4. Ngoko ke phakama; lo mcimbi usezandleni zakho. Thina siza kukuxhasa. Yomelela wenze.”
5. Ke kaloku waphakama uEzra, waqokelela bonke ababingeleli abaphambili nabaLevi noSirayeli ephela, wathi mabafunge ukuba baza kwenza njengoko sekuthethiwe. Basenza ke isifungo.
6. Waza uEzra waphuma endlwini kaThixo, waya endlwini kaYohanan unyana kaEliyashibhi. Ngoko alapho ke wayengatyi engaseli manzi, kuba esazilele ukunganyaniseki kwabathinjwa.
7. Ke kaloku kwenziwa isihlokomiso kuye wonke uJuda neJerusalem, kusithiwa abathinjwa mabahlangane eJerusalem.
8. Nabani na ongezanga kwithuba leentsuku ezintathu, kwathiwa uza kuthathelwa izinto anazo. Eso ke isisigqibo samaphakathi namadoda amakhulu; umntu onjalo ke wayeza kusikwa kwibandla labathinjwa.
9. Ngezo ntsuku zintathu ke onke amadoda akwaJuda nawakwaBhenjamin aqokelelana eJerusalem. Ngomhla wamashumi amabini kwinyanga yethoba bonke abantu babesebehleli kwibala eliphambi kwendlu kaThixo, bengcangcazela ngenxa yalo mbandela nangenxa yemvula.
10. Umbingeleli uEzra ke waphakama wathi: “Nenze ukunganyaniseki; ityala likaSirayeli nilongezelele ngokuthatha abafazi abaziintlanga.
11. Ngoko ke, sivumeni isono senu phambi *koNdikhoyo uThixo wooyihlo, nenze ukuthanda kwakhe. Zahluleni kwezi ntlanga ziningqongileyo, ngokunjalo nakwaba bafazi benu baziintlanga.”
12. Ke lonke ibandla laphendula likhwaza lisithi: “Unyanisile! Siza kuyenza le nto uyithethayo.
13. Kambe ke sibaninzi gqitha apha, ibe ke ngoku lixesha lemvula; asinako ukuma apha phandle. Ngaphezu koko ke lo mbandela awunako ukugqitywa ngemini enye nezimbini, kuba ngenene sone sagqithisa kulo mbandela.
14. Amaphakathi ethu makamele ibandla lilonke. Kwiidolophu zethu wonke umntu othathe intombi yeentlanga makamiselwe ixesha, aze eze kunye namadoda amakhulu nabagwebi bedolophu nganye, ide le ngqumbo kaThixo wethu ngalo mbandela ibe nokususwa phezu kwethu.”
15. Ke kaloku yaba nguJonatan unyana ka-Asayeli kunye noYazeya unyana kaTikwa, bexhaswa nguMeshulam noShabhetayi umLevi, abasichasayo eso sigqibo.