U-Ezra 6

6 ¹Khona-ke iNkosi uDariyu yakhipha isimemezelo, kwenziwa ukuphenya endlini yemibhalo yaseBabiloni, lapho kwakugcinwa khona ingcebo. ²Kwatholakala umqulu e-Ekubathana, enqabeni esifundeni saseMediya, kubhalwe kuwo lo mbhalo:

³Ngonyaka wokuqala weNkosi uKhoresi, iNkosi uKhoresi yakhipha isimemezelo: indlu kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema mayakhiwe kabusha, ibe yindawo yeminikelo, izisekelo zayo zigcinwe, iphakeme ngamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye ezinyawo, ibanzi ngamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye ezinyawo, ⁴imigqa emithathu yamatshe amakhulu nomunye wezingodo; izindleko zikhokhwe kuvimba weNkosi. ⁵Futhi, buyiselani izitsha zegolide nezesiliva zendlu kaNkulunkulu uNebukhadinezari azithatha ethempelini laseJerusalema waziletha eBabiloni—zibuyiseleni ethempelini laseJerusalema, yileso naleso endaweni yaso, nizibeke endlini kaNkulunkulu.

⁶Manje-ke, Tathenayi mbusi wesifunda esiNgaphesheya koMfula, Shethari-bhozenayi, nani zikhulu enikanye nazo lapho—hlalani kude naleyo ndawo. ⁷Yekani umsebenzi wale ndlu kaNkulunkulu; umbusi wamaJuda namalunga amaJuda mabayakhe kabusha le ndlu kaNkulunkulu endaweni yayo. ⁸Ngiyakhipha lesi simemezelo ngalawa malunga amaJuda akha kabusha indlu kaNkulunkulu: izindleko zawo zonke zikhokhwe kuvimba wasebukhosini, entelweni yesifunda esiNgaphesheya koMfula, ukuze umsebenzi ungami. ⁹Nikani abapristi baseJerusalema noma yini abayidingayo nsuku zonke, ngaphandle kokusilela: amathole ezinkunzi, izinqama, amawundlu, kube yiminikelo yokushiswa kuNkulunkulu wasezulwini, nokolweni, usawoti, iwayini, namafutha, ¹⁰ukuze banikele imihlatshelo ethokozisa uNkulunkulu wasezulwini, futhi bakhulekele ukuphila kweNkosi nokwamadodana ayo. ¹¹Ngiphinde ngikhiphe lesi simemezelo: noma ngubani oguqula lesi simemezelo, kukhishwe ugongolo endlini yakhe, aphakanyiswe abethelwe kulo, nendlu yakhe yenziwe inqwaba yezibi ngenxa yalokho. ¹²UNkulunkulu owabeka igama lakhe lapho makachithe noma yiyiphi inkosi noma isizwe esiphakamisa isandla ukuguqula lo myalo noma ukubhubhisa le ndlu kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema. Mina Dariyu, ngiyawukhipha lo myalo—mawenziwe ngokushesha.

Indlu kaBaba Iqediwe

¹³Khona-ke uTathenayi, umbusi wesiNgaphesheya koMfula, uShethari-bhozenayi, nozakwabo benza khona kanjalo njengokuyala kweNkosi uDariyu, ngokushesha. ¹⁴Amalunga amaJuda aqhubeka ekha ephumelela ngesiprofetho sikaHagayi umprofethi noZakariya indodana ka-Ido. Aqeda ukwakha ngomyalo kaBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, nangesimemezelo sikaKhoresi, uDariyu, no-Aritahishashita inkosi yasePheresiya. ¹⁵Le ndlu yaqedwa ngolwesithathu lwenyanga ka-Adari, ngonyaka wesithupha wokubusa kweNkosi uDariyu. ^a a v15 U-Adari uyinyanga yokugcina yekhalenda lamaJuda, elingaba nguFebhuwari–Mashi.

¹⁶Khona-ke abantu bakwa-Israyeli—abapristi, amaLevi, nabanye babathunjiweyo ababebuyile—bagubha ukunikezelwa kwale ndlu kaBaba wethu ngenjabulo. ¹⁷Ekunikezelweni kwale ndlu kaBaba wethu banikela ngezinkunzi eziyikhulu, izinqama ezingu-200, amawundlu angu-400, nezimpongo eziyishumi nambili zibe ngumnikelo wesono wawo wonke u-Israyeli, inye ngesizwe ngasinye. ¹⁸Babeka abapristi ngezigaba zabo namaLevi ngezigaba zawo ukuba benze inkonzo kaBaba wethu eseJerusalema, njengokulotshiwe encwadini kaMose.

Abathunjiweyo Bagubha iPhasika

¹⁹Abathunjiweyo ababebuyile bagubha iPhasika ngosuku lweshumi nane lwenyanga yokuqala. ²⁰Abapristi namaLevi babezihlanzile ndawonye, bonke behlambulukile. Bahlaba iwundlu lePhasika ngenxa yabo bonke abathunjiweyo ababebuyile, nabafowabo abapristi, nabo ngokwabo. ²¹Abakwa-Israyeli ababebuyile ekuthunjweni balidla, kanye nabo bonke ababezihlukanisile nokungcola kwezizwe zalelo zwe ukuze bafune uBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. ²²Bagubha uMkhosi weSinkwa esingenaMvubelo izinsuku eziyisikhombisa ngenjabulo, ngokuba uBaba wethu wayebagcwalise ngenjabulo waphendulela inhliziyo yenkosi yase-Asiriya kubo, ukuze aqinise izandla zabo emsebenzini wendlu kaBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. ^b b v22 Inkosi yasePheresiya ibizwa ngokuthi “inkosi yase-Asiriya” ngoba iPheresiya yase ithathe uMbuso wakwa-Asiriya wasendulo.