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1 Waza uDariyo ukumkani wawisa umthetho; kwaphicothwa endlwini khona eBhabheli.2 Kwafunyanwa komkhulu, eAmeta, eselizweni lamaMedi, incwadi esongwayo; kwaye kubhaliwe apho isikhumbuzo, kwathiwa:3 Ngowokuqala umnyaka kaKoreshi ukumkani, wawisa umthetho uKoreshi ukumkani, wathi, Indlu kaThixo eYerusalem, mayakhiwe indlu leyo, ibe yindawo apho kubingelelwa khona imibingelelo; zimiswe neziseko zayo; ukuphakama kwayo kube ziikubhite ezimashumi mathandathu, ububanzi bayo bube ziikubhite ezimashumi mathandathu.4 Ize ibe ziingcamba ezintathu zamatye anzima, nocamba lwemithi emitsha; indleko mayiphume endlwini yokumkani.5 Neempahla zendlu kaThixo zegolide, nezesilivere, awazirholayo uNebhukadenetsare etempileni yaseYerusalem, wazizisa eBhabheli, mazibuyiswe zisiwe etempileni eseYerusalem, ezindaweni zazo, endlwini kaThixo.6 Ngoko, Tatenayi, bamba laphesheya koMlambo, nawe Shetar-bhozenayi, nabalingane benu bama-Afarseka phesheya koMlambo, yibani kude naloo nto;7 wuyekeni umsebenzi wale ndlu kaThixo. Ibamba lamaYuda namadoda amakhulu akwaYuda mabayakhe le ndlu kaThixo endaweni yayo.8 Ndiwisa umthetho wento enoyenza kumadoda amakhulu aloo maYuda, ukuba yakhiwe loo ndlu kaThixo; ndithi, loo madoda makanikwe indleko, ebutyebini bukakumkani, erhafini yaphesheya koMlambo, kunyanyekwe, angabanjezelwa.9 Nezinto ezifunekayo, iinkunzi ezintsha zeenkomo, neenkunzi zeegusha, neemvana, zokuba ngamadini anyukayo kuThixo wamazulu, nengqolowa, netyuwa, newayini, neoli, ngokwelizwi lababingeleli abaseYerusalem, makazinikwe imihla ngemihla, kungaphosiswa;10 ukuze basondeze imibingelelo elivumba elithozamisayo kuThixo wamazulu, bathandazele ubomi bokumkani noboonyana bakhe.11 Ndiwisa umthetho wokuba bonke abantu abayijikayo loo nto, makuncothulwe umthi endlwini yabo, baxhonywe, babethelelwe kuwo, nendlu yabo yenziwe indawo yokuya endle, ngenxa yoko.12 UThixo, olibeke khona igama lakhe, makabakhahlele phantsi bonke ookumkani, nabantu, abolula izandla zabo, beyijika loo nto, ukuba bayitshabalalise le ndlu kaThixo eseYerusalem. Mna Dariyo ndiwise umthetho; mawenziwe ngenyameko.

13 Baza ooTatenayi ibamba langaneno koMlambo, noShetar-bhozenayi, nabalingane babo, ngenxa enokuba uDariyo ukumkani ethumile, benjenjalo ngenyameko.14 Ke amadoda amakhulu amaYuda akha, aphumelela ngokokuprofeta kukaHagayi umprofeti, noZekariya unyana kaIdo; akha ke agqiba, ngenxa yomthetho kaThixo kaSirayeli, nangenxa yomthetho wooKoreshi, noDariyo, noArtashashta, ookumkani basePersi.15 Yagqitywa ke le ndlu ngosuka lwesithathu lwenyanga enguAdare; ngumnyaka wesithandathu lowo wokulawula kukaDariyo ukumkani.16 Oonyana bakaSirayeli, ababingeleli nabaLevi nabanye oonyana basemfudusweni, bakwenza ngovuyo ukuhlaziywa kwale ndlu kaThixo.17 Basondezela ukuhlaziywa kwale ndlu kaThixo, ikhulu leenkunzi ezintsha zeenkomo, namakhulu amabini eenkunzi zeegusha, namakhulu amane eemvana; neenkunzi zeebhokhwe zedini lesono, ngenxa yamaSirayeli onke, zalishumi elinambini, ngokwenani lezizwe zakwaSirayeli.18 Babamisa ababingeleli ngokwezahlulo zabo, nabaLevi ngokwamaqela abo, phezu kwenkonzo kaThixo eseYerusalem, ngoko kubhaliweyo encwadini kaMoses.19 Oonyana basemfudusweni bayenza ipasika ngomhla weshumi elinesine wenyanga yokuqala;20 ngokuba babezihlambulule ababingeleli nabaLevi, njengamntu mnye, bahlambuluka bonke bephela; babaxhelela ipasika oonyana bonke basemfudusweni, nabazalwana babo ababingeleli, nabo ngokwabo.21 Badla ke oonyana bakaSirayeli ababebuye ekufudusweni, kwanabo bonke abazahlulayo ebunqambini beentlanga zelizwe, beza kubo ukuba bamquqele uYehova, uThixo kaSirayeli.22 Benza umthendeleko wezonka ezingenagwele imihla yasixhenxe bevuyile; ngokuba uYehova ebebavuyisile ngokuyibuyisela kubo intliziyo yokumkani waseAsiriya, ukuze izandla zabo zomelezwe emsebenzini wendlu kaThixo, uThixo kaSirayeli.