UNehemiya 9:1-25

Ngosuku lwamashumi amabili nane lwaleyo nyanga abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babuthana ngokuzila ukudla, bembethe izingubo zokulila nenhlabathi phezu kwakho. Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bazehlukanisa kubo bonke abezizwe, basukuma, bavuma izono zabo nobubi bawoyise. Basukuma endaweni yabo, bafunda ingxenye yesine yosuku encwadini yomthetho kaJehova uNkulunkulu wabo; enye ingxenye yesine yenza isivumo sayo, yakhuleka kuJehova uNkulunkulu wabo. Khona-ke oJeshuwa, noBani, noKadimiyeli, noShebanja, noBhuni, noSherebiya, noBani, noKhenani basukuma ezitebhisini zamaLevi, bamemeza ngezwi elikhulu kuJehova uNkulunkulu wabo. Khona-ke amaLevi, oJeshuwa, noKadimiyeli, noBani, noHasabhinja, noSherebja, noHodija, noSebanja, noPhetaja, bathi: “Sukumani nimdumise uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu kuze kube phakade naphakade, negama lakhe elitusekayo eliphakeme ngaphezu kwazo zonke izibusiso nodumo. Wena, yebo, wena unguJehova wedwa; Wena walenza izulu, izulu lamazulu, nalo lonke ibandla lawo, umhlaba nakho konke okukuwo, izilwandle nakho konke okukuwo, uyakulonda konke; nebandla lezulu liyakukhonza. Wena unguJehova uNkulunkulu owakhetha u-Abrama, wamkhipha e-Uri lamaKaledi, wametha igama lokuthi u-Abrahama; Wamisa inhliziyo yakhe ngokwethembeka phambi kwenu, wenza isivumelwano naye sokulinika izwe lamaKhanani, namaHeti, nama-Amori, namaPherizi, namaJebusi, namaGirigashi, ukulinika inzalo yakhe, wagcwalisa amazwi akho; ngoba wena ulungile. Futhi salubona usizi lokhokho bethu eGibhithe futhi sezwa ukukhala kwabo oLwandle iSchelf; Wenza izibonakaliso nezimangaliso kuFaro nakuzo zonke izinceku zakhe nakubo bonke abantu bezwe lakhe, ngokuba nazi ukuthi babezidla kubo. Wazitholela kanjalo igama, njengoba kunjalo nanamuhla. Wahlukanisa ulwandle phambi kwabo, badabula ulwandle emhlabathini owomileyo; futhi wabaphonsa ekujuleni njengetshe emanzini anamandla. Wabahola ngensika yefu emini; nasebusuku ngensika yomlilo ukubakhanyisela endleleni ababeyakuhamba ngayo. Nawe wehlela entabeni yaseSinayi, wakhuluma kubo usezulwini, wabanika izimiso eziyiqiniso, nemithetho eqinisileyo, nezimiso, nemiyalo emihle; wazisa kubo isabatha lakho elingcwele, wabayala ngeziyalezo, nezimiso, nemithetho ngesandla sikaMose inceku yakho. Wabapha isinkwa sasezulwini ngenxa yokulamba kwabo, wabakhiphela amanzi edwaleni ngokoma kwabo, wabathembisa ukuthi bayakungena ukulidla izwe owafunga ngesifungo ukubanika lona. Kepha bona nawobaba bazidla, bazenza lukhuni izintamo zabo, kabalalelanga imiyalo yakho; Akavumanga ukulalela, akacabanganga ngezimangaliso zakho owazenza phakathi kwabo; kepha wena wazenza lukhuni izintamo zabo, wabeka umbusi ekuhlubukeni kwabo ukuba babuyele ebugqileni babo; kepha Wena unguNkulunkulu othethelelayo, onomusa nesihe, obhekakade, nomusa omkhulu, futhi awuzange ubalahle. Yebo, lapho bezenzela ithole elibunjiweyo, bethi: ‘Lona nguNkulunkulu wakho owakukhuphula eGibithe, wakubangela ukuhlupheka okukhulu; Kepha awubashiyanga ngobuningi bobubele bakho ehlane; insika yefu ayizange isuke kubo emini ukubaqondisa endleleni; nensika yomlilo ebusuku ukubabonisa ukukhanya nendlela okufanele bahambe ngayo. Wabanika nomoya wakho omuhle ukubafundisa, awugodlanga imana lakho emlonyeni wabo, wabanika amanzi ngokoma kwabo. Yebo, iminyaka engamashumi amane wabasekela ehlane, abaswelanga lutho; izingubo zabo azigugi, nezinyawo zabo azivuvukalanga. Ngaphezu kwalokho, wabapha imibuso nezizwe, wabahlukanisela emagumbini, badla izwe likaSihoni, nezwe lenkosi yaseHeshiboni, nezwe lika-Ogi inkosi yaseBashani. Wandisa abantwana babo baba ngangezinkanyezi zezulu, wabangenisa ezweni owathembisa ngalo oyise ukuthi bayakungena ukulidla. Abantwana bangena, balidla izwe, wabanqoba abakhileyo ezweni, amaKhanani, phambi kwabo, wabanikela esandleni sabo, namakhosi abo, nabantu bezwe, ukuba benze kanjalo. Njengoba bebengenza. Bathatha imizi eqinile nezwe elivundile, badla izindlu ezigcwele konke, imithombo embiweyo, nezivini, neminqumo, nemithi yezithelo ngobuningi; badla, basutha, bakhuluphala, bajabula ngobuhle bakho obukhulu.