1 Ngoko ke ukumkani wayalela ukuba kwenziwe uphando kumaxwebhu eembali awayegcinwe koovimba baseBhabheli.
2 Ke kaloku kwafumaneka umqulu komkhulu eAmeta kwiphondo lamaMedi. Kuwo ke kwakubhalwe kwathiwa:“Isikhumbuzo:
3 “Kunyaka wokuqala kakumkani uKoreshi, ukumkani wawisa umyalelo mayela nendlu kaThixo eJerusalem, esithi:“ ‘Indlu kaThixo mayivuswe, ukuze kuyo kunikelwe amadini. Iziseko zayo mazakhiwe. Mayibe ziimitha ezimashumi mabini anesixhenxe ukuphakama, neemitha ezimashumi mabini anesixhenxe ububanzi.
4 Mayibe nemiqolo emithathu yamatye amakhulu kunye nomqolo omnye wamaplanga. Iindleko zokuyakha ziza kuphuma koovimba bakomkhulu.
5 Izitya zegolide nezesiliva zendlu kaThixo leyo ezazithathwe ngukumkani uNebhukadenezare apho kuloo ndlu eJerusalem, weza nazo eBhabheli, mazibuyiselwe endaweni yazo kuloo ndlu iseJerusalem; maziye kubekwa endlwini kaThixo.
6 “ ‘Ngoko ke, wena Tatenayi, mlawuli wakwelentshona ye-Efrati, nawe Sheta-bhozenayi namahlakani enu, magosa elo phondo, rhoxani.
7 Musani ukuphazamisana nomsebenzi wokwakhiwa kwale ndlu kaThixo. Umlawuli wamaJuda namadoda amakhulu akwaJuda mabayakhe kwasesizeni sayo indlu kaThixo leyo.
8 Ngaphezu koko ke ndiwisa umyalelo wokuba loo madoda makhulu akwaJuda akha indlu kaThixo niwenzele ezi zinto:“ ‘Inkcitho yala madoda ekwakheni mayihlawulwe ngokupheleleyo, ithathwe koovimba bakomkhulu, kwiingxowa zerhafu yalapho kwelentshona ye-Efrati, ukuze ungemi umsebenzi.
9 Nantoni na efunekayo – iinkunzana zeenkomo, iinkunzi zeegusha, amaxhwane angamaduna okwenzela uThixo wezulu amadini atshiswayo, ngokunjalo nengqolowa, ityuwa, iwayini, namafutha omnquma, ngokwesicelo sababingeleli apho eJerusalem – zonke ezi zinto mabazinikwe yonke imihla kungaphazanywa,
10 khon' ukuze babe nako ukumenzela amadini amkholisayo uThixo wezulu, bathandazele intlala-kahle kakumkani noonyana bakhe.
11 Kananjalo ke ndiwisa umyalelo wokuba nabani na owujikayo lo mthetho, ze kuncothulwe umqadi endlwini yakhe, axhonywe abethelelwe kuwo, ke yona indlu yakhe yenziwe indawo yangasese ngenxa yelo tyala.
12 Ke kaloku uThixo owamisa igama lakhe khona apho, ngamana wamkhiqa nawuphi na ukumkani naye nabani na ozama ukujika lo mthetho okanye ofuna ukutshabalalisa le ndlu kaThixo iseJerusalem.“ ‘Ndim mna Dariyo owisa lo myalelo. Ngoko ke mawufezekiswe ngentumekelelo.’ ”
13 Ngoko ke ngenxa yaloo myalelo kakumkani uDariyo, uTatenayi umlawuli wakwelentshona ye-Efrati noSheta-bhozenayi kunye namahlakani abo bawufezekisa ngenyameko loo mthetho.
14 Ke amadoda amakhulu amaJuda aqhubela phambili ekwakheni, aba nenkqubela ephenjelelwa ziintshumayelo *zomshumayeli uHagayi noZakariya umzukulwana kaIdo. Bagqiba ke ukuyakha indlu leyo, ngokomyalelo kaThixo kaSirayeli ndawonye nemiyalelo kaKoreshi, uDariyo noAtashasta ookumkani basePeshiya.
15 Ke indlu kaThixo yagqitywa ngomhla wesithathu kwinyanga uAdare, ngonyaka wesithandathu wolawulo lukakumkani uDariyo.
16 Ke amaSirayeli, ababingeleli, abaLevi, nabo bonke ababuyileyo ekuthinjweni, benza itheko lokubhiyozela ukuvulwa kwendlu kaThixo, bonwabile.
17 Ekuvulweni kwendlu kaThixo banikela ngekhulu leenkunzi zeenkomo, amakhulu amabini eenkunzi zeegusha, amaxhwane angamaduna angamakhulu amane, ngokunjalo neshumi elinambini leebhokhwe ezingamaduna zedini lesono ngenxa kaSirayeli ephela – ibhokhwe enye kwindlu nganye kaSirayeli.
18 Bamisela ababingeleli ngokwezindlu zabo, nabaLevi ngokwamaqela abo, ukuze benze umsebenzi kaThixo eJerusalem, ngokomyalelo obhalwe kwincwadi kaMosis.
19 Ke kaloku ngomhla weshumi elinesine kwinyanga yokuqala abathinjwa ababuyileyo bayibhiyozela iPasika.
20 Ababingeleli kunye nabaLevi babezihlambulule befanelekile. AbaLevi babaxhelela ixhwane lePasika bonke abathinjwa ababuyileyo; ngokunjalo namawabo ababingeleli, nabo ngokwabo bazixhelela.
21 Ngoko ke onke amaSirayeli abuyileyo alitya, ndawonye nabo bonke ababezahlule kwimikhwa engcolileyo yeentlanga ababemelene nazo, ukuze bafune *uNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli.
22 Yaba ziintsuku ezisixhenxe belibhiyozela ngemihlali iTheko leSonka esingaNyuswanga. Kaloku uNdikhoyo wayebathe jize ngovuyo ngokuguqula iimbono zokumkani waseAsiriya, ukuze abancedise kumsebenzi wokwakhiwa kwendlu kaThixo, uThixo kaSirayeli.