U-Ezra 6
1 INkosi uDariyu wasekhupha umlayo, basebephenya ezincwadini ezaziqoqwe ndawonye endlini yenotho yesizwe eBhabhiloni.
Then king Darius instructed, and they searched in the library of books that were deposited in Babylon.
2 Kwafunyanwa khona umqulu womgoqwa enqabeni yase-Ekhibhathana elizweni laseMediya kulotshwe lokhu kuwo: Umbhalo wesimiso:
And there was found at Ecbatana, which is a fortified place in the province of Media, one volume, and this record was written in it:
3 Ngomnyaka wokuqala weNkosi uKhurosi, inkosi yakhupha isimemezelo mayelana lethempeli likaNkulunkulu eJerusalema: Ithempeli kalakhiwe kutsha libe yindawo yokwenzela imihlatshelo, njalo izisekelo zalo kazibekwe. Kalibe yizingalo ezingamatshumi ayisithupha ukuphakama, ububanzi bube yizingalo ezingamatshumi ayisithupha,
“In the first year of king Cyrus, Cyrus the king decreed that the house of God, which is in Jerusalem, shall be built in the place where they immolate victims, and that they should set the foundations so as to support a height of sixty cubits and a width of sixty cubits,
4 kwakhiwe imizila emithathu yamatshe amakhulu lomzila owodwa wezigodo. Izindleko zonke zizabhadalwa yisikhwama sesikhosini.
with three rows of rough stones, and so as to have rows of new timber, and that the expenses shall be given from the house of the king.
5 Akuthi njalo impahla zegolide lesiliva uNebhukhadineza azithatha ethempelini eJerusalema waziletha eBhabhiloni zibuyiselwe ezindaweni zazo ethempelini eJerusalema; zimele zibekwe endlini kaNkulunkulu.
But also, let the gold and silver vessels of the temple of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple of Jerusalem, and which he carried away to Babylon, be restored and be carried back to the temple of Jerusalem, to their place, just as they had been placed in the temple of God.
6 Ngakho-ke wena Thathenayi, mbusi wangaphetsheya kweYufrathe, loShethari-Bhozenayi labaphathisi benu bakulowo umango, sukani lapho.
Now therefore, let Tattenai, the governor of the region which is beyond the river, Shetharbozenai, and your counselors, the rulers who are beyond the river, withdraw far away from them,
7 Lingaphazamisi umsebenzi wethempeli lelo likaNkulunkulu. Yekelani umbusi wamaJuda labadala bamaJuda bakhe kutsha indlu kaNkulunkulu endaweni yayo.
and let this temple of God be released to the governor of the Jews and to their elders, so that they may build that house of God in its place.
8 Njalo sengimisa umlayo walokho okumele lina likwenzele abadala bamaJuda ekwakhiweni kwendlu kaNkulunkulu: Izindleko zala amadoda zizabhadalwa ngokugcweleyo yisikhwama senkosi, kuthathwa emithelweni yangaphetsheya kweYufrathe ukuze umsebenzi ungaze wema.
Moreover, it has been instructed by me as to what ought to be done by those priests of the Jews, so that the house of God may be built, specifically, that from the king’s treasury, that is, from the tribute which is taken from the region beyond the river, the expenses shall be scrupulously given to those men, so that the work may not be impeded.
9 Loba yini efunekayo, amajongosi, inqama, amazinyane amaduna eminikelo yokutshiswa kuNkulunkulu wezulu, lengqoloyi, itswayi, iwayini lamafutha okuyabe kucelwe ngabaphristi eJerusalema, kabakuphiwe nsuku zonke kungaphuthi,
But if it may be necessary, let also calves, and lambs, and young goats for holocausts to the God of heaven, with grain, salt, wine, and oil, according to the rite of the priests who are in Jerusalem, be given to them for each day, so that there may be no complaint in anything.
10 ukuze benze imihlatshelo ethokozisayo kuNkulunkulu wezulu njalo bakhulekele impilakahle yenkosi lamadodana ayo.
And let them offer oblations to the God of heaven, and let them pray for the life of the king and for the lives of his sons.
11 Phezu kwalokho ngibeka umthetho othi nxa ekhona ozaguqula lesisimiso, kakuhwatshwe uthungo endlini yakhe aphakanyiswe axhonxwe kulo. Akuthi ngenxa yalelicala indlu yakhe ibhidlizwe ibe yinqwaba yenhlabathi.
Therefore, the decree has been set forth by me, so that, if there be any man who will change this order, a beam shall be taken from his own house, and it shall be set up, and he shall be nailed to it. Then his house shall be confiscated.
12 Sengathi uNkulunkulu owenza ukuthi iBizo lakhe lihlale khona, angayichitha loba yiphi inkosi loba ngabantu abaphakamisa isandla sabo ukuguqula umlayo lo loba ukudiliza ithempeli leli eliseJerusalema. Mina kaDariyu ngiwumisile umthetho lo. Kawulandelwe ngokukhuthala.
So then, may the God who has caused his name to live there destroy any kingdoms or people who would extend their hand to fight against or to destroy that house of God, which is in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have established the decree, which I wish to be fulfilled scrupulously.”
13 Kwathi-ke, ngenxa yomthetho iNkosi uDariyu eyase iwuthumele, uThathenayi umbusi wangaphetsheya kweYufrathe, loShethari-Bhozenayi labasekeli babo bakwenza lokho ngenkuthalo.
Therefore, Tattenai, the governor of the region beyond the river, and Shetharbozenai, and his counselors, in accord with what king Darius had instructed, diligently executed the same.
14 Yikho-ke abadala bamaJuda baqhubeka ngokwakha bephumelela betshunyayezwa nguHagayi umphrofethi loZakhariya, umzukulu ka-Ido. Baqeda ukulakha ithempeli belandela umlayo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli kanye lezimiso zikaKhurosi, loDariyu lo-Athazekisisi, amakhosi asePhezhiya.
Then the elders of the Jews were building and prospering, in accord with the prophecy of Haggai, the prophet, and Zechariah, the son of Iddo. And they built and constructed by the order of the God of Israel, and by the order of Cyrus and Darius, as well as Artaxerxes, the kings of the Persians.
15 Ithempeli laqedwa ngosuku lwesithathu enyangeni ka-Adari, ngomnyaka wesithupha wokubusa kweNkosi uDariyu.
And they completed this house of God on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of king Darius.
16 Kwasekusithi abantu bako-Israyeli, abaphristi, labaLevi labo bonke ababethunjiwe benza umkhosi.
Then the sons of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the remainder of the sons of the transmigration celebrated the dedication of the house of God with gladness.
17 Ukunikela indlu kaNkulunkulu le bapha umnikelo wenkunzi ezilikhulu, inqama ezingamakhulu amabili, amazinyane amaduna angamakhulu amane njalo lempongo ezilitshumi lambili njengomnikelo wesono ka-Israyeli wonke.
And they offered, for the dedication of the house of God, one hundred calves, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and, as a sin offering for all of Israel, twelve he-goats from among the goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
18 Njalo bagcoba abaphristi ezigabeni zabo labaLevi ngamaxuku abo ukwenza umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu eJerusalema, njengokulotshiweyo eNcwadini kaMosi.
And they appointed the priests into their divisions, and the Levites into their turns, over the works of God in Jerusalem, just as it was written in the book of Moses.
19 Ngelanga letshumi lane lenyanga yokuqala, izithunjwa zathakazelela iPhasika.
Then the sons of Israel of the transmigration kept the Passover, on the fourteenth day of the first month.
20 Abaphristi labaLevi babezihlambulule behlanzekile ngokomkhuba. AbaLevi balihlaba izinyane lePhasika elabo bonke ababethunjiwe, labafowabo abaphristi njalo bezihlabela labo ngokwabo.
For the priests and Levites had been purified as one. All were cleansed in order to immolate the Passover for all the sons of the transmigration, and for their brothers, the priests, and for themselves.
21 Ngakho abako-Israyeli ababebuyile ebugqilini balidla, kanye labo bonke labo abasebezehlukanisile emikhutsheni engcolileyo yabomakhelwane beZizwe ukuze badinge uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.
And the sons of Israel, who had been returned from the transmigration, and all those who had separated themselves from the defilement of the Gentiles of the earth to them, so that they might seek the Lord, the God of Israel, ate
22 Bathakazelela uMkhosi weSinkwa esingelaMvubelo okwensuku eziyisikhombisa bethokoza, ngoba uThixo wayebagcwalise ngokuthokoza ngokuguqula ingqondo yenkosi yase-Asiriya ukuthi ibancedise emsebenzini wendlu kaNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.
and kept the solemnity of unleavened bread for seven days with joy. For the Lord had made them joyful, and he had converted the heart of the king of Assur to them, so that he would assist their hands in the work of the house of the Lord, the God of Israel.
