UNehemiya 1

1 ¹Amazwi kaNehemiya indodana kaHakaliya. Ngenyanga kaKisilevi, ngomnyaka wamashumi amabili, ngangisenqabeni yaseSusa, ^a a v1 UKisilevi kwakuyinyanga yesishiyagalolunye yekhalenda lesiHeberu, ewela ekupheleni kukaNovemba kuya kuDisemba.

²UHanani, omunye wabafowethu, wafika namadoda avela kwaJuda. Ngababuza ngamaJuda asinda, asala ekuthunjweni, nangeJerusalema. ³Bangitshela bathi: “Insali esala ekuthunjweni, laphaya esifundeni, isekuhluphekeni okukhulu nasehlazweni. Udonga lwaseJerusalema lubhidlikile, amasango alo ashiswe ngomlilo.”

⁴Ngithe ngizwa lawo mazwi, ngahlala phansi ngakhala, ngalila izinsuku, ngazila ngithandaza phambi kukaBaba wethu osezulwini. ⁵Ngathi: Ngiyacela, Baba wami osezulwini, Nkulunkulu omkhulu owesabekayo, ogcina isivumelwano nomusa oqotho kulabo abamthandayo begcina imiyalo yakhe, ⁶akuthi indlebe yakho ilalele, namehlo akho avuleke, ukuze uzwe lo mthandazo mina, inceku yakho, engiwuthandaza phambi kwakho manje, imini nobusuku, ngenxa yama-Israyeli, izinceku zakho—ngivuma izono thina ma-Israyeli esone ngazo kuwe. Mina nendlu kababa sonile. ⁷Sikonile kakhulu, asigcinanga imiyalo, nezimiso, nezinqumo owayala ngazo inceku yakho uMose.

⁸Ngiyacela ukhumbule izwi owaliyala inceku yakho uMose: “Uma ningathembeki, ngiyakunihlakazela phakathi kwezizwe, ⁹kodwa uma niphendukela kimi, nigcine imiyalo yami, niyenze, noma abathunjiweyo benu bengasekugcineni kwamazulu, ngiyakubaqoqa khona, ngibalethe endaweni engayikhethayo ukuba igama lami lihlale khona.”

¹⁰Bayizinceku zakho, abantu bakho, owabahlenga ngamandla akho amakhulu nangesandla sakho esinamandla. ¹¹Ngiyacela, Baba wami oyiNkosi, akuthi indlebe yakho ilalele umthandazo wenceku yakho, nomthandazo wezinceku zakho—labo abathokozela ukwesaba igama lakho. Yiphumelelise inceku yakho namuhla, uyiphe umusa phambi kwalo muntu. Ngangingumphathisitsha wenkosi ngaleso sikhathi.