UNehemiya 12:27-47

Ekwehlukaniselweni kogange lwaseJerusalema afuna amaLevi ezindaweni zawo zonke ukuba awalethe eJerusalema, ukugubha ukuhlanjululwa ngenjabulo, nangokubonga nangokuhlabelela, namasimbali, namahabhu, nangezinsimbi. Amadodana abahlabeleli abuthana ethafeni elizungeza iJerusalema nasemizini yaseNethofati; nasendlini yaseGiligali nasensimini yaseGeba nase-Asmaweti; ngoba abahlabeleli bazakhela imizi nxazonke zeJerusalema. Abapristi namaLevi bazihlambulula, nabantu, namasango, nogange. Ngase ngikhuphulela umduli izikhulu zakwaJuda, ngamisa izixuku ezimbili ezinkulu zezingoma, esinye sazo esangena kwesokudla sogange kuze kube seSangweni Lomquba. Ngemva kwabo kwaphuma uHoshaya nengxenye yezikhulu zakwaJuda. No-Azariya, no-Ezra, noMeshulamu, oJuda noBenjamini noShemaya noJeremiya, Abanye emadodaneni abapristi bephethe amacilongo; uZakariya indodana kaJonathani indodana kaShemaya indodana kaMathaniya indodana kaMikaya indodana kaSaguri indodana ka-Asafa; Abafowabo, oShemaya, no-Asareli, noMilalayi, noGilalayi, noMahayi, noNethaneli, noJuda, noHanani, benezinsimbi zokubethwa zikaDavide umuntu kaNkulunkulu, no-Ezra, umbhali, phambi kwabo. ESangweni Lomthombo elibhekene nabo, bakhuphuka ngezitebhisi zoMzi kaDavide emqashweni wogange phezu kwendlu kaDavide, besiya eSangweni Lamanzi ngasempumalanga. Esinye isixuku sezihlabelelo sahamba malungana nabo, mina ngemva kwabo nengxenye yabantu esodongeni, kusukela ngale kombhoshongo weziko kuze kufike odongeni olubanzi; naphezu kweSango lakwa-Efrayimi, naphezu kweSango Elidala, naphezu kweSango Lezinhlanzi, naphezu kombhoshongo kaHananeli, naseMbhoshongweni waseMehagi, kuze kube seSangweni Lezimvu; bema esangweni letilongo. Ngakho izixuku ezimbili zezihlabelelo zema endlini kaNkulunkulu, mina nengxenye yababusi kanye nami. Abapristi; o-Eliyakimi, noMahaseya, noMiniyamini, noMigaya, no-Eliyohenayi, noZakariya, noHananiya, benamacilongo; noMahaseya, noShemiya, no-Eleyazare, no-Uzi, noJohanani, noMalikhiya, no-Elamu, no-Ezeri. Futhi abahlabeleli bahlabelela phezulu, kanye noJísraja, umnakekeli wabo. Basebesenza imihlatshelo emikhulu ngalolosuku, bathokoza, ngoba uNkulunkulu wabenza ngentokozo enkulu; abesifazane nabantwana bathokoza, kwaze kwazwakala ukuthokoza kweJerusalema kude. Ngaleso sikhathi kwamiswa abathile ukuba babe ngabaphathi bamakamelo engcebo, neminikelo, nolibo nokweshumi, ukuze kuqoqwe emasimini emizi izabelo zomthetho zabapristi namaLevi ezikuyo; UJuda wajabula ngabapristi namaLevi ababelindile. Abahlabeleli nabalindisango bagcina umlindo kaNkulunkulu wabo nomlindo wokuhlanjululwa ngokomyalo kaDavide noSolomoni indodana yakhe. Ngokuba ezinsukwini zikaDavide no-Asafa zasendulo kwakukhona abaholi babahlabeleli, nezingoma zokudumisa nokubonga, kube inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu. Wonke u-Israyeli emihleni kaZerubabele nangezinsuku zikaNehemiya wayenika izabelo zabahlabeleli nabalindisango, usuku ngalunye isabelo salo; bazingcwelisela amaLevi izipho ezingcwele; amaLevi angcwelisela amadodana ka-Aroni.