UEZRA 7

₁Emveni kwezo zinto, ebukumkanini buka-Artashashta ukumkani wasePersi, wathi uEzra, unyana kaSeraya, unyana ka-Azariya, unyana kaHilekiya, ₂unyana kaShalum, unyana kaTsadoki, unyana ka-Abhitubhi, ₃unyana ka-Amariya, unyana ka-Azariya, unyana kaMerayoti, ₄unyana kaZeraya, unyana kaUzi, unyana kaBhuki, ₅unyana ka-Abhishuwa, unyana kaPinehasi, unyana kaElazare, unyana ka-Aron umbingeleli oyintloko: ₆uEzra lowo wenyuka, ephuma eBhabheli. Waye engumbhali oyinkunkqele emyalelweni kaMoses, awawuwisayo uYehova, uThixo kaSirayeli. Ukumkani wamnika konke awakucelayo ngokwesandla sikaYehova, uThixo wakhe, esiphezu kwakhe.

₇Kwenyuka naye inxenye yoonyana bakaSirayeli, neyababingeleli, nabaLevi, neemvumi, nabamasango, nabakhonzi betempile, besiya eYerusalem, ngomnyaka wesixhenxe ka-Artashashta ukumkani. ₈Wafika eYerusalem ngenyanga yesihlanu; lowo ke ngumnyaka wesixhenxe wokumkani. ₉Ngokuba ibe ingumhla wokuqala wenyanga yokuqala, awawumisela ukunyuka ngawo, ephuma eBhabheli; wafika eYerusalem ngomhla wokuqala wenyanga yesihlanu, ngokwesandla esilungileyo sikaThixo wakhe, esibe siphezu kwakhe; ₁₀ngokuba uEzra intliziyo yakhe wayeyibhekise ekuwufuneni umyalelo kaYehova, awenze, afundise ummiselo nesiko kwaSirayeli.

₁₁Yiyo le incwadi, awathi ukumkani uArtashashta wamnika uEzra umbingeleli, umbhali obhala amazwi emithetho kaYehova, nemimiselo yakhe kumaSirayeli:

₁₂UArtashashta, ukumkani wookumkani, kuEzra umbingeleli, umbhali ogqibeleleyo emthethweni kaThixo wamazulu, njalonjalo. ₁₃Ndiwise umthetho wokuba bonke ebukumkanini bam, phakathi kwabantu bakwaSirayeli, nababingeleli babo nabaLevi, abaqhutywa yintliziyo ukuya eYerusalem, mabahambe nawe. ₁₄Ngokuba wena uthunywa ngukumkani namaphakathi akhe asixhenxe, ukubuzisa ngamaYuda neYerusalem, ngokomthetho kaThixo wakho osesandleni sakho; ₁₅uyise isilivere negolide, ayinikelayo ukumkani namaphakathi akhe, ngokuqhutywa yintliziyo, kuThixo kaSirayeli, okhaya liseYerusalem; ₁₆nayo yonke isilivere negolide, owoyifumana ezweni lonke laseBhabheli, kunye nomnikelo wokuqhutywa yintliziyo wabantu nababingeleli, abanikela ngokuqhutywa yintliziyo ngenxa yendlu kaThixo wabo, eseYerusalem.

₁₇Ngoko ke ùya kuthenga ngenyameko ngale mali iinkunzi ezintsha zeenkomo, neenkunzi zeegusha, neemvana, neminikelo yazo yokudla, nethululwayo; uyisondeze esibingelelweni sendlu kaThixo wenu eseYerusalem.

₁₈Nento ethe yalunga kuwe, nakubazalwana bakho, ukwenziwa ngesilivere nangegolide eseleyo, noyenza ngokokuthanda kukaThixo wenu. ₁₉Ke iimpahla ozinikiweyo ngenxa yombuso wendlu kaThixo wakho, zinikele ziphelele phambi koThixo eYerusalem. ₂₀Nezinye izinto ezifunekayo zendlu kaThixo wakho, othi kuyafuneka ukuba zinikelwe, wòzirhola endlwini yendyebo yokumkani.

₂₁Mna Artashashta, kumkani, ndiwisa umthetho kubo bonke abagcini-ndyebo abaphesheya koMlambo,• wokuba konke aya kukubiza kuni uEzra, umbingeleli, umbhali womthetho kaThixo wamazulu, ₂₂makwenziwe ngenyameko, kuse ekhulwini leetalente• zesilivere, nekhulu leekore• zengqolowa, nekhulu leebhate• zewayini, nekhulu leebhate zeoli, netyuwa ingalinganiselwa. ₂₃Yonke into engomthetho kaThixo wamazulu mayenzelwe indlu kaThixo wamazulu ngokuthe nqò; kuba kungàni na ukuba bufikelwe buburhalarhume ubukumkani bokumkani noonyana bakhe? ₂₄Makwazeke kuni, ukuba bonke ababingeleli, nabaLevi, neemvumi, nabamasango, nabakhonzi betempile, nabalungiseleleli bale ndlu kaThixo, akukho bani unagunya lakubathwesa irhafu, nasithabathaba, nalunikelo.

₂₅Wena Ezra, ngokobulumko bukaThixo wakho obusesandleni sakho, misa abagwebi, nabathethi bamatyala, ebantwini bonke abaphesheya koMlambo; ndithi, bonke abayaziyo imithetho kaThixo wakho; nabangayaziyo nobazisa. ₂₆Ke bonke abasukuba bengawenzi umthetho kaThixo wakho, nomthetho wokumkani, malithethwe ityala labo ngenyameko, nokuba baya kubulawa, nokuba baya kugxothwa, nokuba baya kudliwa, nokuba baya kukhonkxwa.

₂₇Makabongwe uYehova, uThixo woobawo, oyinikeleyo into enjalo entliziyweni yokumkani, ukuba ayihombise indlu kaYehova eseYerusalem; ₂₈ondithobele inceba phambi kokumkani, namaphakathi akhe, nabathetheli bonke bokumkani abangamagorha. Mna ndomelezeka ngokwesandla sikaYehova uThixo wam esiphezu kwam; ndazibutha kumaSirayeli iintloko zezindlu zooyise, ukuba zinyuke nam.