U-Ezra 6 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Ukwakhiwa lokuhlanjululwa kwethempeli

¹ UDariyu inkosi wasemisa umthetho ukuba kuhlolisiswe eBabiloni endlini yokugcinela impahla lapho kwakubekwe khona izincwadi.

² KwakuseAkibatana emzini omkhulu wenkosi, elizweni lamaMede, okwafunyaniswa khona incwadi okwakulotshiwe kiyo ukuthi:

³ Ngomnyaka wokuqala wokubusa kukaKurosi wakhupha lumthetho mayelana lendlu kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema wathi: Kakwakhiwe futhi lindlu lapho kuzanikelwa khona iminikelo, kulethwe leminikelo yokutshiswa; ukuphakama kwayo kube zingalo ezingamatshumi ayisithupha, lobubanzi bayo bube zingalo ezingamatshumi ayisithupha;

⁴ umduli wayo ube lemizila emithathu yamatshe amakhulu lomzila owodwa wezigodo. Izindleko zokwakha kazihlawulwe ngemali yesikhwama senkosi.

⁵ Lezitsha zegolide lezesiliva zendlu kaNkulunkulu uNebukadineza azithatha ethempelini eliseJerusalema waziletha eBabiloni, kazibuyiselwe ethempelini eliseJerusalema, zonke endaweni zazo, zibekwe endlini kaNkulunkulu.

⁶ Inkosi uDariyu yasikhupha lumthetho yathi: Ngakhoke, wena Tathenayi, mbusi welizwe elingaphetsheya komfula iYufrathi, lawe Shethari‐Bozenayi, lalabo elilabo, ababusi abaselizweni elingaphetsheya kweYufrathi, lingasondeli kuleyondawo;

⁷ uyekeleni umsebenzi walindlu kaNkulunkulu uqhubeke; liyekele umbusi wabaJuda labadala babo bazakhele futhi lindlu kaNkulunkulu endaweni yayo yokuqala.

⁸ Futhi ngiyamisa umthetho mayelana lalokho elifanele ukubenzela khona lababadala babaJuda ekwakhiweni kwalindlu kaNkulunkulu. Indleko zabo kazihlawulwe zonke ngemfanelo ngemali evela esikhwameni senkosi eyemithelo yelizwe elingaphetsheya komfula iYufrathi, ukuze umsebenzi uqhubeke.

⁹ Loba kuyini okuswelekayo, izinkunzi lezinqama, loba amawundlu omnikelo wokutshiselwa uNkulunkulu ophezulu, amabele letshwayi lewayini lamafutha njengokufunwa ngabapristi eJerusalema kabakunikwe konke insuku ngensuku kungaphuthi,

¹⁰ ukuze banikele iminikelo ethokozisayo kuNkulunkulu ophezulu, bakhulekele inkosi lamadodana ayo.

¹¹ Futhi ngiyamisa umthetho wokuthi lowo odiliza lesisimemezelo kakuhwatshwe uthungo endlini yakhe, lugxunyelwe ajujwe ngalo; lendlu yakhe yenziwe iquba.

¹² UNkulunkulu obizo lakhe lizadunyiselwa kuleyondawo achithe inkosi loba abantu abaguqula lokhu, badilize lendlu kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema. Mina Dariyu, ngiyakumisa lokhu, kakwenziwe konke.

¹³ UTathenayi umbusi welizwe elingaphetsheya kweYufrathi loShethari‐Bozenayi lalabo ababelabo bakwenza konke inkosi uDariyu eyayibalaye khona.

¹⁴ Abadala babaJuda baqhubeka lomsebenzi wokwakha bekhuthazwa yikutshumayela kukaHagayi umprofethi loZekariya indodana kaIdo. Baqeda ukwakha kwabo njengokulaywa kwabo nguNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli langomthetho kaKurosi loDariyu loAtakisekisi amakhosi asePerisiya.

¹⁵ Lindlu yaphela ukwakhiwa ngosuku lwesithathu enyangeni kaAdari, ngomnyaka wesithupha wokubusa kukaDariyu inkosi.

¹⁶ Abantu bakoIsrayeli, abapristi lamaLevi labo bonke ababebuyile ekuthunjweni, bayahlukanisela uNkulunkulu lindlu ngokuthokoza.

¹⁷ Ekwahlukaniselweni kwayo uNkulunkulu lindlu banikela inkunzi ezilikhulu, lenqama ezingamakhulu amabili, lamawundlu angamakhulu amane; banikelela uIsrayeli wonke umnikelo wesono intondolo ezilitshumi lambili ezilingana lezizwe zakoIsrayeli.

¹⁸ Bamisa abapristi ngezigaba zabo, lamaLevi ngamaqembu awo, ukuphatha inkonzo kaNkulunkulu eJerusalema, njengokulotshiweyo ogwalweni lukaMose.

¹⁹ Ngosuku lwetshumi lane lwenyanga yokuqala abantu abasebebuyile ekuthunjweni bagcina iPhasika.

²⁰ Ngoba abapristi lamaLevi basebezihlambulule bonke, sebehlambulukile. Babahlabela bonke ababebuyile ekuthunjweni iwundlu lePhasika, babahlabela labanye abapristi, bazihlabela labo.

²¹ Ladliwa ngabakoIsrayeli ababebuyile ekuthunjweni, layibo bonke ababezihlanganise labo, bezehlukanisa lamanyala abantu balelolizwe ukukhonza iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli.

²² Bagcina umkhosi wesinkwa esingelamvubelo insuku eziyisikhombisa ngokuthokoza; ngoba iNkosi yayibenze bathokoza, yaphendulela inhliziyo yenkosi yaseAsiriya kibo, yabasiza emsebenzini wokwakha indlu kaNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli.