Ezra
3:1 Ithe yakufika inyanga yesixhenxe, babengena oonyana bakaSirayeli
imizi, abantu bahlanganisana njengamntu mnye
iYerusalem.
3:2 Wesuka wema uYeshuwa unyana kaYotsadaki, nabazalwana bakhe ababingeleli;
noZerubhabheli unyana kaShalatiyeli, nabazalwana bakhe, bayakha itempile
isibingelelo sikaThixo kaSirayeli, sokunyusa phezu kwaso amadini anyukayo, njengoko sinjalo
ebhalwe emthethweni kaMoses umfo wakwaThixo.
3:3 Basibeka phezu kwesiseko saso isibingelelo; ngokuba bekufikelwe luloyiko ngenxa yoko
abantu baloo mazwe, benyusa phezu kwaso amadini anyukayo
kuYehova amadini anyukayo akusasa nangokuhlwa.
3:4 Bawenza ke umthendeleko weminquba njengoko kubhaliweyo, kweziswa nedini elinyukayo
amadini anyukayo emihla ngemihla, ngenani, ngokwesiko, ngokwesiko;
umsebenzi wosuku ngalunye olufunekayo;
3:5 Emveni koko benza idini elinyukayo lamaxesha onke, elesibini elitsha
ngenyanga, namaxesha onke amisiweyo kaYehova, angcwalisiweyo, amisiweyo
kubo bonke abanikela ngokuqhutywa yintliziyo kuYehova.
3:6 Baqala ngomhla wokuqala wenyanga yesixhenxe, baqala banyusa amadini anyukayo;
iminikelo kuYehova. Isiseko setempile kaYehova
bekungeka bekwe.
3:7 Imali bayinika abaqingqi nabachweli; kunye nenyama,
nento eselwayo neoli kwabaseTsidon nakwabaseTire, ukuba bazise
imisedare esuka eLebhanon iye elwandle lwaseYopa ngokwesibonelelo
ababenazo zikaKoreshi ukumkani wasePersi.
3:8 Ke kaloku, ngomnyaka wesibini wokuza kwabo endlwini kaThixo
IYerusalem, ngenyanga yesibini, waqala uZerubhabheli, unyana kaShalatiyeli;
noYeshuwa unyana kaYotsadaki, namasalela abazalwana babo
ababingeleli, nabaLevi, nabo bonke abaphumayo ebandleni
ukuthinjwa ukuya eYerusalem; wamisa abaLevi, bethabathela kwiminyaka emashumi mabini
kumdala kuse phezulu, ukuba kugqitywe umsebenzi wendlu kaYehova.
3:9 Kwema uYeshuwa noonyana bakhe nabazalwana bakhe, uKademiyeli noonyana bakhe;
oonyana bakaYuda bebodwa, ukuba bavelele abenzi bomsebenzi endlwini ka
UThixo: oonyana bakaHenadade noonyana babo nabazalwana babo
abaLevi.
3:10 Ke kaloku, xa abakhi bayiseka itempile kaYehova.
babamisa ababingeleli, bevathe, benamaxilongo, nabaLevi
oonyana baka-Asafu benamacangci, bedumisa uYehova ngokwesiko
UDavide ukumkani wakwaSirayeli.
3:11 Baye ke ngokulandelelana bevuma, bedumisa, bebulela kuYehova
Yehova; ngokuba elungile, ngokuba ingunaphakade inceba yakhe kuSirayeli.
Baduma ke bonke abantu, bedumisa uYehova
Yehova, ngokuba isiseko sendlu kaYehova sabekwa.
3:12 Ke into eninzi yababingeleli, nabaLevi, neentloko zezindlu zooyise, ababekho
amadoda amakhulu, awayeyibonile indlu yokuqala, ekusekweni kwayo
indlu yabekwa phambi kwamehlo abo, yalila ngezwi elikhulu; kwaye abaninzi
badanduluka kakhulu ngovuyo.
3:13 Ngoko abantu ababa nakulahlula ilizwi lokuduma
nesandi sokulila kwabantu; ngokuba abantu babeduma ngomsindo
intswahla enkulu, kwaye ingxolo yavakala kude.