1. Khona uDariyu wakhipha isimemezelo, kwacingwa endlini yezincwadi, lapho ingcebo yayibekelelwa khona eBabele.
2. Kwafunyanwa e-Akimetha endlini yamakhosi esezweni laseMediya umqulu okwakulotshwe kuwo isikhumbuzo sokuthi:
3. "Ngomnyaka wokuqala kaKoresi inkosi, uKoresi inkosi wakhipha isimemezelo sokuthi: Ngendlu kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema, indlu mayakhiwe endaweni lapho benikelela khona ngemihlatshelo, zibekwe izisekelo zayo, ziqine, ukuphakama kwayo kube yizingalo ezingamashumi ayisithupha, ububanzi bayo bube yizingalo ezingamashumi ayisithupha;
4. ayibe nezinhla ezintathu zamatshe amakhulu, nohla lwemithi emisha, izindleko zikhishwe endlini yenkosi;
5. futhi izitsha zegolide nezesiliva zendlu kaNkulunkulu, uNebukadinesari azikhipha ethempelini eliseJerusalema waziyisa eBabele, mazibuyiswe, ziyiswe ethempelini eliseJerusalema, kube yileso naleso endaweni yaso, zibekwe endlini kaNkulunkulu.
6. "Ngalokho, Thathenayi, mbusi phesheya koMfula, nawe Shethari Bozenayi nabangane benu ama-Afarisaki abangaphesheya koMfula, manibe kude nalapho;
7. wuyekeni umsebenzi waleyo ndlu kaNkulunkulu; umbusi wabaJuda namalunga abaJuda mabakhe le ndlu kaNkulunkulu endaweni yayo.
8. "Futhi ngikhipha isimemezelo ngeniyakukwenza kulawo malunga abaJuda ukuba kwakhiwe leyo ndlu kaNkulunkulu: labo bantu mabanikwe kakhulu izindleko empahleni yenkosi, intela yaphesheya koMfula, ukuba bangathiywa.
9. Abakudingayo, amaduna, nezinqama, namawundlu okuyakuba yiminikelo yokushiswa kuNkulunkulu wezulu, kanye nokolweni, nosawoti, newayini, namafutha, njengezwi labapristi abaseJerusalema, mabanikwe khona imihla ngemihla kungaphuthi
10. ukuba banikele ngemihlatshelo yephunga elimnandi kuNkulunkulu wezulu, bakhulekele ukuphila kwenkosi namadodana ayo.
11. "Futhi ngikhiphe isimemezelo sokuthi yilowo nalowo oguqula leli zwi, makukhishwe umuthi endlini yakhe, aphakanyiswe, abethelwe kuwo, indlu yakhe yenziwe ibe yiquba ngenxa yalokho,
12. uNkulunkulu ohlalise khona igama lakhe awise phansi onke amakhosi nabantu abayakwelula izandla zabo ukuba baguqule lokho, bachithe le ndlu kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema. Mina Dariyu ngikhiphe isimemezelo; masenziwe ngaso sonke isineke."
13. Khona uThathenayi umbusi waphesheya koMfula, noShethari Bozenayi, nabangane babo benza kanjalo ngesineke sonke, ngokuba uDariyu inkosi wayethumele.
14. Amalunga abaJuda ayesakha, aba nempumelelo ngokuprofetha kukaHagayi umprofethi noZakariya indodana ka-Ido. Akha, aqeda njengokwesiyalezo sikaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, nanjengokwesiyalezo sikaKoresi, noDariyu, no-Aritahishashita, inkosi yasePheresiya.
15. Yaqedwa leyo ndlu ngosuku lwesithathu lwenyanga ka-Adari ngomnyaka wesithupha wokubusa kukaDariyu inkosi.
16. Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, abapristi namaLevi nabanye abathunjwa, bagcina ukuhlanjululwa kwaleyo ndlu kaNkulunkulu ngokuthokoza.
17. Banikela ekuhlanjululweni kwaleyo ndlu kaNkulunkulu ngezinkunzi eziyikhulu, nangezinqama ezingamakhulu amabili, nangamawundlu angamakhulu amane, kanye nezimpongo eziyishumi nambili zibe ngumnikelo wokona ngo-Israyeli wonke njengokomumo wezizwe zakwa-Israyeli.
18. Bamisa abapristi ngamaqembu abo namaLevi ngezigaba zawo ukuba baphathe inkonzo kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema njengokulotshiweyo encwadini kaMose.
19. Abathunjwa bagcina iphasika ngolweshumi nane lwenyanga yokuqala.
20. Ngokuba abapristi namaLevi babezihlambululile kanyekanye; bonke babehlambulukile; bahlabela bonke abathunjwa iphasika, nabafowabo abapristi, bazihlabela nabo uqobo lwabo.
21. Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ababebuyile ekuthunjweni, nabo bonke ababezahlukanisele kubo nokungcola kwabezizwe balelo zwe ukuba bafune uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli badla;
22. bagubha umkhosi wesinkwa esingenamvubelo izinsuku eziyisikhombisa ngokuthokoza, ngokuba uJehova wayebathokozisile, waguqulela inhliziyo yenkosi yase-Asiriya kubo ukuba kuqiniswe izandla zabo emsebenzini wendlu kaNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.
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