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.