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1 Ngaloo mini kwaleswa encwadini kaMoses ezindlebeni zabantu; kwafunyanwa kubhaliwe kuyo ukuthi, Ama-Amon namaMowabhi makangangeni ebandleni likaThixo naphakade;2 ngokuba engabakhawulelanga oonyana bakaSirayeli enesonka namanzi; esuka abaqeshela uBhileham, ukuba abaqalekise; ke uThixo wethu wayiguqula ingqalekiso yaba yintsikelelo.3 Kwathi bakuva umyalelo lowo, bawahlula wonke umxube kumaSirayeli.4 Ke kaloku phambi koko, uEliyashibhi umbingeleli, obemiswe phezu kwamagumbi endlu kaThixo wethu, wazalamanisa noTobhiya,5 wamenzela igumbi elikhulu, apho bekufudula kubekwa khona umnikelo wokudla, nentlaka emhlophe, nempahla, nezishumi zengqolowa, nezewayini entsha, nezeoli, ezibe zimiselwe abaLevi neemvumi nabamasango; nemirhumo yababingeleli.6 Ekwenzekeni oko konke bendingekho eYerusalem; ngokuba, ngomnyaka wamashumi amathathu anesibini ka-Artashashta ukumkani waseBhabheli, ndaya kukumkani ekupheleni kwemihla, ndacela kukumkani ukuba ndibuye.7 Ndafika ke eYerusalem, ndabugqala ububi abebenzile uEliyashibhi ngenxa kaTobhiya, ngokumenzela kwakhe igumbi ezintendelezweni zendlu kaThixo.8 Kwaba kubi kum kakhulu; ndazilahlela phandle zonke iimpahla zendlu kaTobhiya ngaphandle kwegumbi.9 Ndatsho, bawahlambulula amagumbi; ndazibuyisela khona iimpahla zendlu kaThixo, umnikelo wokudla, nentlaka emhlophe.

10 Ndazi ukuba izabelo zabaLevi abazinikwanga; ngokuba abaLevi neemvumi, ababesebenza umsebenzi, babebalekele elowo emhlabeni wakhe.11 Ndabambana nabaphathi, ndathi, Yini na ukuba indlu kaThixo ishiywe nje? Ndababutha, ndabamisa esikhundleni sabo.12 Aza onke amaYuda azisa izishumi zengqolowa, nezewayini entsha, nezeoli, koovimba.13 Ndamisa phezu koovimba uShelemiya umbingeleli, noTsadoki umbhali, noPedaya kubaLevi; naphantsi kwezandla zabo yanguHanan unyana kaZakure, unyana kaMataniya; ngokuba bekusithiwa banyanisekile; bamiselwa ukwabela abazalwana babo.14 Ndikhumbule, Thixo wam, ngenxa yoko; musa ukuzicima iinceba zam, endizenzileyo endlwini kaThixo wam, nasezigxineni zayo.

15 Ngaloo mihla ndabona kwaYuda abaxovula ezixovulelweni zewayini ngesabatha, nabathutha amasinde, abathwalisa amaesile; kwanewayini, neediliya, namakhiwane, nemithwalo yonke, beyizisa eYerusalem ngemini yesabatha; ndaqononondisa ngaloo mini bathengisa ngokudla ngayo.16 Kwakuhleli khona nabaseTire, bezise iintlanzi neento zonke zentengiso; bethengisa ngesabatha koonyana bakaYuda eYerusalem.17 Ndabambana nabanumzana bakwaYuda, ndathi kubo, Yintoni na le nto imbi kangaka niyenzayo, niwuhlambelayo umhla wesabatha?18 Babengenjenalo na ooyihlo, waza uThixo wethu wasifikisela thina nalo mzi bonke obo bubi? Ke nina nongeza ukuvutha komsindo kuSirayeli, niyihlambela nje isabatha.19 Bekusithi, kwakuba lungcwalazi phakathi kwamasango aseYerusalem phambi kwesabatha, ndithi mazivalwe iingcango; ndithi mazingavulwa ide igqithe isabatha. Ndamisa inxenye yamadodana akwam emasangweni, ukuze kungangeniswa mthwalo ngemini yesabatha.20 Abarhwebi, nabathengisa ngeento zonke zentengiso, babelala ngaphandle kweYerusalem kanye nokuba kukabini.21 Ndaqononondisa kubo, ndathi kubo, Yini na ukuba nilale phambi kodonga? Ukuba nithe naphinda, ndonisa isandla. Kususela kwelo xesha ababanga seza ngesabetha.22 Ndathi kubaLevi mabazihlambulule, beze bagcine amasango, ukuze kungcwaliswe umhla wesabatha. Ndikhumbulele nangale nto, Thixo wam, ube nenceba kum ngokobuninzi benceba yakho.

23 Kananjalo ngaloo mihla ndawabona amaYuda abezeke abafazi abangama-Ashdodekazi, nama-Amonikazi, namaMowabhikazi,24 oonyana babo inxenye bethetha ngesiAshdode, bengenakuqonda ukuthetha ngesiYuda, bethetha ngokwentetho yezizwe ngezizwe.25 Ndabambana nawo, ndawatshabhisa, ndabetha amadoda kuwo, ndawadlathula iinwele, ndawafungisa uThixo ngokuthi, Inene, iintombi zenu aniyi kuzendisela koonyana babo, neentombi zabo aniyi kuzizekela oonyana benu, aniyi kuzizeka nani ngokwenu.26 Wayengone ngenxa yabo yini na uSolomon, ukumkani wamaSirayeli? Ezintlangeni ezininzi kwakungekho kumkani unjengaye: ubethandwa nguThixo wakhe, uThixo wamnika ukuba ngukumkani wamaSirayeli onke; naye lowo bamonisa abafazi bezinye iintlanga.27 Makuvakale ngani na, ukuba nenze bonke obu bubi bukhulu, bokwenza ubumenemene kuThixo wethu, ngokuzeka abafazi bezinye iintlanga?28 Ke kaloku koonyana bakaYoyada, unyana kaEliyashibhi, umbingeleli omkhulu, bekukho kubo ongumyeni kwaSanebhalati waseHoron; ndamgxotha ke kum.29 Bakhumbule, Thixo wam, ngenxa yokuhlambela kwabo ububingeleli, nomnqophiso wobubingeleli, nowobuLevi.30 Ndawahlambuluka ke ezintweni zonke zezinye iintlanga, ndazimisa izigxina zababingeleli nezabaLevi, zomntu ngomntu emsebenzini wakhe,31 nezomsondezo weenkuni ngamaxesha amisiweyo, nezeentlahlela. Ndikhumbulele okulungileyo, Thixo wam.