I-altare likaBaba wethu Liphinde Livuke
Ngaphambi kokuba kume ithempeli, abantu ababuyile bakha kabusha i-altare likaBaba wethu ezisekelweni zalo zakudala — besaba abantu ababazungezile — futhi baqala kabusha iminikelo yansuku zonke. Lapho isisekelo sibekwa, amaxhegu akhumbula indlu yokuqala akhala kakhulu njengoba abanye bememeza.
3 1Ngenyanga yesikhombisa, ama-Israyeli esehlala emizini yawo, abantu babuthana baba munye eJerusalema. 2Khona-ke uJeshuwa indodana kaJosadaki nabapristi ayekanye nabo, noZerubabeli indodana kaSheyalitiyeli nabasekeli bakhe, basukuma bakha i-altare likaBaba wethu, ukuze banikele kulo iminikelo yokushiswa, njengoba kulotshiwe eMthethweni kaMose, umuntu kaBaba wethu. 3Bamisa i-altare ezisekelweni zalo, besaba izizwe ezaziwazungeza, banikela kuBaba wethu iminikelo yokushiswa kulo ekuseni nakusihlwa. 4Bagcina uMkhosi wamaDokodo njengoba kwakulotshiwe, neminikelo yokushiswa yemihla ngemihla ngenani elalifanele usuku ngalunye. 5Emva kwalokho, banikela iminikelo yokushiswa evamile, neminikelo yokwethwasa kwenyanga, nayo yonke imikhosi engcwele kaBaba wethu, nezipho zalowo nalowo owaletha umnikelo wokuzithandela kuBaba wethu. 6Kusukela osukwini lokuqala lwenyanga yesikhombisa, baqala ukunikela iminikelo yokushiswa kuBaba wethu, nakuba isisekelo sethempeli likaBaba wethu sasingakabekwa. 7Bakhokhela ababazi bamatshe nababazi bezingodo, banika abaseSidoni nabaseTire ukudla, nophuzo, namafutha, ukuze balethe izingodo zomsedari zivela eLebhanoni ngolwandle ziye eJopha, njengoba uKoresi inkosi yasePheresiya ayebavumele.
Indlu kaBaba wethu Iqala Ukwakhiwa
8Ngenyanga yesibili yonyaka wesibili emva kokufika kwabo endlini kaBaba wethu eJerusalema, uZerubabeli indodana kaSheyalitiyeli noJeshuwa indodana kaJosadaki baqala umsebenzi, kanye nabanye babantu bakubo—abapristi, namaLevi, nabo bonke ababephindele eJerusalema bevela ekuthunjweni. Bamisa amaLevi aneminyaka engamashumi amabili nangaphezulu ukuba abhekele umsebenzi wendlu kaBaba wethu. 9Khona-ke uJeshuwa, namadodana akhe nabafowabo, noKadimiyeli namadodana akhe, amadodana akwaJuda, bahlangana ndawonye ukuba babhekele labo ababesebenza endlini kaBaba wethu—kanye namadodana kaHenadadi, namadodana abo nabafowabo, amaLevi.
10Kwathi lapho abakhi bebeka isisekelo sethempeli likaBaba wethu, abapristi begqoke izingubo bema namacilongo, namaLevi, amadodana ka-Asafi, nama-amasimbali, ukuze badumise uBaba wethu njengoba uDavide inkosi yakwa-Israyeli ayeyalile. 11Bahlabelela bephendulana, bedumisa bebonga uBaba wethu: “Ulungile; uthando lwakhe oluthembekile kwa-Israyeli lumi phakade.” Bonke abantu bamemeza ngokudumisa kakhulu, ngokuba isisekelo sendlu kaBaba wethu sase sibekiwe.
12Abapristi abaningi asebekhulile, namaLevi, nezinhloko zemindeni ababeyibonile indlu yokuqala bakhala kakhulu lapho isisekelo sale ndlu sibekwa phambi kwamehlo abo, kuyilapho abanye abaningi bememeza ngenjabulo. 13Kwakungekho owayengahlukanisa phakathi kokumemeza kwenjabulo nokukhala, ngoba abantu babememeza kakhulu kangangokuba kwezwakala kude.
