U-Ezra 3
1 Isifikile inyanga yesikhombisa, labantwana bakoIsrayeli sebesemizini, abantu babuthana njengamuntu munye eJerusalema.
After the Israeli people [returned to Israel, and] had begun to live in their towns, (in the autumn of/after the hot season ended in) that year, they all gathered together in Jerusalem.
2 Kwasekusukuma uJeshuwa indodana kaJozadaki labafowabo abapristi, loZerubhabheli indodana kaSalatiyeli labafowabo, bakha ilathi likaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli ukuze banikele iminikelo yokutshiswa phezu kwalo, njengokubhaliweyo emlayweni kaMozisi umuntu kaNkulunkulu.
Then Jeshua, the son of Jehozadak, and his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his friends, all began to rebuild the altar of God, the one whom the Israeli people [worshiped]. They did that in order that they could sacrifice burned offerings on it, according to what the prophet Moses had written in the laws [that God gave to him].
3 Basebemisa ilathi ezisekelweni zalo, ngoba ukwesaba kwakuphezu kwabo ngenxa yabantu belizwe, basebenikela eNkosini iminikelo yokutshiswa phezu kwalo, iminikelo yokutshiswa ekuseni lantambama.
Even though they were afraid of the people who were already living in that area, they rebuilt the altar at the same place [where the previous altar had been]. Before they started to lay the foundation of Yahweh’s temple, [the priests] started to burn sacrifices to Yahweh [on the altar]. They offered sacrifices every morning and every evening. Fifteen days after [they started to offer these sacrifices], the people celebrated the Festival of [Living in Temporary] Shelters, as [Moses] had commanded them to do in the laws [that God gave to him]. Each day the priests offered the sacrifices [that were required] for that day. In addition, they presented the regular burned offerings and the offerings [that were required] for the New Moon Festivals and the other festivals that they celebrated each year to [honor] Yahweh. They also brought other offerings only because they desired to bring them, [not because they were required to bring them].
4 Basebesenza umkhosi wamadumba njengokubhaliweyo, banikela iminikelo yokutshiswa insuku ngensuku ngenani, njengomkhuba, udaba losuku ngosuku lwalo.
5 Langemva kwalokho umnikelo wokutshiswa njalonjalo, lowekuthwaseni kwezinyanga, lowemikhosi yonke emisiweyo yeNkosi eyayingcwelisiwe, lowakhe wonke owanikela ngesihle umnikelo wesihle eNkosini.
6 Ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yesikhombisa baqalisa ukunikela iminikelo yokutshiswa eNkosini, kodwa isisekelo sethempeli leNkosi sasingakabekwa.
7 Basebenika imali kubabazi bamatshe lakubabazi bezigodo, lokudla lokunathwayo lamafutha kumaSidoni lakumaTire ukuze balethe izigodo zemisedari zivela eLebhanoni bezisa elwandle eJopha, ngokwemvumo kaKoresi inkosi yePerisiya kubo.
Then the Israelis hired masons and carpenters, and they bought [logs from] cedar trees from the people of Tyre and Sidon [cities], and they gave those people food and wine and olive oil for the logs. They brought the logs down from [the mountains in] Lebanon [to the Mediterranean seacoast and then floated them along the coast of the Sea, ] to Joppa. King Cyrus permitted them to do that. [Then the logs were brought from Joppa inland up to Jerusalem].
8 Langomnyaka wesibili wokufika kwabo endlini kaNkulunkulu eJerusalema, ngenyanga yesibili, baqalisa oZerubhabheli indodana kaSalatiyeli loJeshuwa indodana kaJozadaki, lensali yabafowabo, abapristi lamaLevi, labo bonke ababebuyile eJerusalema bevela ekuthunjweni; basebemisa amaLevi kusukela koleminyaka engamatshumi amabili kusiya phezulu ukongamela umsebenzi wendlu yeNkosi.
The Israelis started to rebuild the temple in the (spring/time before the hot season) of the second year after they returned to Jerusalem. Zerubbabel and Jeshua and all the people who had returned to Jerusalem worked on the building. All the (Levites/men who did work in the temple) supervised this work.
9 Kwasekusukuma oJeshuwa, amadodana akhe, labafowabo, uKadimiyeli lamadodana akhe, abantwana bakoJuda, njengomuntu munye ukongamela abenzi bomsebenzi endlini kaNkulunkulu, amadodana kaHenadadi, amadodana abo labafowabo amaLevi.
Jeshua and his sons and his other relatives, and Kadmiel and his sons, who were descendants of Hodaviah, also helped to supervise the work. The family of Henadad, who were also all Levites, joined with them in supervising this work.
10 Abakhi sebebekile isisekelo sethempeli leNkosi, bamisa abapristi begqokile belezimpondo, lamaLevi, amadodana kaAsafi, elensimbi ezincencethayo, ukudumisa iNkosi, njengokwezandla zikaDavida inkosi yakoIsrayeli.
When the builders finished laying the foundation of the temple, the priests put on their robes and stood in their places, blowing their trumpets. Then the Levites, who were descendants of Asaph, clashed/banged their cymbals to praise Yahweh, just as King David had [many years previously] told [Asaph and the other musicians] to do.
11 Baphendulana ngokuhlabela bedumisa bebonga iNkosi, ngoba ilungile, ngoba umusa wayo umi kuze kube nininini kuIsrayeli. Bonke abantu basebememeza ngokumemeza okukhulu ekuyidumiseni iNkosi, ngoba isisekelo sendlu yeNkosi sasesibekiwe.
They praised Yahweh and thanked him, and they sang this song about him: “He is very good [to us]! He faithfully loves us Israeli people, and he will love us forever.” Then all the people shouted loudly, praising Yahweh because they had finished laying the foundation of Yahweh’s temple.
12 Kodwa abanengi babapristi lamaLevi lenhloko zaboyise, abadala ababeyibonile indlu yokuqala, isisekelo salindlu sesibekiwe emehlweni abo, bakhala inyembezi ngelizwi elikhulu; kodwa abanengi baphakamisa ilizwi ngokumemeza ngentokozo.
Many of the [old] priests, Levites, and leaders of families remembered [what] the first temple [was like], and they cried aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid [because they knew that the new temple would not be as beautiful as the first temple]. But the other people shouted joyfully.
13 Ngokunjalo abantu kabehlukanisanga umsindo wokumemeza kwentokozo lomsindo wokukhala kwabantu, ngoba abantu baklabalala ngokuklabalala okukhulu, umsindo waze wezwakala khatshana.
The shouting and the crying was very loud; [even people] far away could hear it.
