Incwadi YeBhayibhile 15—Ezra

Umbhali: NguEzra

Indawo Eyabhalelwa Kuyo: EYerusalem

Ukugqitywa Kokubhalwa Kwayo: Malunga nowama-460 B.C.E.

Ixesha Eligutyungelweyo: Ngowama-537 kuse malunga nowama-467 B.C.E.

 1. Ziziphi iziprofeto ezaqinisekisa ngokubuyiselwa kweYerusalem?

IMINYAKA engama-70 yesiprofeto yokuphanziswa kweYerusalem yiBhabhiloni yayisondela esiphelweni. Kuyinyaniso ukuba, iBhabhiloni yayidume ngokungabakhululi abathinjwa bayo, kodwa ilizwi likaYehova laliya kungqineka linamandla ngaphezu kwamandla eyayinawo iBhabhiloni. Abantu bakaYehova bona babeza kukhululwa. Itempile kaYehova eyayitshatyalalisiwe yayiza kuphinda yakhiwe, kwaye kwakuza kuphinda kwenziwe amadini ocamagushelo esibingelelweni sikaYehova. EYerusalem kwakuza kuphinda kuvakale ukuhlokoma kwendumiso yabanquli bokwenyaniso bakaYehova. UYeremiya wayeprofetile ngobude bexesha lokuphanziswa, kwaye uIsaya wayeprofetile ngendlela ababeza kukhululwa ngayo abathinjwa. UIsaya wade wabiza uKoreshi wasePersi ngokuthi ‘ngumalusi kaYehova,’ owayeza kuyiguzula iBhabhiloni enekratshi kwisikhundla sayo njengegunya lesithathu lehlabathi lembali yeBhayibhile.—Isa. 44:28; 45:1, 2; Yer. 25:12.

 2. Yawa nini iBhabhiloni kwaye phantsi kwaziphi iimeko?

² IBhabhiloni yehlelwa yintlekele ngobusuku bango-Oktobha 5, 539 B.C.E. (ngokwekhalenda kaGregory), njengoko ukumkani waseBhabhiloni uBheleshatsare nezikhulu zakhe babesela iwayini bezukisa oothixo babo bobudemon. Ukongezelela eburheletyweni babo bobuhedeni, babesebenzisa izitya ezingcwele ezazivela etempileni kaYehova njengeendebe zabo zokusela ukuze banxile! Hayi indlela ekufaneleke ngayo ukuba uKoreshi abe wayengaphandle kweendonga zeBhabhiloni ngobo busuku ukuze azalisekise isiprofeto!

 3. Yintoni eyavakaliswa nguKoreshi eyenza kwaba nokwenzeka ukubuyisela unqulo lukaYehova kanye kwiminyaka engama-70 emva kokuba ukuphanziswa kweYerusalem kwakuqalisile?

³ Lo nyaka wama-539 B.C.E. ngunyaka obalulekileyo, oko kukuthi, ngunyaka onokuvisisaniswa nembali yehlabathi neyeBhayibhile. Ebudeni bonyaka wakhe wokuqala njengomlawuli waseBhabhiloni, uKoreshi “wahambisa izwi ebukumkanini bakhe bonke,” egunyazisa amaYuda ukuba enyuke aye eYerusalem ukuya kuyakha kwakhona indlu kaYehova. Kuyabonakala ukuba lo mmiselo wakhutshwa ngasekupheleni kowama-538 B.C.E. okanye ekuqaleni kowama-537 B.C.E.a Intsalela ethembekileyo yathabatha uhambo lokubuyela eYerusalem kwangethuba ukuze yakhe isibingelelo nokuze inikele imibingelelo yokuqala ‘ngenyanga yesixhenxe’ (uTishri, ongqamana nenyanga kaSeptemba ukuya kwekaOktobha) yomnyaka wama-537 B.C.E.—iminyaka engama-70 ukusa kwinyanga yasemva kokuba elakwaYuda neYerusalem zaziphanziswe nguNebhukadenetsare.—Ezra 1:1-3; 3:1-6.

 4. (a) Nguwuphi owona mbandela uyintloko kwincwadi kaEzra, kwaye ngubani owayibhalayo? (b) Yabhalwa nini ekaEzra, kwaye liliphi ixesha eligubungelayo?

⁴ Ukubuyiselwa! Oku kungowona mbandela uyintloko kwincwadi kaEzra. Ukusetyenziswa komntu wokuqala kweli bali ukususela kwisahluko sesi-7 indinyana yama-27 kuse kwisahluko sesi-9 kubonisa ngokucacileyo ukuba umbhali wayo yayinguEzra. ‘Njengombhali oyinkunkqele emyalelweni kaMoses’ nendoda eyayinokholo olomeleleyo ‘eyayibhekisayo intliziyo yayo ekuwufuneni umyalelo kaYehova ukuze iwenze ize iwufundise,’ uEzra wayekufanelekele kakuhle ukubhala le mbali, kwananjengokuba wayebhale iziKronike. (Ezra 7:6, 10) Ekubeni kwincwadi kaEzra kuqhutyekwa nengxelo ekwiziKronike, ngokuqhelekileyo kukholelwa ukuba yabhalwa ngaxeshanye neziKronike, malunga nowama-460 B.C.E. Igubungela iminyaka engama-70, ukususela kwixesha laxa amaYuda ayeluhlanga olwahlukeneyo nolusasazekileyo olwaluphawulwe ‘njengoonyana bokufa’ kuse ekugqityweni kwetempile yesibini nasekuhlanjululweni kwababingeleli emva kokubuyela kukaEzra eYerusalem.—Ezra 1:1; 7:7; 10:17; INdu. 102:20, umbhalo osemazantsi we-NW.

 5. Ihlobene njani incwadi kaEzra nencwadi kaNehemiya, ibe ziziphi iilwimi eyabhalwa ngazo?

⁵ Igama lesiHebhere elithi Ezra lithetha “Uncedo.” Ekuqaleni incwadi kaEzra nekaNehemiya zazingumsongo omnye. (Neh. 3:32, umbhalo osemazantsi we-NW) Kamva amaYuda awahlulahlula lo msongo aza awubiza ngokuthi yeyokuQala neyesiBini kaEzra. IiBhayibhile zesiHebhere zezi mini zizibiza ezi ncwadi zimbini ngokuthi yekaEzra nekaNehemiya, njengoko kunjalo nakwezinye iiBhayibhile zezi mini. Inxalenye yencwadi kaEzra (4:8 kuse 6:18 nese-7:12-26) yabhalwa ngesiAramiki yaza enye inxalenye yabhalwa ngesiHebhere, kwaye uEzra wayezazi zombini ezi lwimi.

 6. Yintoni engqinela ukuba incwadi kaEzra ichanile?

⁶ Namhlanje inkoliso yabaphengululi iyakwamkela ukuchana kwencwadi kaEzra. Ngokuphathelele ukuba yinxalenye yemibhalo engcwele kwencwadi kaEzra, uW. F. Albright ubhala oku kwincwadi yakhe ethi The Bible After Twenty Years of Archaeology: “Ngaloo ndlela izibakala ezingokumbiwa kwezinto zakudala ziye zayibonisa ngokungathandabuzekiyo imvelaphi yokwenene yeNcwadi kaYeremiya nekaHezekile, kaEzra nekaNehemiya; ziye zayiqinisekisa inkcazelo engokwembali yeziganeko, kwanokulandelelana kwazo.”

 7. Iboniswa njani incwadi kaEzra ukuba ngokwenyaniso iyinxalenye yengxelo yobuthixo?

⁷ Nangona ababhali beZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike besenokungacaphuli okanye babhekisele ngokungqalileyo kwincwadi kaEzra, alithandabuzeki elokuba inendawo yayo kwimibhalo engcwele yeBhayibhile. Iqulethe ingxelo yeenkqubano zikaYehova namaYuda ukuhla ukuza kufikelela kwixesha lokuhlanganiswa koluhlu lwamaHebhere, msebenzi lowo ubukhulu becala owaphunyezwa nguEzra, ngokokutsho kwengxelo yamaYuda. Ngaphezu koko, incwadi kaEzra iqinisekisa zonke iziprofeto ezinokuthanani nokubuyiselwa kwaye ngoko ingqina ukuba ngokwenene iyinxalenye esisiseko yengxelo yobuthixo, evisisana ngokupheleleyo nayo. Ukongezelela, ibalaselisa unqulo olunyulu kwaye ingcwalisa igama elikhulu likaYehova uThixo.

OKUQULETHWE YEKAEZRA

 8. Chaza udederhu lweziganeko ezikhokelela ekupheleni kweminyaka engama-70 yokuphanziswa.

⁸ Ukubuya kwentsalela (1:1–3:6). Umoya wakhe uvuselelwe nguYehova, uKoreshi ukumkani wasePersi ukhupha ummiselo wokuba amaYuda abuye aze akhe indlu kaYehova eYerusalem. Ubongoza amaYuda asenokushiyeka eBhabhiloni ukuba anikele ngokukhululekileyo esakhiweni kwaye ulungiselela amaYuda abuyayo ukuba abuye nempahla yetempile yokuqala. Lowo uyinkokeli yomnombo wesizwe sasebukhosini sakwaYuda noyinzalelwane kaKumkani uDavide, uZerubhabheli (uSheshbhatsare), umiselwa ukuba abe yirhuluneli yokukhokela abo bakhululiweyo, kwaye uYeshuwa (uYoshuwa) ungumbingeleli omkhulu. (Ezra 1:8; 5:2; Zek. 3:1) Intsalela yabakhonzi bakaYehova abathembekileyo esenokuba ngama-200 000, kuquka amadoda, abafazi nabantwana, ithabatha uhambo olude. Ngenyanga yesixhenxe, ngokwekhalenda yamaYuda, sele ingabemi abazinzileyo ezixekweni ehlala kuzo, yandule ke ihlanganisane eYerusalem ukuze inikele imibingelelo kwindawo esikuyo isibingelelo setempile nokuze babhiyozele uMthendeleko Weminquba ekupheleni kowama-537 B.C.E. Ngaloo ndlela iminyaka engama-70 yokuphanziswa iphela kanye ngexesha elifanelekileyo!b

 9. Uqaliswa njani umsebenzi wetempile, kodwa yintoni eyenzekayo kwiminyaka elandelayo?

⁹ Ukwakhiwa kwetempile kwakhona (3:7–6:22). Kuhlanganiswa izinto zokwakha, ibe ngomnyaka wesibini wokubuya kwawo, kwakhiwa isiseko setempile kaYehova kuvuywa kwaye kulilwa ngamadoda amakhulu awayeyibonile indlu yangaphambili. Izizwe ezingabamelwane, iintshaba, ziyazinikela ukuze zincedise esakhiweni, zisithi zifuna kwauThixo omnye, kodwa intsalela yamaYuda ayivumi nje kwaphela ukwenza nasiphi na isivumelwano nazo. Iintshaba zizama ngokuqhubekayo ukuwenza buthathaka nokuwadimaza amaYuda ziwuphazamisa nomsebenzi wawo, ukususela kulawulo lukaKoreshi ukuhla ukuza kufikelela kolukaDariyo. Ekugqibeleni, ngemihla ‘ka-Artashashta’ (uBhardiya okanye ngokunokwenzeka omnye weZazi zaseMpumalanga owayesaziwa ngokuba nguGawumata, ngowama-522 B.C.E.), kwanyanzeleka ukuba awunqumamise umsebenzi ngokomyalelo kakumkani. Umsebenzi uqhubeka uvaliwe ‘de kube ngumnyaka wesibini wokulawula kukaDariyo, ukumkani wasePersi’ (ngowama-520 B.C.E.), ekulithuba elingaphezu kweminyaka eli-15 emva kokwakhiwa kwesiseko.—4:4-7, 24.

10. (a) Ukhuthazo oluvela kubaprofeti bakaThixo luhlobana njani nomyalelo wokumkani wokuba umsebenzi wenziwe ugqitywe? (b) Luluphi uvuyo oluphawula ukunikezelwa kwale tempile yesibini?

¹⁰ Ngoku uYehova uthuma umprofeti wakhe uHagayi noZekariya ukuba baye kuvuselela uZerubhabheli noYeshuwa, kwaye kuqhutyekwa nomsebenzi wokwakha ngenzondelelo ehlaziyiweyo. Kwakhona iintshaba ziyakhalaza kukumkani, kodwa umsebenzi uyaqhubeka ngamandla. Emva kokubhekisela kummiselo wokuqala kaKoreshi, uDariyo I (uHystaspis), ukhupha umyalelo wokuba kuqhutyekwe nomsebenzi kungabikho nto iphazamisayo kwaye ude ayalele abachasi ukuba banikele ngezinto zokwakha ukuze isakhiwo sihambele phambili. Bekhuthazwa ngokuqhubekayo ngabaprofeti bakaYehova, abakhi bayayigqiba itempile kwiminyaka engaphantsi kwemihlanu. Bayigqiba ngenyanga enguAda yomnyaka wesithandathu kaDariyo, okanye ngasekuqaleni kwentlakohlaza yowama-515 B.C.E., kwaye sonke isakhiwo siye sathabatha nje iminyaka enokuba ngama-20. (6:14, 15) Ngoku indlu kaThixo inikezelwa ngovuyo olukhulu nangemibingelelo efanelekileyo. Bandula ke abantu babhiyozele iPasika baze ‘benze umthendeleko wezonka ezingenagwele imihla esixhenxe bevuyile.’ (6:22) Ewe, uvuyo nokugcoba kuphawula ukunikezelwa kwale tempile yesibini ukuze kudunyiswe uYehova.

11. Ukumkani umnika njani uEzra “konke awakucelayo,” kwaye uEzra usabela njani?

¹¹ UEzra ubuyela eYerusalem (7:1–8:36). Phantse sekudlule iminyaka engama-50, esifikisa kowama-468 B.C.E., umnyaka wesixhenxe kakumkani uArtashashta wasePersi (owaziwa ngokuba nguLongimanus ngenxa yokuba ingalo yakhe yasekunene yayinde kuneyasekhohlo). Ukumkani unika uEzra ongumkhupheli oyinkunkqele “konke awakucelayo” ngokubhekisele kuhambo lokuya eYerusalem ukuya kunikela uncedo olukhulu olufunekayo apho. (7:6) Xa emgunyazisa, ukumkani ukhuthaza amaYuda ukuba ahambe naye kwaye unika uEzra izitya zesilivere nezegolide zokuba zisetyenziswe etempileni, kunye nesixhaso sengqolowa, iwayini, ioli netyuwa. Akabahlawulisi rhafu ababingeleli nabasebenzi basetempileni. Ukumkani unika uEzra imbopheleleko yokufundisa abantu aze akuvakalise kusisohlwayo sokufa kuye nabani na ongawenziyo umthetho kaYehova nomthetho wokumkani. Embulela uYehova ngale ndlela abubonakalisa ngayo ububele bakhe bothando esebenzisa ukumkani, uEzra uluphumeza ngokukhawulezileyo olo thumo.

12. UYehova ukubonisa njani ukuba uneqela likaEzra ebudeni bohambo?

¹² Kweli nqanaba uEzra uqalisa ingxelo awazibonela yona, ebhala esebenzisa umntu wokuqala. Uhlanganisa amaYuda abuyileyo kumlambo ongumAhava ukuze awanike imiyalelo yokugqibela, kwaye wongezelela abaLevi abathile kwiqela lamadoda anokuba li-1 500 asele ehlanganisene. UEzra uyaziqonda iingozi zendlela ekuza kuhanjwa ngayo kodwa akamceli ukumkani ukuba kubekho abaphelekayo, hleze oko kugqalwe njengokubonakalisa ukungabi nalukholo kuYehova. Endaweni yoko, uvakalisa ukuba kuzilwe kwaye uyalikhokela eli qela ekubongozeni uThixo. Lo mthandazo uyaphendulwa, kwaye isandla sikaYehova singqineka sinabo ukutyhubela lonke olo hambo lude. Ngaloo ndlela, bayakwazi ukubuzisa ngokukhuselekileyo endlwini kaYehova eseYerusalem ubuncwane babo (obuxabisa ngaphezu kwama-R110 000 000 ngokwemali yale mihla).—8:26, 27, nemibhalo esemazantsi ye-NW.

13. UEzra ukushenxisa njani ukungcola phakathi kwamaYuda?

¹³ Ukuhlanjululwa kwababingeleli (9:1–10:44). Kodwa izinto azihambanga kakuhle zonke ebudeni beminyaka engama-69 yokuhlala kwilizwe elibuyiselweyo. UEzra uphawula ukuba kukho iimeko eziphazamisayo, kuba abantu, ababingeleli nabaLevi baye bendiselana namaKanan angabahedeni. UEzra othembekileyo ukhwankqisiwe koku. Lo mcimbi uwusa kuYehova ngomthandazo. Abantu bayasivuma isiphoso sabo baze bacele uEzra ukuba ‘omelele kwaye enze isenzo.’ (10:4, NW) Uyalela amaYuda ukuba abagxothe abafazi bolunye uhlanga awaye azithabathela bona ngokungathobeli umthetho kaThixo, kwaye oko kungcola kushenxiswa kwithuba elinokuba ziinyanga ezintathu.—10:10-12, 16, 17.

ISIZATHU SOKUBA IBE YINGENELO

14. Yintoni eboniswa yincwadi kaEzra ngokubhekisele kwiziprofeto zikaYehova?

¹⁴ Incwadi kaEzra iyingenelo, okokuqala, ekuboniseni ukuchana ngokungaphazamiyo kokuzaliseka kweziprofeto zikaYehova. UYeremiya, owayekuxele kwangaphambili ngokuchanileyo ukuphanziswa kweYerusalem, wakwaxela kwangaphambili ukwakhiwa kwayo kwakhona emva kweminyaka engama-70. (Yer. 29:10) Kanye ngexesha elifanelekileyo, uYehova wabonisa ububele bakhe bothando ngokubuyisela abantu bakhe, intsalela ethembekileyo, kwiLizwe Ledinga ukuze baqhubeke nonqulo oluyinyaniso.

15. (a)Itempile ebuyiselweyo yayiphumeza njani injongo kaYehova? (b) Ziziphi iinkalo eyayingazukanga kuzo njengetempile yokuqala?

¹⁵ Kwakhona itempile ebuyiselweyo yaphakamisa unqulo lukaYehova phakathi kwabantu bakhe, kwaye yaba bubungqina bokuba ubasikelela ngokumangalisayo nangokunenceba abo babuyela kuye benqwenela unqulo oluyinyaniso. Nangona yayingazukanga njengetempile kaSolomon, yayiphumeza injongo yayo ngokuvisisana nokuthanda kukaThixo. Yona yayingenabo ubukhazikhazi bezinto eziphathekayo. Kwakhona yayingenabo kangako ubuncwane bokomoya, phakathi kwezinye izinto, ingenayo ityeya yomnqophiso.c Ukunikezelwa kwetempile kaZerubhabheli kwakungenakuthelekiswa nokunikezelwa kwetempile yomhla kaSolomon. Amadini eenkomo naweegusha ayengafani nje ngokupheleleyo namadini awayesenziwa etempileni kaSolomon. Le ndlu yesibini yayingazaliswanga bubuqaqawuli obunjengelifu, njengoko kwakunjalo kweyokuqala, kwaye akuzange kuhle nomlilo uvela kuYehova ukuze uwadle amadini anyukayo. Phofu ke, zombini ezi tempile zaziphumeza injongo ebalulekileyo yokuphakamisa unqulo lukaYehova, uThixo oyinyaniso.

16. Kodwa yiyiphi enye itempile ezigqwesayo ngozuko iitempile zasemhlabeni?

¹⁶ Itempile eyakhiwa nguZerubhabheli, itabarnekile eyakhiwa nguMoses netempile eyakhiwa nguSolomon neyakhiwa nguHerode, kunye nezinto ezazibalasele kuzo, zaziyimifuziselo. Ezi zinto zazimela ‘umnquba wokwenyaniso owamiswa nguYehova, kungekhona umntu.’ (Heb. 8:2) Le tempile yokomoya lilungiselelo lokusondela kuYehova elunqulweni ngokwesizinzi sedini locamagushelo likaKristu. (Heb. 9:2-10, 23) Itempile enkulu yokomoya kaYehova ibalasele ngobuqaqawuli kwaye ayinakuthelekiswa nanto ngobuhle nokunqweneleka; ubuqaqawuli bayo abupheli kwaye bungaphezulu kobaso nasiphi na isakhiwo sasemhlabeni.

17. Ziziphi izifundo ezixabisekileyo ezifumaneka kwincwadi kaEzra?

¹⁷ Incwadi kaEzra inezifundo ezizezona zixabisekileyo kumaKristu namhlanje. Kuyo sifunda ngabantu bakaYehova besenza iminikelo yokuzithandela ukwenzela umsebenzi wakhe. (Ezra 2:68; 2 Kor. 9:7) Ukufunda ngokulungiselela kukaYehova ngokungasileliyo nokusikelela kwakhe abantu abahlanganiseneyo ngenjongo yokumdumisa kuyasikhuthaza. (Ezra 6:16, 22) Sibona umzekelo omhle kubakhonzi basetempileni nakwabanye abantu abangabaphambukeli abakholwayo njengoko benyuka nentsalela ukuze baluxhase ngeentliziyo ezipheleleyo unqulo lukaYehova. (2:43, 55) Kwakhona, qwalasela ukuguquka ngokuzithoba kwabantu xa beboniswa ukuphosakala kwekhondo labo ngokwendiselana nabamelwane abangabahedeni. (10:2-4) Unxulumano olubi lwakhokelela ekubeni uThixo angakholiswa ngabo. (9:14, 15) Ukuwuzondelela ngovuyo umsebenzi wakhe kwabangela inkoloseko nentsikelelo yakhe.—6:14, 21, 22.

18. Kutheni le nto ukubuyiselwa kwabantu bakaYehova kwakulinyathelo elibalulekileyo elalikhokelela ekuveleni kukaMesiya, uKumkani?

¹⁸ Nangona kwakungasekho kumkani wayehleli etroneni kaYehova eYerusalem, ukubuyiselwa kwavuselela ulindelo lokuba uYehova wayeya kuthi ngexesha elifanelekileyo avelise uKumkani othenjisiweyo kumnombo kaDavide. Ngoku uhlanga olubuyiselweyo lwalukwimeko yokulondoloza izihlabo ezingcwele nonqulo lukaThixo de kube lixesha lokuvela kukaMesiya. Ukuba le ntsalela yayingasabelanga ngokholo ekubuyeleni kwilizwe layo, ngewayezele oobani uMesiya? Ngokwenyaniso, iziganeko ezikwincwadi kaEzra ziyinxalenye ebalulekileyo yembali ekhokelela ekuveleni kukaMesiya okwanguKumkani! Sakungenelwa ngokukhethekileyo ngokuyifundisisa namhlanje.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]