Verse 1: Ngalolo suku kwafundwa encwadini kaMose ezindlebeni zabantu; kwafunyanwa kulotshiwe kuyo ukuthi owakwa-Amoni nowakwaMowabi abanakungena ebandleni likaNkulunkulu kuze kube phakade,
Verse 2: ngokuba abahlangabezanga abakwa-Israyeli ngesinkwa namanzi, kepha babaqashela uBileyamu ukuba abaqalekise; kodwa uNkulunkulu wethu waphendula isiqalekiso saba yisibusiso.
Verse 3: Kwathi sebezwile umthetho, bahlukanisa no-Israyeli yonke ingxubevange.
Verse 4: Ngaphambi kwalokho u-Eliyashibi, umpristi, owayemiselwe amakamelo endlu kaNkulunkulu wethu, isihlobo sikaThobiya,
Verse 5: wayemlungisele ikamelo elikhulu, lapho kade bebeka khona iminikelo yempuphu, nenhlaka, nezitsha, nokweshumi kwamabele, newayini, namafutha, okwakunqunyelwe ngomthetho amaLevi, nabahlabeleli, nabalindisango, kanye neminikelo yabapristi.
Verse 6: Kepha kukho konke lokho ngangingekho eJerusalema, ngokuba ngomnyaka wamashumi amathathu nambili ka-Aritahishashita inkosi yaseBabele ngaya enkosini; nangasekugcineni kwezinsuku ngacela enkosini,
Verse 7: ngaya eJerusalema, ngaqonda okubi u-Eliyashibi akwenzele uThobiya ngokumlungisela ikamelo emagcekeni endlu kaNkulunkulu.
Verse 8: Kwaba kubi kakhulu kimi; ngalahla phandle zonke izinto zendlu kaThobiya zikhishwe ekamelweni.
Verse 9: Ngase ngithi mabahlambulule amakamelo; ngabuyisela khona izitsha zendlu kaNkulunkulu kanye neminikelo yempuphu nenhlaka.
Verse 10: Ngase ngazi ukuthi amaLevi awanikwanga izabelo zawo; amaLevi nabahlabeleli abenza umsebenzi babebalekele, kwaba yilowo nalowo ensimini yakhe.
Verse 11: Ngase ngiphikisana nababusi, ngathi: “Ishiyelweni indlu kaNkulunkulu na?” Ngababutha, ngababeka ezindaweni zabo.
Verse 12: Wonke uJuda wayeseletha okweshumi kwamabele, nokwewayini, nokwamafutha engcebeni.
Verse 13: Ngabeka abaphathizikhwama phezu kwengcebo: nguShelemiya umpristi, noSadoki umbhali, noPhedaya wamaLevi; eceleni kwabo kwakunguHanani kaZakuri kaMathaniya, ngokuba kwathiwa bathembekile; babeyakwabela abafowabo.
Verse 14: Ngalokho ngikhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, ungesuli izenzo zami zomusa engizenzileyo endlini kaNkulunkulu wami nasenkonzweni yayo.
Verse 15: Ngalezo zinsuku ngabona kwaJuda abanyathela izikhamo zewayini ngesabatha nabaletha izithungu zamabele, bethwesa izimbongolo, newayini, nezithelo zewayini, namakhiwane, nemithwalo yonke, bekungenisa eJerusalema ngosuku lwesabatha; ngabaxwayisa ngosuku abathengisa ngalo lokho kudla.
Verse 16: AbaseTire ababehlala khona bangenisa izinhlanzi nezimpahla zezinhlobo zonke, bathengisa ngakho ngesabatha kubantwana bakwaJuda naseJerusalema.
Verse 17: Ngase ngiphikisana nabakhulu bakwaJuda, ngathi kubo: “Okubi kuni lokhu enikwenzayo, nilona usuku lwesabatha na?
Verse 18: Abenzanga kanjalo oyihlo, noNkulunkulu wenu akehliselanga yini phezu kwenu konke lokho okubi, naphezu kwalo muzi, na? Nokho nina niyenezela intukuthelo phezu kuka-Israyeli ngokulona isabatha.”
Verse 19: Kwathi lapho amasango aseJerusalema eseqala ukuba mnyama lingakafiki isabatha, ngathi mazivalwe izivalo, ngathi futhi mazingavulwa lize lidlule isabatha, ngabeka ezinye izinceku zami ngasemasangweni ukuba kungangeniswa mthwalo ngosuku lwesabatha.
Verse 20: Abathengi nabathengisi bezimpahla zezinhlobo zonke base belala ngaphandle kweJerusalema kanye nakabili.
Verse 21: Ngabaxwayisa, ngathi kubo: “Nilalelani malungana noganga na? Uma niphinda, ngiyakubeka isandla sami kini.” Kusukela kuleso sikhathi abafikanga ngesabatha.
Verse 22: Ngasho kumaLevi ukuba azihlambulule, eze, alinde amasango, angcwelise usuku lwesabatha. Ngalokho ngikhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, ungihawukele ngokobuningi bomusa wakho.
Verse 23: Futhi ngalezo zinsuku ngabona abaJuda ababezithathele abesifazane base-Ashidodi, nabakwa-Amoni, nabakwaMowabi.
Verse 24: Abantwana babo bakhuluma ngokwenxenye ngesi-Ashidodi; bengenakukhuluma isiJuda bakhuluma ngolimi lwezizwe ngezizwe.
Verse 25: Ngabasola ngalokho, ngabathuka, ngashaya abanye abantu, ngabahluthula izinwele, ngabafungisa uNkulunkulu, ngathi: “Ninganiki amadodana abo amadodakazi enu, ningathatheli amadodana enu amadodakazi abo.
Verse 26: Akonanga ngalokho uSolomoni inkosi yakwa-Israyeli na? Phakathi kwezizwe eziningi kwakungekho nkosi enjengaye; wayethandekile kuNkulunkulu wakhe; uNkulunkulu wambeka inkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli wonke; nokho abesifazane babezizwe bamonisa naye.
Verse 27: Sekuzwakele nangani ukuthi nenzile konke lokho okubi kakhulu ukuba niphambuke kuNkulunkulu wethu ngokuzithathela abesifazane babezizwe.”
Verse 28: Enye yamadodana kaJoyada indodana ka-Eliyashibi umpristi omkhulu yayingumkhwenyana kaSanibalati umHoroni; ngamxosha kimi.
Verse 29: Bakhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, ngokuba bangcolisile ubupristi nesivumelwano sabapristi nesamaLevi.
Verse 30: Ngase ngibahlambulula kukho konke okwabezizwe, nganquma izimfanelo zabapristi namaLevi, kwaba yilowo nalowo emsebenzini wakhe,
Verse 31: nomnikelo wezinkuni ngezikhathi ezinqunyiweyo, nolibo. Ngikhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, kube kuhle kimi.