Verse 1: Bonke abantu babuthana njengomuntu munye esigcawini esasiphambi kweSango Lamanzi; bakhuluma ku-Ezra, umbhali, ukuba alethe incwadi yomthetho kaMose, uJehova ayeyale ngawo u-Israyeli.
Verse 2: U-Ezra, umpristi, wawuletha umthetho phambi kwebandla, abesilisa nabesifazane nabo bonke ababe nengqondo yokuzwa, ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yesikhombisa.
Verse 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.
Verse 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.
Verse 5: U-Ezra wayivula incwadi emehlweni abantu bonke, ngokuba wayengaphezulu kwabantu bonke, nalapho eyivula, bonke abantu basukuma.
Verse 6: U-Ezra wambonga uJehova uNkulunkulu omkhulu. Bonke abantu baphendula bathi: “Amen, Amen,” bephakamisa izandla zabo; bakhothama, bakhuleka kuJehova, ubuso babo bubheke phansi.
Verse 7: NoJeshuwa, noBani, noSherebiya, noJamini, no-Akubi, noShabethayi, noHodiya, noMahaseya, noKelitha, no-Azariya, noJozabadi, noHanani, noPhelaya, namaLevi bafundisa abantu umthetho, abantu besezindaweni zabo.
Verse 8: Bafunda encwadini, emthethweni kaNkulunkulu, bephumisela kahle; bachaza, babaqondisa okufundwayo.
Verse 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.
Verse 10: Wayesethi kubo: “Hambani nidle okunonileyo, niphuze okumnandi, nithumele izabelo kwabangalungiselwanga lutho, ngokuba lolu suku lungcwele kuJehova; ningadabuki, ngokuba injabulo kaJehova iyinqaba yenu.”
Verse 11: AmaLevi ayesethulisa abantu bonke, ethi: “Thulani, ngokuba lolu suku lungcwele; ningadabuki.”
Verse 12: Abantu bonke bahamba ukuba badle, baphuze, bathumele izabelo, bajabule kakhulu, ngokuba babeqondile amazwi ababewazisiwe.
Verse 13: Ngosuku lwesibili kwabuthana izinhloko zawoyise babantu bonke, nabapristi, namaLevi ku-Ezra umbhali ukuba baqaphele amazwi omthetho.
Verse 14: Bafumanisa kulotshiwe emthethweni ukuthi uJehova wayeyalile ngesandla sikaMose ukuba abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bahlale emadokodweni ngomkhosi wenyanga yesikhombisa,
Verse 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.”
Verse 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.
Verse 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.
Verse 18: Wafunda encwadini yomthetho kaNkulunkulu imihla ngemihla kusukela osukwini lokuqala kuze kube lusuku lokugcina. Bagubha umkhosi izinsuku eziyisikhombisa; ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili kwakungumhlangano ozothileyo njengomthetho.