ABANTU abangamawaka bahamba uhambo olude ukusuka eBhabhiloni ukuya eYerusalem. Kodwa ekufikeni kwabo, iYerusalem ilinxuwa nje elikhulu. Akukho mntu uhlala apho. AmaSirayeli kufuneka eqale phantsi ukwakha yonke into.

Enye yezinto zokuqala azakhayo sisibingelelo. Le yindawo enzela kuyo amadini ezilwanyana, okanye izipho, kuYehova. Iinyanga ezimbalwa kamva amaSirayeli aqalisa ukwakha itempile. Kodwa iintshaba ezihlala kumazwe akufutshane azifuni amaSirayeli ayakhe. Ngoko zizama ukuwoyikisa ukuze ayeke. Ekugqibeleni, ezi ntshaba zibangela ukumkani omtsha wasePersi enze umthetho wokuyekisa umsebenzi wokwakha.

Kuqengqeleka iminyaka. Ngoku li-17 leminyaka okokoko amaSirayeli abuyayo eBhabhiloni. UYehova uthumela abaprofeti bakhe uHagayi noZekariya ukuxelela abantu ukuba baqalise ukwakha kwakhona. Abantu bathembela kuncedo lukaThixo, baze babathobele abaprofeti. Baqalisa ukwakha kwakhona, nakubeni umthetho usithi akufuneki bakhe.

Umthetheli omgumPersi ogama linguTatenayi uyeza aze awabuze amaSirayeli ukuba analo na ilungelo lokwakha itempile. AmaSirayeli ayamxelela ukuba xa ayeseBhabhiloni, uKumkani uKoreshi wathi kuwo: ‘Hambani ngoku niye eYerusalem nize nakhe itempile kaYehova, uThixo wenu.’

UTatenayi uthumela ileta eBhabhiloni aze abuze enoba uKoreshi, ofileyo ngoku, watsho ngokwenene kusini na. Kungekudala iyabuya ileta ivela kukumkani omtsha wasePersi. Ithi okunene uKoreshi watsho. Yaye kule leta ukumkani uthi: ‘Wavumeleni amaSirayeli akhe itempile yoThixo wawo. Yaye ndiniwisela umthetho wokuba niwancedise.’ Malunga neminyaka emine itempile sele igqityiwe yaye amaSirayeli avuya gqitha.

Kudlula eminye iminyaka emininzi. Ngoku phantse kuyiminyaka engama-48 okokoko itempile yagqitywayo. Abantu eYerusalem bahlwempuzekile, yaye isixeko kwanetempile kaThixo azikhangeleki zintle. Emva eBhabhiloni, umSirayeli onguEzra uva ngemfuneko yokulungisa itempile kaThixo. Ngaba uyazi ukuba wenza ntoni?

UEzra ubonana noArtashashta, ukumkani wasePersi, yaye lo kumkani ulungileyo unika uEzra izipho ezininzi xa ebuyela eYerusalem. UEzra ucela amaSirayeli aseBhabhiloni ukuba amphathise ezi zipho ukuya eYerusalem. Malunga nabantu abangama-6 000 bathi baza kuhamba. Banesilivere negolide eninzi kwanezinye izinto ezixabisekileyo abazithwalayo.

UEzra unexhala, kuba kukho abantu abangendawo endleleni. Aba bantu banokuyohlutha isilivere negolide yabo, baze bababulale. Ngoko uEzra ubabuthela ndawonye abantu, njengokuba ubona kulo mfanekiso. Bathandaza kuYehova ukuba abakhusele kuhambo lwabo olude ukubuyela eYerusalem.

UYehova uyabakhusela. Yaye emva kweenyanga ezine zohambo, bafika benqabisekile eYerusalem. Ngaba oku akubonisi ukuba uYehova unokubakhusela abo bathembela kuye?