Ukwakhiwa lokuhlanjululwa kwethempeli

6UDariyusi inkosi wasemisa umthetho, basebephenya endlini yezingwalo lapho okwakubekwe khona okuligugu eBhabhilonia. 2 Kwasekutholakala eAkimetha, esigodlwenib esisesigabeni samaMedec, incwadi egoqwayo, okwakubhalwe phakathi kwayo isikhumbuzo ngalindlela:

3 Ngomnyaka wokuqala kaKoresi inkosi, uKoresi inkosi wamisa umthetho: Indlu kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema, kayakhiwe lindlu endaweni lapho abanikela khona iminikelo, lezisekelo zayo zizabekwa ngokuqinileyo; ukuphakama kwayo kube zingalo ezingamatshumi ayisithupha, ububanzi bayo bube zingalo ezingamatshumi ayisithupha; 4 ibe lemizila emithathu yamatshe amakhulu lomzila wezigodo ezintsha. Izindleko zizaphiwa-ke zivela endlini yenkosid. 5 Futhi lezitsha zegolide lezesiliva zendlu kaNkulunkulu uNebhukadinezari azikhupha ethempelini eliseJerusalema waziletha eBhabhiloni, kazibuyiselwe zisiwe ethempelini eliseJerusalema, endaweni yayo, uzibeke endlini kaNkulunkulue.

6 Khathesi, Tathenayi, mbusi waphetsheya komfula, Shethari-Bozenayif, labangane benu amaAfarisathikig, abaphetsheya komfula, banini khatshana lalapho. 7 Uyekeleni umsebenzi walindlu kaNkulunkulu; umbusi wamaJuda labadala bamaJuda kabakhe lindlu kaNkulunkulu endaweni yayo. 8 Futhi umthetho umiswa yimi ngelizakwenzela abadala balamaJuda ekwakhiweni kwalindlu kaNkulunkulu, ukuthi empahleni zenkosih ezivela emthelweni wangaphetsheya komfula, izindleko ziphiwe lamadoda masinyane ukuze angamii. 9 Lokuswelakalayo, kokubili amajongosi lezinqama lamawundlu komnikelo wokutshiselwa uNkulunkulu wamazulu, ingqoloyi, itshwayi, iwayini, lamafutha, njengokutsho kwabapristi abaseJerusalema, kabakunikwe insuku ngensuku kungaphuthi, 10 ukuze banikele iminikelo yephunga elimnandi kuNkulunkulu wamazulu, bakhulekele impilo yenkosi leyamadodana ayoj. 11 Futhi umthetho umiswe yimi wokuthi loba ngubani oguqula lelilizwi, kakuhwatshwe ugodo endlini yakhe, aphakanyiswe abethelwe phezu kwalo; lendlu yakhe yenziwe inqumbi yomquba ngenxa yalokhuk. 12 LoNkulunkulu owenze ibizo lakhe lihlale lapho kachithe loba yiyiphi inkosi loba abantu abazakwelula isandla sabo ukuguqula lokuchitha lindlu kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema. Mina Dariyusi ngimise umthetho, kakwenziwe masinyanel.

13 Khonokho uTathenayi umbusi nganeno komfula, uShethari-Bozenayi, labangane babo benza njalo masinyane njengalokho uDariyusi inkosi ayekuthumele. 14 Abadala bamaJuda basebesakha njalo baphumelela ngesiprofetho sikaHagayi umprofethi loZekhariya indodana kaIdom. Bakha baqeda njengokomlayo kaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli langokomlayo kaKoresin, loDariyusio, loAthakisekisi inkosi yePerisiyap. 15 Lindlu yasiphela ngosuku lwesithathu enyangeni kaAdari, okwakungumnyaka wesithupha wokubusa kukaDariyusi inkosiq.

16 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli, abapristi lamaLevi labanye abantwana bokuthunjwa, basebesenza ukwehlukaniselwa kwalindlu kaNkulunkulu ngentokozor. 17 Banikelela ukwehlukaniselwa kwalindlu kaNkulunkulu inkunzi ezilikhulu, inqama ezingamakhulu amabili, amawundlu angamakhulu amane; lezimpongo zezimbuzi ezilitshumi lambili zingumnikelo wesono kaIsrayeli wonke, ngokwenani lezizwe zakoIsrayelis. 18 Basebemisa abapristi ngezigaba zabot, lamaLevi ngamaqembu awou, enkonzweni kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema, njengokubhaliweyo egwalweni lukaMozisiv.

19 Abantwana bokuthunjwa benza lephasika ngolwetshumi lane lwenyanga yokuqalaw. 20 Ngoba abapristi lamaLevi babezihlambulule ndawonye, bonke babehlambulukilex. Bahlabela bonke abantwana bokuthunjwa iphasika, labafowabo abapristi, labo ngokwaboy. 21 Ngokunjalo badla abantwana bakoIsrayeli ababebuyile ekuthunjweni, labo bonke ababezehlukanisele kuboz lokungcolileyo kwezizwe zelizwe, ukudinga iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayelia. 22 Benza umkhosi wesinkwa esingelamvubelo insuku eziyisikhombisa ngentokozo; ngoba iNkosi yayibenze bathokozab, yaphendulela kibo inhliziyoc yenkosi yeAsiriya, ukuqinisa izandla zabo emsebenzini wendlu kaNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayelid.