UNehemiya uthunyelwa eJerusalem
1Ngenyanga uNisan kunyaka wamashumi amabini kakumkani uAtashasta, ngethuba lokunikwa kwakhe iwayini, ndayithatha iwayini leyo ndamnika. Ukumkani wayengazange andibone ndilusizi ngaphambili, 2ngoko ke ukumkani wathi kum: “Ungaguli nje, ngani ke ukuba bunxunguphale kangaka ubuso bakho? Makube ikho into ekuhluphayo entliziyweni.”
Ndasuka ndoyika, 3kodwa ndathi kukumkani: “Phil' ud' ukhokhobe, kumkani! Bebungathini ubuso bam ukungathi rhubaxa xa isixeko abângcwatywa kuso oobawo singamabhodlo, amasango aso etshatyalaliswe ngomlilo?”
4Ukumkani wathi kum: “Yintoni ke oyifunayo?”
Ndathandaza uThixo wamazulu, 5ndaza ke ndathi kukumkani: “Xa kukholekile kuwe, kumkani, nesicaka sakho esi sisamkeleka kuwe, ndithume kwelakwaJuda kwisixeko abângcwatywa kuso oobawo, ukuze ndisivuse.”
6Ke ukumkani, enokumkanikazi ecaleni kwakhe, wathi kum: “Loba ngakanani olo hambo; khona, uya kubuya nini?” Kwakholeka ke kukumkani ukundikhulula, ndaza ke ndammisela ixesha.
7Kananjalo ndathi kuye: “Ukuba uyakholwa, kumkani, uze undinike iileta eziya kubalawuli belentshona ye-Efrati, ukuze bangandithinteli ukudlulela kwelakwaJuda. 8Uze undiphathise neleta eya kuAsafu umgcini-mahlathi okumkani, ukuze andinike imithi yokwenza imiqadi yamasango enqaba ekufuphi nendlu kaThixo, neyokwakha iindonga zesixeko, ndawonye nendawo yam yokuhlala.” Ngenxa yesandla esikulunga sikaThixo wam esasiphezu kwam ukumkani wazamkela zonke ezo zicelo zam. 9Ndaya ke kubalawuli belentshona ye-Efrati, ndabanika ezo leta zazivela kukumkani. Kananjalo ke ukumkani wayendikhuphele namagosa omkhosi, namajoni amahashe.
10USanebhalati umHoron, noTobhiya igosa lom-Amon, bathe bakuyiva le nto, suka bakhathazeka yinto yokuba kubekho umntu oze kuphuhlisa intlalo-ntle yamaSirayeli.
UNehemiya uhlola iindonga zeJerusalem
11Ndaya eJerusalem, ndaza emva kweentsuku ezintathu 12ndaphuma ngobusuku ndinebathwana lamadoda. Zange ndixelele mntu ngento uThixo wam ayibeke entliziyweni yam ukuba ndiyenzele iJerusalem. Kwakungekho nazinto zokukhwela ngaphandle kwaleyo ndandikhwele kuyo.
13Ngobusuku njalo ndaphuma ngeSango leNtili, ndaya ngakwiQula likaDyakalashe neSango lobuLongwe, ndazihlola ezo ndonga zidilikileyo naloo masango atshiswe ngomlilo. 14Ndadlulela kwiSango loMthombo neQula loKumkani; kambe ke andibanga nako ukudlula khona ndikhwele. 15Ewe, intili ndayinyuka ngobusuku ndizihlola iindonga. Ndaza ke ndajika, ndangena ngeSango leNtili. 16Abaphathi babengandazi apho ndiye khona nento endandiyenza, kuba ndandingekathethi nto kumaJuda, nababingeleli, nezikhulu, nabaphathi, nabanye ababeza kusebenza.
17Ndaza ndathi kubo: “Ngaba niyayibona na le nkxwaleko sikuyo? IJerusalem ingamabhodlo; amasango ayo atshiswe ngomlilo. Ngoko ke yizani sizivuse iindonga zeJerusalem, ukuze siphume ehlazweni.” 18Kananjalo ndabaxelela ngesandla esikulunga sikaThixo wam ebesiphezu kwam, ngokunjalo namazwi athethwe ngukumkani kum.
Baphendula ke bathi: “Masiqalise ukwakha.” Baqalisa ke ukuwenza loo msebenzi mhle.
19Kambe ke uSanebhalati umHoron, noTobhiya igosa lom-Amon, noGeshem um-Arabhu, bakuyiva loo nto, basuka baphoxisa bahlekisa ngathi, besithi: “Yintoni le niyenzayo? Nizama ukuvukelana nokumkani?”
20Ndabaphendula ndathi: “UThixo wamazulu uza kusiphumelelisa. Thina zicaka zakhe siza kuqalisa ukwakha; kambe ke nina aninasabelo eJerusalem, ningenalo nalubango; nangokwasezimbalini aninalungelo kuyo.”
