Ezra
7 Ngemuva kwaloko, ngesikhatsi sekubusa kweNkhosi Athazeksesi+ yasePheresiya, Ezra*+ wabuya eJerusalema. Abeyindvodzana yaSeraya,+ indvodzana ya-Azariya, indvodzana yaHilkiya,+ 2 indvodzana yaShalumi, indvodzana yaSadoki, indvodzana ya-Ahitubi, 3 indvodzana ya-Amariya, indvodzana ya-Azariya,+ indvodzana yaMerayothi, 4 indvodzana yaZerahiya, indvodzana ya-Uzi, indvodzana yaBukhi, 5 indvodzana ya-Abishuwa, indvodzana yaFinehasi,+ indvodzana ya-Eliyezeri,+ indvodzana ya-Aroni+ umphristi lomkhulu. 6 Ezra wabuya asuka eBhabhulona. Abengumbhali* lobekawati kahle* uMtsetfo waMosi,+ lowawuvela kuJehova Nkulunkulu wema-Israyeli. Inkhosi yamnika konkhe lakucela ngobe Jehova Nkulunkulu wakhe abemsekela.*
7 Labanye kuma-Israyeli, kubaphristi, kumaLevi,+ kubahlabeleli,+ kubogadzi basesangweni+ kanye netisebenti tasethempelini*+ bakhuphukela eJerusalema ngemnyaka wesi-7 wekubusa kweNkhosi Athazeksesi. 8 Ezra wefika eJerusalema ngenyanga yesihlanu, emnyakeni wesi-7 wekubusa kwalenkhosi. 9 Ngelilanga lekucala enyangeni yekucala, wesuka eBhabhulona futsi wefika eJerusalema ngelilanga lekucala enyangeni yesihlanu, ngobe Nkulunkulu wakhe abemsekela.*+ 10 Ezra abelungise inhlitiyo* yakhe kute atadishe uMtsetfo waJehova futsi awente,+ aphindze afundzise ngetimiso tawo nangemiyalo yawo ka-Israyeli.+
11 Naku lobekubhalwe kulencwadzi iNkhosi Athazeksesi leyayiniketa Ezra umphristi lobekaphindze abe ngumbhali lobekayati kahle* imitsetfo yaJehova kanye netimiso takhe kubantfu baka-Israyeli:
12 * “Isuka ku-Athazeksesi,+ inkhosi yemakhosi, iya ku-Ezra umphristi longumbhali weMtsetfo waNkulunkulu wemazulu: Shengatsi ungaba nekuthula lokukhulu. 13 Ngikhiphe umyalo wekutsi nobe ngubani longum-Israyeli lolapha embusweni wami, ngisho nebaphristi bawo kanye nemaLevi labafuna kuya nawe eJerusalema, bangahamba.+ 14 Ngako utfunywa yinkhosi kanye nebeluleki bayo labangu-7 kutsi uhlolisise kutsi uMtsetfo waNkulunkulu wakho losesandleni sakho* uyagcinwa yini kaJuda naseJerusalema, 15 nekutsi utsatse lisiliva neligolide lelinikelwe yinkhosi kanye nebeluleki bayo ngekutitsandzela kuNkulunkulu wema-Israyeli, lohlala eJerusalema, 16 kanye nalo lonkhe lisiliva neligolide lolitsetse* kuso sonkhe sifundza saseBhabhulona, nesipho lesinikelwe bantfu nebaphristi ngekutitsandzela, basinikelela indlu yaNkulunkulu wabo leseJerusalema.+ 17 Ngalemali kufanele utsenge ngekushesha tinkunzi,+ timvu letindvuna,+ timvu letisetincane+ kanye nemnikelo walokutinhlavu+ nemnikelo walokunatfwako,+ futsi kufanele ukuletse e-al’thare lendlu yaNkulunkulu wakho leseJerusalema.
18 “Loko lokubonakala kukuhle emehlweni akho nakubomnakenu kutsi nikwente, ningakwenta ngalo lonkhe lelisiliva neligolide lelisele, kuye ngekuvumelana nentsandvo yaNkulunkulu wenu. 19 Tonkhe letitja leninikwe tona kute tisetjentiswe endlini yaNkulunkulu wenu, nibotimikisa phambi kwaNkulunkulu eJerusalema.+ 20 Tonkhe letinye tintfo talendlu yaNkulunkulu wenu lokufanele nitimikise, nitawutikhokhela ngemali leniyitsetse endzaweni lokugcinwa kuyo tintfo letiligugu tebukhosi.+
21 “Mine Athazeksesi iNkhosi, ngikhiphe umyalo kubo bonkhe bagcini timali labasesifundzeni lesisenshonalanga yeYufrathe,* wekutsi konkhe Ezra+ umphristi longumbhali weMtsetfo waNkulunkulu wemazulu lakucela kini, nimnike ngekushesha, 22 kungendluli kumakhilogremu langu-3 400* elisiliva, kumakhilogremu langaba ngu-17 000* akolo, kumalitha langu-2 200* eliwayini,+ kumalitha langu-2 200 emafutsa,+ kanye neluswayi+ lolute silinganiso. 23 Konkhe lokufunwa nguNkulunkulu wemazulu akwentiwe ngenkhutsalo, kwentelwe indlu yaNkulunkulu wemazulu,+ kute angawutfukutseleli umbuso wenkhosi nemadvodzana ayo.+ 24 Ngetulu kwaloko akukavumeleki kutsi nibakhokhise umtselo wenhloko, umtselo wetimphahla+ nobe umtselo wemgwaco baphristi nemaLevi, bahlabeleli,+ bogadzi basemnyango, tisebenti tasethempelini*+ kanye netisebenti talendlu yaNkulunkulu.
25 “Wena Ezra, ngekuhlakanipha lokunikwe nguNkulunkulu wakho,* beka bomantji nebehluleli kute behlulele bonkhe bantfu esifundzeni lesisenshonalanga yeYufrathe, labayatiko imitsetfo yaNkulunkulu wakho; futsi kufanele ufundzise nome ngubani longayati.+ 26 Nome ngubani longawulaleli loMtsetfo waNkulunkulu wakho kanye nemtsetfo wenkhosi, kufanele ehlulelwe ngekushesha, kungaba ngekutsi abulawe, acoshwe, ahlawuliswe nobe aboshwe.”
27 Shengatsi angadvunyiswa Jehova Nkulunkulu wabokhokho betfu, lowente* kutsi inkhosi iyente ibe yinhle indlu yaJehova leseJerusalema!+ 28 Njengobe anelutsandvo lolucotfo, wente kutsi inkhosi+ nebeluleki bayo+ kanye nato tonkhe tindvuna tenkhosi letinemandla bangentele umusa. Ngako ngaba nesibindzi* ngobe Jehova Nkulunkulu wami abengisekela, futsi ngahlanganisa emadvodza laholako* ka-Israyeli kute ahambe nami.