulu wabo, njengoba kwakwenza abahlabeleli nabalindisango, ngokomyalo kaDavide noSolomoni, indodana yakhe. Kusukela kudala, ngezinsuku zikaDavide no-Asafa, kwakunabaholi babaculi, behola amaculo okudumisa nokubonga uNkulunkulu, ezinsukwini zikaZerubhabhele noNehemiya, wonke u-Israyeli wanikela ingxenye yansuku zonke ukubonelela abaculi nabalindisango. Bahlukanisa lokho okwakungokwabaLevi, nabaLevi bakuhlukanisela abozalo luka-Aroni.