U-Ezra 5
1 Ngalesosikhathi uHagayi umphrofethi loZakhariya umphrofethi, umzukulu ka-Ido babephrofitha kubaJuda laseJerusalema ngebizo likaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli onguye owayephezu kwabo.
Then Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo the prophet prophesied in the name of the God of Israel to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem.
2 Kwasekusithi uZerubhabheli indodana kaShelathiyeli loJeshuwa indodana kaJozadaki baqalisa ukwakha kutsha indlu kaNkulunkulu eJerusalema. Abaphrofethi bakaNkulunkulu babelabo bebancedisa.
Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak rose up and began to build the house of God in Jerusalem with the prophets who supported them.
3 Ngalesosikhathi uThathenayi umbusi wangaphetsheya kweYufrathe loShethari-Bhozenayi labaphathisi babo baya kubo bababuza bathi, “Ngubani olivumeleyo ukwakha kutsha ithempeli leli lokuvuselela lesisakhiwo?”
Then Tattenai the governor of the Province Beyond the River, Shethar-Bozenai, and his associates came and said to them, “Who gave you a decree to build this house and complete these walls?”
4 Babuza njalo bathi, “Ngobani amabizo amadoda ayakhayo indlu le na?”
They also said, “What are the names of the men building this building?”
5 Kodwa ilihlo likaNkulunkulu wabo lalibalindile abadala babaJuda njalo kabazange beme kuze kuyefika umbiko kuDariyu kubuye njalo impendulo yakhe ibhaliwe.
But God's eye was on the Jewish elders and their enemies did not stop them. They were waiting for a letter to be sent to the king and for a decree to be returned to them concerning this.
6 Le yiyo incwadi eyathunyelwa nguThathenayi umbusi wangaphetsheya kweYufrathe loShethari-Bhozenayi labasekeli babo, izinduna zaphetsheya kweYufrathe yaya kuDariyu iNkosi.
This is a copy of the letter of Tattenai, governor of the Province Beyond the River, and Shethar-Bozenai and his accociates in the Province Beyond the River, which they sent to Darius the king.
7 Umbiko abawuthumelayo wawubhalwe kanje: Kuyo iNkosi uDariyu: Ukubingelela okuhle.
They sent a report, writing this to King Darius, “May all peace be yours.
8 Inkosi kufanele yazi ukuthi saya esiqintini sakoJuda, ethempelini likaNkulunkulu omkhulu. Abantu bayalakha ngamatshe amakhulu, kunqunyiswa imijabo emidulini. Umsebenzi uqhutshwa ngokukhuthala, njalo uyaphambili ngokuphangisa ukhokhelwa yibo.
Let the king know that we went to Judah to the house of the great God. It is being built with large stones and timbers set in the walls. This work is being done thoroughly and is going forward well in their hands.
9 Sabuza abadala bakhona sathi, “Ngubani oliphe imvumo yokwakha kutsha leli ithempeli lokuvuselela isakhiwo lesi?”
We asked the elders, 'Who gave you a decree to build this house and these walls?'
10 Njalo sababuza amabizo abo ukuze sibhale amabizo abakhokheli babo sisenzela ukukwazisa.
We also asked them their names so you might know the name of each man who led them.
11 Nansi impendulo abasipha yona: “Siyizinceku zikaNkulunkulu wezulu lomhlaba, yikho silakha kutsha ithempeli elakhiwa kudala, elakhiwa yinkosi enkulu yako-Israyeli yaliqeda.
They replied and said, 'We are servants of the one who is the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding this house that had been built many years ago when the great king of Israel built it and completed it.
12 Kodwa ngenxa yokuthi okhokho bethu bamthukuthelisa uNkulunkulu wasezulwini, wabanikela ezandleni zikaNebhukhadineza umKhaladiya, inkosi yaseBhabhiloni owalibhidlizayo lelithempeli abantu wabaxotshela eBhabhiloni.
However, when our ancestors enraged the God of heaven, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and took the people into exile in Babylon.
13 Kodwa ngomnyaka wokuqala kaKhurosi inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, iNkosi uKhurosi wakhupha isimemezelo sokuthi kwakhiwe indlu kaNkulunkulu.
Nevertheless, in the first year when Cyrus was king of Babylon, Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild the house of God.
14 Wabuye wasusa ethempelini laseBhabhiloni impahla zegolide lesiliva ezendlu kaNkulunkulu ezazithethwe nguNebhukhadineza ethempelini eJerusalema waziletha ethempelini eBhabhiloni. Kwathi iNkosi uKhurosi yazinika indoda eyayithiwa nguSheshibhazari, eyamkhetha ukuba ngumbusi,
King Cyrus also returned the gold and silver objects belonging to the house of God that Nebuchadnezzar had brought from the temple in Jerusalem to the temple in Babylon. He restored them to Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor.
15 wamtshela wathi, ‘Thatha impahla lezi uhambe lazo uyezibeka ethempelini eJerusalema. Njalo yakha kakutsha indlu kaNkulunkulu endaweni yayo.’
He said to him, “Take these objects. Go and put them in the temple in Jerusalem. Let the house of God be rebuilt there.”
16 Yikho uSheshibhazari weza wabeka izisekelo zendlu kaNkulunkulu eJerusalema. Kusukela ngalelolanga kuze kube manje ibilokhu isakhiwa kodwa kayikapheli.”
Then this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation for the house of God in Jerusalem; and it is being constructed, but is not yet complete.'
17 Ngakho-ke nxa kulungile enkosini, kakudingisiswe ezincwadini zezindaba zamakhosi aseBhabhiloni kubonwe ingabe yikho na ukuthi iNkosi uKhurosi wayesenzile isimemezelo sokuthi yakhiwe indlu le kaNkulunkulu eJerusalema. Lapho-ke inkosi kayisithumele isinqumo sayo ngendaba le.
Now if it pleases the king, may it be investigated in the house of archives in Babylon if a judgment from King Cyrus exists there to build this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send his decision to us.
