1 Ke kaloku ngoku athandazayo uEzra evuma izono, elila egqusha phantsi phambi kwendlu kaThixo, kwabakho isihlwele samaSirayeli esaqokelelana kuye – amadoda, abafazi, nabantwana. Babelila ngokubindeka okukhulu.
2 Ke uShekaniya unyana kaYehiyeli oyinzala kaElam wathetha noEzra, wathi: “Ngokuthatha abafazi kwiintlanga esimelene nazo sonile kuThixo wethu. Kodwa nakuba kunjalo lisekho ithemba ngoSirayeli.
3 Ngoku ke masenze umnqophiso noThixo wethu wokuba siza kubagxotha aba bafazi ndawonye nabantwana babo, ngokwesigqibo senkosi yam, nabo bonke abayoyikayo imithetho kaThixo wethu. Ewe, makwenzeke ngokomthetho.
4 Ngoko ke phakama; lo mcimbi usezandleni zakho. Thina siza kukuxhasa. Yomelela wenze.”
5 Ke kaloku waphakama uEzra, waqokelela bonke ababingeleli abaphambili nabaLevi noSirayeli ephela, wathi mabafunge ukuba baza kwenza njengoko sekuthethiwe. Basenza ke isifungo.
6 Waza uEzra waphuma endlwini kaThixo, waya endlwini kaYohanan unyana kaEliyashibhi. Ngoko alapho ke wayengatyi engaseli manzi, kuba esazilele ukunganyaniseki kwabathinjwa.
7 Ke kaloku kwenziwa isihlokomiso kuye wonke uJuda neJerusalem, kusithiwa abathinjwa mabahlangane eJerusalem.
8 Nabani na ongezanga kwithuba leentsuku ezintathu, kwathiwa uza kuthathelwa izinto anazo. Eso ke isisigqibo samaphakathi namadoda amakhulu; umntu onjalo ke wayeza kusikwa kwibandla labathinjwa.
9 Ngezo ntsuku zintathu ke onke amadoda akwaJuda nawakwaBhenjamin aqokelelana eJerusalem. Ngomhla wamashumi amabini kwinyanga yethoba bonke abantu babesebehleli kwibala eliphambi kwendlu kaThixo, bengcangcazela ngenxa yalo mbandela nangenxa yemvula.
10 Umbingeleli uEzra ke waphakama wathi: “Nenze ukunganyaniseki; ityala likaSirayeli nilongezelele ngokuthatha abafazi abaziintlanga.
11 Ngoko ke, sivumeni isono senu phambi *koNdikhoyo uThixo wooyihlo, nenze ukuthanda kwakhe. Zahluleni kwezi ntlanga ziningqongileyo, ngokunjalo nakwaba bafazi benu baziintlanga.”
12 Ke lonke ibandla laphendula likhwaza lisithi: “Unyanisile! Siza kuyenza le nto uyithethayo.
13 Kambe ke sibaninzi gqitha apha, ibe ke ngoku lixesha lemvula; asinako ukuma apha phandle. Ngaphezu koko ke lo mbandela awunako ukugqitywa ngemini enye nezimbini, kuba ngenene sone sagqithisa kulo mbandela.
14 Amaphakathi ethu makamele ibandla lilonke. Kwiidolophu zethu wonke umntu othathe intombi yeentlanga makamiselwe ixesha, aze eze kunye namadoda amakhulu nabagwebi bedolophu nganye, ide le ngqumbo kaThixo wethu ngalo mbandela ibe nokususwa phezu kwethu.”
15 Ke kaloku yaba nguJonatan unyana ka-Asayeli kunye noYazeya unyana kaTikwa, bexhaswa nguMeshulam noShabhetayi umLevi, abasichasayo eso sigqibo.
16 Ngoko ke abathinjwa abo benza ngokwezo zigqibo. Umbingeleli uEzra wanyula amadoda aziinkulu zemizi, yanye kumzi ngamnye, onke ke akhankanywa ngamagama. Ngomhla wokuqala kwinyanga yeshumi bahlala phantsi, benza uphando ngalo mbandela,
17 baza ke kumhla wokuqala wenyanga yokuqala bawufeza umcimbi wawo onke amadoda awayethathe abafazi abaziintlanga.
18 Kwinzala yababingeleli naba abathathe abafazi abaziintlanga:Kwinzala kaYeshuwa kaYozadaki nabantakwabo nguMaseya noElezere noYaribhi noGedaliya.
19 Bona bathembisa ukuba bobagxotha abafazi, baza banikela ngenkunzi yebhokhwe ngenxa yetyala labo.
20 Kwinzala kaImere nguHanani noZebhadiya.
21 Kwinzala kaHarim nguMaseya noEliya noShemaya noYehiyeli noUziya.
22 Kwinzala kaPashure nguEliyohenayi noMaseya noIshmayeli noNataniyeli noYozabhadi noElasa.
23 KubaLevi nguYozabhadi noShimeyi noKelaya, lo ugama limbi linguKelita, noPetaya noJuda noElizere.
24 Kwiimvumi nguEliyashibhi.Kubagcini-masango nguShalum noTelem noUri.
25 Kwamanye amaSirayeli ngâba:Kwinzala kaParoshe nguRamiya, noIziya noMalekiya noMiyamin noElazare noMalekiya noBhenaya.
26 Kwinzala kaElam nguMataniya noZakariya noYehiyeli noAbhedi noJeremoti noEliya.
27 Kwinzala kaZatu nguEliyohenayi noEliyashibhi noMataniya noJeremoti noZabhadi noAziza.
28 Kwinzala kaBhebhayi nguYohanan noHananiya noZabhayi noAtelayi.
29 Kwinzala kaBhani nguMeshulam noMaluki noAdaya noYashubhi noSheyali noJeremoti.
30 Kwinzala kaPahati-mowabhi nguAdena noKelali noBhenaya noMaseya noMataniya noBhezaleli noBhinuwi noManase.
31 Kwinzala kaHiram nguElizere noIshiya noMalekiya noShemaya noSimon
32 noBhenjamin noMaluki noShemariya.
33 Kwinzala kaHashum nguMatenayi noMatata noZabhadi noElifelete noJeremayi noManase noShimeyi.
34 Kwinzala kaBhani nguMadayi noAmram noUweli
35 noBhenaya noBhedeya noKeluwi
36 noVaniya noMeremoti noEliyashibhi
37 noMataniya noMatenayi noYayasu.
38 KwekaBhinuwi nguShimeyi
39 noShelemiya noNatan noAdaya
40 noManadebhayi noShashayi noSharayi
41 noAzarele noShelemiya noShemeriya
42 noShalum noAmariya noJosefu.
43 Kwinzala kaNebho nguYehiyeli noMatitiya noZabhadi noZebhina noYadayi noJoweli noBhenaya.
44 Bonke abo babethathe abafazi abaziintlanga. Kwaba bafazi bekukho ababezele oonyana.