U-Ezra 8

1 Laba bazinhloko zezimuli lalabo ababhalisa kubo abeza lami sisuka eBhabhiloni ngesikhathi sokubusa kweNkosi u-Athazekisisi:

Now these are the heads of their fathers’ [houses], and this is the genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king.

2 abesizukulwane sikaFinehasi, uGeshomu; abesizukulwane sika-Ithamari, uDanyeli; abesizukulwane sikaDavida, uHathushi

Of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom: of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel: of the sons of David, Hattush.

3 owesizukulwane sikaShekhaniya; abesizukulwane sikaPharoshi, uZakhariya, okwabhalisa kanye laye amadoda alikhulu lamatshumi amahlanu;

Of the sons of Shecaniah; of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah: and with him were reckoned by genealogy of the males an hundred and fifty.

4 abesizukulwane sikaPhahathi-Mowabi: kwakungu-Eliyehonayi indodana kaZerahiya oweza lamadoda angamakhulu amabili;

Of the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah; and with him two hundred males.

5 abesizukulwane sikaZathu, kwakunguShekhaniya indodana kaJahaziyeli, oweza lamadoda angamakhulu amathathu;

Of the sons of Shecaniah, the son of Jahaziel; and with him three hundred males.

6 abesizukulwane sika-Adini, kwakungu-Ebhedi indodana kaJonathani, oweza lamadoda angamatshumi amahlanu;

And of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan; and with him fifty males.

7 abesizukulwane sika-Elamu, kwakunguJeshaya indodana ka-Athaliya, oweza lamadoda angamatshumi ayisikhombisa;

And of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah; and with him seventy males.

8 abesizukulwane sikaShefathiya, kwakunguZebhadiya indodana kaMikhayeli, oweza lamadoda angamatshumi ayisificaminwembili;

And of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael; and with him fourscore males.

9 abesizukulwane sikaJowabi, kwakungu-Obhadaya indodana kaJehiyeli, oweza lamadoda angamakhulu amabili aletshumi lasificaminwembili;

Of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel; and with him two hundred and eighteen males.

10 abesizukulwane sikaBhani, kwakunguShelomithi indodana kaJosifiya, oweza lamadoda alikhulu lamatshumi ayisithupha,

And of the sons of Shelomith, the son of Josiphiah; and with him an hundred and threescore males.

11 abesizukulwane sikaBhebhayi, kwakunguZakhariya indodana kaBhebhayi, oweza lamadoda angamatshumi amabili lasificaminwembili;

And of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai; and with him twenty and eight males.

12 abesizukulwane sika-Azigadi, kwakunguJohanani indodana kaHakathani, oweza lamadoda alikhulu letshumi;

And of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan; and with him an hundred and ten males.

13 abesizukulwane sika-Adonikhamu, abokucina, kwakungu-Elifelethi, uJuweli loShemaya, beza lamadoda angamatshumi ayisithupha;

And of the sons of Adonikam, [that were] the last; and these are their names, Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them threescore males.

14 abesizukulwane sikaBhigivayi, kwakungu-Uthayi loZakhuri, abeza lamadoda angamatshumi ayisikhombisa.

And of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud; and with them seventy males.

15 Ngababuthanisa eMgelweni wamanzi agelezela ku-Ahava, samisa khona okwensuku ezintathu. Ngathi sengihlola phakathi kwabantu labaphristi, kangitholanga loyedwa wamaLevi khona.

And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there we encamped three days: and I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi.

16 Yikho ngasengibiza u-Eliyezari, lo-Ariyeli, loShemaya, lo-Elinathani, loJaribi, loNathani, loZakhariya loMeshulami ababengabakhokheli, loJoyaribi lo-Elinathani ababengabantu abafundileyo,

Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, which were teachers.

17 ngabathumela ku-Ido, lezihlobo zakhe, izinceku zethempelini eKhasifiya, ukwenzela ukuthi basilethele izikhonzi zendlu kaNkulunkulu.

And I sent them forth unto Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia; and I told them what they should say unto Iddo, [and] his brethren the Nethinim, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring unto 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 according to the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;

19 loHashabhiya, kanye loJeshaya owesizukulwane sikaMerari, kanye labafowabo labantwababo, bonke babengamadoda angamatshumi amabili.

and Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brethren and their sons, twenty;

20 Bona beza lezinceku zethempelini ezingamakhulu amabili lamatshumi amabili ezazimiswe nguDavida lezinduna zakhe ukuncedisa abaLevi. Bonke babhalwa phansi amabizo abo.

and of the Nethinim, whom David and the princes had given for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinim: all of them were expressed by name.

21 Khonapho, ekhunjini loMgelo we-Ahava, ngamemezela ukuzila ukudla, ukuze sizehlise phambi kukaNkulunkulu wethu simcele asiphe uhambo oluhle, thina labantwabethu, lempahla zethu zonke.

Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek of him a straight way, for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

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 of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them that seek him, for good; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.

23 Ngakho sazila ukudla, samncenga uNkulunkulu wethu ngakho lokhu, wawuphendula umkhuleko wethu.

So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was entreated of us.

24 Ngasengisehlukanisa kwabanye abaphristi abalitshumi lambili abangabakhokheli, ndawonye loSherebhiya, loHashabhiya labalitshumi labafowabo,

Then I separated twelve of the chiefs of the priests, even Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them,

25 ngabalinganisela umnikelo wesiliva legolide lempahla ezaziyizipho ezasisuka enkosini, labacebisi bayo, lezikhulu zayo labako-Israyeli bonke ababekhona lapho, siyisipho sendlu kaNkulunkulu.

and weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering for the house of our God, which the king, and his counsellors, and his princes, and all Israel there present, had offered:

26 Ngabalinganisela amathalenta angamakhulu ayisithupha lamatshumi amahlanu esiliva, impahla zesiliva ezilobunzima obungamathalenta alikhulu, amathalenta alikhulu egolide,

I even weighed into their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels an hundred talents; of gold an hundred talents;

27 imiganu yegolide engamatshumi amabili kuthiwa intengo yayo ingaba ngamadariki ayinkulungwane, lezitsha ezimbili ezethusi elilolongiweyo eliligugu njengegolide.

and twenty bowls of gold, of a thousand darics; and two vessels of fine bright brass, precious as gold.

28 Ngathi kubo, “Lina kanye lempahla lezi lingcwelisiwe eNkosini. Isiliva legolide kungumnikelo wokuzithandela kuThixo, uNkulunkulu wabokhokho benu.

And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto the LORD, and the vessels are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering unto the LORD, the God of your fathers.

29 Kulindeni ngonanzelelo lize liyokulinganisa emakamelweni endlu kaThixo eJerusalema phambi kwabakhokheli babaphristi lamaLevi labayizinhloko zezimuli zako-Israyeli.”

Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chiefs of the priests and the Levites, and the princes of the fathers’ [houses] of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD.

30 Kwathi-ke abaphristi labaLevi basemukela isiliva legolide lempahla ezingcwele ezazilinganisiwe ukuze zisiwe endlini kaNkulunkulu wethu eJerusalema.

So the priests and the Levites received the weight of the silver and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem unto the house of our God.

31 Ngosuku lwetshumi lambili lwenyanga yokuqala saphakama sasuka eMgelweni we-Ahava saqonda eJerusalema. Isandla sikaNkulunkulu wethu sasiphezu kwethu, wasivikela ezitheni lasezigebengwini indlela yonke.

Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth [day] of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the lier in wait by the way.

32 Ngakho safika eJerusalema, saphumula khona okwensuku ezintathu.

And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there 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.

And on the fourth day was the silver and the gold and the vessels weighed in the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest; and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them was Jozabad the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah the son of Binnui, the Levites;

34 Konke kwakukhona ngenani lakho langesisindo, kwathi isisindo sonke salotshwa phansi ngasonaleso isikhathi.

the whole by number and by weight: and all the weight was written 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.

The children of the captivity, which were come out of exile, offered burnt offerings unto the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve he-goats for a sin offering: all this was a burnt offering unto the LORD.

36 Bathi njalo bethula imilayo yenkosi kuzikhulu zenkosi lakubabusi bangaphetsheya kweYufrathe, okwathi-ke bona bancedisa abantu kanye lasendlini kaNkulunkulu.

And they delivered the king’s commissions unto the king’s satraps, and to the governors beyond the river: and they furthered the people and the house of God.