Nehemiya
5 Amadoda nabafazi babekhalaza kakhulu, bekhalazela abantakwabo amaYuda.+ 2 Abanye babesithi: “Sinoonyana neentombi ezininzi. Simele sifumane ukutya ukuze singafi.” 3 Kanti abanye babesithi: “Sibambisa ngemihlaba yethu, amasimi ethu eediliya, nezindlu zethu ukuze sifumane ukutya ngexesha lendlala.” 4 Kwakukho nabanye ababesithi: “Sibambise ngemihlaba yethu namasimi ethu eediliya ukuze sifumane imali yokubhatala ukumkani.+ 5 Siligazi elinye nabantakwethu, ibe abantwana bethu bayafana nabantwana babo; kodwa abethu oonyana neentombi kufuneka sibenze amakhoboka. Ezinye iintombi zethu sezingawo.+ Asikwazi nokuyilwa loo nto, kuba imihlaba yethu namasimi ethu eediliya zithathwe ngabanye abantu.”
6 Zandicaphukisa kakhulu izikhalazo zabo ndakuziva. 7 Ndayicingisisa kakuhle le nto, ndaza ndazingxolisa izikhulu nabaphathi, ndathi: “Nina nibabhatalisa inzala abantakwenu.”+
Emva koko ndabiza indibano enkulu ukuze ndilungise le ngxaki. 8 Ndathi kubo: “Sizame kangangoko ukubuyisa abantakwethu abangamaYuda ababethengiswe ezintlangeni; kodwa ngaba nina ngoku nithengisa ngabantakwenu,+ nibathengisa kwalapha kuthi?” Ndabaval’ umlomo, ababi nanto yakuthetha. 9 Emva koko ndathi: “Imbi le nto niyenzayo. Beningamelanga nimoyike na uThixo wethu+ ukuze singathukwa zezi ntlanga ziziintshaba zethu? 10 Mna ke nabantakwethu nezicaka zam sibaboleka ngaphandle kwenzala abantu imali nokutya. Ndicela siyiyeke le nto yokubabhatalisa inzala.+ 11 Ndicela nibabuyisele izinto zabo namhlanje. Babuyiseleni imihlaba yabo,+ amasimi abo eediliya nawomnquma, izindlu zabo, kwanenzala* abaninike yona, eyemali, eyokutya, eyewayini entsha neyamafutha.”
12 Bathi bona: “Siza kubabuyisela ezi zinto, singababhatalisi nto. Siza kwenza njengokuba usitsho.” Ngoko ndabiza ababingeleli ndaza ndawafungisa la madoda, ukuze asigcine esi sithembiso. 13 Ndasivuthulula isambatho* sam, ndathi: “Kwanga uThixo angayivuthulula ngale ndlela indlu yakhe nezinto anazo umntu ongasigciniyo esi sithembiso, amvuthulule aze amqongqothe ngolu hlobo.” Laphendula ibandla lathi: “Amen!”* Lamdumisa uYehova, baza abantu benza ngokwesithembiso sabo.
14 Ngaphezu koko, ukususela ngemini endamiselwa ngayo ndangumlawuli+ welizwe lakwaYuda, ngonyaka we-20+ ukuyokutsho kunyaka we-32+ kaKumkani uArtashashta,+ ngayo yonke loo minyaka eyi-12, mna nabantakwethu asizange sikutye ukutya okunikwa umlawuli.+ 15 Bona abalawuli ababengaphambi kwam babebacinezela abantu, bebabhatalisa iishekele* eziyi-40 zesilivere yonke imihla ukuze bazithengele isonka newayini. Nezicaka zabo zazibacinezela abantu. Kodwa mna andizange ndiyenze loo nto+ kuba ndisoyika uThixo.+
16 Ndancedisa nakumsebenzi wokwakha olu donga. Nezicaka zam zasebenza, kodwa asizange sizithathele ntsimi.+ 17 Etafileni yam ndandisitya namaYuda nabaphathi abayi-150, kunye nabo babeze kuthi bevela ezintlangeni. 18 Ndandixhelelwa* inkunzi yenkomo, iigusha ezintandathu neentaka yonke imihla, ibe sasisiba nazo zonke iintlobo zewayini qho emva kweentsuku ezilishumi. Kuyo yonke loo nto, andizange ndikufune ukutya okwakunikwa umlawuli, kuba abantu babesele becinezelekile. 19 Ndicela undikhumbule, Thixo wam, ngenxa yazo zonke izinto endizenzele esi sizwana.+