< U-Ezra 1 >

1 Kwathi ngomnyaka wokuqala kaKoresi inkosi yePerisiya, ekugcwalisekeni kwelizwi leNkosi ngomlomo kaJeremiya, iNkosi yavusa umoya kaKoresi inkosi yePerisiya ukuthi edlulise isimemezelo embusweni wakhe wonke, njalo langombhalo, esithi:
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that Yahweh’s word by Jeremiah’s mouth might be accomplished, Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
2 Utsho njalo uKoresi inkosi yePerisiya: INkosi, uNkulunkulu wamazulu, inginikile yonke imibuso yomhlaba; layo ingilayile ukuyakhela indlu eJerusalema ekoJuda.
“Cyrus king of Persia says, ‘Yahweh, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
3 Ngubani ophakathi kwenu kubo bonke abantu bayo? UNkulunkulu wakhe kabe laye, enyukele eJerusalema ekoJuda, akhe indlu yeNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli (unguNkulunkulu) oseJerusalema.
Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of Yahweh, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem.
4 Laloba ngubani oseleyo lakuyiphi yezindawo lapho ahlala njengowezizwe khona, kakuthi abantu bendawo yakibo bamsekele ngesiliva, langegolide, langempahla, langezifuyo, kanye lomnikelo wesihle wendlu kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema.
Whoever is left, in any place where he lives, let the men of his place help him with silver, with gold, with goods, and with animals, in addition to the free will offering for God’s house which is in Jerusalem.’”
5 Kwasekusukuma inhloko zaboyise bakoJuda loBhenjamini, labapristi lamaLevi, laye wonke uNkulunkulu ayevuse umoya wakhe, ukuthi benyukele ukwakha indlu yeNkosi eseJerusalema.
Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin, the priests and the Levites, all whose spirit God had stirred to go up, rose up to build Yahweh’s house which is in Jerusalem.
6 Labo bonke ababebaphahlile baqinisa izandla zabo ngezitsha zesiliva, ngegolide, ngempahla, langezifuyo, langezinto eziligugu, ngaphandle kwakho konke okwakunikelwe ngesihle.
All those who were around them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with animals, and with precious things, in addition to all that was willingly offered.
7 UKoresi inkosi laye wakhupha izitsha zendlu yeNkosi, uNebhukadinezari ayezikhuphe eJerusalema wazifaka endlini yabonkulunkulu bakhe.
Also Cyrus the king brought out the vessels of Yahweh’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought out of Jerusalem, and had put in the house of his gods;
8 UKoresi inkosi yePerisiya wasezikhupha ngesandla sikaMithiredathi umphathisikhwama owazibalela uSheshibazari isiphathamandla sakoJuda.
even those, Cyrus king of Persia brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.
9 Leli-ke linani lazo: Imiganu yegolide engamatshumi amathathu, imiganu yesiliva eyinkulungwane, izingqamu ezingamatshumi amabili lesificamunwemunye,
This is the number of them: thirty platters of gold, one thousand platters of silver, twenty-nine knives,
10 inkezo zegolide ezingamatshumi amathathu, ezinye inkezo zesiliva ezingamakhulu amane letshumi, ezinye izitsha eziyinkulungwane.
thirty bowls of gold, four hundred ten silver bowls of a second kind, and one thousand other vessels.
11 Zonke izitsha zegolide lezesiliva zazizinkulungwane ezinhlanu lamakhulu amane. Zonke lezi uSheshibazari wazenyusa lalabo ababenyuswe ekuthunjweni bevela eBhabhiloni besiya eJerusalema.
All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand four hundred. Sheshbazzar brought all these up when the captives were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

< U-Ezra 1 >