1 Bonke abantu babuthana njengomuntu munye esigcawini esasiphambi kweSango Lamanzi; bakhuluma ku-Ezra, umbhali, ukuba alethe incwadi yomthetho kaMose, uJehova ayeyale ngawo u-Israyeli.
2 U-Ezra, umpristi, wawuletha umthetho phambi kwebandla, abesilisa nabesifazane nabo bonke ababe nengqondo yokuzwa, ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yesikhombisa.
3 Wafunda kuwo phambi kwesigcawu esasiphambi kweSango Lamanzi, kusukela ekuseni kuze kube semini, phambi kwabesilisa nabesifazane nababe nengqondo yokuzwa; izindlebe zabantu bonke zalalela incwadi yomthetho.
4 U-Ezra umbhali wayemi ebhesitulu* lamapulangwe ababelenzele lo mgomo; eceleni kwakhe kwakumi oMatithiya, noShema, no-Anaya, no-Uriya, noHilikiya, noMahaseya ngakwesokunene sakhe, nangakwesokhohlo sakhe ngoPhedaya, noMishayeli, noMalikhiya, noHashumi, noHashibadana, noZakariya, noMeshulamu.
5 U-Ezra wayivula incwadi emehlweni abantu bonke, ngokuba wayengaphezulu kwabantu bonke, nalapho eyivula, bonke abantu basukuma.
6 U-Ezra wambonga uJehova uNkulunkulu omkhulu. Bonke abantu baphendula bathi: “Amen, Amen,” bephakamisa izandla zabo; bakhothama, bakhuleka kuJehova, ubuso babo bubheke phansi.
7 NoJeshuwa, noBani, noSherebiya, noJamini, no-Akubi, noShabethayi, noHodiya, noMahaseya, noKelitha, no-Azariya, noJozabadi, noHanani, noPhelaya, namaLevi bafundisa abantu umthetho, abantu besezindaweni zabo.
8 Bafunda encwadini, emthethweni kaNkulunkulu, bephumisela kahle; bachaza, babaqondisa okufundwayo.
9 UNehemiya owayengumbusi, no-Ezra umpristi nombhali, namaLevi ayebafundisa abantu, bathi kubantu bonke: “Lolu suku lungcwele kuJehova uNkulunkulu wenu; ningalili, ningakhali.” Ngokuba bonke abantu bakhala, lapho bezwa amazwi omthetho.
10 Wayesethi kubo: “Hambani nidle okunonileyo, niphuze okumnandi, nithumele izabelo kwabangalungiselwanga lutho, ngokuba lolu suku lungcwele kuJehova; ningadabuki, ngokuba injabulo kaJehova iyinqaba yenu.”
11 AmaLevi ayesethulisa abantu bonke, ethi: “Thulani, ngokuba lolu suku lungcwele; ningadabuki.”
12 Abantu bonke bahamba ukuba badle, baphuze, bathumele izabelo, bajabule kakhulu, ngokuba babeqondile amazwi ababewazisiwe.
13 Ngosuku lwesibili kwabuthana izinhloko zawoyise babantu bonke, nabapristi, namaLevi ku-Ezra umbhali ukuba baqaphele amazwi omthetho.
14 Bafumanisa kulotshiwe emthethweni ukuthi uJehova wayeyalile ngesandla sikaMose ukuba abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bahlale emadokodweni ngomkhosi wenyanga yesikhombisa,
15 bezwakalise, bathumele izwi emizini yabo yonke naseJerusalema lokuthi: “Phumani, niye entabeni, nilande amagatsha omnqumo, namagatsha omnqumo wasendle, namagatsha ombomvana, namagatsha esundu, namagatsha emithi edumbileyo, nenze amadokodo njengokulotshiweyo.”
16 Base bephuma abantu, balanda lokho, bazenzela amadokodo, kwaba yilowo nalowo ophahleni lwendlu, nasemagcekeni abo, nasemagcekeni endlu kaNkulunkulu, nasesigcawini seSango Lamanzi, nasesigcawini seSango lakwa-Efrayimi.
17 Ibandla lonke lababuyileyo ekuthunjweni lenza amadokodo, lahlala emadokodweni, ngokuba kusukela ezinsukwini zikaJeshuwa, indodana kaNuni, kuze kube yilolo suku abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babengenzanga kanjalo. Kwakukhona ukuthokoza okukhulu kakhulu.
18 Wafunda encwadini yomthetho kaNkulunkulu imihla ngemihla kusukela osukwini lokuqala kuze kube lusuku lokugcina. Bagubha umkhosi izinsuku eziyisikhombisa; ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili kwakungumhlangano ozothileyo njengomthetho.