1 Esdras
3:1 Ke kaloku, akuba ngukumkani uDariyo, wabenzela isidlo esikhulu bonke abakhonzi bakhe.
nendlu yakhe yonke, nabathetheli bonke bamaMedi, namaMedi
iPersi,
3:2 nawo onke amabamba, nabathetheli, nabathetheli abaphantsi kwabo
yena, ukusuka eIndiya ukuya eKushe, kumaphondo alikhulu elinamanci mabini anesixhenxe.
3:3 Badla ke, basela, bahlutha, bagoduka.
Waza uDariyo ukumkani waya egumbini lakhe lokulala, walala
wavuswa.
3:4 Ke amadodana amathathu, agcina umzi wokumkani;
bathetha omnye komnye;
3:5 Elowo kuthi makathethe intetho elowo ngokwentetho yakhe; lowo weyisayo, ngokabani
Umgwebo wobonakala ulumkile kunezinye, ukumkani uya kuthi kuye
UDariyo wapha izipho ezikhulu, izinto ezinkulu eziluphawu loloyiso.
3:6 Wambatha ezimfusa, nokusela igolide, nokulala phezu kwegolide;
inqwelo yokulwa enemikhala yegolide, nomqukumbelo welinen ecikizekileyo, nelinen ecikizekileyo
ityathanga entanyeni yakhe.
3:7 Kwaye uya kuhlala ecaleni kukaDariyo ngenxa yobulumko bakhe, kwaye uya kuba
wabiza uDariyo umzala wakhe.
3:8 Kwaye ke ngamnye wabhala intetho yakhe, itywina, kwaye wayibeka phantsi kokumkani
uDariyo umqamelo;
3:9 bathi, xeshikweni ethe wavuka ukumkani, bomnika izibhalo;
oya kugweba ngakubani na ukumkani nabathetheli bobathathu bamaPersi
ukuba isigwebo sakhe sinobulumko;
wamiselwa.
3:10 Owokuqala wabhala wathi, Iwayini yeyona inamandla;
3:11 Nowesibini wabhala wathi, Ukumkani unamandla.
3:12 Owesithathu wabhala wathi, Abafazi banamandla, kodwa ngaphezu kweento zonke, inyaniso
kude uloyiso.
3:13 Uthe akuvuka ukumkani, bazithabatha iincwadi zabo, banikela
kuye, waza ke wawafunda.
3:14 Wathumela wabiza zonke iinkosana zamaPersi namaMedi namaMedi
namabamba, nabathetheli, namabamba, neentloko
amagosa;
3:15 Wamhlalisa phantsi etroneni yobukumkani; kwaye imibhalo yayinjalo
funda phambi kwabo.
3:16 Wathi ke, Babizeni abafana, baxele okwabo
izivakalisi. Babizwa ke, bangena.
3:17 Wathi kubo, Sixeleleni iingcamango zenu ngokuphathelele wona
imibhalo. Baqala ke abokuqala, ababethetha ngamandla ewayini;
3:18 Watsho ukuthi, Hayi, ukuba lukhuni kwewayini, madoda! ibangela zonke
abantu abaselayo bayalahlekiswa;
3:19 Ingqondo yokumkani neyenkedama iyinto yonke
Nye; yekhoboka nelokhululekileyo, kwihlwempu nakwisityebi;
3:20 Kwanazo zonke iingcinga zijika zibe luvuyo novuyo, ngokomntu
alukhumbuli lusizi natyala.
3:21 Kwaye yonke intliziyo butyebisa, ukuba umntu akakhumbuli ukumkani
okanye irhuluneli; kwaye lithetha izinto zonke ngeetalente;
3:22 bathi, bakubon' ukuba basezindebeni zabo, bakulibale ukuthanda kwabo izihlobo
bathi abazalwana, kuselithutyana, barhole amakrele;
3:23 Kodwa xa besele iwayini, abayikhumbuli into abayenzileyo.
3:24 Andithi na iwayini inamandla okunyathela oko? Kwaye nini
Watsho wathula.