Ithempeli liyaqedwa; liyahlanjululwa
1Khona uDariyu wakhipha isimemezelo, kwacingwa endlini yezincwadi, lapho ingcebo yayibekelelwa khona eBabele.
2Kwafunyanwa eAkimetha endlini yamakhosi esezweni laseMediya umqulu okwakulotshwé kuwo isikhumbuzo sokuthi:
3Ngomnyaka wokuqala kaKoresi inkosi, uKoresi inkosi wakhipha isimemezelo sokuthi: Ngendlu kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema, indlu mayakhiwe endaweni lapho benikelela khona ngemihlatshelo, zibekwe izisekelo zayo, ziqine, ukuphakama kwayo kube-yizingalo ezingamashumi ayisithupha, ububanzi bayo bubeyizingalo ezingamashumi ayisithupha;
4ayibe-nezinhla ezintathu zamatshe amakhulu, nohla lwemithi emisha, izindleko zikhishwe endlini yenkosi;
5futhi izitsha zegolide nezesiliva zendlu kaNkulunkulu, uNebukadinesari azikhipha ethempelini eliseJerusalema waziyisa eBabele, mazibuyiswe, ziyiswe ethempelini eliseJerusalema, kube-yileso naleso endaweni yaso, zibekwe endlini kaNkulunkulu.
6Ngalokho, Thathenayi, mbusi phesheya koMfula*, nawe-Shethari-Bozenayi nabangane benu ama-Afarisaki abangaphesheya koMfula, manibe-kude nalapho;
7wuyekeni umsebenzi waleyondlu kaNkulunkulu; umbusi wabaJuda namalunga abaJuda mabakhe lendlu kaNkulunkulu endaweni yayo.
8Futhi ngikhipha isimemezelo ngeniyakukwenza kulawomalunga abaJuda ukuba kwakhiwe leyondlu kaNkulunkulu: labobantu mabanikwe kakhulu izindleko empahleni yenkosi, intela yaphesheya koMfula*, ukuba bangathiywa.
9Abakudingayo, amaduna, nezinqama, namawundlu okuyakuba-yiminikelo yokushiswa kuNkulunkulu wezulu, kanye nokolweni, nosawoti, newayini, namafutha, njengezwi labapristi abaseJerusalema, mabanikwe khona imihla ngemihla kungaphuthi
10ukuba banikele ngemihlatshelo yephunga elimnandi kuNkulunkulu wezulu, bakhulekele ukuphila kwenkosi namadodana ayo.
11Futhi ngikhiphé isimemezelo sokuthi yilowo nalowo oguqula lelizwi, makukhishwe umuthi endlini yakhe, aphakanyiswe, abethelwe kuwo, indlu yakhe yenziwe ibe-yiquba ngenxa yalokho,
12uNkulunkulu ohlalisé khona igama lakhe awise phansi onke amakhosi nabantu abayakwelula izandla zabo ukuba baguqule lokho, bachithe lendlu kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema. Mina-Dariyu ngikhiphé isimemezelo; masenziwe ngaso sonke isineke.
13Khona uThathenayi umbusi waphesheya koMfula*, noShethari-Bozenayi, nabangane babo benza kanjalo ngesineke sonke, ngokuba uDariyu inkosi wayethumele.
14Amalunga abaJuda ayesakha, abanempumelelo ngokuprofetha kukaHagayi umprofethi noZakariya indodana kaIdo. Akha, aqeda njengokwesiyalezo zikaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, nanjengokwesiyalezo sikaKoresi, noDariyu, noAritahishashita inkosi yasePheresiya.
15Yaqedwa leyondlu ngosuku lwesithathu lwenyanga ka-Adari ngomnyaka wesithupha wokubusa kukaDariyu inkosi.
16Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli, abapristi namaLevi nabanye abathunjwa, bagcina ukuhlanjululwa kwaleyondlu kaNkulunkulu ngokuthokoza.
17Banikela ekuhlanjululweni kwaleyondlu kaNkulunkulu ngezinkunzi eziyikhulu, nangezinqama ezingamakhulu amabili, nangamawundlu angamakhulu amane, kanye nezimpongo eziyishumi nambili zibe-ngumnikelo wokona ngoIsrayeli wonke njengokomumo wezizwe zakwaIsrayeli.
18Bamisa abapristi ngamaqembu abo namaLevi ngezigaba zawo ukuba baphathe inkonzo kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema njengokulotshiweyo encwadini kaMose.
19Abathunjwa bagcina iphasika ngolweshumi nane lwenyanga yokuqala.
20Ngokuba abapristi namaLevi babezihlambululile kanyekanye; bonke babehlambulukile; bahlabela bonke abathunjwa iphasika, nabafowabo abapristi, bazihlabela nabo uqobo lwabo.
21Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli ababebuyile ekuthunjweni, nabo bonke ababezahlukanisele kubo nokungcola kwabezizwe balelozwe ukuba bafune uJehova uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli badla;
22bagubha umkhosi wesinkwa esingenamvubelo izinsuku eziyisikhombisa ngokuthokoza, ngokuba uJehova wayebathokozisile, waguqulela inhliziyo yenkosi yaseAsiriya kubo ukuba kuqiniswe izandla zabo emsebenzini wendlu kaNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli.
