< U-Ezra 7 >
1 Njalo emva kwalezizinto, ekubuseni kukaAthakisekisi inkosi yePerisiya, uEzra indodana kaSeraya, indodana kaAzariya, indodana kaHilikhiya,
2 indodana kaShaluma, indodana kaZadoki, indodana kaAhitubi,
3 indodana kaAmariya, indodana kaAzariya, indodana kaMerayothi,
4 indodana kaZerahiya, indodana kaUzi, indodana kaBuki,
5 indodana kaAbishuwa, indodana kaPhinehasi, indodana kaEleyazare, indodana kaAroni umpristi oyinhloko.
6 UEzra lo wenyuka esuka eBhabhiloni; njalo wayengumbhali oyingcitshi emlayweni kaMozisi, uJehova uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli ayewunikile. Inkosi yasimnika sonke isicelo sakhe, njengokwesandla sikaJehova uNkulunkulu wakhe esiphezu kwakhe.
7 Kwasekusenyuka abanye babantwana bakoIsrayeli lababapristi lamaLevi labahlabeleli labalindimasango lamaNethini baya eJerusalema ngomnyaka wesikhombisa kaAthakisekisi inkosi.
8 Wasefika eJerusalema ngenyanga yesihlanu okwakungumnyaka wesikhombisa wenkosi.
9 Ngoba ngolokuqala lwenyanga yokuqala waqala ukwenyuka esuka eBhabhiloni, langolokuqala lwenyanga yesihlanu wafika eJerusalema, ngokwesandla esihle sikaNkulunkulu wakhe phezu kwakhe.
10 Ngoba uEzra wayelungise inhliziyo yakhe ukudinga umlayo weNkosi lokuwenza, lokufundisa umthetho lesimiso koIsrayeli.
11 Le-ke yikhophi yencwadi inkosi uAthakisekisi ayinika uEzra umpristi, umbhali, umbhali wamazwi emilayo yeNkosi lowezimiso zayo kuIsrayeli.
12 UAthakisekisi inkosi yamakhosi kuEzra umpristi, umbhali womlayo kaNkulunkulu wamazulu, ukuthula okupheleleyo, langesikhathi esinje:
13 Umthetho umiswa yimi wokuthi wonke ozithandelayo embusweni wami esizweni sakoIsrayeli labapristi baso lamaLevi ukuya eJerusalema angahamba lawe.
14 Ngoba uthunyiwe yinkosi labacebisi bayo abayisikhombisa ukuyahlolisisa ngoJuda langeJerusalema ngokomlayo kaNkulunkulu wakho osesandleni sakho,
15 lokuthwala isiliva legolide inkosi labacebisi bayo abakunikele ngesihle kuNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli ondawo yakhe yokuhlala iseJerusalema,
16 lalo lonke isiliva legolide ongakuthola esigabeni sonke seBhabhiloni lomnikelo wesihle wabantu labapristi abanikelela indlu kaNkulunkulu wabo eseJerusalema ngesihle,
17 ukuthi uthenge masinyane ngalimali izinkunzi, izinqama, amawundlu, leminikelo yakho yokudla, leminikelo yakho yokunathwayo, ukunikele phezu kwelathi lendlu kaNkulunkulu wenu eseJerusalema.
18 Lokukulungeleyo wena labafowenu ukukwenza ngesiliva legolide eliseleyo, kwenzeni lokhu ngokwentando kaNkulunkulu wenu.
19 Lezitsha ezinikelwe kuwe zomsebenzi wendlu kaNkulunkulu wakho, zinikele ngokupheleleyo phambi kukaNkulunkulu weJerusalema.
20 Lokunye okuswelekayo endlini kaNkulunkulu wakho okufanele ukuphe, uzakunika kuvela endlini yenotho yenkosi.
21 Mina-ke Athakisekisi inkosi, umlayo umiswe yimi kubo bonke abaphathi bezikhwama abangaphetsheya komfula ukuthi konke uEzra umpristi, umbhali womlayo kaNkulunkulu wamazulu, azakucela kini, kwenziwe masinyane,
22 kuze kufike kumathalenta esiliva alikhulu, njalo kuze kufike kumakhori engqoloyi alikhulu, njalo kuze kufike kumabhathi alikhulu ewayini, njalo kuze kufike kumabhathi alikhulu amafutha, letshwayi elingelasimiso.
23 Konke okungokomlayo kaNkulunkulu wamazulu kakwenzelwe indlu kaNkulunkulu wamazulu ngokukhuthala, ngoba kungani kuzakuba lolaka phezu kombuso wenkosi lamadodana ayo?
24 Futhi siyalazisa mayelana labo bonke abapristi, lamaLevi, abahlabeleli, abalindimasango, amaNethini, lenceku zalindlu kaNkulunkulu, kakulagunya ukubeka phezu kwabo umthelo, imali eyimfanelo, lemali yendlela.
25 Wena-ke Ezra, ngokwenhlakanipho kaNkulunkulu wakho esesandleni sakho, beka omantshi labahluleli abazakwahlulela bonke abantu abangaphetsheya komfula, bonke abayaziyo imilayo kaNkulunkulu wakho; longayaziyo limfundise.
26 Wonke-ke ongawenziyo umlayo kaNkulunkulu wakho lomlayo wenkosi, isigwebo kasenziwe ngokukhuthala phezu kwakhe, kungaba ngokufa, loba ngokuxotshwa, loba ngokuthathelwa impahla, loba ngezibopho.
27 Kayibusiswe iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabobaba eyakufaka kanje enhliziyweni yenkosi ukucecisa indlu yeNkosi eseJerusalema,
28 eyelule umusa kimi phambi kwenkosi labacebisi bayo laphambi kwazo zonke izinduna ezilamandla zenkosi. Mina-ke ngaqiniswa ngokwesandla seNkosi uNkulunkulu wami phezu kwami, ngabutha koIsrayeli inhloko ukwenyuka lami.
