Ezra 7
1 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
Njalo emva kwalezizinto, ekubuseni kukaAthakisekisi inkosi yePerisiya, uEzra indodana kaSeraya, indodana kaAzariya, indodana kaHilikhiya,
2 the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
indodana kaShaluma, indodana kaZadoki, indodana kaAhitubi,
3 the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
indodana kaAmariya, indodana kaAzariya, indodana kaMerayothi,
4 the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
indodana kaZerahiya, indodana kaUzi, indodana kaBuki,
5 the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest,
indodana kaAbishuwa, indodana kaPhinehasi, indodana kaEleyazare, indodana kaAroni umpristi oyinhloko.
6 this Ezra went up from Babylon. And he was a skilled scribe in the law of Moses, which Jehovah, the God of Israel, had given. And the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of Jehovah his God upon him.
UEzra lo wenyuka esuka eBhabhiloni; njalo wayengumbhali oyingcitshi emlayweni kaMozisi, uJehova uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli ayewunikile. Inkosi yasimnika sonke isicelo sakhe, njengokwesandla sikaJehova uNkulunkulu wakhe esiphezu kwakhe.
7 And some of the sons of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinim, went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
Kwasekusenyuka abanye babantwana bakoIsrayeli lababapristi lamaLevi labahlabeleli labalindimasango lamaNethini baya eJerusalema ngomnyaka wesikhombisa kaAthakisekisi inkosi.
8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
Wasefika eJerusalema ngenyanga yesihlanu okwakungumnyaka wesikhombisa wenkosi.
9 For upon the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.
Ngoba ngolokuqala lwenyanga yokuqala waqala ukwenyuka esuka eBhabhiloni, langolokuqala lwenyanga yesihlanu wafika eJerusalema, ngokwesandla esihle sikaNkulunkulu wakhe phezu kwakhe.
10 For Ezra had set his heart to seek the law of Jehovah, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and ordinances.
Ngoba uEzra wayelungise inhliziyo yakhe ukudinga umlayo weNkosi lokuwenza, lokufundisa umthetho lesimiso koIsrayeli.
11 Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, even the scribe of the words of the commandments of Jehovah, and of his statutes to Israel:
Le-ke yikhophi yencwadi inkosi uAthakisekisi ayinika uEzra umpristi, umbhali, umbhali wamazwi emilayo yeNkosi lowezimiso zayo kuIsrayeli.
12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect and so forth.
UAthakisekisi inkosi yamakhosi kuEzra umpristi, umbhali womlayo kaNkulunkulu wamazulu, ukuthula okupheleleyo, langesikhathi esinje:
13 I make a decree, that all those of the people of Israel, and their priests and the Levites, in my realm, who are minded of their own free will to go to Jerusalem, go with thee.
Umthetho umiswa yimi wokuthi wonke ozithandelayo embusweni wami esizweni sakoIsrayeli labapristi baso lamaLevi ukuya eJerusalema angahamba lawe.
14 Forasmuch as thou are sent from the king and his seven counselors, to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thy hand,
Ngoba uthunyiwe yinkosi labacebisi bayo abayisikhombisa ukuyahlolisisa ngoJuda langeJerusalema ngokomlayo kaNkulunkulu wakho osesandleni sakho,
15 and to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem,
lokuthwala isiliva legolide inkosi labacebisi bayo abakunikele ngesihle kuNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli ondawo yakhe yokuhlala iseJerusalema,
16 and all the silver and gold that thou shall find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly, for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem.
lalo lonke isiliva legolide ongakuthola esigabeni sonke seBhabhiloni lomnikelo wesihle wabantu labapristi abanikelela indlu kaNkulunkulu wabo eseJerusalema ngesihle,
17 Therefore thou shall with all diligence buy with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meal offerings and their drink offerings, and shall offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.
ukuthi uthenge masinyane ngalimali izinkunzi, izinqama, amawundlu, leminikelo yakho yokudla, leminikelo yakho yokunathwayo, ukunikele phezu kwelathi lendlu kaNkulunkulu wenu eseJerusalema.
18 And whatever shall seem good to thee and to thy brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do ye after the will of your God.
Lokukulungeleyo wena labafowenu ukukwenza ngesiliva legolide eliseleyo, kwenzeni lokhu ngokwentando kaNkulunkulu wenu.
19 And the vessels that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem.
Lezitsha ezinikelwe kuwe zomsebenzi wendlu kaNkulunkulu wakho, zinikele ngokupheleleyo phambi kukaNkulunkulu weJerusalema.
20 And whatever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shall have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure-house.
Lokunye okuswelekayo endlini kaNkulunkulu wakho okufanele ukuphe, uzakunika kuvela endlini yenotho yenkosi.
21 And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers who are beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done with all diligence,
Mina-ke Athakisekisi inkosi, umlayo umiswe yimi kubo bonke abaphathi bezikhwama abangaphetsheya komfula ukuthi konke uEzra umpristi, umbhali womlayo kaNkulunkulu wamazulu, azakucela kini, kwenziwe masinyane,
22 to a hundred talents of silver, and to a hundred measures of wheat, and to a hundred baths of wine, and to a hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.
kuze kufike kumathalenta esiliva alikhulu, njalo kuze kufike kumakhori engqoloyi alikhulu, njalo kuze kufike kumabhathi alikhulu ewayini, njalo kuze kufike kumabhathi alikhulu amafutha, letshwayi elingelasimiso.
23 Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done exactly for the house of the God of heaven; for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?
Konke okungokomlayo kaNkulunkulu wamazulu kakwenzelwe indlu kaNkulunkulu wamazulu ngokukhuthala, ngoba kungani kuzakuba lolaka phezu kombuso wenkosi lamadodana ayo?
24 Also we certify to you, that concerning any of the priests and Levites, the singers, porters, Nethinim, or servants of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll, upon them.
Futhi siyalazisa mayelana labo bonke abapristi, lamaLevi, abahlabeleli, abalindimasango, amaNethini, lenceku zalindlu kaNkulunkulu, kakulagunya ukubeka phezu kwabo umthelo, imali eyimfanelo, lemali yendlela.
25 And thou, Ezra, according to the wisdom of thy God, that is in thy hand, appoint magistrates and judges, who may judge all the people who are beyond the River, all such as know the laws of thy God, and teach ye him who does not know them.
Wena-ke Ezra, ngokwenhlakanipho kaNkulunkulu wakho esesandleni sakho, beka omantshi labahluleli abazakwahlulela bonke abantu abangaphetsheya komfula, bonke abayaziyo imilayo kaNkulunkulu wakho; longayaziyo limfundise.
26 And whoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon him with all diligence, whether it be to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
Wonke-ke ongawenziyo umlayo kaNkulunkulu wakho lomlayo wenkosi, isigwebo kasenziwe ngokukhuthala phezu kwakhe, kungaba ngokufa, loba ngokuxotshwa, loba ngokuthathelwa impahla, loba ngezibopho.
27 Blessed be Jehovah, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of Jehovah which is in Jerusalem,
Kayibusiswe iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabobaba eyakufaka kanje enhliziyweni yenkosi ukucecisa indlu yeNkosi eseJerusalema,
28 and has extended loving kindness to me before the king, and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty rulers. And I was strengthened according to the hand of Jehovah my God upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
eyelule umusa kimi phambi kwenkosi labacebisi bayo laphambi kwazo zonke izinduna ezilamandla zenkosi. Mina-ke ngaqiniswa ngokwesandla seNkosi uNkulunkulu wami phezu kwami, ngabutha koIsrayeli inhloko ukwenyuka lami.
