U-Ezra
6 Kungaleso sikhathi lapho iNkosi uDariyu yakhipha khona umyalo, kwaphenywa endlini yezinto* ezigciniwe lapho kwakubekwa khona ingcebo eBhabhiloni. 2 Kwatholakala umqulu esigodlweni e-Akimetha, esifundazweni* saseMediya, okwakulotshwe kuwo umlando othi:
3 “Ngonyaka wokuqala weNkosi uKoresi, iNkosi uKoresi yakhipha umyalo ngokuphathelene nendlu kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema: + ‘Le ndlu mayakhiwe kabusha ibe indawo okuzonikelwa kuyo imihlatshelo, kumele kubekwe izisekelo zayo; ukuphakama kwayo kumele kube amamitha angaba ngu-26,7,* ububanzi bayo bube amamitha angaba ngu-26,7, + 4 ibe nezinhla ezintathu zamatshe amakhulu agingqelwe ezindaweni zawo nohla olulodwa lwezingodo; + izindleko mazikhokhwe ngemali ethathwe endlini yenkosi. + 5 Izitsha zegolide nezesiliva zendlu kaNkulunkulu ezathathwa uNebukhadinezari ethempelini elaliseJerusalema waziletha eBhabhiloni + mazibuyiselwe, ukuze zibekwe endaweni yazo ethempelini eJerusalema, zibekwe endlini kaNkulunkulu.’ +
6 “Ngakho wena Thathenayi mbusi ongaPhesheya Komfula,* nawe Shethari-bhozenayi kanye nozakwenu, ababusi abangamaphini abangaPhesheya Komfula +—dedani lapho. 7 Hlukanani nomsebenzi owenziwa kuleyo ndlu kaNkulunkulu. Umbusi wamaJuda namadoda amadala akwaJuda bazoyakha kabusha leyo ndlu kaNkulunkulu endaweni eyayikuyo. 8 Ngaphezu kwalokho ngikhipha umyalo ngokuqondene nalokho okufanele nikwenzele la madoda amadala akwaJuda ngokwakha kabusha leyo ndlu kaNkulunkulu: Kusukela engcebweni yasebukhosini, + emalini yentela eqoqwe ngaPhesheya Komfula, imali yezindleko kufanele inikwe la madoda ngokushesha ukuze aqhubeke ngaphandle kweziphazamiso. + 9 Noma yini edingekayo—amaduna ezinkomo + kanye nezinqama + namawundlu + eminikelo eshiswayo eya kuNkulunkulu wezulu, ukolweni, + usawoti, + iwayini + namafutha, + njengoba nje kusho abapristi abaseJerusalema—kufanele anikwe yona njalo usuku nosuku kungageji, 10 ukuze aqhubeke enikela iminikelo ejabulisa uNkulunkulu wamazulu futhi athandazele ukuphila kwenkosi namadodana ayo. + 11 Ngikhiphe nomyalo wokuba uma noma ubani ephula lesi sinqumo, kuyokhishwa ugodo endlini yakhe aphakanyiswe bese ebethelwa* kulo, indlu yakhe iphendulwe indlu yangasese* yomphakathi ngenxa yalokhu. 12 Kwangathi uNkulunkulu owenze ukuba igama lakhe lihlale lapho + angagumbuqela noma iyiphi inkosi nabantu abaphakamisa isandla sabo ukuze baphule lo myalo futhi bachithe leyo ndlu kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema. Mina Dariyu, ngikhipha lo myalo. Mawenziwe ngokushesha.”
13 UThathenayi umbusi ongaPhesheya Komfula, uShethari-bhozenayi + nozakwabo bakwenza ngokushesha konke iNkosi uDariyu eyayikuyalile. 14 Amadoda amadala amaJuda aqhubeka nokwakha, aba nempumelelo, + egqugquzelwa ukuprofetha kukaHagayi + umprofethi noZakariya + umzukulu ka-Ido; aqeda ukwakha ngomyalo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli + nangomyalo kaKoresi + noDariyu + no-Aritahishashita + inkosi yasePheresiya. 15 Ayiqeda le ndlu ngosuku lwesithathu lwenyanga ka-Adari,* ngonyaka wesithupha wokubusa kweNkosi uDariyu.
16 Ama-Israyeli, abapristi, amaLevi + nabo bonke abanye ababekade bedingisiwe bakugubha ngenjabulo ukuvulwa* kwale ndlu kaNkulunkulu. 17 Ukuze kugujwe ukuvulwa kwale ndlu kaNkulunkulu baletha izinkunzi ezingu-100, izinqama ezingu-200, amawundlu angu-400 nezimpongo ezingu-12 kwaba umnikelo wesono wawo wonke u-Israyeli, ngokuvumelana nesibalo sezizwe zakwa-Israyeli. + 18 Bamisa abapristi emaqenjini abo namaLevi ezigabeni zawo, babamisela inkonzo kaNkulunkulu eJerusalema, + ngokwalokho okulotshwe encwadini kaMose. +
19 Labo ababekade bedingisiwe bagubha iPhasika ngosuku luka-14 lwenyanga yokuqala. + 20 Abapristi namaLevi, bonke ngothi lwabo, babezihlanzile, + ngakho bonke babehlanzekile; babahlabela umhlatshelo wePhasika bonke ababedingisiwe, abanye abapristi, kanye nabo ngokwabo. 21 Khona-ke ama-Israyeli ayebuye ekudingisweni awudla, kanye nawo wonke umuntu owayezihlanganise nawo wazihlukanisa nokungcola kwezizwe zakulelo zwe ukuze akhonze* uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. + 22 Bawugubha ngenjabulo uMkhosi Wesinkwa Esingenamvubelo + izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, ngoba uJehova wababangela ukuba bajabule futhi wayenze inhliziyo yenkosi yase-Asiriya yaba nomusa kubo, + yabasekela* emsebenzini wendlu kaNkulunkulu weqiniso, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.