Ezra
Umbingeleli nombhali weTestamente eNdala owazisa abanye bamaYuda babuyela eYerusalem besuka ekuthinjweni kwaseBhabhilon (Ezra 7–10; Neh. 8; 12). Ngowa-458 P.K. wazuza imvume kuArtashashta, ukumkani wamaPersi, ukuba athathe nabaphi na abagxothwa bamaYuda aye eYerusalem abafuna ukuhamba (Ezra 7:12–26).
Phambi kwexesha likaEzra, ababingeleli babe phantsi banolawulo lonke ekufundeni ingqokelela yezibhalo ezibhaliweyo ekuthiwa ngu “mthetho.” UEzra wanceda enkwenzeni izibhalo zifumaneke kuwo wonke amaYuda. Ukufunda okuvulekileyo “kwencwadi yomthetho” ekugqibeleni kwaba ngumongo wobomi bobuzwe bamaYuda. Mhlawumbi imfundiso eyiyeyona inkulu kaEzra yavela kumzekelo ongowakhe wokulungisa intliziyo yakhe ifune umthetho weNkosi, awuthobele, kwaye awufundise kwabanye (Ezra 7:10).
Incwadi kaEzra
Izahluko 1–6 zichaza iziganeko ezehlayo ukususela kwiminyaka engamashumi amathandathu uye kwasibhozo phambi kokuba uEzra afike eYerusalem—ummiselo kaKoreshi ngowa-537 P.K. nokubuyela kwamaYuda phantsi koZerubhabheli. Izahluko 7–10 zibonisa ukuba uEzra waya njani eYerusalem. Yena, neqela lakhe, bazilela kwaye bathandazela ukhuseleko. EYerusalem bafumana abantu abaninzi bamaYuda ababeye eYerusalem ngaphambili phantsi koZerubhabheli kwaye babetshate abafazi ngaphandle komnqophiso baza ke njalo bazingcolisa. UEzra wabathandazela waza wabeka phantsi kwabo umnqophiso wokuqhawula umtshato abo bafazi. Imbali elandelayo kaEzra ifunyanwa kwincwadi kaNehemiya.