U-Ezra 5

5 ¹Khona-ke abaprofethi uHagayi noZakariya indodana ka-Ido baprofetha kumaJuda ayeseJuda naseJerusalema, egameni likaBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, owayephezu kwawo. ²Khona-ke uZerubabeli indodana kaShealtiyeli noJeshuwa indodana kaJozadaki basukuma baqala ukwakha kabusha indlu kaBaba wethu eJerusalema, abaprofethi bakaBaba wethu benabo, bebasekela.

³Khona-ke uThatenayi, umbusi wesifunda esiPhesheya koMfula, noShethari-bhozenayi, kanye nabasondelene nabo, beza babuza bathi: “Ngubani onigunyazileyo ukuba nakhe le ndlu niqede lesi sakhiwo?” ⁴Babuza futhi bathi: “Angobani amagama amadoda akha lesi sakhiwo?” ⁵Kodwa iso likaBaba wabo laligadile phezu kwamalunga amaJuda, ngakho akekho owabamisa kwaze kwafika lolu daba kuDariyu, kwabuya impendulo ebhaliweyo.

Incwadi Eya eNkosini uDariyu

⁶Ikhophi yencwadi uThatenayi, umbusi wesifunda esiPhesheya koMfula, noShethari-bhozenayi kanye nezikhulu ayekanye nazo zesifunda esiPhesheya koMfula, abayithumela eNkosini uDariyu. ⁷Bamthumela umbiko owawufundeka kanje: Enkosini uDariyu, ukuthula okupheleleyo.

⁸Yazi, nkosi: saya esifundeni sakwaJuda, endlini kaNkulunkulu omkhulu. Yakhiwa ngamatshe amakhulu, nezingodo zibekwa ezindongeni. Umsebenzi uqhubeka ngenkuthalo futhi uyachuma ezandleni zabo. ⁹Ngakho sabuza amalunga sathi: “Ngubani onigunyazileyo ukuba nakhe le ndlu niqede lesi sakhiwo?” ¹⁰Sabuza futhi amagama abo, ukuze sikwazise, nokuba sibhale phansi amagama abaholi. ¹¹Basiphendula bathi: “Thina siyizinceku zikaBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu wezulu nomhlaba, futhi sakha kabusha indlu eyakhiwa yaqedwa eminyakeni eminingi edlulileyo yinkosi enkulu yakwa-Israyeli. ¹²Kodwa ngenxa yokuthi okhokho bethu bamthukuthelisa uBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu wezulu, wabanikela kuNebukadinesari umBabiloni, inkosi yaseBabiloni, owayibhidliza le ndlu wathumbela abantu eBabiloni. ¹³Kodwa ngonyaka wokuqala kaKoresi inkosi yaseBabiloni, uKoresi inkosi wakhipha umyalo wokuba le ndlu kaBaba wethu yakhiwe kabusha. ¹⁴UKoresi inkosi waphinde wakhipha ethempelini laseBabiloni izitsha zegolide nezesiliva zendlu kaBaba wethu uNebukadinesari ayezithathe ethempelini laseJerusalema wazithwalela ethempelini laseBabiloni. Wazinika othile ogama lakhe linguSheshbazari, ayemmise ukuba abe ngumbusi, ¹⁵ethi kuye: ‘Thatha lezi zitsha, uhambe uzibeke ethempelini laseJerusalema, nendlu kaNkulunkulu yakhiwe kabusha endaweni yayo.’ ¹⁶Khona-ke lo Sheshbazari weza wabeka izisekelo zendlu kaBaba wethu eJerusalema; kusukela ngaleso sikhathi kuze kube manje iselokhu yakhiwa, ingakapheli.”

¹⁷Ngakho, uma inkosi ivuma, makwenziwe uphenyo ezincwadini zasebukhosini eBabiloni, ukuze kubonakale ukuthi iNkosi uKoresi yayala yini ukuba le ndlu kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema yakhiwe kabusha. Bese inkosi isithumela isinqumo sayo ngale ndaba.