U-Ezra 6
1 INkosi uDariyu wasekhupha umlayo, basebephenya ezincwadini ezaziqoqwe ndawonye endlini yenotho yesizwe eBhabhiloni.
Then Darius the king made a decree, and the house of the archives, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon, was searched.
2 Kwafunyanwa khona umqulu womgoqwa enqabeni yase-Ekhibhathana elizweni laseMediya kulotshwe lokhu kuwo: Umbhalo wesimiso:
A scroll was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of Media, and in it this was written for a record:
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 Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made a decree: Concerning God’s house at Jerusalem, let the house be built, the place where they offer sacrifices, and let its foundations be strongly laid, with its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits;
4 kwakhiwe imizila emithathu yamatshe amakhulu lomzila owodwa wezigodo. Izindleko zonke zizabhadalwa yisikhwama sesikhosini.
with three courses of great stones and a course of new timber. Let the expenses be given out of the king’s house.
5 Akuthi njalo impahla zegolide lesiliva uNebhukhadineza azithatha ethempelini eJerusalema waziletha eBhabhiloni zibuyiselwe ezindaweni zazo ethempelini eJerusalema; zimele zibekwe endlini kaNkulunkulu.
Also let the gold and silver vessels of God’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple which is at Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought again to the temple which is at Jerusalem, everything to its place. You shall put them in God’s house.
6 Ngakho-ke wena Thathenayi, mbusi wangaphetsheya kweYufrathe, loShethari-Bhozenayi labaphathisi benu bakulowo umango, sukani lapho.
Now therefore, Tattenai, governor beyond the River, Shetharbozenai, and your companions the Apharsachites, who are beyond the River, you must stay far from there.
7 Lingaphazamisi umsebenzi wethempeli lelo likaNkulunkulu. Yekelani umbusi wamaJuda labadala bamaJuda bakhe kutsha indlu kaNkulunkulu endaweni yayo.
Leave the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this 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 I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the River, expenses must be given with all diligence to these men, that they not be hindered.
9 Loba yini efunekayo, amajongosi, inqama, amazinyane amaduna eminikelo yokutshiswa kuNkulunkulu wezulu, lengqoloyi, itswayi, iwayini lamafutha okuyabe kucelwe ngabaphristi eJerusalema, kabakuphiwe nsuku zonke kungaphuthi,
That which they have need of, including young bulls, rams, and lambs, for burnt offerings to the God of heaven; also wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the word of the priests who are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail,
10 ukuze benze imihlatshelo ethokozisayo kuNkulunkulu wezulu njalo bakhulekele impilakahle yenkosi lamadodana ayo.
that they may offer sacrifices of pleasant aroma to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and 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.
I have also made a decree that whoever alters this message, let a beam be pulled out from his house, and let him be lifted up and fastened on it; and let his house be made a dunghill for this.
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.
May the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow all kings and peoples who stretch out their hand to alter this, to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree. Let it be done with all diligence.
13 Kwathi-ke, ngenxa yomthetho iNkosi uDariyu eyase iwuthumele, uThathenayi umbusi wangaphetsheya kweYufrathe, loShethari-Bhozenayi labasekeli babo bakwenza lokho ngenkuthalo.
Then Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, Shetharbozenai, and their companions did accordingly with all diligence, because Darius the king had sent a decree.
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.
The elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
15 Ithempeli laqedwa ngosuku lwesithathu enyangeni ka-Adari, ngomnyaka wesithupha wokubusa kweNkosi uDariyu.
This house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
16 Kwasekusithi abantu bako-Israyeli, abaphristi, labaLevi labo bonke ababethunjiwe benza umkhosi.
The children of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy.
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.
They offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male 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.
They set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God which is at Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.
19 Ngelanga letshumi lane lenyanga yokuqala, izithunjwa zathakazelela iPhasika.
The children of the captivity 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.
Because the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together, all of them were pure. They killed the Passover for all the children of the captivity, 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.
The children of Israel who had returned out of the captivity, and all who had separated themselves to them from the filthiness of the nations of the land to 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 feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy; because the LORD had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of God, the God of Israel’s house.
