1 Bahlangana bonke abantu njengamntu mnye endaweni yembutho ephambi kwesango lamanzi, bathi kuEzra umbhali, makazise incwadi yomyalelo kaMoses, awawumiselayo uYehova kumaSirayeli.
2 UEzra umbingeleli wawuzisa umyalelo phambi kwebandla elo, lithabathele kwindoda lesa kumfazi, nakubo bonke abanokuva baqonde, ngomhla wokuqala wenyanga yesixhenxe.
3 Walesa kuwo phambi kwendawo yembutho ephambi kwesango lamanzi, eqale ekuseni kwada kwaba semini enkulu, phambi kwamadoda nabafazi, nabasebenokuqonda; iindlebe zabantu bonke zaphulaphula loo ncwadi yomyalelo.
4 Wema ke uEzra umbhali esikhwelweni somthi, ababesenzele loo nto. Kwema ngakuye uMatitiya, noShema, noAnaya, noUriya, noHilekiya, noMahaseya, ngasekunene kwakhe; ngasekholo yanguPedaya, noMishayeli, noMalekiya, noHashum, noHashebhadana, noZekariya, noMeshulam.
5 UEzra wayivula incwadi emehlweni abantu bonke (ngokuba wayebaphakamele abantu bonke); akuyivula, bema abantu bonke.
6 UEzra wambonga uYehova, uThixo omkhulu. Baphendula bonke abantu, bathi, Amen, amen, bephakamisa izandla zabo. Bathoba, baqubuda kuYehova, bebhekise ubuso babo emhlabeni.
7 OoYeshuwa, noBhani noSherebhiya, noYamin, noAkubhi, noShabhetayi, noHodiya, noMahaseya, noKelita, noAzariya, noYozabhadi, noHanan, noPelaya, nabaLevi, babaqondisa abantu umyalelo, abantu bemi ezindaweni zabo.
8 Balesa encwadini, emyalelweni kaThixo, ngokucacileyo, beqononondisa; bakúqonda ke ukulesa oku.
9 Wathi uNehemiya oyirhuluneli, noEzra umbingeleli, umbhali, nabaLevi abazondisa abantu, ebantwini bonke, Le mini ingcwele kuYehova uThixo wethu; musani ukwenza isijwili, musani ukulila. Ngokuba babelila bonke abantu, bakuweva amazwi omyalelo lowo.
10 Wathi kubo, Yiyani, nidle amanqatha, nisele izinto ezinencasa, nise isabelo kwabangalungiselwanga nto; ngokuba le mini ingcwele kwiNkosi yethu. Musani ukuba buhlungu; ngokuba uvuyo lukaYehova ligwiba lenu.
11 NabaLevi babebathuthuzela abantu bonke, besithi, Yithini tu; ngokuba le mini ingcwele; musani ukuba buhlungu.
12 Besuka bonke abantu, baya kudla, basela, bathuma izabelo, bavuya kakhulu; ngokuba bawaqonda amazwi ababewaxelelwa.
13 Ngomhla wesibini kwahlanganisana iintloko zezindlu zooyise zabantu bonke, nezababingeleli, nezabaLevi, zeza kuEzra umbhali ukuwaqiqa amazwi omyalelo.
14 Bafumana kubhaliwe emyalelweni, awawumiselayo uYehova ngoMoses, ukuthi, oonyana bakaSirayeli mabahlale eminqubeni ngomthendeleko wenyanga yesixhenxe;
15 nokuthi mabavakalise, bahambise ilizwi emizini yabo yonke, naseYerusalem, lokuthi, Phumani niye ezintabeni, nize namahlamvu eminquma, namahlamvu eminquma yasendle, namahlamvu emimirtile,* namahlamvu esundu, namahlamvu emithi ethe shinyi, ukuze kwenziwe iminquba ngoko kubhaliweyo.
16 Baphuma abantu, bawàzisa, bazenzela iminquba, elowo phezu kwendlu yakhe, nasezintendelezweni zabo, nasezintendelezweni zendlu kaThixo, nasendaweni yembutho yesango lamanzi, nasendaweni yembutho yesango likaEfrayim.
17 Lonke ibandla elalibuye ekuthinjweni lenza iminquba, lahlala eminqubeni; ngokuba oonyana bakaSirayeli babengenzanga ngokunjalo kususela kwimihla kaYoshuwa unyana kaNun, kwada kwayiloo mini. Kwabakho ke uvuyo olukhulu kunene.
18 Kwaleswa encwadini yomyalelo kaThixo imihla ngemihla, kwathabathela kumhla wokuqala kwezisa kumhla wokugqibela. Benza umthendeleko imihla yasixhenxe; ngomhla wesibhozo yaba yingqungquthela ngokwesiko.