Nehemiya
4 Kwathi nje lapho uSanibhalati+ ezwa ukuthi sasilwakha kabusha udonga, wathukuthela+ futhi wacasuka kakhulu, waqhubeka ewahleka usulu+ amaJuda. 2 Wathi phambi kwabafowabo+ nasebuthweni lempi laseSamariya, yebo, wathi: “Enzani la maJuda abuthaka? Ingabe agabe ngawo ngokwawo? Ingabe azokwenza umhlatshelo?+ Ingabe azoqeda ngosuku olulodwa? Ingabe azowaphilisa la matshe akulezi zinqwaba zemfucumfucu enothuli+ ebe eshile nokusha?”
3 UThobiya+ umAmoni+ wayeseceleni kwakhe, futhi waqhubeka wathi: “Ngisho nalokhu abakwakhayo, uma impungushe+ ingakhuphuka kukho, ngokuqinisekile ingalubhidliza lolu donga lwabo lwamatshe.”
4 O Nkulunkulu wethu, yizwa,+ ngoba sibe yinto yokwedelelwa;+ wenze isihlamba sabo+ sibuyele phezu kwekhanda labo, ubanikele ekuphangweni ezweni lokuthunjwa. 5 Ungasimbozi isiphambeko sabo+ nesono sabo phambi kwakho. Masingasulwa, ngoba babacasulile abakhi.
6 Ngakho saqhubeka silwakha udonga, lonke udonga lwahlanganiswa lwaze lwaba yingxenye yokuphakama kwalo, abantu baqhubeka benenhliziyo yokusebenza.+
7 Manje kwathi nje lapho uSanibhalati+ noThobiya+ nabase-Arabhiya+ nama-Amoni+ nama-Ashidodi+ bezwa ukuthi ukulungiswa kwezindonga zeJerusalema kuqhubekele phambili, ngoba izikhala zase ziqalile ukuvaleka, bathukuthela kakhulu. 8 Bonke bakha uzungu+ lokuba beze bazokulwa neJerusalema futhi bangiphazamise. 9 Kodwa sathandaza+ kuNkulunkulu wethu ngenxa yabo, sahlala simise abaqaphi ukuba babaqaphe ubusuku nemini.
10 UJuda wathi: “Amandla abathwala imithwalo+ aphelile, futhi kukhona imfucumfucu eningi;+ asikwazi ukwakha odongeni.”
11 Ngaphezu kwalokho, abaphikisana nathi babelokhu bethi: “Ngeke bazi+ futhi ngeke babone kuze kube yilapho singena phakathi kwabo, ngokuqinisekile sizobabulala siwumise lo msebenzi.”
12 Kwakuthi noma nini lapho amaJuda ahlala eduze kwabo efika, athi kithi kashumi: “[Bazokhuphuka] bevela kuzo zonke izindawo enizobuyela kuzo kithi.”
13 Ngakho ngamisa amadoda ezingxenyeni ezingaphansi impela zendawo engemva kodonga ezindaweni ezivulekile, ngamisa nabantu ngemindeni yabo benezinkemba zabo,+ izijula zabo+ neminsalo yabo. 14 Lapho ngibona ukwesaba kwabo ngasukuma ngokushesha ngathi ezicukuthwaneni+ nakwabangamaphini ababusi+ nakubo bonke abantu: “Ningabesabi.+ Cabangani ngoJehova omkhulu+ nowesabekayo;+ nilwele abafowenu,+ amadodana namadodakazi enu, omkenu nemizi yenu.”
15 Manje kwathi nje lapho izitha zethu zizwa ukuthi sizwile ngakho, kangangokuthi uNkulunkulu weqiniso wayelishafisile icebo lazo+ futhi sonke sibuyele odongeni, yilowo nalowo emsebenzini wakhe, 16 yebo, kusukela ngalolo suku kuqhubeke ingxenye yezinsizwa zami+ yayisebenza enye ingxenye iphethe izijula, izihlangu neminsalo namajazi ensimbi;+ izikhulu+ zazingemva kwayo yonke indlu kaJuda. 17 Kepha abakhi ababesodongeni nalabo ababethwele umthwalo wabathwali bemithwalo, ngamunye wayesebenza ngesandla esisodwa ngesinye+ ephethe umcibisholo.+ 18 Abakhi babebhincile, yilowo nalowo enenkemba yakhe okhalweni lwakhe,+ kuyilapho bakha;+ owayezoshaya uphondo+ wayeseceleni kwami.
19 Ngathi ezicukuthwaneni nakubabusi abangamaphini+ nakubo bonke abanye abantu: “Umsebenzi mkhulu futhi wenziwa endaweni ebanzi, futhi sigqagqene kakhulu phezu kodonga. 20 Endaweni enizwa ukukhala kophondo kuyo, yilapho niyoqoqanela khona kithi. UNkulunkulu wethu ngokwakhe uzosilwela.”+
21 Lapho sisebenza, enye ingxenye yabo yayiphethe izijula, kusukela ekuntweleni kokusa kuze kube sekuphumeni kwezinkanyezi. 22 Ngaphandle kwalokho, ngaleso sikhathi ngathi kubantu: “Amadoda mawachithe ubusuku, yileyo naleyo nesikhonzi sayo, phakathi kweJerusalema,+ abe ngabaqaphi bethu ebusuku asebenze emini.” 23 Kepha mina+ nabafowethu+ nezikhonzi zami+ namadoda angabaqaphi+ ababengemva kwami, sasingazikhumuli izingubo zethu, ngamunye enomcibisholo wakhe+ esandleni sokunene.