Inkcaso ekwakheni
1Akuva ukuba siyalwakha udonga uSanebhalati wachukumiseka wakhathazeka gqitha. Waphoxisa ngawo amaJuda, 2ethetha bekho noogxa bakhe nomkhosi waseSamariya. Wayesithi: “Zenza ntoni ezi ngcekengceke zamaJuda? Athi angaluvusa na olu donga lwawo? Ngaba aza kwenza amadini, asuke agqibe ukwakha udonga ngemini enye? Ngaba oba nako ukuwenza asebenziseke la matye akwezaa ngqumba zenkunkuma, lawa atshileyo?”
3Ke uTobhiya umAmon owayesecaleni kwakhe wathi: “Iyintoni yona khona le bayakhayo? Kolu donga lwabo lwamatye kungathi kuqabele impungutye lusuke luwe!”
4Khawuve usivelele, Thixo wethu, kuba sideliwe. Izishwabulo zabo zibuyisele kwaphezu kwabo. Banikezele babe ngamaxhoba kwilizwe lokuthinjwa. 5Ungalingcwabi ityala labo, nezono zabo ungazisusi emehlweni akho. Kaloku bona babagibisele ngezithuko abakhi.
6Ngoko ke saqhuba salwakha udonga lwada lwasisiqingatha ukuphakama. Kaloku abantu babesebenza ngokuzinikela.
7USanebhalati, uTobhiya, ama-Arabhu, ama-Amon, namadoda aseAshdode, bathi bakuva ukuba umsebenzi wokuvusa iindonga zeJerusalem uqhubele phambili, zaye nezikhewu zivaliwe, basuka bakhathazeka gqitha. 8Badibana bonke, benza iyelenqe lokuza kulwa neJerusalem, badale isiphithi-phithi. 9Kambe ke sakhunga kuThixo wethu, samisa abalindi ukujongana nabo imini nobusuku.
10Ke bona abantu bakwaJuda bathi: “Abasebenzi bayaphelelwa ngamandla ngoku, ibe yona inkunkuma ininzi kangangokuba singabi nako ukuqhubela phambili silwakhe udonga.”
11Neentshaba zethu zathi: “Bothi bengekasiqondi okanye basibone, sibe sesiphakathi kwabo, sibaqwakanise bafe, ume lo msebenzi.”
12Ke amaJuda awayemelene nazo ezi ntshaba eza kaninzi-ninzi kuthi esixelela esithi: “Noba ningathini na ziza kusihlasela.”
13Ngoko ke ndamisa abantu emva kwezona ndawo zimfutshane apho eludongeni, iindawo ezisesichengeni, ndabamisa ngokwemizi, bexhobe ngamakrele, imikhonto, neentolo. 14Emva kokuba ndikhe ndaqwalasela ndajonga, ndasuka ndathetha nezikhulu, namagosa, nabanye abantu, ndathi: “Musani ukuboyika; khumbulani iNkosi, ingangalala eyoyikekayo, nibalwele abantakwenu, oonyana neentombi, abafazi namakhaya enu.”
15Iintshaba zethu zeva ukuba siyaliqonda iyelenqe lazo nokudodotyaliswa kwalo nguThixo; saza ke thina sonke yangulowo nalowo wabuyela emsebenzini wakhe eludongeni.
16Ukusuka loo mini ke isiqingatha samadoda am saba semsebenzini, sabe ke esinye sixhobe sif' amacala ngoomikhonto, oomakhaka, oozintolo, nezikhuselo. Amagosa ke ema emva kwabo bonke abantu bakwaJuda 17ababesakha udonga. Abathwala iimpahla zokwakha, babesebenza ngesandla esinye, esinye siphethe izixhobo; 18umakhi ngamnye wayenxule ikrele lakhe ecaleni ngoku asebenzayo. Ke indoda evuthela isigodlo yayisoloko ikunye nam.
19Ke kaloku ndathetha nezikhulu, namagosa, nabantu ngokubanzi, ndathi: “Lo msebenzi wethu ubanzi, uthe xakalala, saye ke thina sahluka-hlukene ekusebenzeni eludongeni apha. 20Ngoko ke, nanini na nisiva isandi sesigodlo, khawulezani nize kuthi kuloo ndawo. UThixo wethu uza kusilwela.”
21Ngoko ke saqhuba sisebenza ngesiqingatha samadoda aphethe imikhonto ukusukela xa kuthi qheke ukusa kude kube lungcwalazi. 22Ngelo thuba ke ndathi ebantwini: “Umakhi ngamnye enomncedisi wakhe ebusuku makalale phakathi eJerusalem, khon' ukuze abe ngumlindi wayo, ze ke emini abe ngumakhi.” 23Mna namawethu, namadoda angabalindi, sasingazikhululi iimpahla esizinxibileyo; sasihlala sigaxele izikhali noba siya kukha amanzi.
