U-Ezra 3 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Ukwakhiwa kwealtare lokunikelwa kweminikelo

¹ Lapho isifikile inyanga yesikhombisa, labakoIsrayeli sebehlezi emizini yabo, abantu babuthana eJerusalema njengomuntu munye.

² Kwasuka uJeshuwa indodana kaJozadaki kanye labanye abapristi, loZerubabeli indodana kaSalatiyeli lezihlobo zakhe, bakha ialtare likaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli ukuba banikele iminikelo yokutshiswa phezu kwalo, njengokulotshiweyo emlayweni kaMose umuntu kaNkulunkulu.

³ Balimisa ialtare endaweni yalo, lanxa babesesaba abantu balelolizwe, banikela eNkosini iminikelo yokutshiswa phezu kwalo ekuseni lantambama.

⁴ Bagcina umkhosi wamadumba njengokulotshiweyo, banikela iminikelo yokutshiswa insuku zonke njengokumiswa kwayo kwensuku ngensuku;

⁵ langaphezu kwaleyo banikela iminikelo yokutshiswa yensuku zonke, leminikelo yasekuthwaseni kwenyanga, layemikhosi yonke emisiweyo yeNkosi, leminikelo yabo bonke abanikela ngesihle eNkosini.

⁶ Ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yesikhombisa baqalisa ukunikela iminikelo yokutshiswa eNkosini, lanxa izisekelo zethempeli leNkosi zazingakabekwa.

⁷ Banika ababazi bamatshe lababazi bezigodo imali, banika abaseSidoni labaseTire ukudla lokunathwayo lamafutha ukuba balande imikusu eLebanoni bayilethe olwandle eJopha, ngemvumo kaKurosi inkosi yasePerisiya.

Ukwakhiwa kwethempeli kuyaqaliswa

⁸ Ngomnyaka wesibili wokufika kwabo endlini kaNkulunkulu eJerusalema, ngenyanga yesibili, uZerubabeli indodana kaSalatiyeli loJeshuwa indodana kaJozadaki bawuqalisa umsebenzi, besizwa yibo bonke abakoIsrayeli langabapristi lamaLevi, bonke ababebuyile eJerusalema bevela ekuthunjweni. Bakhetha amaLevi aleminyaka engamatshumi amabili kusiya phezulu ukuphatha umsebenzi wethempeli.

⁹ UJeshuwa lamadodana akhe, lezihlobo zakhe loKadimiyeli loBinuwi loHodaviya, bonke baphatha izisebenzi zokwakha indlu kaNkulunkulu.

¹⁰ Lapho abakhi sebebekile isisekelo sethempeli leNkosi, abapristi beqgoke izambatho zabo bephethe impondo zokukhaliswa basondela kanye lamaLevi, amadodana kaAsafi, elezigubhu ukuba badumise iNkosi, ngendlela eyamiswa nguDavida inkosi yakoIsrayeli.

¹¹ Baphendulana ngokuhlabela bedumisa bebonga iNkosi besithi: Ngoba iNkosi ilungile, lothando lwayo olungapheliyo lumi kuze kube nininini kuIsrayeli. Bonke abantu bamemeza kakhulu ekuyidumiseni kwabo iNkosi, ngoba isisekelo sethempeli sasesibekiwe.

¹² Kodwa abanengi babapristi lamaLevi lezinhloko zezindlu, abadala ababeyibonile indlu yokuqala, bakhala kakhulu lapho bebona isisekelo salindlu sesibekiwe; kodwa abanye bamemeza kakhulu ngokuthokoza.

¹³ Abantu babengelakwehlukanisa umsindo wokuthokoza lomsindo wokukhala kwabantu, ngoba baklabalala kakhulu, lomsindo wezwakala khatshana.