Iintshaba Zigculela Umsebenzi

USanbhalati uqhula esithi impungutye ingaludiliza udonga, ize izingcikivo zijike zibe liyelenqe lokuhlasela. Bathandaza kuBawo wethu, bamisa abalindi: isiqingatha samadoda sakha lo gama esinye simile sixhobile, elowo ephethe ikrele, besebenza kususela ekukhanyeni kokuqala kude kuvele iinkwenkwezi.

Isahluko 4.

Kwathi uSanbhalati akuva ukuba siyaluvuselela udonga, wavutha ngumsindo kunene, waba noburhalarhume obukhulu, wawagculela amaYuda. Wathi phambi kwabazalwana bakhe nomkhosi waseSamari: “Enza ntoni na la maYuda abuthathaka? Baya kuzakhela udonga na? Baya kubingelela na? Baya kugqiba na ngamini-nye? Banako na ukuwabuyisela ebomini amatye ephuma kwiimfumba zodaka, etshile nje njengoko enjalo?”

UTobhiya umAmon wayengakuye, waza wathi: “Olo donga lwamatye baluyakhayo—nokuba impungutye ingenyuka phezu kwalo, ingaludiliza!”

Siphulaphule, Bawo wethu, kuba sideliwe. Buyisela izingcikivo zabo phezu kweentloko zabo, ubanikele babe ngamaxhoba ezweni lokuthinjwa. Musa ukubugubungela ubugwenxa babo, isono sabo masingasulwa phambi kwakho, kuba baphakamise izingcikivo ebusweni babakhi.

Saza saluvuselela udonga lwada lwahlanganiselana lonke, lwada lwafikelela esiqingatheni sokuphakama kwalo, kuba abantu basebenza ngentliziyo yabo yonke.

Kodwa kwathi uSanbhalati, noTobhiya, nama-Arabhi, nama-Amon, nama-Ashdodi, bakuva ukuba ukulungiswa kweendonga zaseYerusalem kuyaqhubela phambili, nezikhewu ziqala ukuvalwa, baba noburhalarhume obukhulu. Benza iyelenqe bonke ndawonye lokuza kulwa neYerusalem, baze bayidungadunge.

Kodwa sathandaza kuBawo wethu, samisa abalindi ukubalinda imini nobusuku.

Ngeli lixa abantu bakwaYuda bathi: “Amandla abasebenzi ayaphela, lukho udaka oluninzi kangangokuba asinako ukuluvuselela udonga.” Zathi ke iintshaba zethu: “Bengekazi nokwazi, bengekasiboni, siya kuba phakathi kwabo; sibabulale, siwuphelise umsebenzi.”

Kwaza amaYuda awayehleli ngakubo eza, asixelela izihlandlo ezilishumi, esithi: “Naphi na apho nijika khona, baya kusihlasela.”

Ngako oko ndamisa abantu emva kweendawo eziphantsi zodonga, kwiindawo ezivulekileyo, ndababeka ngokweentsapho zabo benamakrele abo, nemikhonto yabo, nezaphetha zabo. Emva kokuba ndizihlolile izinto, ndesuka ndema ndathi kubanumzana, nakwiziphathamandla, nakubo bonke abanye abantu: “Musani ukuboyika. Khumbulani iNkosi uBawo, omkhulu nowoyikekayo, nilwele abazalwana benu, noonyana benu neentombi zenu, nabafazi benu, namakhaya enu.”

Kwathi iintshaba zethu zakuva ukuba besazi iyelenqe lazo, nokuba uBawo wethu waliphuthisa, sabuyela sonke eludongeni, elowo waya emsebenzini wakhe. Ethabathela kuloo mini, isiqingatha samadodana am sasisenza umsebenzi, logama esinye isiqingatha sambethe iintshuntshe, namakhaka, nezaphetha, neengubo zokulwa. Abathetheli bema emva kwayo yonke indlu kaYuda, ababesakha udonga. Abo babethwala izinto babenza umsebenzi wabo ngesinye isandla, bephethe isixhobo ngesinye, ngulowo nalowo kubakhi wayelibhinqile ikrele lakhe esinqeni sakhe ngelo xesha esebenza. Ke yona indoda eyayivuthela isigodlo yahlala ngakum. Ndaza ndathi kubanumzana, nakwiziphathamandla, nakubo bonke abanye abantu: “Umsebenzi mkhulu, uthe saa, size sahlukane omnye nomnye eludongeni. Naphi na apho niva khona isandi sesigodlo, hlanganelani kuthi apho. UBawo wethu uya kusilwela!”

Saza saqhubeka sisebenza, isiqingatha samadoda siphethe iintshuntshe, ukususela ekudabukeni kokusa kude kuphume iinkwenkwezi. Ngelo xesha ndabaxelela kananjalo abantu, ndathi: “Elowo nomncedi wakhe makahlale phakathi eYerusalem ebusuku, ukuze babe ngabalindi ebusuku, babe ngabasebenzi emini.” Ngoko ke nam, nabazalwana bam, namadodana am, nabalindi ababendilandela, asizange sizihlube iingubo zethu; elowo wayephethe isixhobo sakhe esandleni, nokuba uya kukha amanzi.