U-Ezra 3:1-13
3 Ama-Israyeli* ayesehlezi emadolobheni awo njalo inyanga yesikhombisa+ yathi iqala asuka ayabuthana eJerusalema elenhloso yinye.
2 UJeshuwa+ indodana kaJehozadakhi labanye abaphristi kanye loZerubhabheli+ indodana kaSheyalithiyeli+ labafowabo, basukuma bakha i-alithare likaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ukuze banikele kulo imihlatshelo yokutshiswa njengoba nje kwakulotshiwe eMthethweni kaMosi,+ umuntu kaNkulunkulu weqiniso.
3 Ngakho balimisa i-alithare lapho elalikhona kuqala lanxa babesesaba abantu bezizwe ezazingomakhelwane.+ Baqalisa ukunikela phezu kwalo imihlatshelo yokutshiswa eyayisiya kuJehova, imihlatshelo yokutshiswa+ eyekuseni leyantambama.
4 Benza loMkhosi Wezihonqo* belandela lokho okubhaliweyo,+ futhi nsuku zonke babenikela imihlatshelo yokutshiswa eyayifuneka usuku ngalunye.+
5 Ngemva kwalokho benza umnikelo wokutshiswa owawusenziwa zikhathi zonke+ leminikelo yokuthwasa kwenyanga+ leminikelo yayo yonke imikhosi kaJehova engcwele+ kanye leyomuntu wonke owayenikele ngokuzithandela+ kuJehova.
6 Kusukela mhlaka 1 ngenyanga yesikhombisa+ baqalisa ukunikela kuJehova imihlatshelo yokutshiswa lanxa isisekelo sethempeli likaJehova sasingakafakwa.
7 Bathatha imali bayinika ababazi bamatshe+ lababezingcitshi zomsebenzi.+ Basebethatha ukudla lokunathwayo kanye lamafutha banika abantu beSidoni labeThire, ukuze balethe izigodo zomsedari ngolwandle zisuka eLebhanoni zisiya eJopha.+ UKhoresi inkosi yasePhesiya+ nguye owayebanike imvumo yokwenza lokho.
8 Ngomnyaka wesibili bephendukile eJerusalema endlini kaNkulunkulu weqiniso, ngenyanga yesibili, uZerubhabheli indodana kaSheyalithiyeli, loJeshuwa indodana kaJehozadakhi, labo bonke abafowabo labaphristi lamaLevi bawuqalisa umsebenzi bekanye labantu bonke ababuya eJerusalema bevela ekuthunjweni.+ Babeka amaLevi ayeleminyaka engu-20 kusiya phezulu ukuthi akhangele umsebenzi wokwakha indlu kaJehova.
9 Ngakho uJeshuwa lamadodana akhe kanye labafowabo loKhadimiyeli lamadodana akhe, amadodana kaJuda, bahlangana ndawonye ukuze bakhangele labo ababesebenza endlini kaNkulunkulu weqiniso. Abanye ababelabo ngamadodana kaHenadadi+ lamadodana awo kanye labafowabo, amaLevi.
10 Ababesakha bathi sebesifakile isisekelo sethempeli likaJehova,+ abaphristi bagqoka izembatho zabo bathwala amacilongo,+ amaLevi amadodana ka-Asafi wona athwala amasimbali,* basebesukuma badumisa uJehova belandela imilayo kaDavida inkosi yako-Israyeli.+
11 Bonke baqalisa ukuhlabela beyivuma+ ingoma bedumisa njalo bebonga uJehova, “ngoba muhle futhi uthando lwakhe oluqotho ku-Israyeli luhlala kuze kube nini lanini.”+ Ngemva kwalokho abantu bonke bamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu bedumisa uJehova ngoba isisekelo sendlu kaJehova sasesifakiwe.
12 Inengi labaphristi lamaLevi labakhokheli bezimuli, amadoda amadala ayebone ithempeli lakuqala,+ athi ebona isisekelo sendlu le sisakhiwa akhala kakhulu, kwathi abanye abanengi babememeza kakhulu bethokoza.+
13 Abantu behluleka ukwehlukanisa umsindo wokukhala lomsindo wokuthaba, ngoba abantu babememeza kakhulu umsindo wabo waze wezwakala khatshana khonale.
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiHebheru, “Amadodana ako-Israyeli.”
^ Kumbe, “Wamadumba.”
^ Isimbali lichacho elichayileyo elenziwe ngensimbi. Likhaliswa ngokulitshayanisa lelinye.
