1 Ngomnyaka wakuqala wenkosi yasePhezhiya uKhurosi, ukuze kugcwaliseke ilizwi likaThixo elakhulunywa nguJeremiya, uThixo wathinta inhliziyo kaKhurosi inkosi yasePhezhiya ukuba yenze isimemezelo kuwo wonke umbuso wayo, ukuthi sibhalwe phansi kuthiwe:
2 “Nanku okutshiwo yinkosi uKhurosi wasePhezhiya:
3 Loba ngubani wabantu bakhe phakathi kwenu angahamba aye eJerusalema koJuda ayekwakha ithempeli likaThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uNkulunkulu oseJerusalema njalo sengathi uNkulunkulu wabo angaba labo.
4 Akuthi abantu loba ngabakuyiphi indawo lapho okungabe kuseselensalela kabamuphe isiliva legolide, impahla lezifuyo, leminikelo yokuzithandela yethempeli likaNkulunkulu eJerusalema.’ ”
5 Kwasekusithi abazinhloko zemizi yakoJuda lakoBhenjamini, kanye labaphristi labaLevi, labo bonke ababethintwe inhliziyo zabo nguNkulunkulu, bazilungisela ukuhamba ukuyakwakha indlu kaThixo eJerusalema.
6 Bonke omakhelwane babo babancedisa ukuzuza izinto zesiliva legolide, impahla lezifuyo, lezipho eziligugu phezu kwayo yonke iminikelo yokuzizwela.
7 Phezu kwalokho iNkosi uKhurosi yakhupha zonke izitsha ezazingezethempeli likaThixo ezazithunjwe nguNebhukhadineza eJerusalema zabekwa ethempelini likankulunkulu wakhe.
8 UKhurosi inkosi yasePhezhiya wathi kazilethwe nguMithiredathi umgcinisikhwama onguye owazibalayo ezibalela uSheshibhazari inkosana yakoJuda.
9 Nanzi-ke lezompahla:
10 imiganu yegolide ezingubhe yayingamatshumi amathathu (30),
11 Sekukonke, kwakuyizinkulungwane ezinhlanu lamakhulu amane ezinto zegolide lesiliva (5,400).