Ezra
7 Ngemva kwalokho, ngesikhathi sokubusa kweKosi yePheresiya u-Aritarhitjhasta,+ u-Ezra*+ wabuya. Bekayindodana kaSeraya,+ indodana ka-Azariya, indodana kaRhilikhiya,+ 2 indodana kaTjhalumu, indodana kaTsadokhi, indodana ka-Arhithubi, 3 indodana ka-Amariya, indodana ka-Azariya,+ indodana kaMerayothi, 4 indodana kaZerarhiya, indodana ka-Uzi, indodana kaBhukhi, 5 indodana ka-Abitjhuwa, indodana kaFiniyasi,+ indodana ka-Elazara,+ indodana ka-Aroni+ umphristi omkhulu. 6 U-Ezra lo wakhuphuka avela eBhabhiloni. Bekamkopululi* osisazi* somThetho kaMosi,+ onikelwe nguJehova uZimu ka-Israyeli. Ikosi yamnikela koke akubawileko, ngombana isandla sakaJehova uZimakhe besinaye.
7 Amanye ama-Israyeli, abaphristi, amaLevi,+ abavumi,+ abalindisango+ neensebenzi zethempeli,+ bakhuphukela eJerusalema ngomnyaka wekhomba weKosi u-Aritarhitjhasta. 8 U-Ezra wafika eJerusalema ngenyanga yesihlanu, ngomnyaka wekhomba wekosi le. 9 Ngelanga lokuthoma lenyanga yokuthoma, wangena indlela asuka eBhabhiloni, wafika eJerusalema ngelanga lokuthoma lenyanga yesihlanu, ngombana isandla esihle sakaZimakhe besinaye.+ 10 U-Ezra bekalungise ihliziywakhe* bona afunde umThetho kaJehova, aphile ngawo+ bekafundise iinqophiso nezahlulelo zawo kwa-Israyeli.+
11 Nasi ikhophi yencwadi iKosi u-Aritarhitjhasta ayinikela u-Ezra umphristi nomkopululi,* osisazi sokukopululwa kwamezwi wemiyalo kaJehova neenqophiso eziya kuma-Israyeli:
12 * “Ivela ku-Aritarhitjhasta,+ ikosi yamakhosi, iya ku-Ezra umphristi, omkopululi* womThetho kaZimu wezulwini: Kwanga ungaba nokuthula. 13 Ngikhuphe umyalo wokobana nanyana ngubani embuswenami ebantwini bakwa-Israyeli, ebaphristini babo nakumaLevi, ofuna ukukhamba nawe eJerusalema akakhambe.+ 14 Ngombana uthunywe yikosi nabeluleki bayo abalikhomba bona uyokuphenyisisa ukuthi umThetho kaZimakho, onawe, uyasetjenziswa kwaJuda neJerusalema namkha awa, 15 nokuthatha isiliva negolide ikosi nabeluleki bayo abalinikele ngokusuka ehliziyweni kuZimu ka-Israyeli, ohlala eJerusalema, 16 nalo loke isiliva negolide olifumene kiso soke isifunda seBhabhiloni, nesipho esisuka ehliziyweni abantu nabaphristi abasinikelele indlu kaZimabo eseJerusalema.+ 17 Ngemali le, thenga ngokurhabako iinkunzi,+ amaramu,+ iimvana+ kunye neminikelo yeenthoro+ neminikelo yesiselo,+ kufuze unikele ngazo e-aldareni lendlu kaZimakho eseJerusalema.
18 “Nanyana yini ebonakala ilungile kuwe nakubafowenu bona niyenze, evumelana nentando kaZimenu, ningayenza ngesiliva negolide eliseleko. 19 Godu zoke izitja zomsebenzi wendlu kaZimakho ozinikelwako, kufuze uzibeke phambi kwakaZimu eJerusalema.+ 20 Ezinye izinto ezitlhogekako zendlu kaZimakho okuyifuneko bona unikele ngazo, uzozikhupha ebulungelweni lamagugu webukhosini.+
21 “Mina, Kosi Aritarhitjhasta, ngikhuphe umyalo kibo boke abaphathimali abasesifundeni esingaPhetjheya koMlambo,* ukuthi koke u-Ezra+ umphristi, omkopululi* womThetho kaZimu wezulwini akubawa kini, kufuze kwenziwe ngokurhabako, 22 kufikela ematalendeni wesiliva ali-100, iinlinganiso zekoroyi ezili-100,* iinlinganiso zewayini ezili-100,*+ iinlinganiso zamafutha ezili-100,*+ netswayi+ elinganasilinganiso. 23 Koke okuyalwe nguZimu wezulwini malungana nendlu kaZimu wezulwini+ akwenziwe ngetjiseko, ukwenzela bona angabhoki ngobukhali phezu kombuso wekosi namadodanayo.+ 24 Godu naziswa bona anikavumeleki ukubhadelisa abaphristi namaLevi, abavumi,+ abalindisango, iinsebenzi zethempeli+ neensebenzi zendlini kaZimu le nanyana ngimuphi umthelo+ nemali yendlela.
25 “Kuthi wena Ezra, ngokuhlakanipha okufumene kuZimakho, khetha abomarhastrada nabahluleli bona bahlulele boke abantu abasesifundeni esingaPhetjheya koMlambo, boke abazi imithetho kaZimakho; begodu kufuze ufundise nanyana ngubani ongayaziko.+ 26 Woke umuntu ongalaleli umThetho kaZimakho nomthetho wekosi kufuze ahlulelwe msinyana, kungaba kukuthi ufumana isahlulelo sokufa, ukuqothwa, ukuhlawuliswa namkha ukubotjhwa.”
27 Akadunyiswe uJehova uZimu wabokhokho bethu, okufake ehliziyweni yekosi bona ikghabise indlu kaJehova eseJerusalema!+ 28 Ngethando lakhe,* ungenze ngathandeka ekosini,+ ebelulekini bayo+ nakiwo woke amakhosana wekosi anamandla. Yeke ngaba nesibindi ngombana isandla sakaJehova besinami, ngabuthelela amadoda abadosiphambili kwa-Israyeli bona akhuphukele nami eJerusalema.