< U-Ezra 6 >
1 UDariyusi inkosi wasemisa umthetho, basebephenya endlini yezingwalo lapho okwakubekwe khona okuligugu eBhabhiloni.
2 Kwasekutholakala eAkimetha, esigodlweni esisesigabeni samaMede, incwadi egoqwayo, okwakubhalwe phakathi kwayo isikhumbuzo ngalindlela:
3 Ngomnyaka wokuqala kaKoresi inkosi, uKoresi inkosi wamisa umthetho: Indlu kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema, kayakhiwe lindlu endaweni lapho abanikela khona iminikelo, lezisekelo zayo zizabekwa ngokuqinileyo; ukuphakama kwayo kube zingalo ezingamatshumi ayisithupha, ububanzi bayo bube zingalo ezingamatshumi ayisithupha;
4 ibe lemizila emithathu yamatshe amakhulu lomzila wezigodo ezintsha. Izindleko zizaphiwa-ke zivela endlini yenkosi.
5 Futhi lezitsha zegolide lezesiliva zendlu kaNkulunkulu uNebhukadinezari azikhupha ethempelini eliseJerusalema waziletha eBhabhiloni, kazibuyiselwe zisiwe ethempelini eliseJerusalema, endaweni yayo, uzibeke endlini kaNkulunkulu.
6 Khathesi, Tathenayi, mbusi waphetsheya komfula, Shethari-Bozenayi, labangane benu amaAfarisathiki, abaphetsheya komfula, banini khatshana lalapho.
7 Uyekeleni umsebenzi walindlu kaNkulunkulu; umbusi wamaJuda labadala bamaJuda kabakhe lindlu kaNkulunkulu endaweni yayo.
8 Futhi umthetho umiswa yimi ngelizakwenzela abadala balamaJuda ekwakhiweni kwalindlu kaNkulunkulu, ukuthi empahleni zenkosi ezivela emthelweni wangaphetsheya komfula, izindleko ziphiwe lamadoda masinyane ukuze angami.
9 Lokuswelakalayo, kokubili amajongosi lezinqama lamawundlu komnikelo wokutshiselwa uNkulunkulu wamazulu, ingqoloyi, itshwayi, iwayini, lamafutha, njengokutsho kwabapristi abaseJerusalema, kabakunikwe insuku ngensuku kungaphuthi,
10 ukuze banikele iminikelo yephunga elimnandi kuNkulunkulu wamazulu, bakhulekele impilo yenkosi leyamadodana ayo.
11 Futhi umthetho umiswe yimi wokuthi loba ngubani oguqula lelilizwi, kakuhwatshwe ugodo endlini yakhe, aphakanyiswe abethelwe phezu kwalo; lendlu yakhe yenziwe inqumbi yomquba ngenxa yalokhu.
12 LoNkulunkulu owenze ibizo lakhe lihlale lapho kachithe loba yiyiphi inkosi loba abantu abazakwelula isandla sabo ukuguqula lokuchitha lindlu kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema. Mina Dariyusi ngimise umthetho, kakwenziwe masinyane.
13 Khonokho uTathenayi umbusi nganeno komfula, uShethari-Bozenayi, labangane babo benza njalo masinyane njengalokho uDariyusi inkosi ayekuthumele.
14 Abadala bamaJuda basebesakha njalo baphumelela ngesiprofetho sikaHagayi umprofethi loZekhariya indodana kaIdo. Bakha baqeda njengokomlayo kaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli langokomlayo kaKoresi, loDariyusi, loAthakisekisi inkosi yePerisiya.
15 Lindlu yasiphela ngosuku lwesithathu enyangeni kaAdari, okwakungumnyaka wesithupha wokubusa kukaDariyusi inkosi.
16 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli, abapristi lamaLevi labanye abantwana bokuthunjwa, basebesenza ukwehlukaniselwa kwalindlu kaNkulunkulu ngentokozo.
17 Banikelela ukwehlukaniselwa kwalindlu kaNkulunkulu inkunzi ezilikhulu, inqama ezingamakhulu amabili, amawundlu angamakhulu amane; lezimpongo zezimbuzi ezilitshumi lambili zingumnikelo wesono kaIsrayeli wonke, ngokwenani lezizwe zakoIsrayeli.
18 Basebemisa abapristi ngezigaba zabo, lamaLevi ngamaqembu awo, enkonzweni kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema, njengokubhaliweyo egwalweni lukaMozisi.
19 Abantwana bokuthunjwa benza lephasika ngolwetshumi lane lwenyanga yokuqala.
20 Ngoba abapristi lamaLevi babezihlambulule ndawonye, bonke babehlambulukile. Bahlabela bonke abantwana bokuthunjwa iphasika, labafowabo abapristi, labo ngokwabo.
21 Ngokunjalo badla abantwana bakoIsrayeli ababebuyile ekuthunjweni, labo bonke ababezehlukanisele kubo lokungcolileyo kwezizwe zelizwe, ukudinga iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli.
22 Benza umkhosi wesinkwa esingelamvubelo insuku eziyisikhombisa ngentokozo; ngoba iNkosi yayibenze bathokoza, yaphendulela kibo inhliziyo yenkosi yeAsiriya, ukuqinisa izandla zabo emsebenzini wendlu kaNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli.
