ILizwi LikaYehova Liphilile

Iimbalasane Zencwadi KaEzra

INCWADI yeBhayibhile kaEzra iqhubeka nengxelo ebigqibele ngayo eyeSibini yeziKronike. Umbhali wayo uEzra, uyitshayelela ngokuchaza ngommiselo owakhutshwa nguKumkani uKoreshi wasePersi wokuba kukhululwe intsalela yamaYuda awayesekuthinjweni eBhabhiloni, ukuze abuyele kwilizwe lawo. UEzra uyiqukumbela ingxelo yakhe ngokuchaza amanyathelo aye wawathabatha okuhlambulula abo baye bazingcolisa ngokunxulumana nabantu belo lizwe. Le ncwadi igubungela ingxelo yeminyaka engama-70—esusela kowama-537 ise kowama-467 B.C.E.

Injongo yale ncwadi kaEzra izicacele: ibonisa indlela uYehova asizalisekise ngayo isithembiso Sakhe sokukhulula abantu Bakhe ekuthinjweni eBhabhiloni kuze kubuyiselwe unqulo olunyulu eYerusalem. Ngoko uEzra unikel’ ingqalelo kuphela kwiziganeko eziphathelele loo njongo. Kule ncwadi uEzra uchaza indlela eyakhiwa ngayo itempile ngokutsha, nendlela olwabuyiselwa ngayo unqulo lukaYehova phezu kwayo nje inkcaso nokungafezeki kwabantu bakaThixo. Sinomdla kakhulu kule ngxelo kuba nathi siphila kwixesha lokubuyiselwa konqulo lwenyaniso. Abantu abaninzi bayathontelana ukuya “entabeni kaYehova,” yaye umhlaba uphela sele uza “kuzaliswa kukwazi uzuko lukaYehova.”—Isaya 2:2, 3; Habhakuki 2:14.

UKWAKHIWA KWETEMPILE NGOKUTSHA

(Ezra 1:1–6:22)

Umyalelo kaKoreshi wokuba amaYuda akhululwe ekuthinjweni wakhokelela ekubeni amalunga nama-50 000 kuwo abuyele eYerusalem ekhokelwa yiRhuluneli uZerubhabheli, okanye uSheshbhatsare. Loo maYuda abuyileyo akhawuleza amisa isibingelelo aza anikela imibingelelo kuYehova.

Kunyaka olandelayo amaSirayeli akha isiseko sendlu kaYehova. Iintshaba zathi gqolo ziphazamisana nomsebenzi wokwakha, yaye ekugqibeleni zaphumelela ekuphembeleleni abasemagunyeni ukuba bawuvale loo msebenzi. Umprofeti uHagayi noZekariya babakhuthaza abantu ukuba baphinde baqhubeke nomsebenzi wokwakha itempile nakuba wawuvaliwe. Iintshaba zabo zaba ntshingintshingi, kodwa zathi qelele ngenxa yokoyika ukuphikisana nommiselo kaKoreshi wokuba kwakhiwe. Zabufumana ubungqina obubhaliweyo bomyalelo kaKoreshi “ngokuphathelele indlu kaThixo eseYerusalem.” (Ezra 6:3) Ngoko zawuyeka umsebenzi waqhubeka wada wagqitywa.

Iimpendulo Kwimibuzo YeZibhalo:

1:3-6—Ngaba amaSirayeli awakhetha ukungabuyeli kwilizwe lawo ayebuthathaka elukholweni? Kusenokwenzeka ukuba amanye akhetha ukungabuyeli eYerusalem ngenxa yokubanjwa zizinto eziphathekayo okanye ngenxa yokungabi naluxabiso ngonqulo lwenyaniso, kodwa ayengenjalo onke. Okokuqala nje, uhambo lokuya eYerusalem oluziikhilomitha ezili-1 600 lwaluthabatha iinyanga ezine okanye ezintlanu. Ngaphezu koko, ukuhlala nokwakha kwilizwe elalikade liyinkangala kangangama-70 eminyaka kwakuza kufuna abantu abasenamandla okusebenza. Ngoko iimeko ezingentle, njengempilo enkenenkene, ukwaluphala, kwaneengxaki zentsapho, ngokuqinisekileyo zawathintela amanye ukuba angakwazi ukubuyela ezweni lawo.

2:43—Ayengoobani amaNethini? Ayengabantu abangengomaSirayeli emvelo ababesebenza etempileni njengamakhoboka okanye abalungiseleli. Abanye babo babeyinzalelwane yamaGibheyon exesha likaYoshuwa nabanye ‘uDavide neenkosana ababanika inkonzo yabaLevi.’—Ezra 8:20.

2:55—Babengoobani oonyana babakhonzi bakaSolomon? Ngabantu ababengengomaSirayeli ababenikwe amalungelo akhethekileyo enkonzweni kaYehova. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba babekhonza njengababhali okanye abakhupheli etempileni okanye kumaziko olawulo.

2:61-63—Ngaba iUrim neTumim, ezazisetyenziswa xa kufunwa impendulo evela kuYehova, zazikho emva kokuba amaYuda ebuyile ekuthinjweni? Abo babesithi bangabomnombo wobubingeleli kodwa bengakwazi ukuvelisa ubungqina obubambekayo benzalelwane yabo, kunokwenzeka ukuba babesebenzisa iUrim neTumim njengobungqina boko. UEzra akatsho ngokuqinisekileyo ukuba zazisetyenziswa ngexesha lakhe. Akukho ndawo eZibhalweni ebonisa ukuba iUrim neTumim zazisetyenziswa ngexesha lakhe okanye emva koko. Ingxelo engembali yamaYuda ibonisa ukuba iUrim neTumim zayeka ukusetyenziswa ngexesha lokutshatyalaliswa kwetempile ngowama-607 B.C.E.

3:12—Sasiyintoni isizathu sokuba alile ‘amadoda amadala awayeyibonile indlu kaYehova yangaphambili’? La madoda ayeyikhumbula indlela eyayizuke ngayo itempile eyakhiwa nguSolomon. Isiseko setempile entsha esasiphambi kwawo ‘sasingeyonto emehlweni awo’ xa sithelekiswa nesaleyo yangaphambili. (Hagayi 2:2, 3) Ayezibuza ukuba ayeza kukwazi kusini na ukwakha itempile ezuke njengaleyo yangaphambili? Amele ukuba adimazeka, nto leyo eyabangela ukuba alile.

3:8-10; 4:23, 24; 6:15, 16—Kwathabatha iminyaka emingaphi ukwakhiwa kwetempile ngokutsha? Isiseko setempile sabekwa ngowama-536 B.C.E.—“ngonyaka wesibini wokuza kwabo.” Umsebenzi wokwakha wayekiswa ngexesha likaKumkani uArtashashta, ngowama-522 B.C.E. Waqhubeka uvaliwe de kwangowama-520 B.C.E., unyaka wesibini wokulawula kukaKumkani uDariyo. Ngoko umsebenzi wokwakha waqhubeka de kwasekugqityweni kwetempile ngonyaka wesithandathu wokulawula kwakhe ngowama-515 B.C.E. (Bona ibhokisi enomxholo othi “Ookumkani BasePersi Ukususela Ngowama-537 Ukusa Kowama-467 B.C.E.”) Ngoko ukwakhiwa kwetempile kwathabatha iminyaka emalunga nama-20.

4:8–6:18—Ezi ndinyana zikaEzra zibhalwe ngolwimi lwesiAramiki. Ngoba? Ubukhulu becala, le nxalenye yale ncwadi iqulethe imbalelwano eyayiphakathi kwamagosa aseburhulumenteni kunye nookumkani. UEzra wayifumana kwiincwadi zezoshishino nezaseburhulumenteni zolwimi lwesiAramiki. Ezinye iinxalenye zeBhayibhile ezibhalwe ngolu lwimi lwamandulo nguEzra 7:12-26, uYeremiya 10:11, noDaniyeli 2:4b–7:28.

Oko Sikufundayo:

1:2. Oko uIsaya wakuprofeta malunga nama-200 eminyaka ngaphambili, kwazaliseka. (Isaya 44:28) Iziprofeto eziseLizwini likaYehova zisoloko zizaliseka.

1:3-6. Njengamanye amaSirayeli awasala eBhabhiloni, amaNgqina kaYehova amaninzi akakwazi ukungenela inkonzo yexesha elizeleyo okanye ukukhonza apho kukho imfuneko enkulu khona. Sekunjalo, ayabaxhasa aze abakhuthaze abo bakwaziyo ukwenjenjalo, yaye akhupha iminikelo yokuzithandela yokuxhasa umsebenzi wokushumayela ngoBukumkani nowokwenza abafundi.

3:1-6. Ngenyanga yesixhenxe ngowama-537 B.C.E. (inyanga enguTishri, namhlanje enguSeptemba no-Oktobha), amaYuda athembekileyo awayebuyile ekuthinjweni enza umbingelelo wawo wokuqala. UKumkani uNebhukadenetsare wayihlasela iYerusalem ngenyanga yesihlanu (inyanga enguAb, namhlanje enguJulayi noAgasti) ngowama-607 B.C.E. yaye kwiinyanga nje ezimbini eso sixeko sasiyingqushu. (2 Kumkani 25:8-17) Njengoko kwakuxelwe kwangaphambili, ukuphanziswa kweYerusalem kangangama-70 eminyaka kwaphela kanye ngexesha elililo. (Yeremiya 25:11; 29:10) Nantoni na iLizwi likaYehova eliyixela kwangaphambili isoloko izaliseka.

4:1-3. Intsalela ethembekileyo yasikhaba isicelo sabo babefuna ukuzimanya nayo, kuba oko kwakuya kuthetha ukuzimanya nabanquli bobuxoki. (Eksodus 20:5; 34:12) Nabanquli bakaYehova namhlanje abazimanyi kwaphela kunye nezinye iinkonzo.

5:1-7; 6:1-12. UYehova unako ukulawula iimeko ukuze kuphumelele abantu bakhe.

6:14, 22. Ukuwenza ngenzondelelo umsebenzi kaYehova kusizisela inkoliseko nentsikelelo yakhe.

6:21. Ukuqhubekela phambili komsebenzi kaYehova kwawashukumisela ekubeni aguquke amaSamariya awayehlala kwilizwe lakwaYuda, kwanamaYuda awayetyekele kwizithethe zabahedeni. Ngoko asifanele na sizibhokoxe ngenzondelelo emsebenzini esiwunikwe nguThixo, oquka ukuvakalisa iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani?

UEZRA UYA EYERUSALEM

(Ezra 7:1–10:44)

Sele kudlule iminyaka engama-50 ukususela ekunikezelweni kwendlu kaYehova eyakhiwe ngokutsha. Kungonyaka wama-468 B.C.E. UEzra uthabatha imali enikelweyo kunye nentsalela yabantu bakaThixo, baze bayishiye iBhabhiloni baye eYerusalem. Ufika imeko injani apho?

Iinkosana zithi kuEzra: “Abantu bakwaSirayeli nababingeleli nabaLevi abazahlulanga kwizizwana zamazwe ngokuphathelele izinto zazo ezicekisekayo.” Ngaphezu koko, “isandla seenkosana namasekela-baphathi ibe sesona siphambili koku kungathembeki.” (Ezra 9:1, 2) Oku kumothusa ngokwenene uEzra. Uyakhuthazwa ukuba ‘omelele aze athabathe inyathelo.’ (Ezra 10:4) UEzra uthabatha amanyathelo okubabuyisela endleleni aba bantu, yaye basabela kakuhle.

Iimpendulo Kwimibuzo YeZibhalo:

7:1, 7, 11—Ngaba zonke ezi ndinyana zibhekisa kuArtashashta owawunqumamisayo umsebenzi wokwakha? Akunjalo. UArtashashta ligama ababebizwa ngalo ookumkani ababini bamaPersi. Omnye wabo yayinguBardiya okanye uGaumata, owayalela ukuba umsebenzi wokwakhiwa kwetempile unqunyanyiswe ngowama-522 B.C.E. UArtashashta owayelawula ngexesha lokuya kukaEzra eYerusalem yayinguLongimanus.

7:28–8:20—Kutheni amaYuda amaninzi awayeseBhabhiloni ayengakulungelanga nje ukuya eYerusalem kunye noEzra? Nangona kwakusele kudlule ama-60 eminyaka ukususela oko iqela lokuqala lamaYuda labuyela kwilizwe lawo, zazisembalwa kakhulu iindawo ezinabemi. Ukubuyela eYerusalem kwakuya kuthetha ukuqalisa ubomi obutsha phantsi kweemeko ezinzima neziyingozi. Ubomi baseYerusalem ngelo xesha babungenabo ubunewunewu bezinto eziphathekayo obabunanditshwa ngamaYuda eBhabhiloni. Kanti nohambo oluya apho lwaluyingozi. Abo babeza kubuyela eYerusalem babefanele babe nokholo oluqinileyo kuYehova, babe nenzondelelo ngonqulo oluyinyaniso, yaye babe nenkalipho yokujamelana nolo hambo. KwanoEzra wafumana amandla ngenxa yokomelezwa nguYehova. Emva kokuba uEzra ebakhuthazile abantu, kwasabela iintsapho ezili-1 500—ezimalunga nabantu abangama-6 000. Akuba uEzra ekhuthaze abangakumbi, abaLevi abangama-38 namaNethini angama-220 nawo asabela.

9:1, 2—Kwakusisisongelo esikhulu kangakanani ukutshata nabantu belo lizwe? Uhlanga olubuyiselweyo lwalumele lulondoloze unqulo lukaYehova de kufike uMesiya. Ukutshata nabanye abemi belo lizwe kwakusisisongelo esikhulu kunqulo lokwenyaniso. Ngenxa yokuba abanye babetshata nabantu ababenqula izithixo, ekuhambeni kwexesha uhlanga luphela lwalusenokulandela izithethe zobuhedeni. Oko kwakunokuphumela ekubeni unqulo olunyulu lubhange ngokupheleleyo emhlabeni. Ngoko wayeza kuza koobani uMesiya? Kungeso sizathu le nto uEzra wothuka akakholwa akubona oko kwakusenzeka!

10:3, 44—Kwakutheni ukuze abantwana bandululwe kunye nabafazi? Ukuba abantwana babesele, abo bafazi bagxothiweyo babesenokubuya ngenxa yabo. Ngaphezu koko, abantwana abancinane bafuna inyameko kanina.

Oko Sikufundayo:

7:10. Ekubeni wayengumfundi okhutheleyo nomfundisi onobuchule weLizwi likaThixo, uEzra wasimisela umzekelo omhle. Wayilungisa intliziyo yakhe ngokuthi athandaze ngaphambi kokuba ahlole uMthetho kaYehova. Njengoko wayewuhlola, wanikela ingqalelo epheleleyo koko kwakuthethwa nguYehova. Wakusebenzisa oko wakufundayo waza wazibhokoxa ekufundiseni abanye.

7:13. UYehova ufuna simkhonze ngokuzithandela.

7:27, 28; 8:21-23. UEzra wamzukisa uYehova, wambongoza ngokunyanisekileyo ngaphambi kokuba athabathe uhambo olude noluyingozi lokuya eYerusalem, yaye wayekulungele ukuzibeka engozini ukuze kuzukiswe uThixo. Ngoko wasimisela umzekelo omhle.

9:2. Simele sisithabathe nzulu isibongozo sokuba sitshate “kuphela eNkosini.”—1 Korinte 7:39.

9:14, 15. Unxulumano olubi lunokwenza ukuba uYehova angakholiswa sithi.

10:2-12, 44. Abantu ababethabathe abafazi basemzini baguquka ngokuthobeka baza basilungisa isiphoso sabo. Isimo sabo sengqondo nesenzo sabo singumzekelo omhle kuthi.

UYehova Uyazigcina Izithembiso Zakhe

Ibaluleke gqitha kuthi incwadi kaEzra! Kanye ngexesha elifanelekileyo, uYehova wasizalisekisa isithembiso sakhe sokukhulula abantu bakhe ekuthinjweni eBhabhiloni, ukuze kubuyiselwe unqulo lokwenyaniso eYerusalem. Ngaba oko akulomelezi ukholo lwethu kuYehova nakwizithembiso zakhe?

Khawucinge nje ngemizekelo esiyifumanayo kwincwadi kaEzra. Sinomzekelo kaEzra owazinikelayo kuThixo nentsalela eyabuyayo ukuze ibuyisele unqulo olunyulu eYerusalem. Kwakhona le ncwadi ibalaselisa ukholo lwabantu basemzini ababehlonel’ uThixo nesimo sengqondo sokuthobeka sabenzi-bubi abaguqukayo. Ngokwenene, amazwi aphefumlelweyo kaEzra anikela ubungqina obucacileyo bokuba “ilizwi likaThixo liphilile, linamandla.”—Hebhere 4:12.

[Isicangca/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 18]

OOKUMKANI BASEPERSI UKUSUSELA NGOWAMA-537 UKUSA KOWAMA-467 B.C.E.

UKoreshi Omkhulu (Ezra 1:1) wafa ngowama-530 B.C.E.

UCambyses, okanye uAhaswerosi (Ezra 4:6) ngowama-530-22 B.C.E.

UDariyo I (Ezra 4:24) ngowama-522-486 B.C.E.

Artashashta Longimanus (Ezra 7:1) ngowama-475-24 B.C.E.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso]

UAhaswerosi

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 17]

UKoreshi

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 17]

Uxwebhu olwalubizwa ngokuba nguMqulu kaKoreshi lwakhankanya amalungiselelo okubuyisela abo bathinjiweyo emazweni abo

[Inkcazelo]

Cylinder: Photograph taken by courtesy of the British Museum

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 20]

Uyazi na ukuba yintoni eyabangela ukuba uEzra abe ngumfundisi onobuchule?