Kuze asekele kukhonta kweliciniso, ema-Israyeli asendvulo ayalwa kutsi akhokhe kwelishumi. a Nkulunkulu watsi kuwo: “Umnyaka ngamunye, niboletsa kwelishumi kwawo wonkhe umkhicito wemhlaba wenu.”—Dutheronomi 14:22.

 Umyalo wekukhokha kwelishumi bewuyincenye yeMtsetfo waMosi, lokungumtsetfo Nkulunkulu lawuniketa sive sema-Israyeli asendvulo. EmaKhristu akekho ngaphansi kweMtsetfo waMosi, ngako akudzingeki akhokhe kwelishumi. (KubaseKholose 2:13, 14) Kunaloko, emaKhristu kufanele anikele ‘njengobe ancumile enhlitiyweni yawo, hhayi ngekutitila nobe ngekucindzetelwa, ngobe Nkulunkulu utsandza umuntfu lopha ajabulile.’—2 KubaseKhorinte 9:7.

•  Kukhokhwa kwelishumi lokukhulunywa ngako eBhayibhelini—“Lithestamente Lelidzala”

•  Kukhokhwa kwelishumi lokukhulunywa ngako eBhayibhelini—“Lithestamente Lelisha”

 Kukhokhwa kwelishumi kukhulunywa ngako tikhatsi letinyenti encenyeni yeliBhayibheli ngalokuvamile leyatiwa ngekutsi Lithestamente Lelidzala. Kukhulunywa kakhulu ngako ngemuva kwekutsi Nkulunkulu anikete ema-Israyeli uMtsetfo asebentisa Mosi. Nobe kunjalo, kuyakhulunywa nangako tikhatsi letimbalwa ngaphambi kwekutsi kube neMtsetfo waMosi.

Ngaphambi kwekutsi kube neMtsetfo waMosi

 Umuntfu wekucala lokutsiwa wakhokha kwelishumi ngu-Abrama (Abrahama). (Genesisi 14:18-20; KumaHebheru 7:4) Kubonakala ngatsi Abrama wakukhokha kanye kwelishumi ngesikhatsi apha inkhosi yaseSalema lengumphristi, sipho. Kute bufakazi lobuseBhayibhelini lobuveta kutsi Abrahama nobe bantfwana bakhe baphindze bakukhokha kwelishumi.

 Umuntfu wesibili lokukhulunywa ngaye kutsi wakhokha kwelishumi, ngumtukulu wa-Abrahamba, Jakobe. Wetsembisa kutsi Nkulunkulu nakatambusisa, ‘utamnika kwelishumi kwako konkhe’ latakutfola. (Genesisi 28:20-22) Ngekusho kwaletinye tati teliBhayibheli, kungenteka Jakobe wakhokhe kwelishumi ngekutsi anikele ngesilwane. Ngisho nobe Jakobe asigcina lesetsembiso, akazange acindzetele umndeni wakhe kutsi nawo ukhokhe kwelishumi.

Ngesikhatsi seMtsetfo waMosi

 Ema-Israyeli asendvulo ayalwa kutsi akhokhe kwelishumi kuze asekele imisebenti yekukhonta kwawo Nkulunkulu.

•   Kwelishumi bekusita emaLevi, lokufaka ekhatsi nebaphristi, lebebete indzawo yekulima futsi bacitsa sikhatsi sabo sonkhe emisebentini yekukhonta Nkulunkulu. (Numeri 18:20, 21) EmaLevi lebewangasibo baphristi bewatfola kwelishumi kubantfu, bese akhipha “kwelishumi kuloko kwelishumi” lebebakutfole kubantfu, bakunike baphristi.—Numeri 18:26-29.

•   Kubonakala shengatsi bekudzingeka kukhokhwe lokunye kwelishumi kuze kusitwe emaLevi kanye nalabo labangasiwo emaLevi. (Dutheronomi 14:22, 23) Imindeni yema-Israyeli beyisebentisa lokwelishumi emikhosini lebalulekile futsi kuleminye iminyaka bekusetjentiswa kuze kusitwe labahluphekile.—Dutheronomi 14:28, 29; 26:12.

 Bekubalwa njani kwelishumi? Ema-Israyeli bekufanele akhokhe kwelishumi esivunweni sawo semnyaka. (Levithikhusi 27:30) Nangabe bakhetsa kukhokha kwelisumi lokuyimali, bekufanele bangete 20%. (Levithikhusi 27:31) Bekufanele baphindze bakhonkhe “kwelishumi lokutsetfwe emhlambini wetinkhomo, wetimbuti newetimvu.”—Levithikhusi 27:32.

 Nangabe umIsrayeli anikela ngekwelishumi emhlambini wakhe, bekufanele akhetse silwane sesi-10 natiphuma esibayeni. Bekungakafaneli basihlole kutsi sihle nobe cha, nobe basishintjise ngalesinye silwane, futsi bekungakafaneli basitsengise kuze banikele ngalemali. (Levithikhusi 27:32, 33) Nobe kunjalo, loko lebekukhokhwa kuze kube kwelishumi kwesibili, lebekusetjentiswa emikhosini lekhetsekile yaminyaka yonkhe, bekungashintjwa kube yimali. Loku bekusita ema-Israyeli lebekahlala khashane lebekahamba libanga lelidze naketa kulemikhosi.—Dutheronomi 14:25, 26.

 Ema-Israyeli bekakukhokha nini kwelishumi? Bekakukhokha njalo ngemnyaka. (Dutheronomi 14:22) Nobe kunjalo, bekwenteka lokwehlukile ngemnyaka wesikhombisa. Lowo mnyaka, bekungumnyaka weliSabatha nobe umnyaka wekuphumula, lapho khona ema-Israyeli bekangalimi lutfo. (Levithikhusi 25:4, 5) Ngenca yekutsi bekungumnyaka weliSabatha, ema-Israyeli bakangakukhokhi kwelishumi nakufika sikhatsi sekuvuna ngobe bewangakalimi. Ngaphambi kwekutsi kufike umnyaka weliSabatha, lokungumnyaka wesi-7, njalo ngemnyaka wesitsatfu newesitfupha, ema-Israyeli bekasebentisa lokwelishumi kwesibili kuze asite labaphuyile nemaLevi.—Dutheronomi 14:28, 29.

 Besiyini sijeziso sekungakukhokhi kwelishumi? UMtsetfo waMosi bewungasho kutsi umuntfu utawujeziswa nakangakukhokhi kwelishumi. Kukhokha kwelishumi bekufanele bakwente ngekutitsandzela, hhayi ngobe bebasaba sijeziso. Ema-Israyeli bekufanele avume embikwaNkulunkulu kutsi sekakukhokhile kwelishumi futsi acele sibusiso sakhe ngenca yaloko. (Dutheronomi 26:12-15) Nawangakukhokhi kwelishumi, bekufana nekutsi ebela Nkulunkulu.—Malakhi 3:8, 9.

 Kukhokha kwelishumi bekungumtfwalo lomkhulu yini? Cha. Nkulunkulu wetsembisa ema-Israyeli kutsi nawakhokha kwelishumi, bekatawutfululela sibusiso sakhe kuwo futsi bekangeke eswele lutfo. (Malakhi 3:10) Ngakulokunye, lesive besihlupheka nasingakukhokhi kwelishumi. Nkulunkulu bekangasibusisi futsi baphristi nemaLevi bekufanele basebentise sikhatsi sabo benta imisebenti yekutiphilisa, bangasawasiti ema-Israyeli kutsi akhonte Nkulunkulu.—Nehemiya 13:10; Malakhi 3:7.

 Ngesikhatsi Jesu alapha emhlabeni, labo labakhonta Nkulunkulu bekusolo kusadzingeka kutsi bakukhokhe kwelishumi. Nobe kunjalo, loku kwaphela ngemuva kwekufa kwaJesu.

Ngesikhatsi kusaphila Jesu lapha emhlabeni

 Encenyeni yeliBhayibheli ngalokuvamile lebitwa ngekutsi Lithestamente Lelisha, liBhayibheli liveta kutsi ema-Israyeli achubeka akhokha kwelishumi ngesikhatsi kusaphila Jesu lapha emhlabeni. Jesu wavuma kutsi bekufanele bakukhokhe kwelishumi, kodvwa wabalahla baholi benkholo lebebakukhokha kahle kwelishumi kepha ‘bangatinaki tintfo letibaluleke kakhulu eMtsetfweni, njengekulunga, sihawu nekwetsembeka.’—Matewu 23:23.

Ngemuva kwekufa kwaJesu

 Ngemuva kwekufa kwaJesu kukhokha kwelishumi besekungasadzingeki. Kufa kwaJesu lokuyinhlawulo, kwawucima uMtsetfo waMosi, lokufaka ekhatsi ‘nemyalo wekutsi kutsatfwe kwelishumi kubantfu.’—KumaHebheru 7:5, 18; Kubase-Efesu 2:13-15; KubaseKholose 2:13, 14.