1EMVENI kwezizinto, ebukumkanini buka‐Aretashasheta ukumkani we‐Peresiya, u‐Ezera, unyana ka‐Seraya, unyana ka‐Hazariya, unyana ka‐Hilikiya, 2unyana ka‐Shalume, unyana ka‐Tsadoki, unyana ka‐Ahitube, 3unyana ka‐Amariya, unyana ka‐Hazariya, unyana ka‐Merayoti, 4unyana ka‐Zerahiya, unyana ka‐Huzi, unyana ka‐Buki, 5unyana ka‐Abishuha, unyana ka‐Finehasi, unyana ka‐Elezari, unyana ka‐Arone umperisite omkulu: 6u‐Ezera lo wenyuka e‐Babilone; waye yena engumba̔li okuteleyo emtetweni ka‐Mosesi, lowo wawunikayo uyehova, utixo wo‐Sirayeli: wati ukumkani wampa sonke isikungo sake, njengokuba isandla sikayehova, utixo wake, sibe sipezu kwake. 7Kwenyuka naye inxenye kulo usapo luka‐Sirayeli, nakubo abaperisite, naba‐Levi, nabaculi, nabalindimnyango, naba‐Netini, ukuya e‐Yerusaleme, ngowesixe̔nxe umnyaka ka‐Aretashasheta ukumkani. 8Wafika e‐Yerusaleme ngenyanga yesihlanu; ubungowesixenxe umnyaka wokumkani wona. 9Ngokuba ngowesinye umhla wenyanga yokuqala, bekuqalwa ukunyuka e‐Babilone, nangowesinye umhla wenyanga yesihlanu, wafika e‐Yerusaleme, njengokuba isandla esilungileyo sotixo wake sibe sipezu kwake. 10Ngokuba u‐Ezera ebebekisile intliziyo yake ukufuna umteto kayehova, nokuwenza, nokufundisa izimiselo nezigwebo kwa‐Sirayeli.
11Siso esi isiba̔lo sencwadi owati ukumkani u‐Aretashasheta wayinika ku‐Ezera umperisite, umba̔li; umba̔li wamazwi emiyalelo kayehova, nowezimiselo zake ko‐Sirayeli:
12U‐Aretashasheta, kumkani kakumkani, kuye u‐Ezera umperisite, umba̔li womteto katixo wezulu, ofezekileyo ngokwazi, — nokunjalo. 13Ndiyenza umteto, wokuba bonke abavumayo ebukumkanini bam, kubo abantu bakwa‐Sirayeli, nabaperisite babo, naba‐Levi, ukuya e‐Yerusaleme, bahambe nawe. 14Ngokokuba ususiwe ebusweni bokumkani namapakati ake asixe̔nxe, ukuya kubuza ngo‐Juda nange‐Yerusaleme, ngawo umteto katixo wako osesandleni sako; 15nokuyisa isilivere negolide, leyo ukumkani namapakati ake bayinikile ngokuvuma kuye utixo wo‐Sirayeli, ondawo yokuhlala ise‐Yerusaleme, 16nayo yonke isilivere negolide ongayifumanayo kulo lonke ilizwana le‐Babilone, kunye nomnikelo wesisa wabantu, nowabaperisite, abanikayo ngokuvuma ngenxa yendlu katixo wabo, ese‐Yerusaleme; 17ukuze uhle utenge ngalemali, inkomo, nenkunzi zegusha, nemvana, neminikelo yokudla yazo, neminikelo yokusela yazo, uzinikele pezu kwaso isibingelo sendlu katixo wenu, ese‐Yerusaleme. 18Noko okunga kulungile kuwe, nakubo abazalwana bako, ukwenza ngesisalela sesilivere negolide, nikwenze njengentando katixo wenu. 19Nempahla uzinikiweyo ngenxa yenkonzo yendlu katixo wako, zibuyisele pambi kwake utixo we‐Yerusaleme. 20Nokukumbi ikusweleyo indlu katixo wako, okuya kuwa kuwe ukukunika, kupa kona endlwini yendyebo yokumkani. 21Nam, mna Aretashasheta ukumkani, ndiyanika umteto kubo bonke abagcinindyebo abapesheya kwomlambo, wokuba konke okuya kubizwa kuni ngu‐Ezera umperisite, umba̔li womteto wake utixo wezulu, makwenziwe kona kamsinyane, 22kude kube likulu letalente zesilivere, nekulu lekore zenqolowa, nekulu lebate zeveyine, nekulu lebate zeoli, netyuwa ingenakubaliswa. 23Konke okuxelwayo ngutixo wezulu, makwenzelwe indlu katixo wezulu ngokukutala: ngokuba kunganina ukuba kubeko umsindo ngakubo ubukumkani bokumkani nonyana bake? 24Kanjalo siyanazisa nina, ukuba, bonke abaperisite naba‐Levi, abaculi, abalindimnyango, aba‐Netini, nabakonzi balendlu katixo, akuvunyelwa ukubeka pezu kwabo umnikelo, nokuqo̔la, nesitabataba. 25Nawe, Ezera! ngobulumko botixo wako, obusesandleni sako, misa amagosa nabagwebi, abangagwebayo bonke abantu abapesheya kwomlambo, bonke abayaziyo imiteto katixo wako; nabo bangayaziyo nibafundise. 26Nosukuba engayi kwenza ngomteto katixo wako, nangomteto wokumkani, makenzelwe ukugwetywa kamsinyane, nokuba kukokwokufa, nokuba kukokwokugxotwa, nokuba kukokwokuhlauliswa impahla, nokuba kukokwemibambo.
27Makabongwe uyehova, utixo wobawo betu, oyibekileyo into enje entliziyweni yokumkani, yokuba ayihombise indlu kayehova ese‐Yerusaleme; 28notobeleyo pezu kwam ububele pambi kwokumkani namapakati ake, napambi kwazo zonke inkosi zokumkani ezinamandla! Ndaza ndazomeleza, njengokuba isandla sikayehova, utixo wam, sibe sipezu kwam, ndahlanganisa abazintloko ko‐Sirayeli, ukuba benyuke nam.
