Ezra
4 Ngesikhatsi titsa tesive sakaJuda nesakaBhenjamini+ tiva kutsi laba lababuye ekutfunjweni+ bebakhela Jehova Nkulunkulu wema-Israyeli lithempeli, 2 ngekushesha taya kuZerubhabheli nasetinhlokweni tetindlu, futsi tafike tatsi: “Sicela kwakha kanye nani, ngobe natsi sikhonta* Nkulunkulu wenu+ futsi besisolo simentela imihlatjelo kusukela ngesikhatsi seNkhosi Esahadoni+ yase-Asiriya, leyasiletsa lapha.”+ 3 Kodvwa Zerubhabheli naJeshuwa kanye nato tonkhe tinhloko tetindlu taka-Israyeli batsi: “Nite sabelo kanye natsi ekwakheni indlu yaNkulunkulu wetfu+ ngobe sitamakhela sodvwa Jehova Nkulunkulu wema-Israyeli indlu, njengobe nje Khuresi iNkhosi yasePheresiya asiyalile.”+
4 Bantfu betive lebetakhelene nebantfu bakaJuda bebachubeka babacedza emandla* futsi babesabisa kuze babayekelise kwakha.+ 5 Batsenga beluleki bembuso kutsi baphatamise luhlelo lwabo+ kuwo onkhe emalanga eNkhosi Khuresi yasePheresiya kwaze kwaba ngulapho sekubusa iNkhosi Dariyusi+ yasePheresiya. 6 Ekucaleni kwekubusa kwa-Ahashiveroshi, babhala incwadzi bamangalela bantfu labahlala kaJuda naseJerusalema. 7 Nangesikhatsi seNkhosi Athazeksesi yasePheresiya, boBishlamu, Mithredathi, Thabeyali kanye nabo bonkhe labekasebenta nabo babhalela iNkhosi Athazeksesi incwadzi, bayihumushela elulwimini lwesi-Aramu,+ futsi bayibhala ngetinhlavu tesi-Aramu.*
8 * Rehumi losiphatsimandla lesikhulu sahulumende kanye naShimshayi longumabhalane, babhalela iNkhosi Athazeksesi nayi incwadzi lemelene neJerusalema. 9 (Beyisuka kuRehumi losiphatsimandla lesikhulu sahulumende, kuShimshayi longumabhalane kanye nakubo bonkhe lebebasebenta nabo, kubehluleli, kulabanye baholi, kubomabhalane, kubantfu base-Ereki,+ kubantfu baseBhabhulona, kubantfu labahlala eSusa,+ lokungema-Elamu,+ 10 nakuto tonkhe tive letatfunjwa ngu-Ashubaniphali lomkhulu nalohlonishwako watihlalisa emadolobheni aseSamariya,+ kanye nakubo bonkhe labasesifundzeni lesisenshonalanga yeYufrathe.)* 11 Nguloku-ke lobekubhalwe kulencwadzi labayitfumelela inkhosi:
“Iya ku-Athazeksesi iNkhosi, isuka etincekwini takho, lokungemadvodza lahlala esifundzeni lesisenshonalanga yeYufrathe: 12 Sitsi asiyatise inkhosi kutsi lamaJuda lafike lapha avela kuwe, sekaseJerusalema. Akha kabusha lelidolobha lelinebantfu labavukelako nalababi, futsi acedzela kwakha lubondza+ kanye nekulungisa sisekelo salo. 13 Nyalo sicela inkhosi yati kutsi nangabe lelidolobha lakhiwa kabusha futsi nelubondza lwalo lucedvwa, labantfu ngeke bawukhiphe umtselo wenhloko, umtselo wetimphahla+ nobe umtselo wemgwaco, futsi loku kutawenta kutsi ibe yincane imali lekolekwako leya emakhosini. 14 Ngenca yekutsi siholelwa sigodlo* futsi akukalungi ngatsi kubukelela tintfo tenkhosi tiphatfwa kabi, kungako sitfumela lencwadzi kute satise inkhosi, 15 kuze kwentiwe luphenyo encwadzini yemlandvo yabokhokho bakho.+ Nawufundza lencwadzi yemlandvo utawubona kutsi bantfu bakulelidolobha bayavukela, bayingoti emakhosini kanye nasetifundzeni, nekutsi kusukela kadzeni bekusolo kunebantfu labakhutsata kuvukela umbuso kulelidolobha. Kungako nje labhujiswa.+ 16 Sitsi asiyatise inkhosi kutsi nangabe lelidolobha liphindze lakhiwa futsi netindvonga talo ticedzelwa kwakhiwa, angeke usasilawula lesifundza* lesisenshonalanga yeYufrathe.”+
17 Inkhosi yatfumela livi kuRehumi losiphatsimandla lesikhulu sahulumende nakuShimshayi longumabhalane kanye nakubo bonkhe labasebenta nabo labebahlala eSamariya nasesifundzeni lesisenshonalanga yeYufrathe, yatsi:
“Ngiyanibingelela! 18 Lencwadzi leniyitfumele kitsi sebangifundzele ngalokucacile.* 19 Ngivele ngakhipha umtsetfo kutsi kuphenyisiswe, futsi kutfolakele kutsi kusukela kadzeni lelidolobha belimelene nemakhosi, nekutsi belivukela.+ 20 Bekunemakhosi lanemandla eJerusalema labekabusa sonkhe sifundza lesisenshonalanga yeYufrathe, futsi wawubhadalwa kuwo umtselo wenhloko, umtselo wetimphahla kanye nemtselo wemgwaco. 21 Nyalo khiphani umyalo wekutsi lamadvodza ayekele kwakha, kute lelidolobha lingavusetelwa kuze kusho mine. 22 Yentani konkhe lokusemandleni kute nente loko lengikushoko, kuze tintfo tenkhosi tingachubeki tiphatfwa kabi.”+
23 Ngemuva kwekutsi lencwadzi yeNkhosi Athazeksesi ifundzelwe Rehumi naShimshayi longumabhalane kanye nalabo labasebenta nabo, bahamba ngekushesha baya kumaJuda eJerusalema futsi bawaphocelela kutsi ayekele kwakha. 24 Kungaleso sikhatsi-ke lapho wema khona umsebenti wekwakha indlu yaNkulunkulu lebeyiseJerusalema, futsi wema kwaze kwaba ngumnyaka wesibili wekubusa kweNkhosi Dariyusi yasePheresiya.+