Amayelenqe Ngakumsebenzi kaBawo
Izimemo ezine zokuhlangana ethafeni laseOno, incwadi exokileyo ngemvukelo, umprofeti oqeshiweyo omcengayo ukuba azimele etempileni—uNehemiya uyazala zonke, aqhubeke esakha. Udonga luvaleka ngeentsuku ezimashumi mahlanu anambini, zize iintlanga ziphelelwe sisibindi, zibona isandla sikaBawo wethu kuyo.
6 1Bathi uSanbhalati, noTobhiya, nogeshem umArabhi, neentshaba zethu ezinye, bakuva ukuba ndilwakhile udonga, lungasenasikhewu, nangona ndandingekazibeki iingcango emasangweni, 2uSanbhalati noGeshem bathumela ilizwi, besithi: “Yiza, sihlangane komnye wemizana esethafeni laseOno.” Kodwa babeyelenqa ukundenzakalisa.
3Ndathuma abathunywa kubo, ndisithi: “Ndenza umsebenzi omkhulu, andinakuhla ndize kuni. Yini na ukuba umsebenzi uphele, ndiwuyekele ndize kuni?”
4Kane bandithumelela elo lizwi linye, kwaye ngamaxesha onke ndabaphendula ngempendulo enye. 5USanbhalati wandithumela umkhonzi wakhe ngale ndlela okwesihlanu, enencwadi evulekileyo esandleni sakhe. 6Yathi: Kuthethwa phakathi kweentlanga, no-Geshem utsho, ukuba wena namaYuda nigqibe kwelokuba nivukele; kungoko ulwakhayo udonga, kwaye uza kuba ngukumkani wabo, ngokwezo ndaba.
7Kananjalo umisile abaprofeti ukuba bavakalise ngawe eYerusalem, besithi: ‘Kukho ukumkani kwaYuda!’ Ngoku le nto iya kufikelela kukumkani. Ngoko yiza, sithethe ngayo.
8Ndaphendula ndathi: Akukho nto kwezi uzithethayo yenzekileyo; uyazibhaqa engqondweni yakho. 9Bonke babefuna ukusoyikisa, besithi: “Ziya kuwa izandla zabo emsebenzini, ungagqitywa.” Kodwa ngoku, Bawo, zomeleze izandla zam.
10Ndaya endlwini kaShemaya, unyana kaDelaya, unyana kaMehetabheli, owayevalelwe. Wathi: “Masihlangane endlwini kaThixo, ngaphakathi etempileni, sizivale iingcango zetempile; baza kukubulala, beza ebusuku ukuza kukubulala.”
11Kodwa ndathi: “Indoda enjengam ingabaleka na? Ongumntu onjengam angangena na etempileni ukuze aphile? Andiyi kungena.” 12Ndaqonda ukuba uBawo wethu ubengamthumanga; wayethethe esi siprofeto ngam, kuba uTobhiya noSanbhalati bemqeshile. 13Wayeqeshwe ukuba andoyikise ndone, ukuze bandinike igama elibi, bandingcikive. 14Khumbula, Bawo, uTobhiya noSanbhalati ngenxa yezi zenzo zabo, kananjalo noNoadiya umprofetikazi, nabanye abaprofeti ababefuna ukundoyikisa.
UBawo Uwugqibezela Udonga
15Ngoko udonga lwagqitywa ngosuku lwamashumi mabini anesihlanu lwenyanga ka-Elul, ngemihla engamashumi mahlanu anesibini. a a v15 U-Elul yinyanga yesithandathu yekhalenda yamaHebhere, ethi ihle ngasekupheleni kwehlobo (malunga no-Agasti–Septemba). 16Zathi zonke iintshaba zethu zakuva, nazo zonke iintlanga ezisingqongileyo zakubona, zashukunyiswa kakhulu emehlweni azo, kuba zazisazi ukuba uBawo wethu wenze lo msebenzi. 17Kananjalo ngaloo mihla, abanumzana bakwaYuda bathumela iincwadi ezininzi kuTobhiya, zaye iincwadi zikaTobhiya zihlala zibuyela kubo. 18Baninzi kwaYuda ababebotshelelwe kuye ngesifungo, kuba wayengumyeni wentombi kaShekaniya unyana ka-Ara, kananjalo unyana wakhe uYehohanan wayezeke intombi kaMeshulam unyana kaBherekiya. 19Babehlala bendixelela izenzo zakhe ezilungileyo, baze baxele amazwi am kuye. UTobhiya wathumela iincwadi zokundoyikisa.
