Ukufika kukaEzra eJerusalem
1Kamva ke, ngethuba lolawulo lukakumkani wasePeshiya uAtashasta, kwagaleleka uEzra, ephuma eBhabheli. UEzra lo wayengunyana kaSeraya, ka-Azariya, kaHilekiya, 2kaShalum, kaZadoki, ka-Ahitubhi, 3ka-Amariya, ka-Azariya, kaMerayoti, 4kaZeraya, kaUzi, kaBhuki, 5ka-Abhishuwa, kaPineyasi, kaElazare unyana wombingeleli omkhulu uAron. 6Ke yena uEzra lo owagalelekayo ephuma eBhabheli, wayengumchazi-mthetho ochubekileyo kwezomthetho kaMosis, mthetho lowo wakhutshwa *nguNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli. Ke kaloku ukumkani wayemnike konke awayekufuna, kuba isandla sikaNdikhoyo, uThixo wakhe, sasiphezu kwakhe. 7Ngonyaka wesixhenxe wolawulo lukakumkani uAtashasta kwabakho namanye amaSirayeli abuyela eJerusalem, phakathi kwawo kukho ababingeleli, abaLevi, iimvumi, abalindi-masango nezicaka zendlu kaThixo.
8UEzra wafika eJerusalem kwinyanga yesihlanu, kunyaka wesixhenxe, wolawulo lukakumkani uAtashasta. 9Kolu hambo lwakhe waphuma eBhabheli ngomhla wokuqala kwinyanga yokuqala, waza wagaleleka eJerusalem ngomhla wokuqala kwinyanga yesihlanu, kuba kaloku isandla esikulunga sikaThixo wakhe sasiphezu kwakhe. 10Kaloku uEzra wayezinikezele ekufundeni nasekuthobeleni umthetho kaNdikhoyo, ezimisele ukufundisa amaSirayeli yonke imimiselo nemiqathango yawo.
Ileta kakumkani eya kuEzra
11Nantsi ke ikopi yeleta eyanikwa uEzra ngukumkani uAtashasta. UEzra lo wayengumchazi-mthetho, umfo ofundileyo ngakwimibandela yemiyalelo nemimiselo *kaNdikhoyo awayinikela uSirayeli:
12“UAtashasta ukumkani wezikumkani, ubhalela umbingeleli uEzra, ongumchazi-mthetho kaThixo wezulu.
“Ndiyabhotisa.
13“Ngoku ndiwisa umyalelo wokuba onke amaSirayeli alapha kulo mbuso wam, afuna ukuya nawe eJerusalem, angahamba ndawonye nababingeleli nabaLevi. 14Wena uthunywa ngukumkani ndawonye nabacebisi bakhe abasixhenxe, ukuba uye kuqonda ngoJuda neJerusalem malunga nomthetho kaThixo wakho, lowo uwuphethe ngesandla. 15Ngaphezu koko ke thatha isiliva negolide engumnikelo wokuqhutywa yintliziyo kakumkani nabacebisi bakhe, abawunika uThixo kaSirayeli ondlu yakhe iseJerusalem. 16Uze uthathe nayo yonke isiliva negolide ongayifumanayo kweli phondo laseBhabheli, ndawonye neminikelo yabantu nababingeleli yokuqhutywa yintliziyo, besenzela indlu yoThixo wabo eseJerusalem. 17Ngale mali ke uze ungaphazami ukuthenga iinkunzi zeenkomo, iinkunzi zeegusha, namaxhwane angamaduna, kananjalo ufune nezinto zeminikelo yeenkozo naleyo ithululwayo, wenze ngazo amadini eqongeni lendlu yoThixo wakho eJerusalem.
18“Ngeseleyo ke isiliva negolide, ungadibana namawenu amaJuda nenze loo nto niyibona ifanelekile ngokwentando yoThixo wenu. 19Zonke izinto ozinikelweyo zonqulo kwindlu yoThixo wakho uze uzinikezele kuThixo waseJerusalem. 20Nantoni na eyenye efunekayo kwindlu yoThixo wakho leyo kufuneka uyikhuphile yophuma koovimba bakomkhulu.
21“Ke mna kumkani uAtashasta ndiwisa umyalelo wokuba yonke into efunwa ngumbingeleli uEzra, umchazi-mthetho kaThixo wezulu, ize iqwalaselwe ikhutshwe koovimba bakwelentshona ye-Efrati. 22Ewe, angánikwa kude kuye kuma kwisiliva ebunzima buziikhilogram ezingamawaka amathathu anamakhulu amane, nengqolowa ebunzima buziikhilogram ezilishumi lamawaka, namawaka amabini eelitha zewayini, namafutha omnquma aziilitha ezingamawaka amabini, ityuwa ke yona kangangoko ifunekayo. 23Nantoni na emiselwe indlu yakhe nguThixo wezulu mayiqwalaselwe ayenzelwe. Ngani ukuba umbuso kakumkani noonyana bakhe uyekelwe ngengqumbo? 24Kananjalo uze uqonde ukuba akunagunya lakubiza rhafu, mnikelo, namrhumo, kubabingeleli, abaLevi, iimvumi, abalindi-masango, nezicaka zendlu kaThixo, okanye nomnye umntu osebenza apho endlwini kaThixo.
25“Ke wena, Ezra, ngokobulumko onabo obuphiwe nguThixo wakho, misela oomantyi nabagwebi ukuze bajonge ucwangco kubo bonke abantu abalapho kwelentshona ye-Efrati – bonke abawaziyo umthetho woThixo wakho. Bonke ke abangawaziyo uze ubafundise. 26Wonke umntu ongawuthobeliyo umthetho woThixo wakho, makohlwaywe ngokubulawa, ukugxothwa, ukuhluthwa izinto anazo, okanye ke avalelwe entolongweni.”
27Makadunyiswe uNdikhoyo uThixo woobawo, yena wenza ukumkani wayihlonela ngale ndlela indlu kaNdikhoyo eJerusalem, 28nothe wandenza ndamkeleka kukumkani nabacebisi bakhe, nawo onke amaphakathi akhe aphambili. Ngenxa yokuba ke sasiphezu kwam isandla sikaNdikhoyo uThixo wam, ndatsho ndomelela ndaqokelela amadoda aphambili kwaSirayeli, sahamba kunye.
