U-Ezra 6:1-22
6 INkosi uDariyu yawubeka umlayo, kwasekudingisiswa emibhalweni yezembali eyayisendlini okwakugcinelwa khona inotho eBhabhiloni.
2 Kwatholakala incwadimgoqwa esigodlweni se-Ekhibhathana esabelweni seMede. Nanku okwakubhalwe kuyo:
3 “Ngomnyaka wokuqala wokubusa kwenkosi uKhoresi, iNkosi uKhoresi yabeka umlayo mayelana lendlu kaNkulunkulu eyayiseJerusalema+ yathi: ‘Indlu le kayakhiwe kutsha ibe yindawo abazanikela kuyo imihlatshelo njalo izisekelo zayo kumele zibekwe ziqiniswe. Ubude bayo kabube zingalo ezingu-60* lobubanzi bayo bube zingalo ezingu-60+
4 futhi kayibe lemizila emithathu yamatshe amakhulu agiqwe afakwa ezindaweni zawo lomzila owodwa wamapulanka.+ Imali yokwenza lezizinto kayithathwe endlini yenkosi.+
5 Kanti njalo izitsha zendlu kaNkulunkulu ezegolide lezesiliva ezazithethwe nguNebhukhadinezari ethempelini elaliseJerusalema wabuya lazo eBhabhiloni,+ kazibuyiselwe ukuze ziyefakwa endaweni yazo endlini kaNkulunkulu.’+
6 “Ngakho wena Thathenayi mbusi* wesabelo esingaphetsheya komfula*+ lawe Shethari-bhozenayi labanye ababusi elisebenza labo abasesabelweni esingaphetsheya komfula, lingasondeli endaweni leyo.
7 Lingawuphambanisi umsebenzi owenziwa endlini kaNkulunkulu. Umbusi* wakoJuda labadala bakoJuda bazayakha kutsha indlu kaNkulunkulu lapho eyayikhona.
8 Ngilinika lomlayo ophathelane lalokho okumele likwenzele abadala bakoJuda ukuze bakhe kutsha indlu kaNkulunkulu: Kumele kuthathwe imali esikhwameni senotho yesikhosini+ evela emithelweni eqoqwe esabelweni esingaphetsheya komfula inikwe amadoda la masinyane ukuze aqhubeke ngomsebenzi engaphanjaniswa yilutho.+
9 Abaphristi abaseJerusalema kumele baphiwe loba yini abazayicela, kungaba ngamajongosi+ lenqama+ kanye lemvana,+ okuzakuba ngokweminikelo etshiselwa uNkulunkulu wasezulwini. Kabaphiwe lengqoloyi,+ lesawudo,+ lewayini+ kanye lamafutha+ njalo izinto lezi kumele baziphiwe nsuku zonke loba sekutheni,
10 ukuze baqhubeke benikela iminikelo yokutshiswa ethokozisa uNkulunkulu wamazulu njalo bakhulekele inhlalakahle* yenkosi lamadodana ayo.+
11 Ngibeke lomlayo wokuthi loba ngubani ozakwephula umthetho lo, kuzakhitshwa ugodo endlini yakhe abesephakanyiswa abethelwe kulo. Indlu yakhe izakwenziwa isambuzi somphakathi* ngenxa yalelocala.
12 Kanti njalo uNkulunkulu owenze ukuthi ibizo lakhe lihlale lapho,*+ katshabalalise loba yiphi inkosi loba abantu abazazama ukwephula umlayo lo, befuna ukudiliza indlu kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema. Mina Dariyu, yimi engibeka umlayo lo futhi engikutshoyo akwenziwe ngokuphangisa.”
13 Yikho uThathenayi umbusi* wesabelo esingaphetsheya komfula loShethari-bhozenayi+ labanye ababesebenza labo bahle bakwenza masinyane konke iNkosi uDariyu eyayibatshele khona.
14 Abadala bakoJuda baqhubeka besakha njalo umsebenzi wawusiya phambili,+ bekhuthazwa ngamazwi omphrofethi uHagayi+ lomphrofethi uZakhariya+ umzukulu ka-Ido. Bawuqeda sibili umsebenzi wokwakha belandela umlayo kaNkulunkulu wako-Israyeli+ lomlayo kaKhoresi+ lokaDariyu+ kanye loka-Athakisekisi+ inkosi yasePhesiya.
15 Mhlaka 3 ngenyanga ka-Adari* basebeyiqedile indlu kaNkulunkulu njalo kwakungumnyaka wesithupha wokubusa kweNkosi uDariyu.
16 Ngemva kwalokho abako-Israyeli labaphristi lamaLevi+ labantu bonke ababevela ekuthunjweni benza umkhosi wokunikela indlu kaNkulunkulu bethokoza.
17 Banikela ngenkunzi ezingu-100 lenqama ezingu-200 lemvana ezingu-400 emkhosini lo wokunikela indlu kaNkulunkulu. Basebekhipha impongo ezingu-12 ukuthi zibe ngumnikelo wesono wabo bonke abako-Israyeli njalo zazilingana lenani lezizwana zako-Israyeli.+
18 Baphinda babeka abaphristi emaqenjini abo, babeka lamaLevi ezigabeni zawo, belandela lokho okwakubhalwe ebhukwini likaMosi+ ukuze abantu laba benze umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu eJerusalema.+
19 Kanti njalo ababevela ekuthunjweni bananza iPhasika mhlaka 14 ngenyanga yokuqala.+
20 Abaphristi lamaLevi basebezihlambululile+ bonke futhi basebehlanzekile. Basebewuhlaba umhlatshelo wePhasika besenzela bona labanye abaphristi kanye labantu bonke ababevela ekuthunjweni.
21 Ngemva kwalokho abako-Israyeli ababevela ekuthunjweni badla umhlatshelo lo belabantu bonke ababemanyene labo futhi abasebetshiye imikhuba engcolileyo eyayisenziwa ngabanye abantu ababehlala elizweni ukuze bakhonze* uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.+
22 Baphinda bananza uMkhosi Wesinkwa Esingelamvubelo+ okwamalanga ayisikhombisa bejabula kakhulu ngoba uJehova wayebenze bathokoza, wenza lokuthi inkosi ye-Asiriya ibe lomusa kubo.+ Inkosi le yabasekela* emsebenzini wokwakha indlu kaNkulunkulu weqiniso, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.
Amabala angaphansi
^ La kungaba ngamamitha angaba ngu-26,7. Khangela iSengezo ku-B14.
^ Kumbe, “gavena.”
^ Isabelo esingaphetsheya komfula zindawo ezisentshonalanga komfula uYufrathe.
^ Kumbe, “Ugavena.”
^ Ngesi-Aramu, “impilo.”
^ Ezinye inguqulo zithi, “indawo yokulahlela izibi; inqumbi yomquba.”
^ Lapha kutshiwo eJerusalema kumbe ethempelini.
^ Kumbe, “ugavena.”
^ Khangela iSengezo ku-B15.
^ NgesiHebheru, “bamdinge.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “yaqinisa izandla zabo.”
