Isandla sikaBawo wethu siyamthuma uNehemiya
Ubuso obubuhlungu bomphathi wendebe buyaphawulwa, kwaye isandla esilungileyo sikaBawo wakhe simphezu kwakhe, uNehemiya ucela kukumkani imithi nendlela ekhuselekileyo ukuze avuselele umzi woobawo owawonakaliswayo. Ukhwela phezu kwamanxuwa aseYerusalem yedwa ebusuku engekaxeleli mntu, aze aqokelele abakhi lo gama uSanbhalati noTobhiya begculela.
2 1Ngenyanga kaNisan, ngomnyaka wamashumi amabini kakumkani uAtaswerisi, yayikhona iwayini phambi kwakhe; ndathabatha, ndayinika ukumkani—ndandingazanga ndibe buhlungu ubuso phambi kwakhe ngaphambili. a a v1 UNisan ibiyinyanga yokuqala yomnyaka wamaHebhere, isihla ekuqaleni kwentwasahlobo (malunga noMatshi–u-Epreli). 2Ukumkani wathi kum: “Kutheni ubuso bakho bubuhlungu nje, ungaguli nje? Oku akunako kuba yintliziyo ebuhlungu kuphela.” Ndaza ndoyika kakhulu.
3Ndathi kukumkani: “Wanga ukumkani angadla ubomi ngonaphakade! Kutheni ubuso bam bungabi buhlungu nje, lo gama umzi, indawo yokungcwaba yoobawo, uyinxuwa, namasango awo atshisiwe ngomlilo?”
4Ukumkani wathi kum: “Ucele ntoni na?” Ndaza ndathandaza kuBawo wethu osemazulwini, 5ndaza ndathi kukumkani: “Ukuba kukholekileyo kukumkani, nokuba umkhonzi wakho ubabalwe nguwe, ndithume kwaYuda, emzini wamangcwaba oobawo, ukuze ndiwuvuselele.”
6Ukumkani, nokumkanikazi ehleli ngakuye, wathi kum: “Luya kuthabatha ixesha elingakanani uhambo lwakho, uya kubuya nini na?” Wakholeka ukundithuma, ndaza ndamnika ixesha.
7Ndathi kananjalo kukumkani: “Ukuba kukholekileyo kukumkani, mandinike iincwadi eziya kubalawuli bephondo elingaphesheya koMlambo, ukuze bandiyeke ndidlule ndide ndifike kwaYuda. 8Kwanencwadi eya kuAsafu, umgcini wehlathi lokumkani, ukuba andinike imithi yemiqadi yamasango enqaba engasetempileni, nodonga lomzi, nendlu endiya kuhlala kuyo.” Ukumkani waziqinisekisa izicelo zam, kuba isandla sikaBawo wam esilungileyo besiphezu kwam.
9Ndaya kubalawuli bephondo elingaphesheya koMlambo, ndabanika iincwadi zokumkani. Wayethumile kananjalo nabaphathi bomkhosi nabamahashe nam. 10Bakuva oku uSanbhalati waseHoron noTobhiya umphathi ongumAmon, bakhathazeka kakhulu kuba kwafika umntu ozakufuna okulungileyo kwabantu bakwaSirayeli.
Ukuhamba kweendonga ezidilikileyo ebusuku
11Ndafika ke eYerusalem, ndahlala khona iintsuku ezintathu. 12Ndavuka ebusuku ndinamadoda ambalwa. Andixelelanga mntu into uBawo wam abeyibeke entliziyweni yam ukuba ndiyenzele iYerusalem. Kwakungekho silwanyana nam, ingesiso sona endandisikhwele. 13Ndaphuma ebusuku ngesango lesihlambo, ndabhekisa equleni leMpungutye, ndaya esangweni leLindle, ndihlola iindonga zaseYerusalem ezidilikileyo namasango ayo atshisiweyo. 14Ndadlula ndaya esangweni loMthombo nasechibini lokumkani, kodwa kwakungekho ndawo yokuba isilwanyana endisikhweleyo sidlule. 15Ndenyuka ebusuku ngesihlambo, ndihlola udonga, ndabuya, ndangena ngesango lesihlambo, ndabuya. 16Abathetheli babengazi apho ndabe ndiye khona nendandiyenza; ndandingekabaxeleli amaYuda, nababingeleli, nabanumzana, nabathetheli, nabanye abaya kuwenza umsebenzi. 17Ndaza ndathi: “Niyabona imbandezelo yethu: iYerusalem iyinxuwa, namasango ayo atshisiwe. Yizani, masivuselele udonga lwaseYerusalem ukuze singabi sisingcikivo.” 18Ndabaxelela ukuba isandla sikaBawo wam esilungileyo besiphezu kwam nje, nokuba ukumkani uthe ntoni na. Bathi: “Masivuke sakhe.” Baza basomeleza izandla zabo kuloo msebenzi ulungileyo.
19Bakuva uSanbhalati waseHoron, noTobhiya umphathi ongumAmon, noGeshem umArabhi, basigculela basidela, besithi: “Yintoni le niyenzayo na? Ingaba nivukela ukumkani?”
20Ndaphendula ndathi: “UBawo wethu osemazulwini uya kusenzela impumelelo. Thina zikhonzi zakhe siya kuqala ukwakha, kodwa nina aninasabelo, nagunya, nasikhumbuzo eYerusalem.”
