U-Ezra 3
1 Kwathi sekufika inyanga yesikhombisa, lapho abako-Israyeli sebehlezi emizini yakibo, abantu babuthana njengomuntu munye eJerusalema.
And the seventh month came on, and the children of Israel [were] in their cities, and the people assembled as one man at Jerusalem.
2 Kwasekusithi uJeshuwa indodana kaJozadaki labaphristi ayesebenza labo kanye loZerubhabheli indodana kaSheyalithiyeli labakhula bakhe baqalisa ukwakha i-alithari likaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ukwenza umhlatshelo womnikelo wokutshiswa kulo, mayelana lalokho okulotshiweyo eMthethweni kaMosi umuntu kaNkulunkulu.
Then stood up Jesus the [son] of Josedec, and his brethren the priests, and Zorobabel the [son] of Salathiel, and his brethren, and they built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer upon it whole burnt offerings, according to the things that were written in the law of Moses the man of God.
3 Lokuba babesesaba abantu bendawo, balakha i-alithari esisekelweni salo benza iminikelo yokutshiswa kuThixo kulo, yomibili imihlatshelo yokusa lowokuhlwa.
And they set up the altar on its place, for there was a terror upon them because of the people of the lands: and the whole burnt offerings was offered up upon it to the Lord morning and evening.
4 Kwathi njalo belandela okulotshiweyo bawugubha uMkhosi weziHonqo besenza inani elifaneleyo leminikelo yokutshiswa elungiselwe lelo lalelo ilanga.
And they kept the feast of tabernacles, according to that which was written, and [offered] whole burnt offerings daily in number according to the ordinance, the exact daily rate.
5 Emva kwalokho baletha iminikelo yenjayelo eyokutshiswa, iminikelo yokuThwasa kweNyanga leminikelo yayo yonke imikhosi kaThixo emisiweyo engcwele, kanye laleyo eyayilethwa njengeminikelo yokuzithandela eyalethwa kuThixo.
And after this the perpetual whole burnt offering, and [offering] for the season of new moon, and for all the hallowed feasts to the Lord, and for every one that offered a free will offering to the Lord.
6 Ngelanga lokuqala lenyanga yesikhombisa baqalisa ukuletha iminikelo yokutshiswa kuThixo, lokuba isisekelo sethempeli likaThixo sasingakabekwa.
On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer whole burnt offerings to the Lord: but the foundation of the house of the Lord was not laid.
7 Basebesipha ababazi bamatshe lababazi nje imali, bapha ukudla lokunathwayo lamafutha ebantwini baseThire leSidoni, ukuze balethe izigodo zemisedari ngendlela yolwandle kusuka eLebhanoni kusiya eJopha njengoba kwakuvunyelwe nguKhurosi inkosi yasePhezhiya.
And they gave money to the stone-hewers and carpenters, and meat and drink, and oil, to the Sidonians, and Tyrians, to bring cedar trees from Libanus to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant of Cyrus king of the Persians to them.
8 Ngenyanga yesibili ngomnyaka wesibili bebuyile endlini kaNkulunkulu eJerusalema, uZerubhabheli indodana kaSheyalithiyeli, loJeshuwa indodana kaJozadaki labo bonke abafowabo (abaphristi labaLevi labo bonke ababuyayo eJerusalema bevela ebugqilini) bawuqalisa umsebenzi, bakhetha abaLevi abaleminyaka engamatshumi amabili kusiya phezulu ukuthi baphathe umsebenzi wokwakha indlu kaThixo.
And in the second year of their coming to the house of God in Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zorobabel the [son] of Salathiel, and Jesus the [son] of Josedec, and the rest of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all who came from the captivity to Jerusalem, and they appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, over the workmen in the house of the Lord.
9 UJeshuwa lamadodana akhe labafowabo loKhadimiyeli lamadodana akhe (abazukulu bakaHodaviya) lamadodana kaHenadadi kanye lamadodana abo labafowabo, bonke bengabaLevi, bahlangana ndawonye ukukhangela labo ababesebenza endlini kaNkulunkulu.
And Jesus and his sons and his brethren stood, Cadmiel and his sons the sons of Juda, over them that wrought the works in the house of God: the sons of Enadad, their sons and their brethren the Levites.
10 Kwathi abakhi sebesibekile isisekelo sethempeli likaThixo abaphristi bagqoka izembatho zabo, baphatha amachacho, kanye labaLevi (amadodana ka-Asafi) bephethe izigubhu, bonke bema ezindaweni zabo ukudumisa uThixo njengokwamiswa nguDavida inkosi yako-Israyeli.
And they laid a foundation for building the house of the Lord: and the priests in their robes stood with trumpets and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the order of David king of Israel.
11 Badumisa bebonga, bahlabelela uThixo bathi: “Ulungile; uthando lwakhe ku-Israyeli lumi laphakade.” Bonke abantu bamemeza bedumisa uThixo ngoba isisekelo sendlu kaThixo sasesibekiwe.
And they answered [each other] with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, [saying], For [it is] good, for his mercy to Israel [endures] for ever. And all the people shouted with a loud voice to praise the Lord at the laying the foundation of the house of the Lord.
12 Kodwa abanengi babaphristi abadala labaLevi kanye lezikhulu zezimuli ababelibonile ithempeli lakuqala, bakhala kakhulu bebona isisekelo saleli ithempeli sibekwa, ikanti abanye babo bamemeza ngokuthaba.
But many of the priests and the Levites, and the elder men, heads of families, who had seen the former house on its foundation, and [who saw] this house with their eyes, wept with a loud voice: but the multitude shouted with joy to raise a song.
13 Kakho owayengawehlukanisa umsindo wokumemeza kokuthokoza lomsindo wokukhala ngoba abantu benza umsindo omangalisayo. Njalo umsindo lowo wezwakala kude.
And the people did not distinguish the voice of the glad shout from the voice of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud voice, and the voice was heard even from afar off.
