UEZRA 4

₁Ke kaloku, bakuva ababandezeli bamaYuda nabamaBhenjamin, ukuba oonyana basemfudusweni bamakhela itempile uYehova uThixo wakwaSirayeli, ₂beza kuZerubhabheli, nakwiintloko zezindlu zooyise, bathi kubo, Masakhe nani, ngokuba siquqela uThixo wenu njengani; sibingelela kuye kususela kwimihla kaEsar-hadon, ukumkani waseAsiriya, owasinyusela apha. ₃Wathi uZerubhabheli, noYeshuwa, nabanye abaziintloko zezindlu zooyise bakwaSirayeli kubo, Ànithe ni nathi ekumakheleni uThixo wethu indlu; somakhela sedwa uYehova, uThixo wakwaSirayeli, njengoko wasiwisela umthetho ngako ukumkani onguKoreshi, ukumkani wasePersi.

₄Abantu belo zwe bamana ukubaphelisa amandla abantu bakwaYuda, beboyikisa ekwakheni; ₅bebaqeshela amagqwetha, ukuba alishitshise iqhinga labo, yonke imihla kaKoreshi ukumkani wasePersi, kwada kwezisa ebukumkanini bukaDariyo ukumkani wasePersi. ₆Nasebukumkanini buka-Ahaswerose, ekuqalekeni kobukumkani bakhe, babhala, bebancetheza abemi bakwaYuda nabaseYerusalem.

₇Nangemihla ka-Artashashta kwabhala uBhish-lam, noMitredati, noTabheli, nabanye abalingane babo, kuArtashashta ukumkani wasePersi; incwadi yabhalwa ngentetho yesiAram,• yakhunyushwa ngesiAram. ₈OoRehum umkhumbuzi wezinto zakomkhulu, noShimshayi umbhali, babhala incwadi ngeYerusalem kuArtashashta ukumkani, ngolu hlobo. ₉Bathumela ke ooRehum umkhumbuzi wezinto zakomkhulu, noShimshayi umbhali, nabanye abalingane babo bamaDina, nabama-Afarsateki, nabamaTarpela, nabama-Afarsi, nabama-Arki, nabamaBhabheli, nabamaShushanki, ₁₀nabamaDehavi, nabamaElam, nezinye izizwe, awazithimbayo uOsnapare omkhulu obekekileyo, wazibeka emzini wakwaSamari, nakweminye nganeno koMlambo,• nakwezinye iindawo. ₁₁Yiyo le incwadi abayithumela kuArtashashta ukumkani, ithi:

Abakhonzi bakho, amadoda anganeno koMlambo, njalonjalo. ₁₂Makwazeke kukumkani, ukuba amaYuda anyukileyo evela kuwe, afikile kuthi eYerusalem; ayawakha umzi ogwilikayo, ongendawo; ayazimisa iindonga zawo, ayazimbela iziseko. ₁₃Makwazeke ngoku kukumkani, ukuba óthi, xa uthe wakhiwa lo mzi, zafezwa neendonga zawo, angarholi rhafu nasithabathaba, nalunikelo, kude kuye kuxhwaleka ookumkani. ₁₄Kaloku, ngenxa enokuba sisidla ityuwa yasebhotwe, kwaye kungafanelekile kuthi ukubona ukumkani encitshiswa. Ngako oko siyathumela, ₁₅simazisa ukumkani, ukuze kuphicothwe encwadini yezikhumbuzo ezo zooyihlo, wazi ukuba lo mzi waba ngumzi ogwilikayo, owaxhwalekisa ookumkani namazwe, kwenziwa, isiphendu phakathi kwawo kwakudala, waba linxuwa lo mzi ngenxa yoko.

₁₆Siyamazisa ukumkani ukuba, xa uthe wakhiwa lo mzi, zafezwa neendonga zawo, wòthi ngenxa yelo thuba ungabi nasabelo wena nganeno koMlambo.

₁₇Waza ukumkani wabathumela impendulo ooRehum umkhumbuzi wezinto zakomkhulu, noShimshayi umbhali, nabanye abalingane babo abahleli kwaSamari, nabanye abanganeno koMlambo, wathi:

₁₈Uxolo, njalonjalo. Loo ncwadi nayithumelayo kuthi ilesiwe ngokucacileyo phambi kwam. ₁₉Ndiwisé umthetho, kwaphicothwa, kwafunyanwa ukuba lo mzi kwakudala uziphakamisile kookumkani, kwenziwa ugwiliko nesiphendu phakathi kwawo. ₂₀Kwabe kukho ookumkani abanamandla eYerusalem, nabanegunya kwilizwe lonke eliphesheya koMlambo apho; kunikelwa kubo irhafu, nesithabathaba, nonikelo. ₂₁Wisani ngoko umthetho wokuba abanjezelwe loo madoda, loo mzi ungakhiwa, kude kuwiswe umthetho ndim. ₂₂Lumkani, ningakhe le nto niyiyeke; kungani na ukuba kukhule ukonakala, baxhwaleke ookumkani?

₂₃Ithe yakuleswa incwadi ka-Artashashta ukumkani phambi koRehum, noShimshayi umbhali, nabalingane babo, basuka, beza ngobungxamo eYerusalem kumaYuda, bawanyanzela ngegunya nangamandla. ₂₄Waza wema umsebenzi wendlu kaThixo eseYerusalem; wema kwada kwaba ngumnyaka wesibini wobukumkani bukaDariyo, ukumkani wasePersi.