2 Esdra
2:1 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngakhipha laba bantu ebugqilini, futhi nganikela
bona imilayo yami ngezinceku zabaprofethi; ababengabafuni
yizwa, kepha wadelela amasu ami.
2:2 Unina owawazalayo wathi kubo: Hambani, bantwana; okwe
ngingumfelokazi, ngishiyiwe;
2:3 Ngakukhuphula ngokujabula; kodwa nginomunyu nosizi
nilahlekelwe, ngokuba nonile phambi kukaJehova uNkulunkulu wenu, nenze lokho
into embi phambi kwakhe.
2:4 Kodwa manje ngizokwenzenjani kuwe? Ngingumfelokazi futhi ngishiyiwe: hamba yakho
indlela, bantwana bami, nicele umusa eNkosini.
2:5 Kepha mina, O baba, Ngibiza kuwe njengofakazi phezu kukanina
laba bantwana abangazange bagcine isivumelwano sami.
2:6 Ukuze ulethe kubo ukudideka, nonina ekuphangweni, ukuthi
kungase kungabikho nzalo kubo.
2:7 Mabahlakazeke phakathi kwabezizwe, amagama abo abekwe
emhlabeni, ngokuba badelele isivumelwano sami.
2:8 Maye kuwe, Mzingeli, wena ofihla abangalungile kuwe! O
nina bantu ababi, khumbulani engakwenzayo kulo iSodoma neGomora;
2:9 Omhlaba wabo ulele emagangeni ekolitayi nezinqwaba zomlotha;
ngiyakwenza kwabangangizwayo, isho iNkosi uJehova.
2:10 Itsho njalo iNkosi ku-Esdras: Tshela abantu bami ukuthi ngizobanika
umbuso waseJerusalema, ebengingawunika u-Israyeli.
2:11 Futhi ngizothatha inkazimulo yabo kimi, futhi ngibanike lezi okuphakade
amatabernakele engangibalungisele wona.
2:12 Bayakuba nomuthi wokuphila, kube ngamafutha enamakha amnandi; bona
ayiyikukhandleka, ingakhathali.
2:13 Hambani, futhi niyokwamukela: khuleka kuwe izinsuku ezimbalwa, ukuze babe
kufinyezwa: umbuso usulungiselwe nina: qaphelani.
2:14 Thatha izulu nomhlaba ukufakaza; ngoba ngiphahlaze ububi baba yizicucu.
wadala okuhle, ngokuba ngiyaphila,” usho uJehova.
2:15 Mama, wamukele abantwana bakho, futhi ukhulise kubo ngokujabula, wenze
izinyawo zabo ziqine njengensika, ngokuba ngikukhethile,” usho uJehova.
2:16 Futhi labo abafileyo ngizobavusa futhi ezindaweni zabo, futhi
bakhiphe emathuneni, ngokuba ngiyalazi igama lami kwa-Israyeli.
2:17 Ungesabi, wena mama wabantwana, ngoba ngikukhethile, kusho uJehova
Nkosi.
2:18 Ngosizo lwakho ngizothumela izinceku zami u-Esawu noJeremy, ngemva kwabo
ngingcwelisele iseluleko, ngakulungisela imithi eyishumi nambili ethwele
izithelo ezihlukahlukene,
2:19 Futhi njengoba eziningi imithombo egeleza ubisi nezinyosi, futhi eziyisikhombisa ezinamandla
izintaba, lapho kumila khona ama-roses neminduze, engiyoyigcwalisa
abantwana bakho ngokuthokoza.
2:20 Yenzani okulungile kumfelokazi, yahluleleni izintandane, niphe abampofu,
vikela intandane, gqokisa abanqunu.
2:21 Phulukisa abaphukile nababuthakathaka, ungahleki isinyonga siklolodelwe, sivikele abakhubazekile
ngigogekile, impumputhe mayize ebusweni bokucaca kwami.
2:22 Gcina abadala nabancane ngaphakathi kwezindonga zakho.
2:23 Nomaphi lapho uthola khona abafileyo, bathathe futhi bangcwabe, futhi ngizokwenza
ngikunike indawo yokuqala ekuvukeni kwami.
2:24 Hlala, O bantu bami, futhi uphumule, ngoba ukuthula kwakho namanje
woza.
2:25 Yondla abantwana bakho, wena mhlengikazi omuhle; baqinise izinyawo zabo.
2:26 Ngokuqondene izinceku engininike zona, akukho neyodwa kuzo
bhubha; ngoba ngizawabiza phakathi kwenani lakho.
2:27 Ungakhathali, ngokuba lapho kufika usuku losizi nolosizi, abanye
uyakukhala, udabuke, kepha wena uyakuba nenjabulo, ube nokuchichima.
2:28 Izizwe ziyoba nomona ngawe, kodwa ngeke bakwazi ukwenza lutho
ngokumelene nawe, kusho uJehova.
2:29 Izandla zami ziyosibekela, ukuze abantwana bakho bangaboni esihogweni.
2:30 Jabula, O mama, kanye nabantwana bakho; ngokuba ngiyakukukhulula,
isho iNkosi.
2:31 Khumbula abantwana bakho abalalayo, ngoba mina ngizabakhupha
emaceleni omhlaba, ube lesihawu kubo, ngoba ngilesihawu, kutsho
iNkosi uSomandla.
2:32 Banga abantwana bakho, ngize ngifike futhi ngibenzele umusa, ngoba imithombo yami
gijima, futhi umusa wami ngeke uphele.
2:33 Mina Esdras ngathola umyalo weNkosi entabeni yase-Orebe, ukuze ngi
kufanele aye ku-Israyeli; kodwa ngithe ngifika kubo, bangidelela;
futhi wadelela umyalo weNkosi.
2:34 Ngakho-ke ngithi kini, nina bezizwe, enizwayo niqonde.
bheka uMalusi wakho, uyakukunika ukuphumula okuphakade; ngoba yena
oseduze, oyofika ekupheleni kwezwe.
2:35 Lungelani umvuzo wombuso, ngokuba ukukhanya okuphakade kuyakuba
kukhanye phezu kwakho kuze kube phakade.
2:36 Balekani ithunzi lalelizwe, namukele intokozo yenkazimulo yenu: I
fakaza ngokusobala uMsindisi wami.
2:37 Yamukelani isipho eniphiwayo, nithokoze, nibonge
yena owaniholela embusweni wezulu.
2:38 Sukuma, ume, bheka, inombolo yalabo ababekwe uphawu
umkhosi kaJehova;
2:39 Abasukile emthunzini wezwe, futhi baye bathola
izingubo ezikhazimulayo zeNkosi.
2:40 Thatha inombolo yakho, O Sion, futhi uvale labo abembethe yakho
ezimhlophe, ezigcwalise umthetho weNkosi.
2:41 Isibalo sabantwana bakho, owawulangazelela, sigcwalisekile.
ncenga amandla eNkosi, ukuthi abantu bakho, ababiziweyo
kusukela ekuqaleni, lingangcweliswa.
2:42 Mina Esdras ngabona phezu kwentaba yaseSiyoni abantu abaningi, engingakwazi
inani, futhi bonke badumisa uJehova ngezingoma.
2:43 Futhi phakathi kwabo kwakukhona insizwa ephakeme, ende
kunabo bonke abanye, naphezu kwamakhanda abo onke wabeka imiqhele, futhi
waphakanyiswa kakhulu; engimangala ngakho kakhulu.
2:44 Ngayibuza ingelosi, ngathi: "Nkosi, ziyini lezi?"
2:45 Waphendula, wathi kimi: "Laba yibo abalahla ofayo."
izingubo, nembathe okungafi, bavume igama likaNkulunkulu;
manje sebethweswe umqhele, banikwa amasundu.
2:46 Ngase ngithi kuyo ingelosi: “Ngumuphi umfana obathwesa umqhele?
futhi ubanika izintende zezandla ezandleni zabo?
2:47 Ngakho waphendula wathi kimi: YiNdodana kaNkulunkulu, labo abanakho
kuvuma emhlabeni. Ngase ngiqala ukuncoma kakhulu ababemi
kalukhuni kanjalo ngenxa yegama leNkosi.
2:48 Khona-ke ingelosi yathi kimi: "Hamba, futhi utshele abantu bami ukuthi kunjani
wezinto, kanye nezimangaliso ezinkulu zeNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, ozibonile.