1 Emveni kwezo zinto, ebukumkanini buka-Artashashta ukumkani wasePersi, wathi uEzra, unyana kaSeraya, unyana ka-Azariya, unyana kaHilekiya,
2 unyana kaShalum, unyana kaTsadoki, unyana ka-Abhitubhi,
3 unyana ka-Amariya, unyana ka-Azariya, unyana kaMerayoti,
4 unyana kaZeraya, unyana kaUzi, unyana kaBhuki,
5 unyana ka-Abhishuwa, unyana kaPinehasi, unyana kaElazare, unyana ka-Aron umbingeleli oyintloko:
6 uEzra lowo wenyuka, ephuma eBhabheli. Waye engumbhali oyinkunkqele emyalelweni kaMoses, awawuwisayo uYehova, uThixo kaSirayeli. Ukumkani wamnika konke awakucelayo ngokwesandla sikaYehova, uThixo wakhe, esiphezu kwakhe.
7 Kwenyuka naye inxenye yoonyana bakaSirayeli, neyababingeleli, nabaLevi, neemvumi, nabamasango, nabakhonzi betempile, besiya eYerusalem, ngomnyaka wesixhenxe ka-Artashashta ukumkani.
8 Wafika eYerusalem ngenyanga yesihlanu; lowo ke ngumnyaka wesixhenxe wokumkani.
9 Ngokuba ibe ingumhla wokuqala wenyanga yokuqala, awawumisela ukunyuka ngawo, ephuma eBhabheli; wafika eYerusalem ngomhla wokuqala wenyanga yesihlanu, ngokwesandla esilungileyo sikaThixo wakhe, esibe siphezu kwakhe;
10 ngokuba uEzra intliziyo yakhe wayeyibhekise ekuwufuneni umyalelo kaYehova, awenze, afundise ummiselo nesiko kwaSirayeli.
11 Yiyo le incwadi, awathi ukumkani uArtashashta wamnika uEzra umbingeleli, umbhali obhala amazwi emithetho kaYehova, nemimiselo yakhe kumaSirayeli:
12 UArtashashta, ukumkani wookumkani, kuEzra umbingeleli, umbhali ogqibeleleyo emthethweni kaThixo wamazulu, njalonjalo.
13 Ndiwise umthetho wokuba bonke ebukumkanini bam, phakathi kwabantu bakwaSirayeli, nababingeleli babo nabaLevi, abaqhutywa yintliziyo ukuya eYerusalem, mabahambe nawe.
14 Ngokuba wena uthunywa ngukumkani namaphakathi akhe asixhenxe, ukubuzisa ngamaYuda neYerusalem, ngokomthetho kaThixo wakho osesandleni sakho;
15 uyise isilivere negolide, ayinikelayo ukumkani namaphakathi akhe, ngokuqhutywa yintliziyo, kuThixo kaSirayeli, okhaya liseYerusalem;
16 nayo yonke isilivere negolide, owoyifumana ezweni lonke laseBhabheli, kunye nomnikelo wokuqhutywa yintliziyo wabantu nababingeleli, abanikela ngokuqhutywa yintliziyo ngenxa yendlu kaThixo wabo, eseYerusalem.
17 Ngoko ke ùya kuthenga ngenyameko ngale mali iinkunzi ezintsha zeenkomo, neenkunzi zeegusha, neemvana, neminikelo yazo yokudla, nethululwayo; uyisondeze esibingelelweni sendlu kaThixo wenu eseYerusalem.
18 Nento ethe yalunga kuwe, nakubazalwana bakho, ukwenziwa ngesilivere nangegolide eseleyo, noyenza ngokokuthanda kukaThixo wenu.
19 Ke iimpahla ozinikiweyo ngenxa yombuso wendlu kaThixo wakho, zinikele ziphelele phambi koThixo eYerusalem.
20 Nezinye izinto ezifunekayo zendlu kaThixo wakho, othi kuyafuneka ukuba zinikelwe, wòzirhola endlwini yendyebo yokumkani.
21 Mna Artashashta, kumkani, ndiwisa umthetho kubo bonke abagcini-ndyebo abaphesheya koMlambo,* wokuba konke aya kukubiza kuni uEzra, umbingeleli, umbhali womthetho kaThixo wamazulu,
22 makwenziwe ngenyameko, kuse ekhulwini leetalente* zesilivere, nekhulu leekore* zengqolowa, nekhulu leebhate* zewayini, nekhulu leebhate zeoli, netyuwa ingalinganiselwa.
23 Yonke into engomthetho kaThixo wamazulu mayenzelwe indlu kaThixo wamazulu ngokuthe nqò; kuba kungàni na ukuba bufikelwe buburhalarhume ubukumkani bokumkani noonyana bakhe?
24 Makwazeke kuni, ukuba bonke ababingeleli, nabaLevi, neemvumi, nabamasango, nabakhonzi betempile, nabalungiseleleli bale ndlu kaThixo, akukho bani unagunya lakubathwesa irhafu, nasithabathaba, nalunikelo.
25 Wena Ezra, ngokobulumko bukaThixo wakho obusesandleni sakho, misa abagwebi, nabathethi bamatyala, ebantwini bonke abaphesheya koMlambo; ndithi, bonke abayaziyo imithetho kaThixo wakho; nabangayaziyo nobazisa.
26 Ke bonke abasukuba bengawenzi umthetho kaThixo wakho, nomthetho wokumkani, malithethwe ityala labo ngenyameko, nokuba baya kubulawa, nokuba baya kugxothwa, nokuba baya kudliwa, nokuba baya kukhonkxwa.
27 Makabongwe uYehova, uThixo woobawo, oyinikeleyo into enjalo entliziyweni yokumkani, ukuba ayihombise indlu kaYehova eseYerusalem;
28 ondithobele inceba phambi kokumkani, namaphakathi akhe, nabathetheli bonke bokumkani abangamagorha. Mna ndomelezeka ngokwesandla sikaYehova uThixo wam esiphezu kwam; ndazibutha kumaSirayeli iintloko zezindlu zooyise, ukuba zinyuke nam.