Nehemiya
2 Ngenyanga kaNisan,* kunyaka we-20+ kaKumkani uArtashashta,+ kwabekwa iwayini phambi kwakhe, njengesiqhelo ndayithatha ndayinika ukumkani.+ Kodwa wayengazange akhe andibone ndikhathazekile. 2 Ngoko ukumkani wathi kum: “Yintoni le ikuhluphayo, kuba ndiyabona ukuba awuguli? Imele ukuba ikhona into ekukhathazayo.” Wathi esakutsho, ndoyika kakhulu.
3 Ndathi kukumkani: “Phila ngonaphakade kumkani! Ndiza kuthini ukungakhathazeki sakuba isixeko abangcwatyelwe kuso ookhokho bethu sihleli nje singamabhodlo, neegeyithi zaso zitshisiwe?”+ 4 Ukumkani wathi kum: “Yintoni ke oyifunayo?” Ngoko nangoko ndathandaza kuThixo wamazulu.+ 5 Emva koko ndathi kukumkani: “Ukuba ukumkani uyavuma, ibe uyasithanda isicaka sakhe, ndicela undithumele kwaYuda, isixeko abangcwatyelwe kuso ookhokho bam, ukuze ndiphinde ndisakhe.”+ 6 Emva koko ukumkani, enokumkanikazi ecaleni kwakhe, wathi kum: “Uza kuhamba ixesha elingakanani, ubuye nini?” Wavuma ukumkani ukuba ndihambe,+ ndamxelela ukuba ndiza kubuya nini.+
7 Ndathi kuye: “Ukuba ukumkani uyavuma, ndicela ukunikwa iileta endiza kuzinika abalawuli bommandla ongaPhesheya KoMlambo,*+ ukuze ndidlule ndikhuselekile, de ndiyokufika kwaYuda, 8 neleta eya kuAsafu umgcini weHlathi Likakumkani, ukuze andinike imithi yokwakha iigeyithi zeNqaba+ YeTempile, iindonga zesixeko+ kunye nendlu endiza kuhlala kuyo.” Ngoko ukumkani wandinika ezo leta,+ kuba isandla soThixo wam sasinam.+
9 Ekugqibeleni ndafika kubalawuli bommandla ongaPhesheya KoMlambo, ndabanika ezo leta zivela kukumkani. Ukumkani wathi mandikhatshwe ziintloko zomkhosi namajoni akhwela amahashe. 10 Xa uSanebhalati+ umHoron noTobhiya+ igosa* lomAmoni+ bayivayo loo nto, abazange bayithande into yokuba kubekho umntu owenzela amaSirayeli into entle.
11 Ekugqibeleni ndafika eYerusalem, ndahlala apho iintsuku ezintathu. 12 Mna namadoda ambalwa endandihamba nawo savuka ngobusuku, ndabe ndingaxelelanga mntu ukuba uThixo wam wayethe mandiyenzele ntoni iYerusalem. Ndandingahambi nasilwanyana ngaphandle kwesi ndandikhwele kuso. 13 Ngobo busuku ndaphuma ngeGeyithi Yentlambo+ ephambi koMthombo Wenyoka Enkulu ndaya ngakwiGeyithi Yeemfumba Zothuthu,+ ndihlola iindonga zeYerusalem ezazidilikile, neegeyithi zayo ezazitshile.+ 14 Ndadlulela kwiGeyithi Yomthombo+ nakwiChibi Likakumkani, ibe ndandingakwazi ukudlula ndikhwele kweso silwanyana kuba kwakuxinene. 15 Kusesebusuku njalo, ndaqhubeka ndinyuka ngentlambo,+ ndihlola udonga. Emva koko ndajika ndabuyela ngeGeyithi Yentlambo.
16 Abaphathi+ babengandazi ukuba ndiphi nokuba ndenzani, kuba ndandingekawaxeleli nto amaYuda, ababingeleli, izikhulu, abaphathi nabanye abasebenzi. 17 Ekugqibeleni ndathi kubo: “Niyazibonela nani ingxaki esikuyo. IYerusalem ingamabhodlo neendonga zayo zitshisiwe. Masiphinde sizakhe iindonga zeYerusalem, ukuze siphume kweli hlazo.” 18 Ndababalisela ngendlela andincede ngayo uThixo wam,+ nangezinto ezithethwe ngukumkani.+ Bathi ke bona: “Masiqalise ukwakha.” Ngoko bakhuthazana ukuze baqalise umsebenzi omhle.+
19 Bathi bakuyiva loo nto, uSanebhalati umHoron, uTobhiya+ igosa lomAmoni,+ noGeshem umArabhiya+ basigezela,+ besidelela besithi: “Yintoni le niyenzayo? Nivukela ukumkani?”+ 20 Ndathi: “NguThixo wamazulu oza kusinceda siphumelele,+ ibe thina bakhonzi bakhe siza kuqalisa ukwakha, kodwa nina aninagunya ibe aningeni ndawo kwizinto zaseYerusalem; anikho nakwimbali yayo.”+