¹ U-Ezra esakhuleka , evuma izono ngokukhala , eziwise phansi phambi kwendlu kaNkulunkulu, kwabuthana kuye kuvela ku-Israyeli ibandla elikhulu kakhulu labesilisa nabesifazane nabantwana , ngokuba abantu bakhala ngokukhala okukhulu. ² UShekaniya, indodana ka Jehiyeli, enye yamadodana ka -Elamu, wathatha wathi ku -Ezra: Siphambukile kuNkulunkulu wethu , sithathe abesifazane babezizwe kubantu bezwe. Nokho lisekhona ithemba ku-Israyeli ngale nto. ³ Ngalokho masenze isivumelwano noNkulunkulu wethu ukuba silahle bonke abesifazane nabazelwe yibo ngesiluleko senkosi nesabathuthumela ngomyalo kaNkulunkulu wethu; akwenziwe ngomthetho. ⁴ Vuka, ngokuba iphezu kwakho le ndaba ; thina sinawe ; yiba nesibindi , ukwenze. ⁵ Wayesevuka u-Ezra, wafungisa izikhulu zabapristi, namaLevi, naye wonke u- Israyeli ukuba benze ngokwaleli zwi. Bafunga-ke. ⁶ Wayesevuka u -Ezra phambi kwendlu kaNkulunkulu , wangena ekamelweni likaJehohanani indodana ka -Eliyashibi, kepha esefike khona akadlanga sinkwa, kaphuzanga manzi , ngokuba walila ngenxa yesiphambeko sabathunjwa. ⁷ Bathumela izwi kwaJuda naseJerusalema kubo bonke abathunjwa ukuba babuthane eJerusalema ⁸ ngokuthi bonke abangafiki ngezinsuku ezintathu ngokwesiluleko sezikhulu namalunga kuyakudliwa yonke impahla yabo , bona bahlukaniswe nebandla labathunjwa. ⁹ Bonke abantu bakwaJuda nabakwaBenjamini babuthana eJerusalema ngezinsuku ezintathu ; kwakuyinyanga yesishiyagalolunye , ngolwamashumi amabili lwenyanga ; bonke abantu bahlala esigcawini ngaphambi kwendlu kaNkulunkulu bethuthumela ngale ndaba nangemvula enkulu. ¹⁰ U-Ezra, umpristi, wasukuma, wathi kubo : Niphambukile nithathe abesifazane babezizwe ukwandisa icala lakwa-Israyeli. ¹¹ Ngalokho vumani izono kuJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyihlo , nenze intando yakhe, nizahlukanise nabantu bezwe nabesifazane babezizwe. ¹² Lase liphendula lonke ibandla , lathi ngezwi elikhulu: Njengokusho kwakho kithina nga sikwenza. ¹³ Kepha abantu baningi , futhi kuyisikhathi semvula enkulu , asinakuma phandle, futhi lo msebenzi awusiwo walusuku lunye nowezimbili , ngokuba siphambukile kakhulu ngale ndaba. ¹⁴ Izinduna zethu mazime phambi kwebandla lonke ; bonke abasemizini yethu abathathe abesifazane babezizwe mabeze ngesikhathi esinqunyiweyo , benamalunga emizi ngemizi nabahluleli ba yo, ize ibuye kithi intukuthelo evuthayo kaNkulunkulu wethu kule ndaba. ¹⁵ UJonathani, indodana ka-Asaheli, noJahazeya indodana kaThikiva kuphela bamelana nalokho; oMeshulamu noShabethayi umLevi babasiza. ¹⁶ Kepha abathunjwa benze njalo . Kwakhethwa u-Ezra, umpristi, namadoda ayizinhloko zawoyise njengezindlu zawoyise , bonke ngamagama ; bahlala ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yeshumi ukuyiphenya le ndaba. ¹⁷ Baqeda namadoda ayethathe abesifazane babezizwe ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yokuqala. ¹⁸ Abafunyaniswa phakathi kwamadodana abapristi ukuthi bathathe abesifazane babezizwe nampa: kumadodana kaJeshuwa indodana kaJosadaki nakubafowabo: ngoMahaseya, no-Eliyezeri, noJaribi, noGedaliya. ¹⁹ Banika izandla zabo zokuthi bayakulahla abafazi babo ; lokhu benecala , banikela ngenqama yomhlambi ngecala labo. ²⁰ Kumadodana ka-Imeri: ngoHanani noZebadiya. ²¹ Kumadodana kaHarimi : ngoMahaseya, no-Eliya, noShemaya, noJehiyeli, no-Uziya. ²² Kumadodana kaPhashuri : ngo-Eliyohenayi, noMahaseya, no-Ishmayeli, noNethaneli, noJozabadi, no-Eleyasa. ²³ KumaLevi: ngoJozabadi, noShimeyi, noKhelaya onguKelitha, noPhethahiya, noJuda, no-Eliyezeri. ²⁴ Kubahlabeleli: ngu-Eliyashibi; kubalindisango: ngoShalumi, noTeleme, no- Uri. ²⁵ Ku-Israyeli: Kumadodana kaPharoshi : ngoRamiya, no-Iziya, noMalikhiya, noMijamini, no-Eleyazare, noMalikhiya, noBenaya. ²⁶ Kumadodana ka -Elamu: ngoMathaniya, noZakariya, noJehiyeli, no-Abidi, noJeremoti, no-Eliya. ²⁷ Kumadodana kaZathu : ngo-Eliyohenayi, no-Eliyashibi, noMathaniya, noJeremoti, noZabadi, no-Aziza. ²⁸ Kumadodana kaBebayi: ngoJehohanani, noHananiya, noZabayi, no-Atilayi. ²⁹ Kumadodana kaBa ni: ngoMeshulamu, noMaluki, no-Adaya, noJashubi, noSheyali, noJeremoti. ³⁰ Kumadodana kaPhahati Mowabi : ngo-Adina, noKhelali, noBenaya, noMahaseya, noMathaniya, noBesaleli, noBinuwi, noManase. ³¹ Amadodana kaHarimi : o-Eliyezeri, noJishiya, noMalikhiya, noShemaya, noShimeyoni, ³² noBenjamini, noMaluki, noShemariya. ³³ Kumadodana kaHashumi : ngoMathenayi, noMathatha, noZabadi, no- Elifeleti, noJeremayi, noManase, noShimeyi. ³⁴ Kumadodana kaBani: ngoMahadayi, no-Amramu, no-Uweli, ³⁵ noBenaya, noBedeya, noKeluhi, ³⁶ noVaniya, noMeremoti, no-Eliyashibi, ³⁷ noMathaniya, noMathenayi, noJahasu, ³⁸ noBani, noBinuwi, noShimeyi, ³⁹ noShelemiya, noNathani, no-Adaya, ⁴⁰ noMakenadebayi, noShashayi, noSharayi, ⁴¹ no-Azareli, noShelemiya, noShemariya, ⁴² noShalumi, no-Amariya, noJosefa. ⁴³ Kumadodana kaNebo : ngoJehiyeli, noMatithiya, noZabadi, noSebina, no- Ido, noJoweli, noBenaya. ⁴⁴ Bonke labo babethathe abesifazane babezizwe ; kwakukhona phakathi kwabo abesifazane ababezele abantwana.