2 Esdras
3:1 Ngomnyaka wamashumi omathathu emva kokuwa komzi, ndaba seBhabheli
ndilele esililini sam, zasuka izicamango zam zathi tyaba entliziyweni yam.
3:2 Ngokuba ndikubonile ukuphanza kweZiyon, nobutyebi babemi bayo
eBhabhiloni.
3:3 Kwaye umoya wam waba buhlungu, kangangokuba ndaqalisa ukuthetha amazwi azele
ukoyika kOsenyangweni, wathi,
3:4 Wena Nkosi, wena ulawulayo, Owuthethe kwasekuqalekeni, Ekwenzeni kwakho oko
tyala umhlaba, ube wena wedwa, wabawisela umthetho abantu;
3:5 Wamnika uAdam umzimba ngaphandle komphefumlo, owawusetyenzwe nguwo
izandla zakho, waphefumlela kuye impefumlo yobomi;
waphila phambi kwakho.
3:6 Umngenise eParadisi, leyo sayityalayo isandla sakho sokunene;
ungekaveli umhlaba.
3:7 Wamwisela umthetho wokuba ayithande indlela yakho;
wona, waza wena wamisela ukufa kwangoko kuye nangokwakhe
izizukulwana, ekuphumeni kuzo iintlanga, nezizwe, nabantu, nezizwe
inani.
3:8 Kwaye bonke abantu bahamba ngokokuthanda kwabo, kwaye benza imisebenzi emangalisayo
phambi kwakho, wayidela imithetho yakho.
3:9 Kwaye kwakhona, emva kwexesha elithile, wazisa unogumbe phezu kwabo
bahlala ehlabathini, babatshabalalisa.
3:10 Kwathi ke kubo bonke ngabanye, njengokuba kwabanjalo ukufa kuAdam, kwaba njalo
umkhukula kwaba.
3:11 Washiya omnye kubo, uNowa nendlu yakhe;
ekuphumeni kuye onke amalungisa.
3:12 Kwathi, xa abo bemiyo phezu komhlaba baqala
banda, baba nabantwana abaninzi, baba ngabantu abaninzi;
baqala kwakhona ukungahloneli Thixo kunabokuqala.
3:13 Ke kaloku, bakuphila okubi phambi kwakho, wakunyula
umfo phakathi kwabo, ogama linguAbraham.
3:14 Lowo wamthanda, waza wabonisa kuye yedwa ukuthanda kwakho.
3:15 Wenza naye umnqophiso ongunaphakade, umthembisa ngokuba wena
wayengenakuze ayishiye imbewu yakhe.
3:16 Kwaye yena wamnika uIsake, yaye uIsake wamnika uYakobi
noEsawu. UYakobi uzinyulele wena, wambeka ngoEsawu;
waza ke uYakobi waba sisihlwele esikhulu.
3:17 Kwathi, ekuyikhupheni kwakho imbewu yakhe eYiputa, wena
wabanyusa, waya nabo entabeni yeSinayi.
3:18 Walithoba izulu, waliseka ihlabathi, walishukumisa lonke
Wazizamazamisa iindawo enzonzobila, Wawakhwankqisa abantu bakhona
ubudala.
3:19 Ubuqaqawuli bakho bangena ngamasango omane, umlilo, nenyikima, kunye
Zomoya, nengqele; ukuze uyinike umthetho imbewu
Yakobi, ukukhuthala kwisizukulwana sikaSirayeli.
3:20 ukanti akuyisusanga kubo intliziyo enobubi, ukuze ube ngumyalelo wakho
ukuze kuxakathe isiqhamo kubo.
3:21 Kuba owokuqala uAdam waba nentliziyo engendawo, wagqithisa
ukoyisa; babe njalo bonke abazelwe nguye.
3:22 Ngaloo ndlela ubulwelwe benziwa bahlala; kunye nomthetho (kwakhona) entliziyweni ye
abantu abanobubi bengcambu; bade bemka abalungileyo
bemka, abangendawo behleli.
3:23 Adlula ke amaxesha, yaphela iminyaka;
Wakuvelisela umkhonzi ogama linguDavide;
3:24 owawisa umthetho wokuba ulakhele umzi, wenze umnikelo
kuwe isiqhumiso neminikelo yokudla.
3:25 Kwakuba kusenzeka oko iminyaka emininzi, bawushiya loo mzi, bawushiya loo mzi
wena,
3:26 Wenza konke njengoko wenza ngako uAdam, nazo zonke izizukulwana zakhe;
kananjalo babenentliziyo embi.
3:27 Wawunikela umzi wakho esandleni seentshaba zakho.
3:28 Izenzo zabo na ke zilungile ngakubemi baseBhabheli, ukuba babe ngabo?
ngoko ke niyayilawula iZiyon?
3:29 Kuba xenikweni ndifikileyo, ndabona amatshijolo angenakubalwa, ndandule ke ukuwabona amanyala am
Umphefumlo wam ubone kubenzi bobubi abaninzi kulo mnyaka wamashumi omathathu, yaphela intliziyo yam
mna.
3:30 Ngokuba ndibonile ukuba ubavumela bona aboni, ukuba ubayeke abangendawo;
uya kubatshabalalisa abantu bakho, uzigcine iintshaba zakho;
kwaye awukhange ubonakalise.
3:31 Andisakhumbuli ukuba kushiywe njani na?
ngcono kunabaseZiyon?
3:32 Bakho na abanye abantu abakwaziyo, ingenguye uSirayeli? okanye yintoni
Isizukulwana siyakholwa ngokweminqophiso yakho njengoYakobi?
3:33 ukanti umvuzo wabo awubonakali, nokubulaleka kwabo akunasiqhamo
Ndithe ndisacanda ezintlangeni, ndazibona ziqukuqela
Ngobutyebi, Ungacingi ngemithetho yakho.
3:34 Khawubulinganise ke ngoku ububi bethu esikalini, kwanobabo nabo
abahleli ehlabathini; kanjalo igama lakho aliyi kufunyanwa ndawo ingekuko
Sirayeli.
3:35 Kunini apho abo bemiyo phezu komhlaba bengonanga?
umbono wakho? Ngoobani na abantu abayigcinileyo imithetho yakho?
3:36 Wofumana ukuba uSirayeli uzigcinile iziyalezo zakho; kodwa hayi
umhedeni.