U-Ezra 3
1 Isifikile inyanga yesikhombisa, labantwana bakoIsrayeli sebesemizini, abantu babuthana njengamuntu munye eJerusalema.
It was the seventh month after the people of Israel came back to their cities, when they gathered together as one man 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.
Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and his brothers rose up and built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.
3 Basebemisa ilathi ezisekelweni zalo, ngoba ukwesaba kwakuphezu kwabo ngenxa yabantu belizwe, basebenikela eNkosini iminikelo yokutshiswa phezu kwalo, iminikelo yokutshiswa ekuseni lantambama.
Then they established the altar on its stand, for dread was on them because of the people of the land. They offered burnt offerings to Yahweh at dawn and evening.
4 Basebesenza umkhosi wamadumba njengokubhaliweyo, banikela iminikelo yokutshiswa insuku ngensuku ngenani, njengomkhuba, udaba losuku ngosuku lwalo.
They also observed the Festival of Shelters as it is written and offered burnt offerings day by day according to the decree, each day's duty on its day.
5 Langemva kwalokho umnikelo wokutshiswa njalonjalo, lowekuthwaseni kwezinyanga, lowemikhosi yonke emisiweyo yeNkosi eyayingcwelisiwe, lowakhe wonke owanikela ngesihle umnikelo wesihle eNkosini.
Accordingly, there were daily burnt offerings and monthly ones and offerings for all the fixed feasts of Yahweh, along with all the freewill offerings.
6 Ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yesikhombisa baqalisa ukunikela iminikelo yokutshiswa eNkosini, kodwa isisekelo sethempeli leNkosi sasingakabekwa.
They began to offer up burnt offerings to Yahweh on the first day of the seventh month, although the temple had not been founded.
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.
So they gave silver to the stoneworkers and craftsmen, and they gave food, drink, and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so they would bring cedar trees by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, as authorized for them by Cyrus, king of Persia.
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.
Then in the second month of the second year after they came to the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak, the rest of the priests, the Levites, and those who came from captivity back to Jerusalem began the work. They assigned the Levites twenty years old and older to oversee the work of Yahweh's house.
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 brothers, and Kadmiel and his sons, who were descendants of Hodaviah), and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers-all of them were Levites-joined together in supervising those working on the house of God.
10 Abakhi sebebekile isisekelo sethempeli leNkosi, bamisa abapristi begqokile belezimpondo, lamaLevi, amadodana kaAsafi, elensimbi ezincencethayo, ukudumisa iNkosi, njengokwezandla zikaDavida inkosi yakoIsrayeli.
The builders laid a foundation for Yahweh's temple. This enabled the priests to stand in their garments with trumpets, and the Levites, sons of Asaph, to praise Yahweh with cymbals, just as the hand of David, king of Israel had commanded.
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 sang with praise and thankfulness to Yahweh, “He is good! His covenant faithfulness to Israel endures forever.” All the people cried out with a great shout of joy in praise of Yahweh because the temple's foundations had been laid.
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.
But many of the priests, Levites, and chief patriarchs, those who were old and had seen the first house, when this house's foundations were laid before their eyes, wept loudly. But many people had shouts of joy with gladness and an excited sound.
13 Ngokunjalo abantu kabehlukanisanga umsindo wokumemeza kwentokozo lomsindo wokukhala kwabantu, ngoba abantu baklabalala ngokuklabalala okukhulu, umsindo waze wezwakala khatshana.
As a result, people were not able to distinguish the joyful and glad sounds from the sound of people weeping, for the people were crying out with great joy, and the sound was heard from far away.
