2 Esdra
1:1 Incwadi yesibili yomprofethi u-Esdras, indodana kaSaraya, indodana ka
u-Azariya indodana kaHelikhiya indodana kaSadamiya indodana kaSadoki
indodana ka-Ahithubi,
1:2 indodana Ahiya, indodana Finehasi, indodana Heli, indodana
U-Amariya, indodana ka-Aziyi, indodana kaMarimoti, indodana ka
kuBoriti, indodana ka-Abishayi, indodana kaFinehasi, indodana ka
Eleazare,
1:3 Indodana ka-Aroni, wesizwe sakwaLevi; eyayithunjwe ezweni lase
amaMede, ekubuseni kuka-Aritahishashita inkosi yamaPheresiya.
1:4 Izwi likaJehova lafika kimi, lathi:
1:5 Hamba indlela yakho, futhi ubonise abantu bami izono zabo kanye nabantwana babo
ububi babo ababenze kimi; ukuze batshele
izingane zabo:
1:6 Ngoba izono zaboyise zandile kubo, ngoba baye
ungikhohliwe, nganikela iminikelo konkulunkulu bezizweni.
1:7 Angiyena yini mina owabakhipha ezweni laseGibhithe, kusukela
indlu yobugqila? kodwa bangithukuthelisile, badelela okwami
izeluleko.
1:8 Ngakho-ke susa izinwele zekhanda lakho, uphonsa konke okubi phezu kwazo.
ngokuba abawulalelanga umthetho wami, kepha bawukuhlubuka
abantu.
1:9 Kuyoze kube nini ngibabekezelele, phakathi kwabo engenze okuhle okungaka?
1:10 Ngibhubhise amakhosi amaningi ngenxa yabo; uFaro nezinceku zakhe
ngiwehlule wonke amandla akhe.
1:11 Zonke izizwe ngizichithile phambi kwabo, futhi ngiye ngasempumalanga
wahlakaza abantu bezifunda ezimbili, iTire neSidoni, wahlakaza
wabulala zonke izitha zabo.
1:12 Ngakho khuluma kubo, uthi: Itsho njalo iNkosi.
1:13 Ngakuhola phakathi kolwandle futhi ekuqaleni wakunika enkulu futhi ephephile
iphaseji; Ngakunika uMose abe ngumholi, no-Aroni abe ngumpristi.
1:14 Ngakunika ukukhanya ngensika yomlilo, futhi ngenzile izimangaliso ezinkulu
phakathi kwenu; nokho ningikhohliwe,” usho uJehova.
1:15 Itsho njalo iNkosi uSomandla: Izigwaca zazinjengophawu kini; Nginike
nina matende ukuze nilondeke; nokho nabubula lapho;
1:16 Futhi hhayi ngokunqoba egameni lami ukuze kubhujiswe izitha zenu, kodwa
nisakhonona kuze kube namuhla.
1:17 Ziphi izinzuzo engikwenzele zona? lapho ulambile futhi
womile ehlane, anikhalanga kimi na?
1:18 Bethi, Usingeniseleni kuleli hlane ukuba usibulale? kwaba nayo
Bekungcono kithi ukuba sikhonze abaseGibithe, kunokuba sifele kulokhu
ihlane.
1:19 Ngase ngihawukela ukulila kwenu, nganinika imana ukuba nidle; kanjalo nawe
wadla isinkwa sezingelosi.
1:20 Lapho nomile, angizange ngiqhekeze idwala, futhi amanzi aphuma.
ukuze ugcwalise? ngenxa yokushisa ngakumboza ngamaqabunga ezihlahla.
1:21 Nganihlukanisela izwe elithelayo, ngaxosha amaKhanani, ama
AmaPherezi namaFilisti phambi kwakho;
kwakho? isho iNkosi.
1:22 Isho kanje iNkosi uJehova, ithi: Lapho nisehlane, in the
umfula wama-Amori, womile, uhlambalaza igama lami;
1:23 Angininikanga umlilo ngenxa yenhlamba zenu, kodwa ngaphonsa umuthi emanzini.
futhi wenza umfula ube mnandi.
1:24 Ngizokwenzani kuwe, O Jakobe? wena Juda, awungilalelanga;
uyongiphendulela kwezinye izizwe, futhi kulabo ngiyobanika igama lami, lokho
bagcine izimiso zami.
1:25 Njengoba ningishiyile, nami ngiyonishiya; lapho ningifisa
ukuze ngibe nomusa kini, angiyikuba nesihawu kini.
1:26 Noma nini lapho nibiza kimi, ngeke nginizwe, ngoba nina
ningcolise izandla zenu ngegazi, nezinyawo zenu ziyashesha ukwenza
ukubulawa kwabantu.
1:27 Nina anizange njengoba ningishiyile, kodwa nina ngokwenu, isho iNkosi.
1:28 Itsho njalo iNkosi uSomandla: Angizange yini ngikhuleke kuwe njengoba uyise
amadodana, njengonina amadodakazi akhe, nomdlezane abantwana bakhe;
1:29 Ukuze nibe ngabantu bami, mina ngibe nguNkulunkulu wenu; ukuthi ungaba yikho
bantabami, mina ngibe nguyihlo?
1:30 Ngakubuthela ndawonye, njengesikhukhukazi sibuthela amatshwele aso ngaphansi kwaso
amaphiko: kepha manje ngiyakwenzani kuwe na? ngiyakunixosha esandleni sami
ubuso.
1:31 Lapho ninikela kimi, Mina ngiyobususa ubuso bami kini, ngoba solemnation yenu
imikhosi, nokuthwasa kwenyanga yenu, nokusoka kwenu, ngikushiyile.
1:32 Ngathumela kini izinceku zami abaprofethi, enibathathileyo nababulala.
ngidabule izidumbu zabo, igazi labo ngiyakulibiza kini
izandla, isho iNkosi.
1:33 Isho kanje iNkosi uJehova, ithi: Indlu yakho iyincithakalo, ngiyakukulahla
ngaphandle njengokungathi umoya ukhipha izinhlanga.
1:34 Futhi abantwana bakho ngeke bathele; ngoba badelile okwami
wayala, wenze okubi phambi kwami.
1:35 Izindlu zakho ngiyakuzinika abantu abazayo; abangenakho
ezwe ngami nokho bayakukholwa yimi; engingababonisi zibonakaliso namanje
bayakwenza lokho engibayale ngakho.
1:36 Abazange babone abaprofethi, kodwa bayobiza izono zabo
khumbula, futhi ubavume.
1:37 Ngithatha ukufakaza umusa abantu ozayo, abancane babo
thokozani ngentokozo, lanxa bengangibonanga ngamehlo enyama;
nokho emoyeni bayakukholwa lokho engikushoyo.
1:38 Manje, mfowethu, bheka inkazimulo engaka; futhi ubone abantu abavela
impumalanga:
1:39 Engizamnika bona babe ngabaholi, o-Abrahama, no-Isaka, noJakobe, no-Oseas,
u-Amose, noMika, noJoweli, no-Abidiya, noJonase,
1:40 uNahume, no-Abakuki, noSofoniya, no-Aggeus, noZakary, noMalaki,
wabiza futhi ngengelosi yeNkosi.