Kutfolakala kwemtsetfo waKhuresi
1Dariyusi, inkhosi, wakhipha umtsetfo wekuphenyisisa etindlini tekugcina imilandvo yebukhosi eBhabhulona. 2Kodvwa kwaze kwatfolakala incwadzi legocotiwe edolobheni lase-Ekbatana eveni laseMediya, lekwakubhalwe naku kuyo:
“Umbiko lobhaliwe wekukhumbula ingcikitsi yendzaba:
3“Ngemnyaka wekucala wekubusa kwenkhosi Khuresi, inkhosi yakhipha umtsetfo macondzana nelithempeli laNkulunkulu eJerusalema lowatsi: ‘Lithempeli alakhiwe kabusha, khona litewuba yindzawo yekwenta iminikelo, netisekelo talo atakhiwe. Lifanele libe ngemamitha langaba ngema-27 kuphakama, nemamitha langaba ngema-27 bubanti, 4libe nemigca lemitsatfu yematje lamakhulu, ube munye wetingodvo. Tindleko takhona tiyawukhokhelwa sikhwama sebukhosi. 5Lokunye, timphahla tegolide netesiliva tendlu yaNkulunkulu, letatitsetfwe nguNebukhadnezari ethempelini eJerusalema watimikisa eBhabhulona, kufanele tincandzekiswe tibuyiselwe etindzaweni tato ethempelini eJerusalema, tibekwe endlini yaNkulunkulu.’ ”
Dariyusi ukhipha umtsetfo kutsi umsebenti uchubeke
6Dariyusi wabe sewubhala incwadzi leyayiyimphendvulo, watsi:
“KuThathenayi, umbusi waseNshonalanga Yufrathe, naShethari Boznayi, kanye netiphatsimandla talelo live.
“Sukani lapho ethempelini. 7Ningacali niphazamise umsebenti welithempeli laNkulunkulu. Yekelani umbusi wemaJuda kanye nebaholi bemaJuda bachubeke nekuyakha kabusha lendlu yaNkulunkulu kuleyo ndzawo yayo.
8“Ngetulu kwaloko ngishaya umtsetfo kutsi nibasite labo baholi bemaJuda ekwakheni lendlu yaNkulunkulu.
“Tindleko talamadvodza titawukhokhelwa ngalokugcwele esikhwameni sebukhosi, semtselo lophuma eNshonalanga Yufrathe, khona lomsebenti ungetiwuma. 9Konkhe lokudzingekako, tinkunzana, netihhanca, nemazinyane etimvu lamadvuna emnikelo wekushiswa kuNkulunkulu wasezulwini, nakolo, neluswayi, neliwayini, nemafutsa, njengobe kucele baphristi eJerusalema, kufanele kunikelwe onkhe emalanga kungapholoti, 10khona batewunikela imihlatjelo lejabulisako kuNkulunkulu wasezulwini, kuthandazelwe inkhosi nemadvodzana ayo kutsi konkhe kubahambele kahle.
11“Ngetulu kwaloko ngishaya umtsetfo kutsi lowo loyakuwugucula lomtsetfo kuyawufutwa likabha endlini yakhe, licijwe nganhlanye bese ugwazwa ngalo. Indlu yakhe shangatsi ingentiwa ibe yincumbi yemfucuta. 12Shangatsi Nkulunkulu, lowente kutsi Libito lakhe lihlale lapho, angacitsa nome nguyiphi inkhosi nome sive lesiphakamisa sandla sekugucula lomtsetfo nome sekubhubhisa lelithempeli leliseJerusalema.
“Ngimi Dariyusi lokhiphe lomtsetfo. Kufanele wentiwe ngenkhutsalo yonkhe.”
Kunikelwa kwelithempeli
13Ngenca yalomtsetfo lowase ukhishwe nguDariyusi, inkhosi, boThathenayi, umbusi waseNshonalanga Yufrathe, naShethari Boznayi kanye nebangani babo, bachubeka nekuwugcina. 14Ngako baholi bemaJuda bachubeka nekwakha nekunotsa, bashunyayelwa nguHagayi, umphrofethi, kanye naZakhariya wesitukulwane sa-Ido. Lithempeli bacedza kulakha ngekwemyalo waNkulunkulu wema-Israyeli nangekulandzela imitsetfo leyayishaywe nguKhuresi, naDariyusi, kanye na-Athazeksesi, emakhosi asePheresiya. 15Lithempeli lacedvwa ngelilanga lesitsatfu enyangeni ya-Adari, ngemnyaka wesitfupha ekubuseni kwaDariyusi, inkhosi.
16Bantfu baka-Israyeli, baphristi nemaLevi kanye nabo bonkhe lababetfunjiwe, bagubha umkhosi wekuvula indlu yaNkulunkulu ngekujabula. 17Ekuvulweni kwalendlu banikela ngetinkunzi letilikhulu, nangetihhanca letingema-200, nangemazinyane etimvu langema-400. Banikela nangetiphongo letili-12, kutsi tibe ngumnikelo wesono, nguleso naleso simele sinye sive sema-Israyeli. 18Babeka baphristi ngabolonina, babeka nemaLevi ngetigaba tawo, balungiselelwa kukhonta Nkulunkulu eJerusalema, macondzana naloko lokwakubhalwe encwadzini yemtsetfo waMosi.
LiPhasika
19Ngelilanga leli-14 enyangeni yekucala, labatfunjwa bagubha umkhosi weliPhasika. 20Baphristi nemaLevi base batihlambululile, sebahlanteke bonkhe ngekwemtsetfo. EmaLevi ahlaba lizinyane leliPhasika alihlabela bonkhe batfunjwa, nabomnakabo baphristi, atihlabela nawo. 21Ngako ema-Israyeli labebuye ekutfunjweni alidla, akanye nabo bonkhe lababetehlukanisele batigcina bangete benta tintfo letingcolile letatentiwa ngulaba betive lababebomakhelwane babo, khona batewufunisisa Simakadze, Nkulunkulu wema-Israyeli. 22Batsatsa emalanga lasikhombisa bagubha uMkhosi weSinkhwa Lesingenambiliso, ngobe Simakadze abebajabulisile ngekugucula simo senkhosi yase-Asiriya, yaze yabasita ekwakheni indlu yaSimakadze, Nkulunkulu wema-Israyeli.
