1 Esdra
1:1 UJosiya wenzela iNkosi yakhe umkhosi wephasika eJerusalema.
banikela ngephasika ngosuku lweshumi nane lwenyanga yokuqala;
1:2 sebemise abapristi ngokwezigaba zabo zemihla ngemihla, bevunulile
ngezingubo ezinde, ethempelini leNkosi.
1:3 Wakhuluma kumaLevi, izikhonzi ezingcwele zakwa-Israyeli, ukuthi
bazingcwelise kuJehova, babeke umphongolo ongcwele weNkosi
endlini inkosi uSolomoni indodana kaDavide eyayakhile.
1:4 Wathi: "Ningabe nisawuthwala umphongolo emahlombe enu
ngalokho khonzani uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu, nikhonze abantu bakhe u-Israyeli;
futhi nginilungiselele ngokwemindeni yenu nezihlobo zenu,
1:5 Njengalokho uDavide inkosi yakwa-Israyeli emyalile, nanjengokusho kukaJehova
ubuhle bukaSolomoni indodana yakhe: futhi emi ethempelini ngokuvumelana
isithunzi semindeni yenu maLevi akhonzayo
phambi kwabafowenu abantwana bakwa-Israyeli,
1:6 Nikelani iphasika ngokulandelana, nilungisele imihlatshelo yenu
bazalwane, nigcine iphasika ngokomyalo weNkosi
INkosi eyanikwa uMose.
1:7 Futhi kubantu abatholakala lapho, uJosiya wanika abantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amathathu
amawundlu, nezinyane lembuzi, namathole ayizinkulungwane ezintathu;
isabelo senkosi, njengokuthembisa kwayo ebantwini, ebantwini
abapristi, namaLevi.
1:8 Futhi uHelkiya, uZakariya, noSiyelus, ababusi bethempeli,
abapristi bephasika izimvu eziyizinkulungwane ezimbili namakhulu ayisithupha, kanye
amathole angamakhulu amathathu.
1:9 noJekoniya, noShemaya, noNathanayeli umfowabo, no-Asabiya,
O-Okiyeli noJoramu, izinduna zezinkulungwane, banika amaLevi esikhundleni sikaJehova
iphasika izimvu eziyizinkulungwane ezinhlanu, namathole angamakhulu ayisikhombisa.
1:10 Kwathi seziphelile lezi zinto, abapristi namaLevi baba nebandla
isinkwa esingenamvubelo sasimi ngokubukeka okuhle ngokwemindeni.
1:11 Futhi ngokuvumelana nezithunzi eziningana zoyise, ngaphambi the
abantu, ukunikela eNkosini, njengokulotshiweyo encwadini kaMose: futhi
benze njalo ekuseni.
1:12 Bawosa iphasika emlilweni njengokufanele;
imihlatshelo, bayiphekela ezimbizeni zethusi nangezipani, ibe nephunga elimnandi;
1:13 Futhi wazibeka phambi kwabo bonke abantu, futhi kamuva balungiselela
bona kanye nabapristi abafowabo, amadodana ka-Aroni.
1:14 Abapristi banikela amanoni kwaze kwahlwa, amaLevi alungisa
bona, nabapristi, abafowabo, amadodana ka-Aroni.
1:15 Abahlabeleli abangcwele futhi, amadodana ka-Asafa, babe ngohlelo lwabo, ngokuvumelana
ekumisweni kukaDavide, okungu-Asafa, noZakariya, noJeduthuni
wayengoweqembu lenkosi.
1:16 Abalindisango babesemasangweni onke; kwakungavunyelwa muntu ukuthi ahambe
ezinkonzweni zakhe, ngokuba abafowabo amaLevi bazilungiselela
bona.
1:17 Ngakho zaziyizinto okwakungeyemihlatshelo yeNkosi
afezeke ngalolo suku ukuba benze iphasika;
1:18 Futhi ninikele imihlatshelo phezu kwe-altare leNkosi, ngokuvumelana
umyalo wenkosi uJosiya.
1:19 Ngakho abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ababekhona bagcina iphasika ngaleso
isikhathi, nomkhosi wesinkwa esimnandi izinsuku eziyisikhombisa.
1:20 Futhi iphasika elinjalo alizange ligcinwe kwa-Israyeli kusukela esikhathini somprofethi
Samuweli.
1:21 Yebo, wonke amakhosi akwa-Israyeli akazange enze iphasika elinjengalo uJosiya kanye
abapristi, namaLevi, nabaJuda babambelela kuye wonke u-Israyeli owayekhona
etholakala eJerusalema.
1:22 Ngomnyaka weshumi nesishiyagalombili wokubusa kukaJosiya leli phasika lenziwa.
1:23 Futhi imisebenzi noma uJosiya babeqotho phambi kweNkosi yakhe ngenhliziyo egcwele
lokumesaba uNkulunkulu.
1:24 Ngokuqondene nezinto ezenzeka ngesikhathi sakhe, zabhalwa
ezikhathini zangaphambili, mayelana labo abonileyo, futhi benza okubi phambi kwabo
INkosi ngaphezu kwabo bonke abantu nemibuso, nokuthi bamdabukisa kanjani
kakhulu, kangangokuthi amazwi kaJehova avukela u-Israyeli.
1:25 Kwathi emva kwazo zonke lezi zenzo zikaJosiya uFaro inkosi
inkosi yaseGibithe yafika ukulwa eKharikhami phezu koMfula; noJosiya
waphuma ukumelana naye.
1:26 Inkosi yaseGibhithe yathumela kuye, yathi: "Nginamsebenzi muni nawe?
O nkosi yakwaJuda?
1:27 Angizange ngithunywe evela eNkosini uNkulunkulu ngokumelene nawe; ngoba impi yami iphezu kwakho
Ewufrathe: manje uJehova unami, yebo, uJehova unami ngokushesha
suka kimi, ungamelani noJehova.
1:28 Nokho uJosiya akazange ajike inqola yakhe kuye, kodwa wathatha
nilwe naye, kungeyisikho okwakhulunywa ngumprofethi uJeremiya
umlomo weNkosi:
1:29 Kodwa wajoyina impi naye ethafeni laseMagido, futhi izikhulu zafika
ngokumelene nenkosi uJosiya.
" 1:30 Inkosi yathi ezincekwini zayo, "Ngikhiphe empini;
ngoba ngibuthakathaka kakhulu. Futhi masinyane izinceku zakhe zamsusa phakathi
impi.
1:31 Khona-ke wagibela enqoleni yakhe yesibili; nokubuyiselwa ku
IJerusalema yafa, yembelwa ethuneni likayise.
1:32 Kuyo yonke iJudiya bamlilela uJosiya, yebo, uJeremiya umprofethi.
zalilela uJosiya, lezikhulu zamadoda kanye nabesifazane zakhala isililo
kuye kuze kube namuhla: futhi lokhu kwanikelwa ukuba kube yisimiso
kwenziwa njalo esizweni sonke sakoIsrayeli.
1:33 Lezi zinto zilotshiwe encwadini yezindaba zamakhosi ase
uJuda, nakho konke uJosiya akwenzayo, nenkazimulo yakhe, neyakhe
ukuqonda emthethweni weNkosi, futhi izinto ayezenzile
ngaphambili, nezinto ezishiwo manje, zilotshiwe encwadini yeNkosi
amakhosi akwa-Israyeli naseJudiya.
1:34 Futhi abantu bathatha uJehowahazi, indodana kaJosiya, bambeka inkosi esikhundleni
kaJosiya uyise eneminyaka engamashumi amabili nantathu.
1:35 Futhi wabusa eJudiya naseJerusalema izinyanga ezintathu, futhi ngemva kwalokho inkosi
waseGibhithe wamsusa ekubuseni eJerusalema.
1:36 Futhi wabeka intela ezweni lamatalenta ayikhulu esiliva nelilodwa
ithalenta legolide.
1:37 Inkosi yaseGibithe yabeka inkosi uJowakimi umfowabo inkosi kwaJuda
eJerusalema.
1:38 Wabopha uJehoyakimi nezikhulu, kodwa uZarace umfowabo
wambamba, wamkhipha eGibithe.
1:39 UJehoyakimi wayeneminyaka engamashumi amabili nanhlanu lapho ebekwa inkosi ezweni
eJudiya naseJerusalema; wenza okubi phambi kukaJehova.
1:40 Ngakho, uNabukhadinezari, inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, wenyukela kuye, futhi
bambopha ngeketanga lethusi, bamyisa eBabele.
1:41 UNebukadinesari wathatha izitsha ezingcwele zeNkosi, futhi wathwala
wazisusa, wazibeka ethempelini lakhe eBhabhiloni.
1:42 Kodwa lezo zinto ezilotshwe ngaye, futhi ukungcola kwakhe kanye
zilotshiwe encwadini yezindaba zemihla ngemihla yamakhosi.
1:43 UJehoyakimi, indodana yakhe, waba ngukumkani esikhundleni sakhe;
ubudala;
1:44 Wabusa izinyanga ezintathu nezinsuku eziyishumi kuphela eJerusalema; futhi benza okubi
phambi kweNkosi.
1:45 Ngakho ngemva konyaka uNebukhadinezari wathumela futhi wabangela ukuba alethwe
IBhabhiloni kanye nezitsha ezingcwele zeNkosi;
1:46 Futhi wabeka uZedekiya inkosi yaseJudiya naseJerusalema, lapho eseneminyaka eyodwa futhi
iminyaka engamashumi amabili; wabusa iminyaka eyishumi nanye.
1:47 Wenza okubi futhi emehlweni kaJehova, futhi akazange amkhathalele
amazwi akhulunywa kuye ngomprofethi uJeremiya ngomlomo ka
iNkosi.
1:48 Futhi ngemva kwalokho inkosi uNebukhadinezari wamfungisa ngegama
uJehova wazifunga, wahlubuka; futhi eqinisa intamo yakhe, eyakhe
enhliziyweni, weqa imithetho kaJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.
1:49 Ababusi babantu nabapristi benza izinto eziningi
ngokumelene nemithetho, futhi wadlulisa konke ukungcola kwazo zonke izizwe, futhi
wangcolisa ithempeli likaJehova elalingcwelisiwe eJerusalema.
1:50 Nokho uNkulunkulu wawoyise wathumela ngesithunywa sakhe ukubabiza
wabuya, ngokuba wabasindisa kanye netabernakele lakhe.
1:51 Kodwa babenezithunywa zakhe usulu; bheka, lapho uJehova ekhuluma
kubo, bahlekisa ngabaprofethi bakhe;
1:52 Kuze kube manje, ukuthi, ethukuthelele abantu bakhe ngenxa enkulu yabo
ukungamesabi uNkulunkulu, wayala amakhosi amaKaledi ukuba ahlasele
bona;
1:53 Owabulala izinsizwa zabo ngenkemba, yebo, ngisho ngaphakathi komgwaqo
ithempeli labo elingcwele, futhi akazange ayeke insizwa noma incekukazi, ikhehla noma
umntwana, phakathi kwabo; ngoba wabanikela bonke ezandleni zabo.
1:54 Base bethatha zonke izitsha ezingcwele zeNkosi, ezinkulu nezincane.
nezitsha zomphongolo kaNkulunkulu, nengcebo yenkosi, kanye
wabathumbela eBhabhiloni.
1:55 Ngokuqondene indlu yeNkosi, bayishisa, futhi babhidliza izindonga
iJerusalema, wokhela imibhoshongo yalo;
1:56 Futhi mayelana izinto zalo ezikhazimulayo, abazange bayeke baze baqeda
wabachitha bonke, nabantu abangabulawanga nabo
inkemba wayiyisa eBabele.
1:57 owaba yizinceku zakhe nezabantwana bakhe, kwaze kwabusa amaPheresiya.
ukuze kugcwaliseke izwi leNkosi eyalikhuluma ngomlomo kaJeremiya.
1:58 Izwe laze lajabulela amasabatha alo, sonke isikhathi salo
liyakuhlala incithakalo, kuze kuphele iminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa.