1 bonke abantu baqokelelana ebaleni phambi kweSango laManzi. Baza ke babiza umchazi-mthetho uEzra, bathi makeze nencwadi yomthetho kaMosis, lowo wagunyaziswa *nguNdikhoyo kumaSirayeli.
2 Ngoko ke ngomhla wokuqala kwinyanga yesixhenxe umbingeleli uEzra weza nayo ebandleni incwadi yomthetho – ibandla elo ke yayingamadoda nabafazi nabo bonke ababesebeqabuke ingqondo.
3 Wawufunda ukusukela kusasa kwada kwasemin' emaqanda, emile ejonge apho ebaleni phambi kweSango laManzi, esiva amadoda, abafazi, nabo bonke ababesebeqabuke ingqondo. Bonke ke abo bantu bayiphulaphula ngomdla loo ncwadi yomthetho yayifundwa.
4 Ke umchazi-mthetho uEzra lo wayemi kwiqonga elenziwe ngamaplanga, lenzelwe eso siganeko. Ngasekunene kwakhe kwakumi uMatitiya, uShema, uAnaya, u-Uriya, uHilekiya, noMaseya; ngasekhohlo inguPedaya, uMishayeli, uMalkiya, uHashum, uHashbhadana, uZakariya, noMeshulam.
5 UEzra wayivula ke incwadi leyo. Bonke ke abantu babembona, kuba wayemi ebavelele. Uthe ke akuyivula, bema ngeenyawo abantu.
6 UEzra ke watyibela, encoma uNdikhoyo, uThixo omkhulu. Ke bona abantu baphakamisa izandla, baza bathelela bathi: “*Amen! Makube njalo!” Baza ke bagoba banqula uNdikhoyo bejonge phantsi.
7 Ke abaLevi uYeshuwa, uBhani, uShrebhiya, uJamin, uAkubhi, uShabhetayi, uHodiya, uMaseya, uKelita, uAzariya, uJozabhadi, uHanani, noPelaya, babafundisa umthetho abantu, besamile njalo apho.
8 Babefunda encwadini yomthetho kaThixo, baze ke batolike beyichaza ukuze ivakale ebantwini loo nto ifundwayo.
9 Ke umlawuli uNehemiya, ekunye nombingeleli ongumchazi-mthetho uEzra, nabaLevi ababefundisa abantu, bathi kubo bonke: “Le yimini eyodwa kuNdikhoyo uThixo wenu. Ngoko ke musani ukulila nenze isijwili.” Kaloku bonke abantu babentywizisa ngoku bawaphulaphuleyo amazwi omthetho.
10 Ke uNehemiya wathi kubo: “Hambani niyokutya izimuncu-muncu, ukutya okumnandi neziselo, nide niphe nâbo bangenakutya. Le yimini ekhethekileyo yeNkosi yethu. Ngayo musani ukuba lusizi; kaloku uNdikhoyo uza kunomeleza ngovuyo lwakhe.”
11 Ke abaLevi babazolisa abantu, besithi: “Le yimini eyodwa, zolani. Sanukuba lusizi.”
12 Ngoko ke bonke abantu baya kwenza itheko, batya, basela, besabelana ngokutya benemincili, kuba kaloku ngoku bewaqondile amazwi ababewacaciselwe.
13 Ngomhla wesibini wenyanga leyo ke iinkulu zemizi zinababingeleli nabaLevi zaqokelelana kuEzra umchazi-mthetho ukuze ziqwalasele amazwi omthetho.
14 Apho kuloo mthetho wayalelwa nguNdikhoyo ngoMosis bafumanisa kubhaliwe kwathiwa amaSirayeli makahlale kumaphempe ngethuba letheko lenyanga yesixhenxe,
15 kananjalo balishumayele ilizwi elo linwenwele kuzo zonke iidolophu naseJerusalem, besithi: “Phumani niye kweleentaba, nibuye namahlamvu omnquma, nalowo wasendle, awemetile, nawesundu, naweminye imithi, ukuze ngawo kwenziwe amaphempe njengoko kubhaliweyo.”
16 Baphuma ke abantu, baza babuya namahlamvu emithi, bazakhela ngawo amaphempe kumaphahla abo, kwiinkundla zemizi yabo, nakwiinkundla zendlu kaThixo, ngokunjalo nasebaleni elingakwiSango laManzi nelingakwiSango likaEfrayim.
17 Lonke ke elo gqiza lalibuye ekuthinjweni lazakhela amaphempe, laza lahlala kuwo. Ke ukusukela kwimihla kaYoshuwa unyana kaNune kude kube lelo thuba amaSirayeli la ayengazange alibhiyozele ngale ndlela eli theko. Ewe, ayonwabe ngovuyo olukhulu.
18 Ukuqalela kwimini yokuqala mihla le uEzra wayefunda incwadi yomthetho kaThixo. Elo theko ke balibhiyozela iintsuku ezisixhenxe, baza ke ngosuku lwesibhozo bahlangana belibandla ngokommiselo womthetho.