U-Ezra 6

₁Inkosi uDariyu yashaya umthetho wokuthi akuphenywe emiqulwini esendlini yemilando egcinwe eBhabhele. ₂Kwatholakala umqulu e-Ekhibhathana, inhlokomuzi yesifundazwe eMediya, okwakulotshwe kuwo:

Isikhumbuzo.

₃“Ngonyaka wokuqala wokubusa kwenkosi uKhoresi, yashaya umthetho othi: maqondana nendlu kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema mayakhiwe kabusha, indawo lapho imihlatshelo yayinikelelwa khona neminikelo yokushiswa eyayilethwa khona, ubude bayo kumele bube ngamakhubhithi angama-60, nobubanzi bayo bube ngamakhubhithi angama-60. ₄Izindonga zibe imigqa emithathu yamatshe, omunye phezu komunye, bese zilandelwa ngowodwa wezingodo ezintsha. Izindleko mazikhishwe esikhwameni sengcebo yendlu yenkosi. ₅Izitsha zegolide nezesiliva zasendlini kaNkulunkulu ezazithathwe nguNebukhadinezari ethempelini eJerusalema wazisa eBhabhele, nazo kumele zibuyiselwe eJerusalema, yileso naleso endaweni yaso endlini kaNkulunkulu.”

₆“Manje kuwe Thathenayi, mbusi wasentshonalanga yeYufrathe, nakuwe Shethari Bhozenayi, nabangani benu abasesifundazweni esisentshonalanga yeYufrathe, qhelani lapho; ₇hlukanani nomsebenzi wendlu kaNkulunkulu; yekelani umbusi wabaJuda nezikhulu bayakhe kabusha indlu kaNkulunkulu esizeni sayo.

₈“Ngishaya umthetho maqondana nalezo zikhulu zabaJuda ezizokwakha kabusha le ndlu kaNkulunkulu, ngithi: izindleko zokukhokhela laba bantu mazikhokhwe ngokuphelele nsuku zonke, ziphume emalini yasebukhosini, etholakala ngentela evela esifundazweni entshonalanga yeYufrathe, ukuze lowo msebenzi ungami. ₉Noma yini abayidingayo: amaduna, izinqama, amawundlu abazokwenza ngakho iminikelo yokushiswa kuNkulunkulu wasezulwini, nokolo, usawoti, iwayini, namafutha, njengokusho kwabaphristi abaseJerusalema, mabanikwe lokho nsuku zonke, kungaphuthi, ₁₀ukuze banikele iminikelo emthokozisayo uNkulunkulu wasezulwini, bakhulekele ukuphila kwenkosi namadodana ayo.

₁₁“Ngiyaniyala ngithi: uma kukhona oyoguqula lo mthetho engiwushayile, kuyokhishwa ibhanuko emshayweni wendlu yakhe, ajojwe ngalo, umuzi wakhe ube ngumquba. ₁₂UNkulunkulu owenza ukuba igama lakhe lihlale lapho, sengathi angasusa esikhundleni noma yiyiphi inkosi nesizwe okuzama ukuguqula lokhu, noma ukubhubhisa le ndlu kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema. Mina Dariyu, ngishaye lo mthetho; mawuhlonishwe ngokucophelela.”

₁₃UThathenayi, umbusi wesifunda esingasentshonalanga yeYufrathe, noShethari Bhozenayi nabangani babo, bakwenza ngokucophelela lokho inkosi uDariyu eyayibalayeze khona. ₁₄Izikhulu zakwaJuda zaqhubeka ngempumelelo ukwakha indlu, zigqugquzelwa ngukuphrofetha kukaHagayi noZekhariya, indodana ka-Ido. Zaqeda njengalokho zaziyalwe nguNkulunkulu wakwa-Israyeli ngomthetho owashaywa nguKhoresi, uDariyu, nenkosi u-Arithahishashitha, basePheresiya. ₁₅Zaqeda ukukwakha indlu ngosuku lwesithathu lwenyanga u-Adari, ngonyaka wesithupha wokubusa kwenkosi uDariyu.

₁₆Abantu bakwa-Israyeli, abaphristi, abaLevi nabo bonke abantu ababuye ekuthunjweni, bayehlukanisela uNkulunkulu indlu ngenkulu injabulo. ₁₇Lapho beyehlukanisa, benza umhlatshelo ngezinkunzi ezilikhulu, izimvu ezingama-200, namawundlu angama-400, nezimbuzi ezili-12 ezaba ngumnikelo wesono, ngayinye imele isizwana ngesizwana sakwa-Israyeli. ₁₈Babuye babeka abaphristi nabaLevi ngokwemikhakha yabo, ukuze baqhube inkonzo kaNkulunkulu eJerusalema, njengoba kulotshiwe encwadini kaMose.

₁₉Abantu ababebuya ekuthunjweni bagubha uMkhosi wePhasika ngosuku lwe-14, ngenyanga yokuqala, ₂₀ngokuba bonke abaphristi nabaLevi base bezihlambululile, bonke sebehlambulukile. Bahlabela iPhasika bonke ababebuya ekuthunjweni, nabaphristi, nabo luqobo. ₂₁Abantu bakwa-Israyeli ababebuye ekuthunjweni nabo bonke abase beyiyekile imikhuba yabezizwe bazinikela ekukhonzeni uSimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, badla iPhasika. ₂₂Babuye bawugubha ngentokozo umkhosi wesinkwa esingenamvubelo izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, ngokuba uSimakade wayebathokozisile, waguqula inhliziyo yenkosi yase-Asiriya, yabeseka ukwakha kabusha indlu kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.