U-Ezra 7
1 Njalo emva kwalezizinto, ekubuseni kukaAthakisekisi inkosi yePerisiya, uEzra indodana kaSeraya, indodana kaAzariya, indodana kaHilikhiya,
And after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king of Persia, Ezra the son of Serayah, the son of 'Azaryah, the son of Chilkiyah,
2 indodana kaShaluma, indodana kaZadoki, indodana kaAhitubi,
The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Achitub,
3 indodana kaAmariya, indodana kaAzariya, indodana kaMerayothi,
The son of Amaryah, the son of 'Azaryah, the son of Merayoth,
4 indodana kaZerahiya, indodana kaUzi, indodana kaBuki,
The son of Zerachyah, the son of 'Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
5 indodana kaAbishuwa, indodana kaPhinehasi, indodana kaEleyazare, indodana kaAroni umpristi oyinhloko.
The son of Abishua', the son of Phinehas, the son of Elazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest:
6 UEzra lo wenyuka esuka eBhabhiloni; njalo wayengumbhali oyingcitshi emlayweni kaMozisi, uJehova uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli ayewunikile. Inkosi yasimnika sonke isicelo sakhe, njengokwesandla sikaJehova uNkulunkulu wakhe esiphezu kwakhe.
This 'Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a practised expounder in the law of Moses, which the Lord the God of Israel hath given; and the king gave him, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him, all his request.
7 Kwasekusenyuka abanye babantwana bakoIsrayeli lababapristi lamaLevi labahlabeleli labalindimasango lamaNethini baya eJerusalema ngomnyaka wesikhombisa kaAthakisekisi inkosi.
And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the gate-keepers, and the temple-servants, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of king Artaxerxes.
8 Wasefika eJerusalema ngenyanga yesihlanu okwakungumnyaka wesikhombisa wenkosi.
And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
9 Ngoba ngolokuqala lwenyanga yokuqala waqala ukwenyuka esuka eBhabhiloni, langolokuqala lwenyanga yesihlanu wafika eJerusalema, ngokwesandla esihle sikaNkulunkulu wakhe phezu kwakhe.
For on the first day of the first month was the commencement of the expedition from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.
10 Ngoba uEzra wayelungise inhliziyo yakhe ukudinga umlayo weNkosi lokuwenza, lokufundisa umthetho lesimiso koIsrayeli.
For 'Ezra had directed his heart to inquire in the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and ordinances.
11 Le-ke yikhophi yencwadi inkosi uAthakisekisi ayinika uEzra umpristi, umbhali, umbhali wamazwi emilayo yeNkosi lowezimiso zayo kuIsrayeli.
Now this is the copy of the letter which king Artaxerxes gave unto 'Ezra the priest, the expounder of the law, the expounder of the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of his statutes for Israel.
12 UAthakisekisi inkosi yamakhosi kuEzra umpristi, umbhali womlayo kaNkulunkulu wamazulu, ukuthula okupheleleyo, langesikhathi esinje:
Artaxerxes, the king of kings, unto 'Ezra the priest, the expounder of the law of the God of heaven, the perfect, and so forth.
13 Umthetho umiswa yimi wokuthi wonke ozithandelayo embusweni wami esizweni sakoIsrayeli labapristi baso lamaLevi ukuya eJerusalema angahamba lawe.
By me is the order given, that every one who is freely willing in my kingdom out of the people of Israel, and their priests and Levites, to go up to Jerusalem, may go up with thee:
14 Ngoba uthunyiwe yinkosi labacebisi bayo abayisikhombisa ukuyahlolisisa ngoJuda langeJerusalema ngokomlayo kaNkulunkulu wakho osesandleni sakho,
Forasmuch as thou art sent on the part of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to make inquiry concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thy hand;
15 lokuthwala isiliva legolide inkosi labacebisi bayo abakunikele ngesihle kuNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli ondawo yakhe yokuhlala iseJerusalema,
And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem.
16 lalo lonke isiliva legolide ongakuthola esigabeni sonke seBhabhiloni lomnikelo wesihle wabantu labapristi abanikelela indlu kaNkulunkulu wabo eseJerusalema ngesihle,
And all [freewill offerings of] silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offerings which the people and the priests offer willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem.
17 ukuthi uthenge masinyane ngalimali izinkunzi, izinqama, amawundlu, leminikelo yakho yokudla, leminikelo yakho yokunathwayo, ukunikele phezu kwelathi lendlu kaNkulunkulu wenu eseJerusalema.
Therefore mayest thou buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat-offerings and their drink-offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.
18 Lokukulungeleyo wena labafowenu ukukwenza ngesiliva legolide eliseleyo, kwenzeni lokhu ngokwentando kaNkulunkulu wenu.
And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do according to the will of your God.
19 Lezitsha ezinikelwe kuwe zomsebenzi wendlu kaNkulunkulu wakho, zinikele ngokupheleleyo phambi kukaNkulunkulu weJerusalema.
And the vessels which have been given unto thee for the service of the house of thy God, deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem.
20 Lokunye okuswelekayo endlini kaNkulunkulu wakho okufanele ukuphe, uzakunika kuvela endlini yenotho yenkosi.
And the remainder that will yet be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to procure, procure out of the King's treasure-house.
21 Mina-ke Athakisekisi inkosi, umlayo umiswe yimi kubo bonke abaphathi bezikhwama abangaphetsheya komfula ukuthi konke uEzra umpristi, umbhali womlayo kaNkulunkulu wamazulu, azakucela kini, kwenziwe masinyane,
And by me, me King Artaxerxes, is the order given unto all the treasurers who are beyond the river, that whatsoever 'Ezra the priest, the expounder of the law of the God of heaven, may demand of you, shall be done speedily.
22 kuze kufike kumathalenta esiliva alikhulu, njalo kuze kufike kumakhori engqoloyi alikhulu, njalo kuze kufike kumabhathi alikhulu ewayini, njalo kuze kufike kumabhathi alikhulu amafutha, letshwayi elingelasimiso.
Up to one hundred talents of silver, and up to one hundred cors of wheat, and up to one hundred baths of wine, and up to one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing it.
23 Konke okungokomlayo kaNkulunkulu wamazulu kakwenzelwe indlu kaNkulunkulu wamazulu ngokukhuthala, ngoba kungani kuzakuba lolaka phezu kombuso wenkosi lamadodana ayo?
Whatsoever is ordered by the God of heaven shall be carefully done for the house of the God of heaven; for why should there be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons?
24 Futhi siyalazisa mayelana labo bonke abapristi, lamaLevi, abahlabeleli, abalindimasango, amaNethini, lenceku zalindlu kaNkulunkulu, kakulagunya ukubeka phezu kwabo umthelo, imali eyimfanelo, lemali yendlela.
And to you make we it known, that on any of the priests and Levites, singers, gate-keepers, and temple-servants, or ministers of this house of God, no one shall be empowered to impose any tax, tribute, or toll.
25 Wena-ke Ezra, ngokwenhlakanipho kaNkulunkulu wakho esesandleni sakho, beka omantshi labahluleli abazakwahlulela bonke abantu abangaphetsheya komfula, bonke abayaziyo imilayo kaNkulunkulu wakho; longayaziyo limfundise.
And thou, 'Ezra, according to the wisdom of thy God which is in thy hand, appoint judges and magistrates, who are to judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and make ye them known to those that know them not.
26 Wonke-ke ongawenziyo umlayo kaNkulunkulu wakho lomlayo wenkosi, isigwebo kasenziwe ngokukhuthala phezu kwakhe, kungaba ngokufa, loba ngokuxotshwa, loba ngokuthathelwa impahla, loba ngezibopho.
And if there be any one who will not execute the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let justice be speedily executed upon him, whether it be unto death or to banishment, or to a fine on goods, or to imprisonment.
27 Kayibusiswe iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabobaba eyakufaka kanje enhliziyweni yenkosi ukucecisa indlu yeNkosi eseJerusalema,
Blessed be the Lord the God of our fathers, who hath put the like of this in the heart of the king, to glorify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem;
28 eyelule umusa kimi phambi kwenkosi labacebisi bayo laphambi kwazo zonke izinduna ezilamandla zenkosi. Mina-ke ngaqiniswa ngokwesandla seNkosi uNkulunkulu wami phezu kwami, ngabutha koIsrayeli inhloko ukwenyuka lami.
And who hath extended kindness unto me before the king and his counsellors, and before all the mighty princes of the king: and I strengthened myself according to the hand of the Lord my God upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel principal men to go up with me.
