UEZRA 7

₁Emva kwalokho esabusa uAritahishashita inkosi yasePheresiya, uEzra kaSeraya ka-Azariya kaHilikiya

₂kaShalumi kaSadoki ka-Ahithubi

₃ka-Amariya ka-Azariya kaMerayoti

₄kaZeraya kaUzi kaBuki

₅ka-Abishuwa kaFinehasi kaEleyazare ka-Aroni umpristi omkhulu,

₆uEzra lo wakhuphuka eBabele; wayengumbhali echwepheshile emthethweni kaMose awunikiweyo nguJehova uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli; inkosi yamnika konke akucelayo ngokwesandla sikaJehova uNkulunkulu wakhe esasiphezu kwakhe.

₇Kwakhuphuka nabanye abantwana bakwaIsrayeli, nabapristi, namaLevi, nabahlabeleli, nabalindisango, namaNethini*, baya eJerusalema ngomnyaka wesikhombisa ka-Aritahishashita inkosi.

₈Wafika eJerusalema ngenyanga yesihlanu ngomnyaka wesikhombisa wenkosi.

₉Ngokuba ngolokuqala lwenyanga yokuqala waqala ukukhuphuka eBabele; ngolokuqala lwenyanga yesihlanu wafika eJerusalema ngokwesandla esihle sikaNkulunkulu wakhe esasiphezu kwakhe,

₁₀ngokuba uEzra wayebhekisé inhliziyo yakhe ukufuna umthetho kaJehova, nokwenza nokufundisa izimiso nezahlulelo kwaIsrayeli.

₁₁Lokhu kuyimpinda yencwadi inkosi uAritahishashita eyamnika yona uEzra umpristi nombhali, umbhali wamazwi emiyalo kaJehova nawezimiso zakhe kuIsrayeli, yokuthi:

₁₂UAritahishashita inkosi yamakhosi kuEzra umpristi nombhali womthetho kaNkulunkulu wezulu; ukuthula, nokuthi nokuthi.

₁₃Ngikhipha isimemezelo sokuthi bonke abantu bakwaIsrayeli, nabapristi babo, namaLevi embusweni wami, abafuna ukuya eJerusalema, bangahamba nawe,

₁₄njengokuba uthunyiwe yinkosi nabeluleki bayo abayisikhombisa ukubuza ngelakwaJuda neJerusalema njengokomthetho kaNkulunkulu wakho osesandleni sakho,

₁₅nokuyisa isiliva negolide inkosi nabeluleki bayo abalinikele ngesihle kuNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli ondlu yakhe iseJerusalema,

₁₆kanye nalo lonke isiliva negolide oyakukufumana ezweni lonke laseBabele, neminikelo yesihle yabantu neyabapristi, benikelela ngesihle indlu kaNkulunkulu wabo eseJerusalema.

₁₇Ngalokho uyakuthenga ngesineke sonke ngalemali izinkunzi, nezinqama, namawundlu kanye neminikelo yakho yempuphu neminikelo yakho yokuphuzwa, unikele ngakho ealtare lendlu kaNkulunkulu wenu eseJerusalema.

₁₈Okuhle kuwe nakubafowenu ukuba nikwenze ngesiliva negolide eliseleyo, kwenzeni ngokwentando kaNkulunkulu wenu.

₁₉Izitsha onikwé zona ukuba zibengezenkonzo yendlu kaNkulunkulu wakho, zibuyisele phambi kukaNkulunkulu waseJerusalema.

₂₀Okunye okudingekayo endlini kaNkulunkulu wakho, ofanele ukukunika, kukhiphe endlini yengcebo yenkosi.

₂₁Kimina, yebo, mina-Aritahishashita inkosi, kukhishwa isimemezelo kubo bonke abaphathizikhwama abangaphesheya koMfula* ukuthi konke uEzra umpristi nombhali womthetho kaNkulunkulu wezulu ayakukubiza kini, makwenziwe ngesineke sonke.

₂₂kuze kube-ngamatalenta* ayikhulu esiliva, namakhora* ayikhulu kakolweni, namabhati* ayikhulu ewayini, namabhati ayikhulu amafutha, nosawoti ongabhaliwe.

₂₃Konke okusesimemezelweni sikaNkulunkulu wezulu makwenzelwe ngesineke indlu kaNkulunkulu wezulu, ngokuba kungase kube-khona intukuthelo phezu kombuso wenkosi namadodana ayo na?

₂₄Futhi siyanazisa ukuthi akakho onegunya lokuthelisa abapristi namaLevi, nabahlabeleli, nabalindisango, namaNethini*, nezinceku zalendlu kaNkulunkulu intela, nenkokhiso, nemali yendlela.

₂₅Wena-ke, Ezra, ngokuhlakanipha kukaNkulunkulu wakho okusesandleni sakho, misa abahluleli nabaholi abayakwahlulela bonke abantu abangaphesheya koMfula*, bonke abazi imithetho kaNkulunkulu wakho; nongayaziyo nimfundise.

₂₆Bonke abangayikwenza umthetho kaNkulunkulu wakho nomthetho wenkosi mabahlulelwe ngaso sonke isineke, noma kube-ngokokufa noma okokuxoshwa, noma impahla yabo ibe-yisizi, noma kube-ngukuboshwa.

₂₇Makabongwe uJehova uNkulunkulu wawobaba obeké enhliziyweni yenkosi ukuhlobisa indlu kaJehova eseJerusalema,

₂₈wehlisela phezu kwami umusa phambi kwenkosi, nabeluleki bayo, naphambi kwezikhulu zonke zenkosi ezingamaqhawe. Mina ngaqiniswa ngokwesandla seNkosi uNkulunkulu wami esasiphezu kwami, ngabutha kuIsrayeli abayizinhloko ukuba bakhuphuke nami.