Ama-Israyeli endulo ayelaywe ukuthi anikele okwetshumi ezintweni ayezithola ngomnyaka ukuze asekele ukukhonza kweqiniso. UNkulunkulu wawatshela wathi: “Iminyaka ngeminyaka lizakukhupha okwetshumi kuzo zonke izithelo zenhlanyelo yenu ezivela emasimini.”—UDutheronomi 14:22.

 Umlayo wokukhipha okwetshumi wawuyingxenye yoMthetho kaMosi uNkulunkulu ayewuphe ama-Israyeli. AmaKhristu awakho ngaphansi koMthetho kaMosi yikho akudingeki ukuthi akhiphe okwetshumi. (KwabaseKholose 2:13, 14) Kodwa umKhristu ngamunye kumele anikele “lokho akukhethileyo enhliziyweni yakhe, angenzi elensolo loba ebanjwa ngamandla ngoba uNkulunkulu uthanda umuntu opha ethokoza.”—2 KwabaseKhorinte 9:7.

•  Okwetshumi EBhayibhilini—“IThestamente Elidala”

•  Okwetshumi EBhayibhilini—“IThestamente Elitsha”

 Okwetshumi kukhulunywa ngakho kanengi engxenyeni yeBhayibhili ebizwa kuthiwa liThestamente Elidala. Izikhathi ezinengi kukhulunywa ngokwetshumi ngemva kokuthi uNkulunkulu esenike uMosi uMthetho (obizwa langokuthi nguMthetho kaMosi) okwakumele awunike ama-Israyeli. Kodwa iBhayibhili liyakhuluma ngokwetshumi langesikhathi ama-Israyeli engakanikwa uMthetho kaMosi.

Ama-Israyeli Engakaphiwa UMthetho KaMosi

 Umuntu wokuqala okukhulunywa ngaye eBhayibhilini owanikela okwetshumi ngu-Abhrama. (u-Abhrahama). (UGenesisi 14:18-20; KumaHebheru 7:4) Okwetshumi okwakhitshwa ngu-Abhrahama kwakuyisipho asikhipha kanye esinika inkosi engumphristi yaseSalema. Akulabufakazi obuseBhayibhilini obutshengisa ukuthi u-Abrahama loba abantwabakhe baphinda bakhipha okwetshumi.

 Umuntu wesibili okukhulunywa ngaye eBhayibhilini owakhipha okwetshumi nguJakhobe umzukulu ka-Abhrahama. Wathembisa uNkulunkulu ukuthi nxa engambusisa wayezamnika okwetshumi kwakho konke ayezakuthola. (UGenesisi 28:20-22) Ezinye izazi zeBhayibhili zithi kungenzeka ukuthi uJakhobe wanikela ngezinyamazana lapho ekhipha okwetshumi. Lanxa uJakhobe wafunga ukuthi uzakhipha okwetshumi, kazange abambe ngamandla imuli yakhe ukuthi yenze njalo.

Ama-Israyeli Esephiwe UMthetho KaMosi

 UNkulunkulu walaya ama-Israyeli asendulo ukuthi anikele okwetshumi ukuze asekele ukukhonza kwawo.

•   Okwetshumi kwakunceda ababesenza inkonzo engcwele, amaLevi labaphristi ababengelawo umhlabathi wokulima. (AmaNani 18:20, 21) Abantu babesipha amaLevi ayengasiwo baphristi okwetshumi, wona abesenika abaphristi okuhle kakhulu, “ingxenye yetshumi yokwetshumi.”—AmaNani 18:26-29.

•   Kukhanya angathi kukhona umnikelo wetshumi okwakumele ukhitshwe futhi umnikelo lo wawunceda amaLevi labantu ababengayisiwo maLevi. (UDutheronomi 14:22, 23) Izimuli zama-Israyeli zazisebenzisa iminikelo le ngezikhathi zemikhosi eqakathekileyo njalo ngeminye iminyaka kwakunikwa abayanga ukuze bancediswe ngalokho abakudingayo.—UDutheronomi 14:28, 29; 26:12

 Okwetshumi kwakubalwa njani? Umnyaka ngamunye ama-Israyeli ayebeka eceleni isivuno sawo. (ULevi 27:30) Nxa ayezakhipha imali esikhundleni sesivuno ngesikhathi enikela okwetshumi kwakumele engezelele ngamaphesenti angu-20 emalini ayeyikhipha. (ULevi 27:31) Alaywa lokuthi anikele “okwetshumi konke okwezinkomo lokwezimvu.”—ULevi 27:32.

 Ukuze akhethe izifuyo ayezanikela ngazo, ama-Israyeli ayekhetha isifuyo setshumi esasiphuma esibayeni. UMthetho wawusithi kwakungamelanga ahlole kumbe atshintshe izifuyo lezi ezikhethiweyo futhi ayengavunyelwa ukuthi anikele ngemali esikhundleni sezifuyo lezo. (ULevi 27:32, 33) Kodwa umnikelo wesibili owetshumi owawuzasetshenziswa emikhosini eyenziwa minyaka yonke wawungatshintshwa ube yimali. Lokhu kwakusenza kube lula kuma-Israyeli ayehamba imango emide esiya emikhosini leyo.—UDutheronomi 14:25, 26.

 Ama-Israyeli ayekhipha nini okwetshumi? Ama-Israyeli ayenikela okwetshumi minyaka yonke. (UDutheronomi 14:22) Kodwa ngomnyaka wesikhombisa ayengakhiphi okwetshumi. Ngomnyaka wesikhombisa ama-Israyeli ayengalimi ngoba kwakungumnyaka wesabatha loba owokuphumula. (ULevi 25:4, 5) Yikho ngenxa yalokhu ayenganikeli okwetshumi ngesikhathi sokuvuna. Ngomnyaka wesithathu lowesithupha, kungakafiki umnyaka wesikhombisa wesabatha, ama-Israyeli ayethatha umnikelo wesibili owetshumi anike abayanga lamaLevi.—UDutheronomi 14:28, 29.

 Umuntu owayenganikeli okwetshumi wayesenziwani? UMthetho kaMosi awuzange utsho ukuthi umuntu onganikeli okwetshumi wenziwani. Ama-Israyeli ayenikela okwetshumi ngenxa yokuthi yikho okwakumele akwenze hatshi ngenxa yokuthi azajeziswa. Ama-Israyeli kwakumele atsho phambi kukaNkulunkulu ukuthi asenikele okwetshumi njalo abesecela ukuthi uNkulunkulu awabusise. (UDutheronomi 26:12-15) Umuntu owayengakhiphi okwetshumi ngabomo, uNkulunkulu wayembona njengomuntu omtshontshelayo.—UMalakhi 3:8, 9.

 Kwakungumthwalo onzima yini ukukhipha okwetshumi? Hatshi. UNkulunkulu wayethembise ukuthi nxa ama-Israyeli angakhipha okwetshumi wayezawabusisa futhi angasweli lutho. (UMalakhi 3:10) Kodwa kwakusithi angayekela ukukhipha okwetshumi isizwe sonke sasithwala nzima. UNkulunkulu wayengawabusisi futhi abaphristi lamaLevi babengasoze bawancede ngoba babeyabe bengasanakekelwa.—UNehemiya 13:10; UMalakhi 3:7.

 Ngesikhathi uJesu esemhlabeni, abantu ababekhonza uNkulunkulu babelokhu bekhangelelwe ukuthi bakhiphe okwetshumi. Kodwa umthetho lo wakhitshwa lapho uJesu esefile.

Ngesikhathi uJesu esemhlabeni

 Ingxenye yeBhayibhili ejayele ukubizwa ngokuthi yiThestamente Elitsha itshengisa ukuthi ama-Israyeli aqhubeka enikela okwetshumi ngesikhathi uJesu esemhlabeni. UJesu wavuma ukuthi kwakumele banikele okwetshumi kodwa wasola abakhokheli benkolo ababenikela okwetshumi kodwa “bedela izindaba eziqakathekileyo zomthetho, eziphathelane lokwahlulela okuhle, ukuba lesihawu kanye lokuthembeka.”—UMathewu 23:23.

Ngemva kokufa kukaJesu

 UJesu esefile kwakungaselasidingo sokuthi kunikelwe okwetshumi. Umhlatshelo kaJesu wacitsha umthetho kaMosi ogoqela ‘lomlayo wokuqoqa okwetshumi.’—KumaHebheru 7:5, 18; U-Efesu 2:13-15; UKholose 2:13, 14.