U-Ezra 1

1 ¹Ngonyaka wokuqala kaKoresi inkosi yasePheresiya, ukuze kugcwaliseke izwi likaBaba wethu elakhulunywa ngoJeremiya, uBaba wethu wavusa umoya kaKoresi inkosi yasePheresiya, kangangokuba wathumela isimemezelo kuwo wonke umbuso wakhe, wasibhala phansi, wathi:

²Usho kanje uKoresi inkosi yasePheresiya, uthi: “USimakade, uNkulunkulu wasezulwini, unginike yonke imibuso yomhlaba, futhi ungimisile ukuba ngimakhele indlu eJerusalema kwaJuda. ³Noma ngubani phakathi kwenu kubo bonke abantu bakhe—uNkulunkulu wakhe makabe naye—makenyukele eJerusalema kwaJuda, akhe kabusha indlu kaSimakade, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli; nguye uNkulunkulu oseJerusalema. ⁴Bonke abasindileyo, nomaphi lapho behlala khona, mabasizwe ngabantu bendawo yabo ngesiliva, ngegolide, ngempahla, nangezinkomo, kanye neminikelo yokuzithandela yendlu kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema.”

⁵Khona-ke izinhloko zemindeni yakwaJuda neyakwaBhenjamini, abapristi namaLevi—bonke labo uBaba wethu ayewuvuse umoya wabo—basuka ukuba benyuke bayokwakha kabusha indlu kaBaba wethu eJerusalema. ⁶Bonke omakhelwane babo babasekela ngezimpahla zesiliva nezegolide, ngempahla, ngezinkomo, nangezipho eziyigugu, ngaphandle kwakho konke okwanikelwa ngokuzithandela.

⁷INkosi uKoresi yaphinde yakhipha izimpahla zendlu kaBaba wethu uNebukadinezari ayezithathile eJerusalema wazibeka endlini yawonkulunkulu bakhe. ⁸UKoresi inkosi yasePheresiya wathuma uMithredati umphathi wesikhwama ukuba azikhiphe, wazibala, wazinika uSheshibazari isikhulu sakwaJuda. ⁹Lena yayiyinani lazo: imicengezi yegolide engama-30, imicengezi yesiliva eyi-1 000, iziqhumisi zempepho ezingama-29, ¹⁰izitsha zegolide ezingama-30, izitsha zesiliva ezahlukene ezingama-410, nezinye izimpahla eziyi-1 000. ¹¹Zonke izimpahla zegolide nezesiliva zaziyizi-5 400. USheshibazari wazenyusa zonke mhla abathunjwa benyuka besuka eBabiloni beya eJerusalema.