UNehemiya
12 AmaLevi kanye labaphristi abaphenduka loJeshuwa+ loZerubhabheli+ indodana kaSheyalithiyeli+ bevela ekuthunjweni yilaba: USeraya, loJeremiya, lo-Ezra, 2 lo-Amariya, loMalukhi, loHathushi, 3 loShekhaniya, loRehumi, loMeremothi, 4 lo-Ido, loGinethoyi, lo-Abhija, 5 loMijamini, loMahadiya, loBhiliga, 6 loShemaya, loJoyaribhi, loJedaya, 7 loSalu, lo-Amoki, loHilikhiya, loJedaya. Laba yibo ababengabakhokheli babaphristi labafowabo ngensuku zikaJeshuwa.
8 AmaLevi kwakunguJeshuwa, loBhinuwi, loKhadimiyeli,+ loSherebhiya, loJuda, loMathaniya+ owayekhokhela ekuhlabeleni ingoma zokubonga elabafowabo. 9 Abafowabo uBhakhibhukhiya lo-Uni babelinda bemi maqondana labo. 10 UJeshuwa wazala uJoyakhimi, uJoyakhimi wazala u-Eliyashibhi,+ u-Eliyashibhi wazala uJoyada,+ 11 uJoyada wazala uJonathani, uJonathani wazala uJaduwa.
12 Laba yibo abaphristi ababengabakhokheli bezimuli ngensuku zikaJoyakhimi: Owemuli kaSeraya+ kwakunguMeraya, owemuli kaJeremiya kunguHananiya, 13 owemuli ka-Ezra+ kunguMeshulami, owemuli ka-Amariya kunguJehohanani, 14 owemuli kaMalukhi kunguJonathani, owemuli kaShebhaniya kunguJosefa, 15 owemuli kaHarimi+ kungu-Adena, owemuli kaMerayothi kunguHelikhayi, 16 owemuli ka-Ido kunguZakhariya, owemuli kaGinethoni kunguMeshulami, 17 owemuli ka-Abhija+ kunguZikhiri, owemuli kaMiniyamini kungu . . . ,* owemuli kaMowadiya kunguPhilithayi, 18 owemuli kaBhiliga+ kunguShamuwa, owemuli kaShemaya kunguJehonathani, 19 owemuli kaJoyaribhi kunguMathenayi, owemuli kaJedaya+ kungu-Uzi, 20 owemuli kaSalayi kunguKhalayi, owemuli ka-Amoki kungu-Ebheri, 21 owemuli kaHilikhiya kunguHashabhiya, owemuli kaJedaya kunguNethaneli.
22 Abakhokheli bezimuli zamaLevi lezabaphristi babebhalwa phansi kusukela ngensuku zika-Eliyashibhi, loJoyada, loJohanani, loJaduwa+ kwaze kwayafika isikhathi sokubusa kukaDariyu wasePhesiya.
23 AmaLevi ayengabakhokheli bezimuli abhalwa phansi ebhukwini lembali yangalesosikhathi kwaze kwayafika ezinsukwini zikaJohanani indodana ka-Eliyashibhi. 24 Abakhokheli bamaLevi kwakunguHashabhiya loSherebhiya loJeshuwa+ indodana kaKhadimiyeli.+ Abafowabo babesima maqondana labo nxa bedumisa futhi bebonga uNkulunkulu, belandela lokho okwatshiwo nguDavida+ umuntu kaNkulunkulu weqiniso. Iqembu labalindi lalisima liqondane lelinye. 25 UMathaniya,+ loBhakhibhukhiya, lo-Obhadiya, loMeshulami, loThalimoni, lo-Akhubi+ babengabalindi bamagedi+ belinda iziphala ezaziseduze lamagedi ethempeli. 26 Laba yibo ababesenza umsebenzi lo ngezinsuku zikaJoyakhimi indodana kaJeshuwa+ indodana kaJozadakhi, langensuku zikaNehemiya umbusi* wesabelo, lo-Ezra+ owayengumphristi futhi engumbhali.*
27 Kwathi sekuzanikelwa imiduli yeJerusalema abantu badinga amaLevi kuzo zonke izindawo ayehlala kuzo, bawaletha eJerusalema ukuze azothakazelela umkhosi wokunikela imiduli yedolobho, ethokoza futhi ehlabela izingoma zokubonga,+ etshaya lamasimbali* leziginci lamahabhu.* 28 Amadodana abahlabeleli abuthana evela* emagcekeni eJodani lakuzo zonke izindawo ezaziseduze leJerusalema lasezigabeni zamaNethofa.+ 29 Abanye abahlabeleli babesuka eBhethi-giligali,+ lasemangweni weGebha+ le-Azimavethi+ ngoba basebezakhele imizi endaweni lezi eziseduze leJerusalema. 30 Abaphristi lamaLevi bazihlambulula, bahlambulula labantu+ lamagedi+ kanye lomduli wedolobho.+
31 Ngatshela abakhokheli bakoJuda ukuthi bakhwele phezu komduli. Ngaphinda ngahlela ukuthi kube lamaqembu amabili amakhulu awabahlabeleli ababehlabela ingoma zokubonga belandelwa ngabantu ngemuva. Elinye iqembu lalihamba phezu komduli liqonde egedini lesilotheni+ ngakwesokudla. 32 UHoshaya labanye abakhokheli* bakoJuda babehamba ngemva kweqembu leli. 33 Babelo-Azariya, lo-Ezra, loMeshulami, 34 loJuda, loBhenjamini, loShemaya, loJeremiya. 35 Babehamba lamanye amadodana abaphristi ayethwele amacilongo:+ UZakhariya indodana kaJonathani, indodana kaShemaya, indodana kaMathaniya, indodana kaMikhaya, indodana kaZakhuri, indodana ka-Asafi,+ 36 labafowabo uShemaya, lo-Azareli, loMilalayi, loGilalayi, loMayi, loNethaneli, loJuda, loHanani. Babethwele iziginci ezifanana lezikaDavida+ umuntu kaNkulunkulu weqiniso njalo u-Ezra+ umbhali* wayehamba phambi kwabo. 37 Bathi befika egedini lomthombo+ badlula amasitephisi+ edolobho likaDavida+ behamba phezu komduli emqansweni, badlula phezu kwendlu kaDavida bayafika egedini lamanzi+ ngasempumalanga.
38 Elinye iqembu labahlabeleli abahlabela ingoma zokubonga laya kwesenxele ngasengililandela ngilabanye* sihamba phezu komduli. Sadlula phezu komphotshongo wama-oveni+ sayafika emdulini obanzi.+ 39 Saqhubeka sayadlula egedini lako-Efrayimi,+ lasegedini ledolobho elidala,+ lasegedini lenhlanzi,+ lasemphotshongweni kaHananeli,+ lasemphotshongweni kaMeya kanye lasegedini lezimvu,+ safika sama egedini labalindi.
40 Ngemva kwesikhathi amaqembu la amabili afika ama phambi kwendlu kaNkulunkulu weqiniso. Lami ngafika ngama khonapho ngilabanye abasekeli bababusi,* 41 lomphristi u-Eliyakhimu, loMahaseya, loMiniyamini, loMikhaya, lo-Eliyonayi, loZakhariya, loHananiya bethwele amacilongo. 42 UMahaseya laye wayekhona, loShemaya, lo-Eliyazari, lo-Uzi, loJehohanani, loMalikhija, lo-Elami, lo-Ezeri. Abahlabeleli babehlabelela phezulu bekhokhelwa ngu-Izirahiya.
43 Ngalelolanga abantu banikela imihlatshelo eminengi futhi babejabula+ ngoba uNkulunkulu weqiniso wayebaphe intokozo enkulu. Abesifazana labantwana labo babethokoza+ okokuthi umsindo owawuseJerusalema wazwakala lakhatshana.+
44 Ngalelolanga kwakhethwa amadoda ayezakhangela iziphala+ okwakugcinwa kuzo iminikelo+ lezithelo zokuqala+ lokwetshumi.+ Kwakumele afake kuzo iminikelo eyayivela emasimini edolobho ngalinye, leyo uMthetho owawusithi kufanele ikhitshwe+ ukuze kuncediswe abaphristi lamaLevi.+ Phela abantu babethokoza kakhulu koJuda ngenxa yomsebenzi owawusenziwa ngabaphristi lamaLevi. 45 Baqalisa-ke ukwenzela uNkulunkulu wabo inkonzo lokwenza umsebenzi wokuhlambulula konke nje. Abahlabeleli labalindi bamagedi labo baqalisa imisebenzi yabo. Bonke babelandela okwatshiwo nguDavida lendodana yakhe uSolomoni. 46 Phela kudala ngensuku zikaDavida lo-Asafi kwakulabaqondisi babahlabeleli labezingoma zokudumisa lokubonga uNkulunkulu.+ 47 Ngensuku zikaZerubhabheli+ langensuku zikaNehemiya, bonke abako-Israyeli babenika abahlabeleli labalindi bamagedi ukudla nsuku zonke.+ Babephinda babeke eceleni lokho okwakumele kuphiwe amaLevi,+ amaLevi wona abesethatha okunye kwalokho akuphiweyo akunike izizukulwane zika-Aroni.