Ezra
3:1 Kwathi inyanga yesikhombisa isifikile, abantwana bakoIsrayeli sebengenile
imizi, abantu babuthana njengomuntu munye
eJerusalema.
3:2 Kwase kusukuma uJeshuwa indodana kaJosadaki nabafowabo abapristi,
noZerubhabhele indodana kaSheyalitiyeli nabafowabo bakha ithempeli
i-altare likaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ukuba banikele iminikelo yokushiswa phezu kwalo njengoba kunjalo
kulotshiwe emthethweni kaMose umuntu kaNkulunkulu.
3:3 Balibeka i-altare phezu kwezisekelo zalo; ngoba ukwesaba kwakuphezu kwabo ngenxa
abantu balawo mazwe, banikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa phezu kwalo
kuJehova, iminikelo yokushiswa ekuseni nakusihlwa.
3:4 Bagcina futhi umkhosi wamadokodo, njengoba nje kulotshiwe, futhi iminikelo
iminikelo yokushiswa imihla ngemihla ngenani, njengomthetho, njengomnikelo wesono
umsebenzi wansuku zonke odingekayo;
3:5 Futhi kamuva wanikela umnikelo wokushiswa njalo, kokubili entsha
izinyanga, nayo yonke imikhosi emisiweyo kaJehova eyayingcwelisiwe, kanye
kubo bonke abanikela ngesihle kuJehova.
3:6 Kusukela ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yesikhombisa baqala ukunikela ngokushiswa
iminikelo kaJehova. Kodwa isisekelo sethempeli likaJehova
yayingakabekwa.
7 Banika abakhi nababazi imali; kanye nenyama,
nokuphuza namafutha kwabaseSidoni nakwabaseTire ukuba balethe
imisedari kusukela eLebanoni kuze kufike olwandle lwaseJopha, ngokuvumelana grant
ababenalo kuKoresi inkosi yasePheresiya.
3:8 Manje ngomnyaka wesibili wokufika kwabo endlini kaNkulunkulu
IJerusalema, ngenyanga yesibili, waqala uZerubabele indodana kaSheyalitiyeli,
noJeshuwa, indodana kaJosadaki, nensali yabafowabo
abapristi namaLevi, nabo bonke abaphuma ebandleni
ekuthunjelweni eJerusalema; wamisa amaLevi, kusukela eminyakeni engamashumi amabili
abadala nangaphezulu, ukuba baqondise umsebenzi wendlu kaJehova.
3:9 Khona-ke uJeshuwa namadodana akhe nabafowabo, uKadimiyeli namadodana akhe wema,
abantwana bakwaJuda, kanyekanye, ukuba baqondise izisebenzi zendlu ka
uNkulunkulu: amadodana kaHenadadi, namadodana awo nabafowabo
amaLevi.
3:10 Futhi lapho abakhi bebeka isisekelo sethempeli likaJehova.
bamisa abapristi bembethe izambatho zabo benamacilongo, namaLevi wona
amadodana ka-Asafa ephethe amasimbali ukudumisa uJehova ngokwesimiso
UDavide inkosi yakwa-Israyeli.
3:11 Bahlabelela kanyekanye, bedumisa, bebonga
NKOSI; ngokuba muhle, ngokuba umusa wakhe umi phakade ku-Israyeli.
Bonke abantu bakhamuluka ngokukhamuluka okukhulu bedumisa uJehova
Jehova, ngokuba isisekelo sendlu kaJehova sasibekiwe.
3:12 Kodwa abaningi abapristi namaLevi nezinhloko zawoyise, ababekhona
amadoda amadala, ayeyibonile indlu yokuqala, ekusekelweni kwayo
indlu yabekwa phambi kwamehlo abo, yakhala ngezwi elikhulu; futhi abaningi
wamemeza kakhulu ngenjabulo.
3:13 Ukuze abantu abakwazanga ukwahlukanisa umsindo ukumemeza kwenjabulo kusukela
umsindo wokukhala kwabantu, ngokuba abantu bakhamuluka nge
kumemeza kakhulu, umsindo wezwakala kude.