UEZRA 6

₁Ngoko ke ukumkani wayalela ukuba kwenziwe uphando kumaxwebhu eembali awayegcinwe koovimba baseBhabheli. ₂Ke kaloku kwafumaneka umqulu komkhulu eAmeta kwiphondo lamaMedi. Kuwo ke kwakubhalwe kwathiwa:

“Isikhumbuzo:

₃“Kunyaka wokuqala kakumkani uKoreshi, ukumkani wawisa umyalelo mayela nendlu kaThixo eJerusalem, esithi:

“ ‘Indlu kaThixo mayivuswe, ukuze kuyo kunikelwe amadini. Iziseko zayo mazakhiwe. Mayibe ziimitha ezimashumi mabini anesixhenxe ukuphakama, neemitha ezimashumi mabini anesixhenxe ububanzi. ₄Mayibe nemiqolo emithathu yamatye amakhulu kunye nomqolo omnye wamaplanga. Iindleko zokuyakha ziza kuphuma koovimba bakomkhulu. ₅Izitya zegolide nezesiliva zendlu kaThixo leyo ezazithathwe ngukumkani uNebhukadenezare apho kuloo ndlu eJerusalem, weza nazo eBhabheli, mazibuyiselwe endaweni yazo kuloo ndlu iseJerusalem; maziye kubekwa endlwini kaThixo.

₆“ ‘Ngoko ke, wena Tatenayi, mlawuli wakwelentshona ye-Efrati, nawe Sheta-bhozenayi namahlakani enu, magosa elo phondo, rhoxani. ₇Musani ukuphazamisana nomsebenzi wokwakhiwa kwale ndlu kaThixo. Umlawuli wamaJuda namadoda amakhulu akwaJuda mabayakhe kwasesizeni sayo indlu kaThixo leyo. ₈Ngaphezu koko ke ndiwisa umyalelo wokuba loo madoda makhulu akwaJuda akha indlu kaThixo niwenzele ezi zinto:

“ ‘Inkcitho yala madoda ekwakheni mayihlawulwe ngokupheleleyo, ithathwe koovimba bakomkhulu, kwiingxowa zerhafu yalapho kwelentshona ye-Efrati, ukuze ungemi umsebenzi. ₉Nantoni na efunekayo – iinkunzana zeenkomo, iinkunzi zeegusha, amaxhwane angamaduna okwenzela uThixo wezulu amadini atshiswayo, ngokunjalo nengqolowa, ityuwa, iwayini, namafutha omnquma, ngokwesicelo sababingeleli apho eJerusalem – zonke ezi zinto mabazinikwe yonke imihla kungaphazanywa, ₁₀khon' ukuze babe nako ukumenzela amadini amkholisayo uThixo wezulu, bathandazele intlala-kahle kakumkani noonyana bakhe. ₁₁Kananjalo ke ndiwisa umyalelo wokuba nabani na owujikayo lo mthetho, ze kuncothulwe umqadi endlwini yakhe, axhonywe abethelelwe kuwo, ke yona indlu yakhe yenziwe indawo yangasese ngenxa yelo tyala. ₁₂Ke kaloku uThixo owamisa igama lakhe khona apho, ngamana wamkhiqa nawuphi na ukumkani naye nabani na ozama ukujika lo mthetho okanye ofuna ukutshabalalisa le ndlu kaThixo iseJerusalem.

“ ‘Ndim mna Dariyo owisa lo myalelo. Ngoko ke mawufezekiswe ngentumekelelo.’ ”

₁₃Ngoko ke ngenxa yaloo myalelo kakumkani uDariyo, uTatenayi umlawuli wakwelentshona ye-Efrati noSheta-bhozenayi kunye namahlakani abo bawufezekisa ngenyameko loo mthetho. ₁₄Ke amadoda amakhulu amaJuda aqhubela phambili ekwakheni, aba nenkqubela ephenjelelwa ziintshumayelo *zomshumayeli uHagayi noZakariya umzukulwana kaIdo. Bagqiba ke ukuyakha indlu leyo, ngokomyalelo kaThixo kaSirayeli ndawonye nemiyalelo kaKoreshi, uDariyo noAtashasta ookumkani basePeshiya. ₁₅Ke indlu kaThixo yagqitywa ngomhla wesithathu kwinyanga uAdare, ngonyaka wesithandathu wolawulo lukakumkani uDariyo.

₁₆Ke amaSirayeli, ababingeleli, abaLevi, nabo bonke ababuyileyo ekuthinjweni, benza itheko lokubhiyozela ukuvulwa kwendlu kaThixo, bonwabile. ₁₇Ekuvulweni kwendlu kaThixo banikela ngekhulu leenkunzi zeenkomo, amakhulu amabini eenkunzi zeegusha, amaxhwane angamaduna angamakhulu amane, ngokunjalo neshumi elinambini leebhokhwe ezingamaduna zedini lesono ngenxa kaSirayeli ephela – ibhokhwe enye kwindlu nganye kaSirayeli. ₁₈Bamisela ababingeleli ngokwezindlu zabo, nabaLevi ngokwamaqela abo, ukuze benze umsebenzi kaThixo eJerusalem, ngokomyalelo obhalwe kwincwadi kaMosis.

₁₉Ke kaloku ngomhla weshumi elinesine kwinyanga yokuqala abathinjwa ababuyileyo bayibhiyozela iPasika. ₂₀Ababingeleli kunye nabaLevi babezihlambulule befanelekile. AbaLevi babaxhelela ixhwane lePasika bonke abathinjwa ababuyileyo; ngokunjalo namawabo ababingeleli, nabo ngokwabo bazixhelela. ₂₁Ngoko ke onke amaSirayeli abuyileyo alitya, ndawonye nabo bonke ababezahlule kwimikhwa engcolileyo yeentlanga ababemelene nazo, ukuze bafune *uNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli. ₂₂Yaba ziintsuku ezisixhenxe belibhiyozela ngemihlali iTheko leSonka esingaNyuswanga. Kaloku uNdikhoyo wayebathe jize ngovuyo ngokuguqula iimbono zokumkani waseAsiriya, ukuze abancedise kumsebenzi wokwakhiwa kwendlu kaThixo, uThixo kaSirayeli.