U-EZRA 3
Ukuvuselelwa kokulotjhwa kwakaSomnini eJerusalema
1Kwathi lokha nakufika inyanga yekhomba, ama-Israyeli sele asemizini, abantu bahlangana njengomuntu oyedwa eJerusalema. 2UJetjhuwa umsa kaJotsadakhi nabafowabo ababaphristi kanye noZerubhabheli umsa kaTjheyaltiyeli nabafowabo, bazilungiselela ukwakha i-aldari lakaZimu wakwa-Israyeli kobana kunikelwe imihlabelo yokutjhiswa kilo njengombana kutlolwe emthethweni kaMosi umuntu kaZimu. 3Nanyana bebanevalo ngabantu ababazombelezileko, bakha i-aldarelo endawenalo, basungula ukunikela kuSomnini imihlabelo yokutjhiswa phezu kwalo. Kwaba mihlabelo yokutjhiswa ekuseni nantambama. 4Bagidinga umnyanya wemiTlhatlhana njengombana kubekiwe: imihla ngemihla banikela imihlabelo yokutjhiswa ukuya ngenani lesidingo samhlokho. 5Emva kwalokho baragela phambili ngokunikela imihlabelo yangemihla, imihlabelo yokuthwasa kwenyezi, imihlabelo yayo yoke iminyanya ekhethekileko kaSomnini kanye neminikelo yesihle ebeyithenjiswe uSomnini.
Ukubekwa kwesisekelo sethempeli
6Nanyana isisekelo sethempeli lakaSomnini besingakabekwa, ukusukela mhlokho basungula ukunikela imihlabelo yokutjhiswa kuSomnini ngelanga lokuthoma lenyanga yekhomba. 7Baqatjha abacozi bamatje nabafuleli bebabanikela ukudla nokuselwako. AmaTsidoni namaTirosi anikelwa amafutha we-oliva kobana alethe eJopha iingodo zomsedari weLibhanoni ezithayiswa ngelwandle. Lokhu kwenziwa ngegunya lakaKoretjhi ikosi yePheresiya.
8Emnyakeni wesibili ngemva kokufika kwabo ethempelini lakaZimu eJerusalema, enyangeni yesibili, uZerubhabheli umsa kaTjheyaltiyeli noJetjhuwa umsa kaJotsadakhi, bathoma umsebenzi. Lokho bakwenza ngokusekelwa baphristi okubafowabo, amaLevi nabo boke ebebabuya ekuthunjweni. Bathoma ngokubeka amaLevi aneminyaka ematjhumi amabili ukuya phezulu bona engamele umsebenzi wethempeli lakaSomnini. 9Nje-ke uJetjhuwa, amadodanakhe nabafowabo kanye noKhadimiyeli namadodanakhe, okuziinzukulwana zakaHodaviya, bebabambisene baqalene nomsebenzi wethempeli lakaZimu. Godu bebakanye namadodana kaRhenadadi, amadodanabo kanye nabafowabo, boke bamaLevi.
10Kwathi lokha abakhi nababeka isisekelo sethempeli lakaSomnini, abaphristi beza bembethe izambatho zabo baneemporompita, namaLevi okumadodana ka-Asafa eza neewahlo bona kuzokudunyiswa uSomnini njengombana kwayala uDavida ikosi yakwa-Israyeli. 11Badumisa begodu bathokoza uSomnini ngokukhalela ingoma yokuvumelana bathi:
“USomnini ulungile;
ukwethembeka kwakhe ku-Israyeli kujame isiphelani.”
Boke abantu barhuwelela khulu, badumisa uSomnini ngokubekwa kwesisekelo sethempeli lakhe. 12Abaphristi abanengi, amaLevi neenhloko zemindeni, okutjho woke amaqhegu agade abone ithempeli lokuthoma, arhahlawula lokha nakabona kubekwa isisekelo sethempeli phambi kwawo, kodwana abanye abanengi barhuwelela bahlokoma. 13Itjhadelo belilikhulu kangangobana abantu akhange bakwazi ukuhlukanisa bonyana ngelokujabula namkha ngelokulila. Iye, abantu barhuwelela khulu, itjhada labo lazwakala kude.
© Bible Society of South Africa 2012. Used with permission. All rights reserved.