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 king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah,
2 indodana kaShaluma, indodana kaZadoki, indodana kaAhitubi,
son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub,
3 indodana kaAmariya, indodana kaAzariya, indodana kaMerayothi,
son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth,
4 indodana kaZerahiya, indodana kaUzi, indodana kaBuki,
son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki,
5 indodana kaAbishuwa, indodana kaPhinehasi, indodana kaEleyazare, indodana kaAroni umpristi oyinhloko.
son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the head 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.
Ezra himself hath come up from Babylon, and he [is] a scribe ready in the law of Moses, that Jehovah God of Israel gave, and the king giveth to him — according to the hand of Jehovah 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 go up of the sons of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
8 Wasefika eJerusalema ngenyanga yesihlanu okwakungumnyaka wesikhombisa wenkosi.
And he cometh in to Jerusalem in the fifth month, that [is 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 of the month he hath founded the ascent from Babylon, and on the first of the fifth month he hath come in unto 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 hath prepared his heart to seek the law of Jehovah, and to do, and to teach in Israel statute and judgment.
11 Le-ke yikhophi yencwadi inkosi uAthakisekisi ayinika uEzra umpristi, umbhali, umbhali wamazwi emilayo yeNkosi lowezimiso zayo kuIsrayeli.
And this [is] a copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a scribe of the words of the commands of Jehovah, and of His statutes on Israel:
12 UAthakisekisi inkosi yamakhosi kuEzra umpristi, umbhali womlayo kaNkulunkulu wamazulu, ukuthula okupheleleyo, langesikhathi esinje:
'Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, a perfect scribe of the law of the God of heaven, and at such a time:
13 Umthetho umiswa yimi wokuthi wonke ozithandelayo embusweni wami esizweni sakoIsrayeli labapristi baso lamaLevi ukuya eJerusalema angahamba lawe.
By me hath been made a decree that every one who is willing, in my kingdom, of the people of Israel and of its priests and Levites, to go to Jerusalem with thee, doth go;
14 Ngoba uthunyiwe yinkosi labacebisi bayo abayisikhombisa ukuyahlolisisa ngoJuda langeJerusalema ngokomlayo kaNkulunkulu wakho osesandleni sakho,
because that from the king and his seven counsellors thou art sent, to inquire concerning Judah and concerning Jerusalem, with the law of God that [is] in thy hand,
15 lokuthwala isiliva legolide inkosi labacebisi bayo abakunikele ngesihle kuNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli ondawo yakhe yokuhlala iseJerusalema,
and to carry silver and gold that the king and his counsellors willingly offered to the God of Israel, whose tabernacle [is] in Jerusalem,
16 lalo lonke isiliva legolide ongakuthola esigabeni sonke seBhabhiloni lomnikelo wesihle wabantu labapristi abanikelela indlu kaNkulunkulu wabo eseJerusalema ngesihle,
and all the silver and gold that thou findest in all the province of Babylon, with the free-will offerings of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly, for the house of their God that [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 thou dost speedily buy with this money, bullocks, rams, lambs, and their presents, and their libations, and dost bring them near to the altar of the house of your God that [is] in Jerusalem,
18 Lokukulungeleyo wena labafowenu ukukwenza ngesiliva legolide eliseleyo, kwenzeni lokhu ngokwentando kaNkulunkulu wenu.
and that which to thee and to thy brethren is good to do with the rest of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God ye do.'
19 Lezitsha ezinikelwe kuwe zomsebenzi wendlu kaNkulunkulu wakho, zinikele ngokupheleleyo phambi kukaNkulunkulu weJerusalema.
'And the vessels that are given to thee, for the service of the house of thy God, make perfect before the God of Jerusalem;
20 Lokunye okuswelekayo endlini kaNkulunkulu wakho okufanele ukuphe, uzakunika kuvela endlini yenotho yenkosi.
and the rest of the needful things of the house of thy God, that it falleth to thee to give, thou dost give from the treasure-house of the king.
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 — I Artaxerxes the king — is made a decree to all treasurers who [are] beyond the river, that all that Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the God of heaven, doth ask of you, 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.
Unto silver a hundred talents, and unto wheat a hundred cors, and unto wine a hundred baths, and unto oil a hundred baths, and salt without reckoning;
23 Konke okungokomlayo kaNkulunkulu wamazulu kakwenzelwe indlu kaNkulunkulu wamazulu ngokukhuthala, ngoba kungani kuzakuba lolaka phezu kombuso wenkosi lamadodana ayo?
all that [is] by the decree of the God of heaven, let be done diligently for the house of the God of heaven; for why is there 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 we are making known, that upon any of the priests and Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, and servants of the house of God, tribute and custom there is no authority to lift up.
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, that [is] in thy hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may be judges to all the people who are beyond the river, to all knowing the law of thy God, and he who hath not known ye cause to know;
26 Wonke-ke ongawenziyo umlayo kaNkulunkulu wakho lomlayo wenkosi, isigwebo kasenziwe ngokukhuthala phezu kwakhe, kungaba ngokufa, loba ngokuxotshwa, loba ngokuthathelwa impahla, loba ngezibopho.
and any who doth not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, speedily is judgment done upon him, whether to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of riches, and to bonds.'
27 Kayibusiswe iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabobaba eyakufaka kanje enhliziyweni yenkosi ukucecisa indlu yeNkosi eseJerusalema,
Blessed [is] Jehovah, God of our fathers, who hath given such a thing as this in the heart of the king, to beautify the house of Jehovah that [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 unto me hath stretched out kindness before the king and his counsellors, and before all the mighty heads of the king: and I have strengthened myself as the hand of Jehovah my God [is] upon me, and I gather out of Israel heads to go up with me.
