Ezra
4:1 Ke kaloku bakuva ababandezeli bakwaYuda nabakwaBhenjamin, oonyana
Abathinjwa bamakhela itempile uYehova, uThixo kaSirayeli;
4:2 Beza kuZerubhabheli, nakwiinkulu zezindlu zooyise, bathi;
bathi kubo, Masakhe nani; ngokuba sifuna uThixo wenu njengani; kwaye thina
ubingelela kuye kususela kwimihla kaEsar-hadon ukumkani waseAsiriya
wasinyusa apha.
4:3 noZerubhabheli, noYeshuwa, nezinye iintloko zezindlu zooyise
Wathi uSirayeli kubo, Anithe ni zakuthi ekwakheni indlu
kuThixo wethu; thina sodwa siya kwakhela uYehova uThixouThixo wakho
AmaSirayeli, njengoko wasiwisela umthetho ngako ukumkani uKoreshi, ukumkani wasePersi.
4:4 Abantu belizwe bamana bazenza buthathaka izandla zoonyana bakaYuda;
wabaphazamisa ekwakheni;
4:5 babaqeshela amagqwetha, ukuba alishitshise iqhinga labo bonke
imihla kaKoreshi ukumkani wasePersi, kwada kwezisa ebukumkanini bukaDariyo ukumkani wasePersi
iPersi.
4:6 Babhala nangexesha lobukumkani buka-Ahaswerosi, ekuqaleni kobukumkani bakhe
ukubekwa ityala kubemi bakwaYuda nabaseYerusalem.
4:7 Ngemihla ka-Artashashta kwabhala uBhishlam, noMitredati, noTabheheli, nokumkani.
abanye abalingane babo, baya kuArtashashta ukumkani wasePersi; kwaye i
incwadi yabhalwa ngesiAram, yaza yatolikwa
ngolwimi lwaseSiriya.
4:8 Babhala incwadi yokuchasa ooRehum umkhumbuzi wezinto zakomkhulu, noShimshayi umbhali
IYerusalem kuArtashashta ukumkani, ngolo hlobo:
4:9 Babhala ke ooRehum umkhumbuzi wezinto zakomkhulu, noShimshayi umbhali, nabanye
kubahlobo babo; namaDina, nama-Afarsati, namaTarpeli;
nama-Afarsi, nama-Arkevi, namaBhabheli, namaSusaki, namaKaledi
namaDehavi namaElam;
4:10 nezinye iintlanga, awazizisayo uAsnapper omkhulu obekekileyo
niwele, nihlale emizini yakwaSamari, nakwezinye ezikuyo
ecaleni komlambo, kwaye ngelo xesha.
4:11 Yiyo le ikopi yencwadi ababeyithumele kuye
uArtashashta ukumkani; Abakhonzi bakho, amadoda anganeno koMlambo, nangaphaya
ixesha elinjalo.
4:12 Makwazeke kukumkani, ukuba amaYuda anyukileyo eza kuthi, evela kuwe
beza eYerusalem, bewakha umzi ogwilikayo, ongendawo;
Wazimisa iindonga zayo, wadibanisa iziseko.
4:13 Makwazeke ngoku kukumkani, ukuba, ukuba lo mzi uthe wabuya wakhiwa
zimiswe iindonga, bangarholi irhafu, nasithabathaba, nasithabathaba;
ngoko ke uya kuyonakalisa ingeniso yokumkani.
4:14 Ngoku ngenxa yokuba besifumana ukutya kwebhotwe lokumkani, kwaye akuzange kube njalo
Kusifanele ukubona ihlazo lokumkani, ngoko ke sithumele kwaye
waqinisekisa ukumkani;
4:15 ukuze kuphandwe encwadini yemicimbi yooyihlo;
wowufumana encwadini yeembali, nazi ukuba lo mzi ngowabantu
umzi oneenkani, owenze ububi kookumkani namaphondo;
basusa isiphendu kwangelo xesha lakudala;
esi sixeko satshatyalaliswa.
4:16 Siyamazisa ukumkani, ukuba, xa uthe wakhiwa lo mzi, kwaneendonga zawo
misa ngayo, ngale ndlela akuyi kuba nasabelo kweli cala
umlambo.
4:17 Waza ukumkani wathumela impendulo kuRehum umkhumbuzi wezinto zakomkhulu, nakuShimshayi
umbhali nabanye abalingane babo abemi kwaSamari;
kwabanye phesheya koMlambo, uxolo, kube njalo.
4:18 Incwadi leyo, nayithumelayo kuthi, ilesiwe ngokucacileyo phambi kwam.
4:19 Ndiwise umthetho, kwaphicothwa, kwafunyanwa ukuba oko
Umzi kwakudala uvukele ookumkani kwakudala;
Kwenziwa ugwiliko nesiphendu apho.
4:20 Kananjalo bekukho ookumkani abanamandla eYerusalem, beyilawulayo
onke amazwe aphesheya komlambo; kwakuhlawulwa irhafu, unikelo, nesithabathaba
kubo.
4:21wisa umthetho wokuba abayeke la madoda, nalo mzi
awuyi kwakhiwa, ude ube wumbi umthetho ophuma kum.
4:22 Lumkani ke, ningasileli ukwenza oko; yini na ukuba kukhule umonakalo kuni
ukwenzakala kookumkani?
4:23 Yaleswa incwadi ka-Artashashta ukumkani, phambi koRehum
UShimshayi umbhali, nabalingane babo, benyuka baya ngobungxamo
iYerusalem kumaYuda, yawaphelisa ngenkani nangamandla.
4:24 Waza wema umsebenzi wendlu kaThixo eseYerusalem. Ngoko ke
Waphela, kwada kwaba ngumnyaka wesibini wobukumkani bukaDariyo ukumkani wasePersi.