Verse 1: Khona uDariyu wakhipha isimemezelo, kwacingwa endlini yezincwadi, lapho ingcebo yayibekelelwa khona eBabele.
Verse 2: Kwafunyanwa e-Akimetha endlini yamakhosi esezweni laseMediya umqulu okwakulotshwe kuwo isikhumbuzo sokuthi:
Verse 3: “Ngomnyaka wokuqala kaKoresi inkosi, uKoresi inkosi wakhipha isimemezelo sokuthi: Ngendlu kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema, indlu mayakhiwe endaweni lapho benikelela khona ngemihlatshelo, zibekwe izisekelo zayo, ziqine, ukuphakama kwayo kube yizingalo ezingamashumi ayisithupha, ububanzi bayo bube yizingalo ezingamashumi ayisithupha;
Verse 4: ayibe nezinhla ezintathu zamatshe amakhulu, nohla lwemithi emisha, izindleko zikhishwe endlini yenkosi;
Verse 5: futhi izitsha zegolide nezesiliva zendlu kaNkulunkulu, uNebukadinesari azikhipha ethempelini eliseJerusalema waziyisa eBabele, mazibuyiswe, ziyiswe ethempelini eliseJerusalema, kube yileso naleso endaweni yaso, zibekwe endlini kaNkulunkulu.
Verse 6: “Ngalokho, Thathenayi, mbusi phesheya koMfula, nawe Shethari Bozenayi nabangane benu ama-Afarisaki abangaphesheya koMfula, manibe kude nalapho;
Verse 7: wuyekeni umsebenzi waleyo ndlu kaNkulunkulu; umbusi wabaJuda namalunga abaJuda mabakhe le ndlu kaNkulunkulu endaweni yayo.
Verse 8: “Futhi ngikhipha isimemezelo ngeniyakukwenza kulawo malunga abaJuda ukuba kwakhiwe leyo ndlu kaNkulunkulu: labo bantu mabanikwe kakhulu izindleko empahleni yenkosi, intela yaphesheya koMfula, ukuba bangathiywa.
Verse 9: Abakudingayo, amaduna, nezinqama, namawundlu okuyakuba yiminikelo yokushiswa kuNkulunkulu wezulu, kanye nokolweni, nosawoti, newayini, namafutha, njengezwi labapristi abaseJerusalema, mabanikwe khona imihla ngemihla kungaphuthi
Verse 10: ukuba banikele ngemihlatshelo yephunga elimnandi kuNkulunkulu wezulu, bakhulekele ukuphila kwenkosi namadodana ayo.
Verse 11: “Futhi ngikhiphe isimemezelo sokuthi yilowo nalowo oguqula leli zwi, makukhishwe umuthi endlini yakhe, aphakanyiswe, abethelwe kuwo, indlu yakhe yenziwe ibe yiquba ngenxa yalokho,
Verse 12: uNkulunkulu ohlalise khona igama lakhe awise phansi onke amakhosi nabantu abayakwelula izandla zabo ukuba baguqule lokho, bachithe le ndlu kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema. Mina Dariyu ngikhiphe isimemezelo; masenziwe ngaso sonke isineke.”
Verse 13: Khona uThathenayi umbusi waphesheya koMfula, noShethari Bozenayi, nabangane babo benza kanjalo ngesineke sonke, ngokuba uDariyu inkosi wayethumele.
Verse 14: Amalunga abaJuda ayesakha, aba nempumelelo ngokuprofetha kukaHagayi umprofethi noZakariya indodana ka-Ido. Akha, aqeda njengokwesiyalezo sikaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, nanjengokwesiyalezo sikaKoresi, noDariyu, no-Aritahishashita, inkosi yasePheresiya.
Verse 15: Yaqedwa leyo ndlu ngosuku lwesithathu lwenyanga ka-Adari ngomnyaka wesithupha wokubusa kukaDariyu inkosi.
Verse 16: Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, abapristi namaLevi nabanye abathunjwa, bagcina ukuhlanjululwa kwaleyo ndlu kaNkulunkulu ngokuthokoza.
Verse 17: Banikela ekuhlanjululweni kwaleyo ndlu kaNkulunkulu ngezinkunzi eziyikhulu, nangezinqama ezingamakhulu amabili, nangamawundlu angamakhulu amane, kanye nezimpongo eziyishumi nambili zibe ngumnikelo wokona ngo-Israyeli wonke njengokomumo wezizwe zakwa-Israyeli.
Verse 18: Bamisa abapristi ngamaqembu abo namaLevi ngezigaba zawo ukuba baphathe inkonzo kaNkulunkulu eseJerusalema njengokulotshiweyo encwadini kaMose.
Verse 19: Abathunjwa bagcina iphasika ngolweshumi nane lwenyanga yokuqala.
Verse 20: Ngokuba abapristi namaLevi babezihlambululile kanyekanye; bonke babehlambulukile; bahlabela bonke abathunjwa iphasika, nabafowabo abapristi, bazihlabela nabo uqobo lwabo.
Verse 21: Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ababebuyile ekuthunjweni, nabo bonke ababezahlukanisele kubo nokungcola kwabezizwe balelo zwe ukuba bafune uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli badla;
Verse 22: bagubha umkhosi wesinkwa esingenamvubelo izinsuku eziyisikhombisa ngokuthokoza, ngokuba uJehova wayebathokozisile, waguqulela inhliziyo yenkosi yase-Asiriya kubo ukuba kuqiniswe izandla zabo emsebenzini wendlu kaNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.