1 Ke kaloku akuthandaza uEzra, akukuxela oku, elila, eziwisile phambi kwendlu kaThixo, kwabuthelana kuye kumaSirayeli ibandla elikhulu kakhulu lamadoda, nabafazi, nabantwana, ngokuba abantu batsho ngesililo esikhulu.
2 Waphendula uShekaniya unyana kaYehiyeli, owoonyana bakaElam, wathi kuEzra, Senzé ubumenemene kuThixo wethu, sazeka abafazi bezinye iintlanga ezizweni zelizwe eli; kodwa kusekho ithemba kumaSirayeli ngale nto.
3 Masimenzele ngoku umnqophiso uThixo wethu, wokuba sibakhuphe bonke abafazi nabazelwe ngabo, ngokwecebo lenkosi yam, nelabagubhela imithetho yoThixo wethu; makwenziwe ngokomyalelo.
4 Vuka, ngokuba le nto iphezu kwakho; singakuwe; yomelela, wenze.
5 Wavuka uEzra, wabafungisa abathetheli bababingeleli, nababaLevi, nabamaSirayeli onke, ukuba benze ngokwelo lizwi; bafunga ke.
6 Wesuka uEzra phambi kwendlu kaThixo, wangena egumbini likaYohanan unyana kaEliyashibhi. Wathi akufika khona, akadla sonka, akasela manzi; ngokuba ubesenza isijwili ngenxa yobumenemene babo bafuduswáyo.
7 Bahambisa ilizwi kwaYuda naseYerusalem, kubo bonke oonyana basemfudusweni, lokuba babuthelane eYerusalem;
8 bathi; bonke abathe àbeza ngesithuba semihla emithathu, ngokwecebo labathetheli nelamadoda amakhulu, mayisingelwe phantsi yonke impahla yabo; ke bona ngokwabo bahlulwe nebandla lasemfudusweni.
9 Abuthelana eYerusalem onke amadoda akwaYuda nawakwaBhenjamin ngeentsuku ezintathu; yaye iyinyanga yesithoba, ngowamashumi amabini umhla wenyanga leyo. Bahlala bonke abantu ebaleni lendlu kaThixo, bengcangcazela yile nto, naziimvula.
10 Wesuka wema uEzra umbingeleli, wathi kubo, Nenzé ubumenemene; nizeké abafazi bezinye iintlanga, ukuze nongeze etyaleni lamaSirayeli.
11 Mzukiseni ngokunje uYehova, uThixo wooyihlo, nenze okukholekileyo kuye, nizahlule kwizizwe zeli lizwe, nakubafazi bezinye iintlanga.
12 Laphendula lonke ibandla, lathi ngezwi elikhulu, Kufanelekile kuthi, ukuba senze ngokwelizwi lakho;
13 kodwa abantu baninzi, yaye ilixesha lemvula, akunakumiwa phandle; lo msebenzi àsingowemini enye, asingoweemini ezimbini; ngokuba soné kakhulu ngale nto.
14 Abathetheli bethu ke mabaliméle ibandla lonke; bathi bonke emizini yethu, abazeké abafazi bezinye iintlanga, beze ngamaxesha amisiweyo, benamadoda amakhulu emizi ngemizi, nabagwebi bayo, kude kubuyiswe kuthi ukuvutha komsindo woThixo wethu, isekho nje le nto.
15 NgooYonatan unyana ka-Asayeli, noYazeya unyana kaTikwa, bodwa abamelana nelo lizwi; ooMeshulam, noShabhetayi umLevi, bebancedisa.
16 Benjenjalo ke oonyana basemfudusweni. Kwahlulwa ooEzra umbingeleli, namadoda aziintloko zezindlu zooyise ngokwezindlu zooyise, bonke bephela, bebalulwe ngamagama, bahlala phantsi ngomhla wokuqala wenyanga yeshumi ukuyibuza le nto.
17 Bayigqiba into yonke yamadoda abezeké abafazi bezinye iintlanga, elusukwini lokuqala lwenyanga yokuqala.
18 Koonyana bababingeleli kwafunyanwa ababezeke abafazi bezinye iintlanga: koonyana bakaYeshuwa unyana kaYotsadaki, nabazalwana bakhe: ingooMahaseya, noEliyezere, noYaribhi, noGedaliya.
19 Banika isandla sabo, ukuba bobakhupha abafazi babo; bathi, benetyala nje, bakhuphe inkunzi yasempahleni emfutshane ngenxa yetyala labo;
20 koonyana bakaImere yanguHanani noZebhadiya;
21 koonyana bakaHarim yanguMahaseya, noEliya, noShemaya, noYehiyeli, noUziya;
22 koonyana bakaPashure yanguEliyohenayi, noMahaseya, noIshmayeli, noNataniyeli, noYozabhadi, noEliyasa;
23 nakubaLevi; yanguYozabhadi, noShimehi, noKelaya okwanguKelita, noPetaya, noYuda, noEliyezere;
24 kwiimvumi yanguEliyashibhi; kwabamasango yanguShalum, noTelem, noUri; kumaSirayeli:
25 koonyana bakaParoshe yanguRamiya, noIziya, noMalekiya, noMiyamin, noElazare, noMalekiya, noBhenaya;
26 koonyana bakaElam yanguMataniya, noZekariya, noYehiyeli, noAbhedi, noYeremoti, noEliya;
27 koonyana bakaZatu yanguEliyohenayi, noEliyashibhi, noMataniya, noYeremoti, noZabhadi, noAziza;
28 nakoonyana bakaBhebhayi yanguYohanan, noHananiya, noZabhadi, noAtelayi;
29 koonyana bakaBhani yanguMeshulam, noMaluki, noAdaya, noYashubhi, noShehali, noYeremoti;
30 koonyana bakaPahati wakwaMowabhi yanguAdena, noKelali, noBhenaya, noMahaseya, noMataniya, noBhetsaleli, noBhinwi, noManase;
31 koonyana bakaHarim yanguEliyezere, noIshiya, noMalekiya, noShemaya, noSimon,
32 noBhenjamin, noMaluki, noShemariya;
33 koonyana bakaHashum yanguMatenayi, noMatata, noZabhadi, noElifelete, noYeremayi, noManase, noShimehi;
34 koonyana bakaBhani yanguMahadayi, noAmram, noUweli,
35 noBhenaya, noBhedeya, noKelwi,
36 noVaniya, noMeremoti, noEliyashibhi,
37 noMataniya, noMatenayi, noYahasavi,
38 noBhani, noBhinwi, noShimehi,
39 noShelemiya, noNatan, noAdaya,
40 noMakenadebhayi, noShashayi, noSharayi,
41 noAzareli, noShelemiya, noShemariya,
42 noShalum, noAmariya, noYosefu;
43 koonyana bakaNabho yanguYehiyeli, noMatitiya, noZabhadi, noZebhina, noYadayi, noYoweli, noBhenaya.
44 Bonke abo bábezeke abafazi bezinye iintlanga. Bekukho phakathi kwabo abafazi ababezele oonyana.