2 Esdras
2:1 Utsho uYehova ukuthi, Ndibakhuphile aba bantu ebukhobokeni, ndabanika
bona imithetho yam ngesandla sabakhonzi abaprofeti; abangavumanga
yivani, niwacekise amacebo am.
2:2 Athi kubo umama obazalayo, Hambani, bantwanana; ngenxa
Ndingumhlolokazi, ndishiywe.
2:3 Ndaninyusa ngovuyo; kodwa ndinesingqala, ndincwina
ngokuba nonile phambi koYehova uThixo wenu, nayenza loo nto
into embi phambi kwakhe.
2:4 Ndiya kuthini na ke ngoku kuwe? Ndingumhlolokazi, ndishiywe; hamba
indlela, bantwana bam, nicele inceba eNkosini.
2:5 Mna ke, bawo, ndibiza kuwe, ukuba ube lingqina likanina
aba bantwana bangawugcinanga umnqophiso wam;
2:6 ukuba ubadube, baphangwe unina;
kungabikho nzala kubo.
2:7 Mabachithakale phakathi kweentlanga;
uphuma emhlabeni, ngokuba bewucekisile umnqophiso wam.
2:8 Yeha ke wena, mziseli, wena ufihlela ubugqwetha! O
bantundini bangendawo, yikhumbuleni into endayenzayo kwiSodom neGomora;
2:9 abamhlaba wabo ulele kumagada etela neemfumba zothuthu;
Ndiya kwenza kwabo bangandivayo; itsho iNkosi uSomandla.
2:10 Utsho uYehova kuEzra ukuthi, Baxelele abantu bam, ukuba ndiya kubanika
ubukumkani baseYerusalem, endabunika uSirayeli.
2:11 Ndiya kubuthabathela kum uzuko lwabo, ndibanike obungunaphakade
iminquba endandibalungiselele yona.
2:12 Zoba nomthi wobomi, ube yioli enevumba elimnandi; bona
akayi kusebenza, okanye atyhafe.
2:13 Hambani ke, niya kwamkela; thandazani kuni iintsuku ezimbalwa, ukuze zibekho
bufutshane: ubukumkani sele bulungiselwe nina; qaphelani.
2:14 Lingqineni izulu nehlabathi; ngokuba ndibuqhekezile ububi;
wadala okulungileyo, ngokuba ndihleli nje, utsho uYehova.
2:15 Mama, bawole abantwana bakho, ubakhulise ngovuyo
iinyawo zabo zinjengentsika; ngokuba ndikunyule; utsho uYehova.
2:16 Kwaye abo abafileyo ndiya kubavusa kwiindawo zabo, yaye
bakhuphe emangcwabeni; ngokuba ndilazi igama lam kwaSirayeli.
2:17 Musa ukoyika, mama wabantwana, ngokuba ndikunyule; utsho uYehova
Nkosi.
2:18 Ngenxa yoncedo lwakho ndiya kuthumela abakhonzi bam uEsawu noYeremi, emva kwabo
ndingcwalise icebo, ndakulungisela imithi elishumi elinamibini ethwele
iintlobo ngeentlobo zeziqhamo,
2:19 nemithombo emininzi ebaleka amasi nobusi, nesixhenxe esinamandla
Iintaba, apho kuphuma iintyatyambo neenyibiba, endiya kuzalisa ngazo
abantwana bakho bevuya.
2:20 Yenzani ubulungisa kumhlolokazi, gwebani ngenkedama;
khusela inkedama, yambathisa ohamba ze;
2:21 Philisa owaphukileyo nobuthathaka, musa ukuhleka isiqhwala;
ndingumlwelwe, mayize ke imfama emehlweni am.
2:22 Ixhego nolutsha bagcine phakathi kweendonga zakho.
2:23 Apho ubafumana khona abafileyo, bathabathe, ubangcwabe;
ndikunike indawo yokuqala eluvukweni lwam.
2:24 Hlalani niphumle, bantu bam, niphumle;
yiza.
2:25 Bandle abantwana bakho, wena mdlezana olungileyo; zimise iinyawo zabo.
2:26 Ke abakhonzi endininike bona, akuyi kubakho namnye kubo
tshabalala; ngokuba ndiya kuwabiza kwanani lakho.
2:27 Musani ukudinwa; kuba xa ifika imini yembandezelo nesimbo
niya kulila nibe buhlungu, ke nina niya kuvuya ube nokuphuphuma;
2:28 Ziya kukumonela iintlanga, kodwa aziyi kwenza nto
nxamnye nawe, utsho uYehova.
2:29 Izandla zam ziya kukugubungela, Abantwana bakho bangaliboni elabafileyo.
2:30 Vuya, mama, nabantwana bakho; ngokuba ndiya kukuhlangula,
utsho uYehova.
2:31 Khumbula abantwana bakho abaleleyo, Ngokuba ndiya kubakhupha ezweni
Ehlabathini lonke, ube nenceba kubo; ngokuba ndinenceba, utsho
iNkosi uSomandla.
2:32 Bawo ngoonyana bakho ndide ndize ndibaconge, ngenxa yomthombo wam
baleka, kwaye ubabalo lwam aluyi kuphela.
2:33 Mna Ezra ndamkela umyalelo kaYehova entabeni yeOrebhe, ukuba ndihambe mna
ndifanele ukuya kwaSirayeli; ndathi ndakufika kubo, basuka bandenza into engento.
Wawudelela umyalelo kaYehova.
2:34 Kungoko ndithi kuni, nina zintlanga, nivayo, niqonde.
bhekani uMalusi wenu, uya kuniphumza ngonaphakade; ngokuba unguye
ekufuphi, eya kufika ekupheleni kwehlabathi.
2:35 Zilungiseleleni umvuzo wobukumkani, kuba ukukhanya okungunaphakade kuya kuba
ukhanyisele wena ngonaphakade.
2:36 Sabani esithunzini seli hlabathi, namkeleni uvuyo lozuko lwenu
ngqina ngokuphandle uMsindisi wam.
2:37 Namkele isipho esisiphiwayo, ube nemihlali, nibulela kuye
lowo wanikhokelela ebukumkanini bamazulu.
2:38 Suk’ ume, ume; ulikhangele inani labatywiniweyo batywinwe
umthendeleko kaYehova;
2:39 abathe bemkile emthunzini wehlabathi, baza bamkela
izambatho ezizukileyo zeNkosi.
2:40 Thabatha inani lakho, Ziyon, uvale iingubo zakho ezimbethe
ezimhlophe, ezizalisekisa umthetho weNkosi.
2:41 Lizalisekile inani labantwana bakho, obubalangazelela;
bongoza amandla eNkosi, ukuba abantu bakho ababiziweyo
ukusuka ekuqaleni, inokuba ngcwele.
2:42 UEzra ndabona entabeni yaseZiyon abantu abaninzi, endingenako
Bamdumisa uYehova ngeengoma.
2:43 Ke kaloku phakathi kwabo kwakukho umfana onesidima eside, enomde
nangaphezu kwabo bonke abanye, wabathwesa izithsaba elowo kwiintloko zabo
waye waphakama ngakumbi; endimangaliswe yiyo kakhulu.
2:44 Ndasibuza isithunywa eso, ndathi, Ziyintoni na ezi zinto, Nkosi?
2:45 Saphendula ke sathi kum, Aba ngabamlahlayo umntu ofayo
bambathe oko kungafiyo, balivuma igama likaThixo;
kungoku bathweswe isithsaba, bamkela amasundu.
2:46 Ndathi kwisithunywa eso, Ngubani na unyana othe wabathwesa?
Wabanika amasundu ezandleni zabo?
2:47 Waphendula ke wathi kum, NguNyana kaThixo, abanaye
wavuma emhlabeni. Ndaza ke ndabancoma kakhulu abo bemiyo
lilukhuni ngenxa yegama leNkosi.
2:48 Sathi kum isithunywa, Hamba uye kubaxelela abantu bakowethu ukuba yintoni na
nezinto ezinkulu, nezimangaliso zeNkosi uThixo wakho, ozibonileyo.