UHezekheli
44 Indoda engayibona embonweni yangiphendukisa ngendlela eqonda egedini lendawo engcwele elikhangele empumalanga,+ kodwa igedi lelo lalivaliwe.+ 2 UJehova wathi kimi: “Igedi leli lizahlala livaliwe, akumelanga livulwe futhi akulamuntu ozangena ngalo ngoba uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ungene ngalo.+ Yikho kumele lihlale livaliwe. 3 Kodwa umkhokheli nguye ozahlala phakathi kwalo adle isinkwa phambi kukaJehova.+ Uzangena ngevurandi elisegedini aphinde aphume ngalo.”+
4 Ngemva kwalokho indoda engayibona embonweni yangingenisa ngegedi elikhangele enyakatho, yangisa phambi kwethempeli. Ngathi ngikhangela ngabona ukuthi inkazimulo kaJehova yayisigcwele ethempelini likaJehova,+ yikho ngazilahla phansi ngathi mbo ngobuso emhlabathini.+ 5 UJehova wasesithi kimi: “Ndodana yomuntu, khangelisisa unanzelele* futhi ulalelisise konke engizakutshela khona ngemithetho lezimiso zethempeli likaJehova. Ukhangelisise amagedi ethempeli kanye leminyango yendlu engcwele.+ 6 Kumele ukhulume labantu bako-Israyeli abahlamukayo uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo yiNkosi Enkulu uJehova: “Sezizinengi kakhulu izenzo zenu ezinyanyisayo lina bantu bako-Israyeli. 7 Abantu bezinye izizwe abangasokanga enhliziyweni lasenyameni elibaletha endaweni yami engcwele bafika bangcolise ithempeli lami. Lanxa linikela kimi ngesinkwa langamafutha langegazi, isivumelwano sami liyasephula ngoba lenza izinto ezenyanyekayo. 8 Impahla yami engcwele aliyikhangeli,+ kodwa lithuma abanye abantu ukuthi benze imisebenzi endaweni yami engcwele.”’
9 “‘Ngakho nanku okutshiwo yiNkosi Enkulu uJehova: “Akulamuntu wesinye isizwe ohlala ko-Israyeli, ongasokanga enhliziyweni lasenyameni ozangena endaweni yami engcwele.”’
10 “‘Kodwa amaLevi angihlamukelayo+ ngesikhathi abako-Israyeli bengihlamukela belandela izithombe zabo ezenyanyekayo* azathola umvuzo wezono zawo. 11 Azasebenza endaweni yami engcwele ekhangele amagedi ethempeli+ futhi azakwenza leminye imisebenzi ethempelini. Azahlabela abantu iminikelo yokutshiswa egcweleyo kanye lemihlatshelo njalo azakuma phambi kwabantu abasebenzele. 12 Ngiphakamise isandla sami ngafunga,’ kutsho iNkosi Enkulu uJehova, ‘ngathi azawuthola umvuzo wezono zawo ngoba yiwo ayesebenzela abantu ngesikhathi bekhonza izithombe zabo ezenyanyekayo futhi aba yisikhubekiso esenza abantu bako-Israyeli bona.+ 13 Awasoze asondele eduze kwami ukuze abe ngabaphristi bami kumbe asondele eduze kwempahla yami engcwele lengcwele kakhulu. Azathwala ihlazo lawo ngenxa yezinto ezenyanyekayo ayezenza. 14 Ngizawanika umsebenzi wokukhangela konke nje ethempelini. Yiwo azakhangela imisebenzi eyenziwa ethempelini lakho konke okumele kwenziwe kulo.’+
15 “‘Abaphristi abangamaLevi abangamadodana kaZadokhi+ ababeqhubeka besenza imisebenzi endaweni yami engcwele ngesikhathi ama-Israyeli engihlamukela,+ bazasondela eduze kwami bangenzele inkonzo engcwele futhi bazakuma phambi kwami banikele ngamafutha+ langegazi,’+ kutsho iNkosi Enkulu uJehova. 16 ‘Laba yibo abazangena endaweni yami engcwele, basondele etafuleni yami bangenzele inkonzo engcwele+ njalo bazakwenza yonke imisebenzi engibaphathise yona.+
17 “‘Nxa bezongena emagedini eguma elingaphakathi kumele bagqoke izigqoko zelineni.+ Akumelanga bagqoke izembatho zewulu nxa besebenza emagedini eguma elingaphakathi loba phakathi kweguma. 18 Kumele babophe amaqhiye elineni emakhanda, bagqoke lamabhurugwe amafitshane elineni ezinkalweni zabo.+ Akumelanga bagqoke loba yini ezabenza baginqe. 19 Nxa befuna ukuya egumeni elingaphandle lapho okulabantu khona, kumele baqale bakhuphe izembatho abazigqoka nxa besenza imisebenzi yabo,+ bazifake ezindlini zokudlela ezingcwele.+ Kumele bagqoke ezinye izigqoko ukuze bangathwali ubungcwele ngezembatho zabo bahambe labo ebantwini. 20 Akufanelanga baphuce amakhanda+ kumbe bayekele inwele zabo zibe zinde kakhulu. Kumele bazigele zibe mfitshane. 21 Akumelanga banathe iwayini nxa bezangena egumeni elingaphakathi.+ 22 Umphristi akufanelanga athathe umfelokazi loba owesifazana owadivosa lomkakhe.+ Kodwa kumele athathe intombi egcweleyo yako-Israyeli kumbe umfelokazi owayethethwe ngumphristi.’+
23 “‘Abaphristi kumele bafundise abantu bami umehluko phakathi kwezinto ezingcwele lezinto ezingekho ngcwele. Bazabafundisa umehluko phakathi kwalokho okuhlambulukileyo lokungcolileyo.+ 24 Kumele bahlulele nxa kulezindaba ezihluphayo+ njalo lokho kumele bakwenze belandela imithetho yami yokwahlulela.+ Kufanele bagcine imithetho kanye lezimiso zami eziphathelane lemikhosi yami yonke+ njalo benze amasabatha ami abe ngcwele. 25 Umphristi akumelanga asondele eduze kwaloba ngubani ofileyo ngoba angenza njalo uzangcola. Kodwa nxa kufe uyise loba unina loba indodana loba indodakazi yakhe loba umfowabo kumbe udadewabo ongendanga, umphristi angasondela eduze kwakhe. Angenza njalo uyabe esengcolile.+ 26 Nxa umphristi angahlanjululwa kumele bambalele insuku eziyisikhombisa. 27 Ngelanga azangena ngalo endaweni engcwele egumeni elingaphakathi, ukuthi azokhonza endaweni engcwele, kumele anikele umnikelo wakhe wesono,’+ kutsho iNkosi Enkulu uJehova.
28 “‘Mina yimi engizakuba lilifa labo.+ Akumelanga libanike ilifa ko-Israyeli ngoba mina yimi ilifa labo. 29 Yibo abazakudla iminikelo yamabele+ leminikelo yesono kanye leminikelo yecala.+ Zonke izinto ezizanikelwa kuNkulunkulu ko-Israyeli zizakuba ngezabo.+ 30 Izithelo zokuqala ezinhle kakhulu lakho konke elizanikela ngakho kuzakuba ngokwabaphristi.+ Kumele linike umphristi ifulawa eliyenze ngamabele enu okuqala.+ Lingenza njalo, izimuli zenu zizahlala zithola izibusiso.+ 31 Abaphristi akumelanga badle inyoni kumbe inyamazana ezifeleyo loba ebulewe ngezinye inyamazana.’+