U-Ezra 4

4 ¹Kwathi lapho izitha zakwaJuda nezakwaBhenjamini zizwa ukuthi ababuyi ekuthunjweni babakhela uBaba wethu ithempeli, ²zeza kuZerubhabheli nasezinhlokweni zemindeni, zathi: “Masakhe kanye nani—thina simfuna uNkulunkulu wenu njengani, futhi sesilokhu simhlabela imihlatshelo kusukela ezinsukwini zika-Esarihadoni inkosi yase-Asiriya, owasiletha lapha.”

³Kodwa uZerubhabheli, uJeshuwa, nezinye izinhloko zemindeni yakwa-Israyeli bathi kuzo: “Aninasabelo kanye nathi ekwakheni indlu kaBaba wethu. Thina sodwa siyakwakhela uBaba wethu, njengoba inkosi uKhurosi wasePheresiya yasiyala.”

⁴Khona-ke abantu bezwe baxegisa izandla zabantu bakwaJuda, bebesabisa ukuze bayeke ukwakha. ⁵Baqasha abeluleki ngemali ukuze basebenze ngokumelene nabo, bachithe icebo labo, kuwo wonke umbuso kaKhurosi inkosi yasePheresiya kuze kube sembusweni kaDariyu inkosi yasePheresiya. ⁶Ekuqaleni kombuso kaXerisesi, babhala isimangalo ngokumelene nezakhamuzi zakwaJuda nezaseJerusalema.

Incwadi Emelene Nabantu BakaBaba

⁷Ngesikhathi sombuso ka-Aritahishasita, uBishilamu, uMithredati, uThabheli, nozakwabo babhalela u-Aritahishasita inkosi yasePheresiya; incwadi yabhalwa ngombhalo wesi-Aramu yahunyushelwa olimini lwesi-Aramu. ⁸URehumi umphathi noShimishayi umbhali babhala incwadi emelene neJerusalema, beyibhalela inkosi u-Aritahishasita: ⁹URehumi umphathi, uShimishayi umbhali, nabanye bozakwabo—abehluleli, iziphathimandla, nabaphathi bezwe phezu kwabantu base-Ereki, abaseBhabhiloni, nabantu baseSusa (okungukuthi ama-Elamu), ¹⁰nezinye izizwe lezo u-Osinapari omkhulu nohloniphekile azithumba wazihlalisa emzini waseSamariya nakwenye ingxenye yesifundazwe esiNgaphesheya koMfula. ^a a v10 Isifundazwe esiNgaphesheya koMfula sasiyisifunda sasePheresiya entshonalanga yoMfula i-Ewufrathe, sihlanganisa iSiriya namazwe azungeze iJuda.

¹¹Lokhu kuyikhophi yencwadi eyathunyelwa kuye: Enkosini u-Aritahishasita, ivela ezincekwini zakho, abantu besifundazwe esiNgaphesheya koMfula. Manje-ke, ¹²inkosi mayazi: amaJuda akhuphuka evela kuwena eza kithi asefikile eJerusalema. Awakha kabusha lowo muzi ovukelayo nomubi, eqedela izindonga elungisa izisekelo. ¹³inkosi mayazi: uma lo muzi wakhiwa kabusha, izindonga zawo zaqedwa, ngeke besakhokha intela, imali yombuso, nokunye okukhokhwayo, futhi ingcebo yasebukhosini iyakulahlekelwa. ¹⁴Njengoba sithembele esigodlweni ukuze siphile, futhi kungafanele ukuba sibone inkosi idelelwa, sithumela izwi ukuze sazise inkosi, ^b b v14 Uku“dla usawoti wesigodlo” kwakusho ukusebenzela inkosi nokuboshelwa kuyo ngokwethembeka. ¹⁵ukuze kucwaningwe emibhalweni yokhokho bakho. Kuleyo mibhalo uyakufumana ukuthi lo muzi uyavukela, uyingozi emakhosini nasezifundazweni, uvusa uvukelo kusukela ezikhathini zasendulo—wabhujiswa ngenxa yalokho. ¹⁶Siyayazisa inkosi: uma lo muzi wakhiwa kabusha, izindonga zawo zaqedwa, ngeke usaba nasabelo eNgaphesheya koMfula.

¹⁷Inkosi yaphendula: KuRehumi umphathi, uShimishayi umbhali, nozakwabo abaseSamariya nakuyo yonke enye ingxenye yeNgaphesheya koMfula: Ngiyanibingelela. Manje-ke, ¹⁸incwadi eniyithumele kithi ifundiwe ngokuzwakalayo yahunyushwa kimi. ¹⁹Ngayala ukuba kucwaningwe, ngafumana ukuthi lo muzi kade uvukela amakhosi, uvusa umbhikisho novukelo. ²⁰Amakhosi anamandla ayebusa eJerusalema, ephethe yonke iNgaphesheya koMfula, ethola intela, imali yombuso, nokunye okukhokhwayo. ²¹Manje yala la madoda ukuba ayeke, ukuze lo muzi ungakhiwa kabusha ngize ngikuyale lokho. ²²Ningalunaki lolu daba. Kungani lolu songo kufanele lukhule lulimaze izinzuzo zamakhosi?

²³Kwathi lapho ikhophi yencwadi yenkosi u-Aritahishasita isifundiwe kuRehumi, kuShimishayi umbhali, nakuzakwabo, baphuthuma kumaJuda aseJerusalema babamisa ngenkani nangamandla. ²⁴Ngakho umsebenzi wendlu kaBaba wethu eJerusalema wema, wahlala umile, kwaze kwaba ngonyaka wesibili wombuso kaDariyu inkosi yasePheresiya.