Ezra
7 Emva kwezi zinto, ngexesha lokulawula kukaKumkani uArtashashta+ wasePersi, uEzra*+ wabuya. Wayengunyana kaSeraya,+ unyana ka-Azariya, unyana kaHilekiya,+ 2 unyana kaShalum, unyana kaTsadoki, unyana ka-Ahitubhi, 3 unyana ka-Amariya, unyana ka-Azariya,+ unyana kaMerayoti, 4 unyana kaZerahiya, unyana kaUzi, unyana kaBhuki, 5 unyana ka-Abhishuwa, unyana kaFinehasi,+ unyana kaEleyazare,+ unyana ka-Aron+ umbingeleli oyintloko. 6 UEzra lo wayevela eBhabhiloni. Wayengumkhupheli* owayewazi kakuhle uMthetho* KaMoses,+ owawuvela kuYehova uThixo kaSirayeli. Ukumkani wamnika yonke into ayicelayo, kuba isandla sikaYehova uThixo wakhe sasiphezu kwakhe.
7 Amanye amaSirayeli, ababingeleli, abaLevi,+ iimvumi,+ oonogada basegeyithini+ nabasebenzi basetempileni*+ benyuka baya eYerusalem ngonyaka wesixhenxe kaKumkani uArtashashta. 8 UEzra weza eYerusalem ngenyanga yesihlanu, ngonyaka wesixhenxe wokulawula kwalo kumkani. 9 Ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yokuqala waqalisa uhambo olusuka eBhabhiloni, wafika eYerusalem ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yesihlanu, kuba isandla esilungileyo sikaThixo wakhe sasiphezu kwakhe.+ 10 UEzra wayeyilungisile intliziyo* yakhe ukuze ahlole uMthetho kaYehova, awenze+ aze afundise amaSirayeli imithetho nezigwebo zawo.+
11 Nantsi ikopi yeleta uKumkani uArtashashta awayinika uEzra umbingeleli nomkhupheli,* owayeyazi kakuhle imithetho* nemiyalelo kaYehova eya kuSirayeli:
12 * “UArtashashta,+ ukumkani wookumkani, kuEzra umbingeleli, umkhupheli* woMthetho kaThixo wamazulu: Yiba noxolo. 13 Ndikhuphe umyalelo wokuba nabani na olawulwa ndim, ongumSirayeli, umbingeleli okanye umLevi, ofunayo ukubuyela nawe eYerusalem, angahamba.+ 14 Kuba uthunywa ngukumkani nabacebisi bakhe abasixhenxe ukuba uye kuhlola ukuba uyathotyelwa na kwaYuda naseYerusalem uMthetho kaThixo wakho okuwe,* 15 uhambe nesilivere negolide anikela ngayo ngokuzithandela ukumkani nabacebisi bakhe kuThixo kaSirayeli, onendlu eYerusalem, 16 nayo yonke isilivere negolide oyifumana kulo lonke iphondo* laseBhabhiloni, kunye nesipho abantu nababingeleli abanikela ngaso ngokuzithandela endlini kaThixo wabo eseYerusalem.+ 17 Umele ukhawuleze uthenge ngale mali iinkunzi zeenkomo,+ iinkunzi zeegusha,+ amatakane eegusha,+ kunye neminikelo yokutya+ neselwayo+ ehamba nazo, uze unikele ngazo kwisibingelelo sendlu yoThixo wakho eYerusalem.
18 “Yenzani nantoni na ebonakala ilungile kuwe nakubantakwenu ngesilivere negolide eshiyekileyo, ngendlela uThixo wenu afuna ngayo. 19 Zonke izitya ozinikiweyo zokwenza umsebenzi wendlu yoThixo wakho, umele uzise kuThixo eYerusalem.+ 20 Ezinye izinto ekufuneka unikele ngazo endlini yoThixo wakho, uze uzithathe endlini yobutyebi bukakumkani.+
21 “Mna, Kumkani uArtashashta, ndikhuphe umyalelo oya kubo bonke abagcini-mali abakummandla oPhesheya KoMlambo,* ukuba bakhawuleze bamnike yonke into ayifunayo uEzra+ umbingeleli nomkhupheli* woMthetho kaThixo wamazulu, 22 ukuyokutsho kwiitalente* eziyi-100 zesilivere, ingqolowa eziikore* eziyi-100, iwayini+ eziibhate* eziyi-100, amafutha+ aziibhate eziyi-100 netyiwa+ kangangoko befuna. 23 Mayenziwe ngokuzimisela yonke into ayalele ukuba yenziwe uThixo wamazulu endlini yakhe,+ ukuze angakhupheli umsindo wakhe kummandla kakumkani nakoonyana bakhe.+ 24 Ze bazi ukuba akuvumelekanga ukufuna irhafu, umrhumo,+ okanye irhafu yendlela kubo bonke ababingeleli, abaLevi, iimvumi,+ oonogada basegeyithini, abasebenzi basetempileni*+ nabanye abasebenzi bendlu kaThixo.
25 “Wena ke Ezra, sebenzisa ubulumko obunikwe nguThixo wakho,* ukuze umisele oomantyi neejaji zabo bonke abantu baPhesheya KoMlambo, bonke abo bawaziyo umthetho kaThixo wakho, uze ufundise nabani na ongawaziyo.+ 26 Nabani na ongawuthobeliyo uMthetho kaThixo wakho nomthetho kakumkani umele awiselwe isigwebo ngokukhawuleza, nokuba sesokufa, ukugxothwa, ukuhlawuliswa, okanye ukuvalelwa ejele.”
27 Makadunyiswe uYehova uThixo wookhokho bethu, omenze ukumkani wafuna ukuyenza ntle indlu kaYehova eseYerusalem!+ 28 UThixo uye wandithanda ngokungagungqiyo phambi kukakumkani+ nabacebisi bakhe+ nazo zonke iinkosana ezinamandla eziphantsi kukakumkani. Ndaba nesibindi kuba isandla sikaYehova uThixo wam sasiphezu kwam, ndaza ndaqokelela iinkokheli* kwaSirayeli ukuze zinyuke nam.