U-Ezra
3 Lapho kufika inyanga yesikhombisa + ama-Israyeli* esemadolobheni awo, aqoqana ngobunye eJerusalema. 2 UJeshuwa + indodana kaJehozadaki nozakwabo abangabapristi noZerubhabhele + indodana kaSheyalitiyeli + nabafowabo, basukuma bakha i-altare likaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ukuze banikele imihlatshelo eshiswayo kulo, njengoba kulotshiwe eMthethweni KaMose + umuntu kaNkulunkulu weqiniso.
3 Ngakho babeka i-altare endaweni elalikuyo ekuqaleni, yize babezesaba izizwe ezazibazungezile, + banikela kuJehova imihlatshelo eshiswayo kulo, imihlatshelo eshiswayo yasekuseni neyakusihlwa. + 4 Babe sebegubha uMkhosi Wamadokodo* ngokwalokho okulotshiwe, + usuku nosuku banikela inani elithile lemihlatshelo eshiswayo eyayifuneka. + 5 Ngemva kwalokho banikela umnikelo oshiswayo owenziwa njalo + neminikelo yokwethwasa kwenyanga + neyazo zonke izinkathi zemikhosi kaJehova engcwelisiwe, + naleyo eyayivela kubo bonke abantu ababenikela kuJehova umnikelo wokuzithandela. + 6 Kusukela osukwini lokuqala lwenyanga yesikhombisa + kuqhubeke banikela kuJehova imihlatshelo eshiswayo, yize isisekelo sethempeli likaJehova sasingakabekwa.
7 Babe sebenika abasiki bamatshe + nezingcweti imali, + banika abaseSidoni nabaseThire ukudla neziphuzo namafutha, ukuze balethe izingodo zomsedari ezivela eLebhanoni bazihambise olwandle ziye eJopha + ngokwemvume kaKoresi inkosi yasePheresiya. +
8 Ngonyaka wesibili ngemva kokufika kwabo endlini kaNkulunkulu weqiniso eJerusalema, ngenyanga yesibili, uZerubhabhele indodana kaSheyalitiyeli, uJeshuwa indodana kaJehozadaki nabo bonke abafowabo, abapristi namaLevi, nabo bonke ababefike eJerusalema bevela ekuthunjweni + baqala ukusebenza; babeka amaLevi kusukela kwaneminyaka engu-20 kuya phezulu ukuba aqondise umsebenzi wendlu kaJehova. 9 Ngakho uJeshuwa, amadodana akhe nabafowabo, noKhadimiyeli namadodana akhe, amadodana kaJuda, bahlangana ukuze baqondise labo ababesebenza endlini kaNkulunkulu weqiniso, kanye namadodana kaHenadadi, + amadodana awo nabafowabo, amaLevi.
10 Lapho abakhi bebeka isisekelo sethempeli likaJehova, + abapristi ababembethe izembatho ezisemthethweni, bephethe amacilongo, + namaLevi, amadodana ka-Asafa, ephethe amasimbali, basukuma ukuze badumise uJehova ngokwesiqondiso sikaDavide inkosi yakwa-Israyeli. + 11 Baqala ukuhlabelela beshintshana, + bedumisa uJehova bembonga, “ngoba muhle; uthando lwakhe oluqotho ku-Israyeli luhlala kuze kube phakade.” + Bonke abantu bamemeza kakhulu bedumisa uJehova ngenxa yokubekwa kwesisekelo sendlu kaJehova. 12 Abaningi kubapristi, amaLevi nezinhloko zemindeni yoyise—amaxhegu ayebone indlu yokuqala—bakhala kakhulu lapho bebona kubekwa isisekelo sale ndlu, + kuyilapho abanye abaningi bememeza kakhulu ngenjabulo. + 13 Ngakho abantu babengakwazi ukuhlukanisa phakathi komsindo wokumemeza kwenjabulo nomsindo wokukhala, ngoba abantu babememeza kakhulu kangangokuba umsindo wawuzwakala kude.