UNehemiya uvikela abafowabo abacindezelweyo
Ngalesi sikhathi usongo luphakathi: indlala nezintela kuphoqe imindeni ukuba ibambise amasimu ayo futhi idayise abantwana bayo, kuyilapho izikhulu zamaJuda ziqoqa inzalo kubafowabo. Ulaka lukaNehemiya, nokwesaba uBaba wethu, kuphoqa ukuba kubuyiselwe, futhi wenqaba isabelo sokudla sombusi iminyaka eyishumi nambili.
5 1Kwathi kwavela ukukhala okukhulu kwabantu nawomkabo ngakubafowabo abangamaJuda. 2Abanye bathi: "Thina, namadodana ethu namadodakazi ethu, sibaningi; masithole okusanhlamvu ukuze sidle siphile." 3Abanye bathi: "Sibambisa amasimu ethu, nezivini zethu, nezindlu zethu ukuze sithole okusanhlamvu endlaleni." 4Abanye bathi: "Siboleke imali ngenxa yentela yenkosi emasimini ethu nasezivinini zethu. 5Thina siyinyama yabafowethu, abantwana bethu banjengabantwana babo; nokho sicindezela amadodana ethu namadodakazi ethu ukuba abe yizigqila. Amanye amadodakazi ethu asengamakhoboka, asinamandla okuwakhulula: amasimu ethu nezivini zethu kungokwabanye."
6Ngathukuthela kakhulu lapho ngizwa ukukhala kwabo nalawa mazwi. 7Ngacabanga enhliziyweni yami, ngase ngibasola abakhulu nezikhulu, ngathi: "Yilowo nalowo kini ubiza inzalo emalini ayiboleke kubafowabo!" Ngase ngibizela umhlangano omkhulu ukuba ubamelane. 8Ngathi kubo: "Senzé konke esingakwenza ukuhlenga abafowethu abangamaJuda ababethengiselwe ezizweni. Manje nina niyabathengisa abafowenu, ukuze baphinde bathengiswe kithi!" Bathula, abatholanga lutho lokusho. 9Ngase ngithi: "Lokhu enikwenzayo akukuhle. Akufanele yini nihambe ekwesabeni uBaba wethu, ukuze niphephe ukuhlekwa yizizwe eziyizitha zethu? 10Nami, nabafowethu, nezinceku zami, sibaboleka imali nokusanhlamvu. Masiyeke le nzalo. 11Babuyiseleni namuhla amasimu abo, nezivini zabo, nezivande zabo zeminqumo, nezindlu zabo, kanye nenzalo yemali, neyokusanhlamvu, neyewayini elisha, neyamafutha eniyibizile kubo."
12Baphendula bathi: "Sizokubuyisela, singabe sisabiza lutho kubo. Sizokwenza njengoba usho." Ngase ngibiza abapristi, ngabafungisa abakhulu ukuba bagcine lesi sithembiso.
13Ngaphinde ngavuthulula umphetho wengubo yami, ngathi: "Kwangathi uBaba wethu angamvuthulula kanjalo, emzini wakhe nasempahleni yakhe, wonke umuntu ongasigcini lesi sithembiso—kavuthululwe ashiywe ze." Umhlangano wonke wathi: "Ameni," badumisa uBaba wethu. Abantu benza njengesithembiso.
14Kusukela osukwini engamiswa ngalo ukuba ngibe umbusi wakwaJuda—kusukela onyakeni wamashumi amabili wenkosi u-Aritahishashita kuze kube ngowamashumi amathathu nambili, iminyaka eyishumi nambili—mina nabafowethu asilidlanga ukudla okwabelwe umbusi. 15Kodwa ababebusa kuqala, ababephambi kwami, bawusinda umthwalo abantu, bethatha kubo ukudla newayini, ngaphandle kwesiliva esingangephawundi. Ngisho nezinceku zabo zazibabusa abantu. Kodwa mina angikwenzanga lokho, ngokuba ngangimesaba uBaba wethu. 16Ngaphinde ngazibamba emsebenzini walolu donga; asizange sithenge umhlaba. Zonke izinceku zami zaqoqana lapho emsebenzini. 17AmaJuda ayikhulu namashumi amahlanu nezikhulu nawo ayedla etafuleni lami, ngaphandle kwalabo ababevela ezizweni ezizungezile. 18Okwakulungiswa usuku ngalunye: inkabi eyodwa, nezimvu eziyisithupha ezikhethiweyo, nezinyoni—konke kwakulungiswa ngezindleko zami; njalo ezinsukwini eziyishumi, wayini lwazo zonke izinhlobo ngobuningi. Noma kunjalo, angisibizanga isabelo sokudla sombusi, ngokuba umsebenzi wawusinda phezu kwalaba bantu. 19Ngikhumbule kube kuhle, Baba, ngakho konke engikwenzele laba bantu.
