Ezra Chapter 3

1. Lapho isisondela inyanga yesikhombisa, abantwana bakwa-Israyeli besemizini, abantu babuthana eJerusalema njengomuntu munye.

2. Kwase kusuka uJeshuwa indodana kaJosadaki, nabafowabo abapristi, noZerubabele indodana kaSheyalitiyeli, nabafowabo, bakha i-altare likaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ukuba banikele ngeminikelo yokushiswa phezu kwalo njengokulotshiweyo emthethweni kaMose umuntu kaNkulunkulu.

3. Balimisa i-altare endaweni yalo, ngokuba babe novalo ngenxa yabantu balawo mazwe, banikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa kuJehova phezu kwalo, yebo, iminikelo yokushiswa ekuseni nakusihlwa.

4. Bagcina umkhosi wamadokodo njengokulotshiweyo, banikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa imihla ngemihla ngomumo njengokomthetho nanjengokwesiyalezo sezinsuku ngezinsuku,

5. nangasemuva umnikelo oshiswa imihla yonke, neyokwethwasa kwenyanga, neyemikhosi yonke emisiweyo kaJehova eyayingcwelisiwe, neyabo bonke abanikela ngenhliziyo ngeminikelo yesihle kuJehova.

6. Ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yesikhombisa baqala ukunikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa kuJehova; kepha isisekelo sethempeli sasingakabekwa.

7. Banika nababazi bamatshe imali kanye nababazi bemithi; banika amaSidoni nabaseTire ukudla nokuphuza namafutha ukuba balande imisedari eLebanoni, bayiyise elwandle eJopha ngemvume kaKoresi inkosi yasePheresiya kubo.

8. Ngomnyaka wesibili wokufika kwabo endlini kaNkulunkulu eJerusalema ngenyanga yesibili uZerubabele, indodana kaSheyalitiyeli, noJeshuwa indodana kaJosadaki, nensali yabafowabo abapristi, namaLevi, nabo bonke abafike eJerusalema bevela ekuthunjweni baqala ukumisa amaLevi, kusukela kwabaneminyaka engamashumi amabili kuya phezulu ukuba babonise umsebenzi wendlu kaJehova.

9. Base bema uJeshuwa namadodana akhe nabafowabo, noKadimiyeli namadodana akhe, amadodana akwaJuda, njengomuntu munye ukuba babonise izisebenzi endlini kaJehova, kanye namadodana kaHenadadi namadodana awo nabafowabo amaLevi.

10. Lapho abakhi sebebeka isisekelo sethempeli likaJehova, bamisa abapristi begqokile benamacilongo kanye namaLevi, amadodana ka-Asafa, enamasimbali ukuba badumise uJehova njengehlelo likaDavide inkosi yakwa-Israyeli.

11. Baphendulana ngokumdumisa nangokumbonga uJehova, bathi: “Ngokuba muhle, ngokuba umusa wakhe umi phakade phezu kuka-Israyeli.” Bonke abantu bakhamuluka ngokukhamuluka okukhulu ekumdumiseni kwabo uJehova, ngokuba isisekelo sendlu kaJehova sase sibekiwe.

12. Abaningi babapristi namaLevi, nezinhloko zawoyise, abadala ababeyibonile indlu yokuqala, bakhala ngezwi elikhulu ekubekweni kwesisekelo saleyo ndlu phambi kwamehlo abo; abaningi bakhamuluka ngentokozo,

13. ngangokuba abantu babengenakwahlukanisa izwi lokukhamuluka kwentokozo nezwi lokukhala kwabantu, ngokuba abantu bakhamuluka ngokukhamuluka okukhulu, umsindo wezwakala kude.