9. Ngezo ntsuku zintathu ke onke amadoda akwaJuda nawakwaBhenjamin aqokelelana eJerusalem. Ngomhla wamashumi amabini kwinyanga yethoba bonke abantu babesebehleli kwibala eliphambi kwendlu kaThixo, bengcangcazela ngenxa yalo mbandela nangenxa yemvula.
10. Umbingeleli uEzra ke waphakama wathi: “Nenze ukunganyaniseki; ityala likaSirayeli nilongezelele ngokuthatha abafazi abaziintlanga.
11. Ngoko ke, sivumeni isono senu phambi *koNdikhoyo uThixo wooyihlo, nenze ukuthanda kwakhe. Zahluleni kwezi ntlanga ziningqongileyo, ngokunjalo nakwaba bafazi benu baziintlanga.”
12. Ke lonke ibandla laphendula likhwaza lisithi: “Unyanisile! Siza kuyenza le nto uyithethayo.
13. Kambe ke sibaninzi gqitha apha, ibe ke ngoku lixesha lemvula; asinako ukuma apha phandle. Ngaphezu koko ke lo mbandela awunako ukugqitywa ngemini enye nezimbini, kuba ngenene sone sagqithisa kulo mbandela.
14. Amaphakathi ethu makamele ibandla lilonke. Kwiidolophu zethu wonke umntu othathe intombi yeentlanga makamiselwe ixesha, aze eze kunye namadoda amakhulu nabagwebi bedolophu nganye, ide le ngqumbo kaThixo wethu ngalo mbandela ibe nokususwa phezu kwethu.”
15. Ke kaloku yaba nguJonatan unyana ka-Asayeli kunye noYazeya unyana kaTikwa, bexhaswa nguMeshulam noShabhetayi umLevi, abasichasayo eso sigqibo.
16. Ngoko ke abathinjwa abo benza ngokwezo zigqibo. Umbingeleli uEzra wanyula amadoda aziinkulu zemizi, yanye kumzi ngamnye, onke ke akhankanywa ngamagama. Ngomhla wokuqala kwinyanga yeshumi bahlala phantsi, benza uphando ngalo mbandela,
17. baza ke kumhla wokuqala wenyanga yokuqala bawufeza umcimbi wawo onke amadoda awayethathe abafazi abaziintlanga.
18. Kwinzala yababingeleli naba abathathe abafazi abaziintlanga:Kwinzala kaYeshuwa kaYozadaki nabantakwabo nguMaseya noElezere noYaribhi noGedaliya.
19. Bona bathembisa ukuba bobagxotha abafazi, baza banikela ngenkunzi yebhokhwe ngenxa yetyala labo.