Nehemiya
4 Kwathi kamsinya nje akuva uSanebhalati+ ukuba siyalwakha udonga kwakhona, waba nomsindo+ kwaye wacaphuka kakhulu, waqhubeka ewagculela+ amaYuda. 2 Kwaye waqalisa ukuthi phambi kwabazalwana bakhe+ nomkhosi wamajoni aseSamariya, ewe, waqalisa ukuthi: “Enza ntoni na la maYuda abuthathaka? Ngaba aya kuxhomekeka kuwo? Ngaba aya kubingelela?+ Ngaba aya kugqiba ngosuku olunye? Ngaba aya kuwavusa amatye atshisiweyo akwimfumba yenkunkuma?”+
3 Ke kaloku uTobhiya+ umAmoni+ wayesecaleni kwakhe, yaye wahlabela mgama wathi: “Kwanaloo nto ayakhayo, ukuba impungutye+ ingenyuka ngayo, ingaludiliza ngokuqinisekileyo udonga lwabo lwamatye.”
4 Yiva,+ Thixo wethu, kuba siye saba yinto edelekileyo;+ kwaye lwenze ungcikivo lwabo+ lubuyele ezintlokweni zabo, uze ubanikele ekuphangweni kwilizwe lokuthinjwa. 5 Kwaye ungasigubungeli isiphoso sabo+ nesono sabo phambi kwakho. Masingasuswa, kuba babacaphukisile abakhi.
6 Ngoko saqhubeka silwakha udonga, kwaye udonga lwahlanganiswa lonke ukuya kufikelela kwisiqingatha sokuphakama kwalo, nabantu baqhubeka benentliziyo yokusebenza.+
7 Ke kaloku kwathi, kamsinya nje bakuba uSanebhalati+ noTobhiya+ nama-Arabhiya+ nama-Amoni+ nama-Ashdode+ bevile ukuba ukulungiswa kweendonga zeYerusalem kuhambele phambili, kuba amathuba ayesele eqalisile ukuvalwa, bacaphuka kakhulu. 8 Yaye bonke benza iyelenqe+ ndawonye ukuba beze kulwa neYerusalem nokuze bandiphazamise. 9 Kodwa sathandaza+ kuThixo wethu saza samisa umlindi nxamnye nabo imini nobusuku ngenxa yabo.
10 UYuda wathi: “Amandla abathwali bemithwalo+ ayetha, kwaye kukho inkunkuma eninzi;+ yaye thina ngokwethu asikwazi ukulwakha udonga.”
11 Ngaphezu koko, iintshaba zethu zaqhubeka zisithi: “Abayi kwazi+ bengayi kubona de sifike phakathi kwabo kanye, yaye ngokuqinisekileyo siya kubabulala size siwumise umsebenzi.”
12 Kwakusithi, xa sukuba amaYuda awayehlala kufuphi nazo efika , athi kuthi izihlandlo ezilishumi: “[Ziya kunifikela] kuzo zonke iindawo eniya kube nikuzo ekubuyeleni kwenu kuthi.”
13 Ngoko ndamisa amadoda kwiindawo ezisezantsi ngasemva kodonga kwiindawo ezivulekileyo, ndamisa abantu ngokweentsapho benamakrele abo,+ iincula zabo+ nezaphetha zabo. 14 Xa ndabona uloyiko lwabo ngoko nangoko ndasukuma ndaza ndathi kwizidwangube+ nakumasekela-baphathi+ nakwabanye abantu: “Ningoyiki+ ngenxa yabo. Khumbulani uYehova omkhulu+ naLowo woyikekayo;+ nize nilwele abazalwana benu,+ oonyana benu neentombi zenu, abafazi benu namakhaya enu.”
15 Kwathi kamsinya nje zakuba iintshaba zethu zivile ukuba siyakwazi oko, nokuba uTHIXO oyinyaniso ulitshitshisile icebo lazo+ kwaye thina sonke sibuyele eludongeni, ngamnye emsebenzini wakhe, 16 ewe, kwathi ukususela ngaloo mini ukusa phambili isiqingatha sabafana bam+ sasebenza emsebenzini yaye isiqingatha sabo sabamba iincula, amakhaka nezaphetha nezambatho zentsimbi;+ yaye iinkosana+ zazisemva kwendlu kaYuda iphela. 17 Ke bona abakhi bodonga nabo babethwele umthwalo, ngamnye wayesebenza emsebenzini ngesinye isandla sakhe ngoxa ngesinye isandla+ wayebambe umjukujelwa.+ 18 Abakhi babebhinqisiwe, ngamnye ikrele lakhe lisesinqeni sakhe,+ ngoxa babesakha;+ yaye ovuthela isigodlo+ wayesecaleni kwam.
19 Kwaye ndathi kwizidwangube nakumasekela-baphathi+ nakwabanye abantu: “Umsebenzi mkhulu yaye ubanzi, kwaye sisasazekile eludongeni siqelelene. 20 Kwindawo eniya kuva kuyo isigodlo, niya kuya apho ukuze niqokelelane ndawonye nathi. UThixo wethu uya kusilwela.”+
21 Ngoxa sasisebenza emsebenzini, esinye isiqingatha sabo naso sasiphethe iincula, ukususela ekunyukeni kwesifingo de kube sekuphumeni kweenkwenkwezi. 22 Ngapha koko, ngelo xesha ndathi ebantwini: “Amadoda mawachithe ubusuku, ngamnye nomlindi wakhe, phakathi eYerusalem,+ yaye bamele babe ngabalindi bethu ebusuku baze babe ngabasebenzi emini.” 23 Ke mna+ nabazalwana bam+ nabalindi bam+ namadoda angabalindi+ ayesemva kwam, sasingazikhululi izambatho zethu, ngamnye enomjukujelwa wakhe+ kwisandla sakhe sasekunene.