U-Ezra 8
1 Laba bazinhloko zezimuli lalabo ababhalisa kubo abeza lami sisuka eBhabhiloni ngesikhathi sokubusa kweNkosi u-Athazekisisi:
These are the family heads and genealogical records of those who returned with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:
2 abesizukulwane sikaFinehasi, uGeshomu; abesizukulwane sika-Ithamari, uDanyeli; abesizukulwane sikaDavida, uHathushi
from the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom; from the descendants of Ithamar, Daniel; from the descendants of David, Hattush
3 owesizukulwane sikaShekhaniya; abesizukulwane sikaPharoshi, uZakhariya, okwabhalisa kanye laye amadoda alikhulu lamatshumi amahlanu;
of the descendants of Shecaniah; from the descendants of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were registered 150 men;
4 abesizukulwane sikaPhahathi-Mowabi: kwakungu-Eliyehonayi indodana kaZerahiya oweza lamadoda angamakhulu amabili;
from the descendants of Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men;
5 abesizukulwane sikaZathu, kwakunguShekhaniya indodana kaJahaziyeli, oweza lamadoda angamakhulu amathathu;
from the descendants of Zattu, Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men;
6 abesizukulwane sika-Adini, kwakungu-Ebhedi indodana kaJonathani, oweza lamadoda angamatshumi amahlanu;
from the descendants of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men;
7 abesizukulwane sika-Elamu, kwakunguJeshaya indodana ka-Athaliya, oweza lamadoda angamatshumi ayisikhombisa;
from the descendants of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men;
8 abesizukulwane sikaShefathiya, kwakunguZebhadiya indodana kaMikhayeli, oweza lamadoda angamatshumi ayisificaminwembili;
from the descendants of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael, and with him 80 men;
9 abesizukulwane sikaJowabi, kwakungu-Obhadaya indodana kaJehiyeli, oweza lamadoda angamakhulu amabili aletshumi lasificaminwembili;
from the descendants of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men;
10 abesizukulwane sikaBhani, kwakunguShelomithi indodana kaJosifiya, oweza lamadoda alikhulu lamatshumi ayisithupha,
from the descendants of Bani, Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men;
11 abesizukulwane sikaBhebhayi, kwakunguZakhariya indodana kaBhebhayi, oweza lamadoda angamatshumi amabili lasificaminwembili;
from the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him 28 men;
12 abesizukulwane sika-Azigadi, kwakunguJohanani indodana kaHakathani, oweza lamadoda alikhulu letshumi;
from the descendants of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men;
13 abesizukulwane sika-Adonikhamu, abokucina, kwakungu-Elifelethi, uJuweli loShemaya, beza lamadoda angamatshumi ayisithupha;
from the later descendants of Adonikam, these were their names: Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men;
14 abesizukulwane sikaBhigivayi, kwakungu-Uthayi loZakhuri, abeza lamadoda angamatshumi ayisikhombisa.
and from the descendants of Bigvai, both Uthai and Zaccur, and with them 70 men.
15 Ngababuthanisa eMgelweni wamanzi agelezela ku-Ahava, samisa khona okwensuku ezintathu. Ngathi sengihlola phakathi kwabantu labaphristi, kangitholanga loyedwa wamaLevi khona.
Now I assembled these exiles at the canal that flows to Ahava, and we camped there three days. And when I searched among the people and priests, I found no Levites there.
16 Yikho ngasengibiza u-Eliyezari, lo-Ariyeli, loShemaya, lo-Elinathani, loJaribi, loNathani, loZakhariya loMeshulami ababengabakhokheli, loJoyaribi lo-Elinathani ababengabantu abafundileyo,
Then I summoned the leaders: Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, as well as the teachers Joiarib and Elnathan.
17 ngabathumela ku-Ido, lezihlobo zakhe, izinceku zethempelini eKhasifiya, ukwenzela ukuthi basilethele izikhonzi zendlu kaNkulunkulu.
And I sent them to Iddo, the leader at Casiphia, with a message for him and his kinsmen, the temple servants at Casiphia, that they should bring to us ministers for the house of our God.
18 Ngoba isandla somusa sikaNkulunkulu sasiphezu kwethu, basilethela uSherebhiya, indoda emadodeni, owesizukulwane sikaMahili indodana kaLevi, indodana ka-Israyeli, lamadodana kaSherebhiya labafowabo, amadoda alitshumi lasificaminwembili;
And since the gracious hand of our God was upon us, they brought us Sherebiah—a man of insight from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel—along with his sons and brothers, 18 men;
19 loHashabhiya, kanye loJeshaya owesizukulwane sikaMerari, kanye labafowabo labantwababo, bonke babengamadoda angamatshumi amabili.
also Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah, from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and their sons, 20 men.
20 Bona beza lezinceku zethempelini ezingamakhulu amabili lamatshumi amabili ezazimiswe nguDavida lezinduna zakhe ukuncedisa abaLevi. Bonke babhalwa phansi amabizo abo.
They also brought 220 of the temple servants, all designated by name. David and the officials had appointed them to assist the Levites.
21 Khonapho, ekhunjini loMgelo we-Ahava, ngamemezela ukuzila ukudla, ukuze sizehlise phambi kukaNkulunkulu wethu simcele asiphe uhambo oluhle, thina labantwabethu, lempahla zethu zonke.
And there by the Ahava Canal I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask Him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.
22 Ngaba lenhloni ukucela enkosini amabutho labagadi bamabhiza ukuthi basivikele ezitheni endleleni ngoba inkosi sasiyitshele sathi, “Isandla somusa sikaNkulunkulu wethu siphezu kwakhe lowo okhangele kuye, kodwa ulaka lwakhe olukhulu luyavutha kulabo abamfulathelayo.”
For I was ashamed to ask the king for an escort of soldiers and horsemen to protect us from our enemies on the road, since we had told him, “The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek Him, but His great anger is against all who forsake Him.”
23 Ngakho sazila ukudla, samncenga uNkulunkulu wethu ngakho lokhu, wawuphendula umkhuleko wethu.
So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and He granted our request.
24 Ngasengisehlukanisa kwabanye abaphristi abalitshumi lambili abangabakhokheli, ndawonye loSherebhiya, loHashabhiya labalitshumi labafowabo,
Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, together with Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers,
25 ngabalinganisela umnikelo wesiliva legolide lempahla ezaziyizipho ezasisuka enkosini, labacebisi bayo, lezikhulu zayo labako-Israyeli bonke ababekhona lapho, siyisipho sendlu kaNkulunkulu.
and I weighed out to them the contribution of silver and gold and the articles that the king, his counselors, his leaders, and all the Israelites there had offered for the house of our God.
26 Ngabalinganisela amathalenta angamakhulu ayisithupha lamatshumi amahlanu esiliva, impahla zesiliva ezilobunzima obungamathalenta alikhulu, amathalenta alikhulu egolide,
I weighed out into their hands 650 talents of silver, articles of silver weighing 100 talents, 100 talents of gold,
27 imiganu yegolide engamatshumi amabili kuthiwa intengo yayo ingaba ngamadariki ayinkulungwane, lezitsha ezimbili ezethusi elilolongiweyo eliligugu njengegolide.
20 gold bowls valued at 1,000 darics, and two articles of fine polished bronze, as precious as gold.
28 Ngathi kubo, “Lina kanye lempahla lezi lingcwelisiwe eNkosini. Isiliva legolide kungumnikelo wokuzithandela kuThixo, uNkulunkulu wabokhokho benu.
Then I told them, “You are holy to the LORD, and these articles are holy. The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the LORD, the God of your fathers.
29 Kulindeni ngonanzelelo lize liyokulinganisa emakamelweni endlu kaThixo eJerusalema phambi kwabakhokheli babaphristi lamaLevi labayizinhloko zezimuli zako-Israyeli.”
Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of the house of the LORD in Jerusalem before the leading priests, Levites, and heads of the Israelite families.”
30 Kwathi-ke abaphristi labaLevi basemukela isiliva legolide lempahla ezingcwele ezazilinganisiwe ukuze zisiwe endlini kaNkulunkulu wethu eJerusalema.
So the priests and Levites took charge of the silver and gold and sacred articles that had been weighed out to be taken to the house of our God in Jerusalem.
31 Ngosuku lwetshumi lambili lwenyanga yokuqala saphakama sasuka eMgelweni we-Ahava saqonda eJerusalema. Isandla sikaNkulunkulu wethu sasiphezu kwethu, wasivikela ezitheni lasezigebengwini indlela yonke.
On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem, and the hand of our God was upon us to protect us from the hands of the enemies and bandits along the way.
32 Ngakho safika eJerusalema, saphumula khona okwensuku ezintathu.
So we arrived at Jerusalem and rested there for three days.
33 Ngosuku lwesine sangena endlini kaNkulunkulu salinganisa isiliva legolide lempahla zonke ezingcwelisiweyo sazibeka ezandleni zikaMeremothi indodana ka-Uriya umphristi. U-Eliyezari indodana kaFinehasi laye wayekhona, labaLevi oJozabhadi indodana kaJeshuwa loNowadiya indodana kaBhinuwi.
On the fourth day, in the house of our God, we weighed out the silver and gold and sacred articles into the hand of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him, along with the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui.
34 Konke kwakukhona ngenani lakho langesisindo, kwathi isisindo sonke salotshwa phansi ngasonaleso isikhathi.
Everything was verified by number and weight, and the total weight was recorded at that time.
35 Yikho izithunywa ezabuya ebugqilini zenza umnikelo wokutshiswa kuNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli: inkunzi ezilitshumi lambili ezika-Israyeli wonke, inqama ezingamatshumi ayisificamunwemunye lesithupha, amawundlu amaduna angamatshumi ayisikhombisa lesikhombisa kanye lomnikelo wesono oyizimpongo ezilitshumi lambili. Konke lokhu kwakungumnikelo wokutshiswa kuThixo.
Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, and a sin offering of 12 male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the LORD.
36 Bathi njalo bethula imilayo yenkosi kuzikhulu zenkosi lakubabusi bangaphetsheya kweYufrathe, okwathi-ke bona bancedisa abantu kanye lasendlini kaNkulunkulu.
They also delivered the king’s edicts to the royal satraps and governors of the region west of the Euphrates, who proceeded to assist the people and the house of God.
