UNerhemiya uvuselela isimilo sabantu bakwaJuda
1Kwasuka elikhulu itjhada labantu, khulukhulu abafazi, banghonghoyila ngabafowabo abamaJuda. 2Bekukhona ebebathe: “Thina namadodanethu kanye namadodakazethu sibanengi. Yeke ukuze sidle siphile, kufuze sifunyane ikoroyi.”
3Kwabakhona abathi: “Ngesikhathi sesomiso, thina sathatha amasimethu, iindiribe zethu namakhayethu senza iimbambiso ukuze sifunyane ikoroyi.” 4Kwabakhona godu abathi: “Thina siboleke imali ngamasimethu nangeendiribe zethu kobana sikhokhele umthelo wekosi. 5Nje-ke akunanto esingayenza ngombana amasimethu neendiribe zethu kusezandleni zabanye abantu. Ngalokho sikatelelekile bonyana senze amadodanethu namadodakazethu kobana abe makhoboka nanyana sinyamanye nabafowethu nabantwabethu banjengabantwababo nje.”
6Nganyenya khulu lokha nangizwa isililo sabo namezwabo. 7Ngazindla ngendaba leyo, ngakhupha umyalo kibosaziwako neenkhulwini, ngathi kibo: “Nina nibiza inzalo enengi kubafowenu.”
Ngalokho ngabiza umhlangano omkhulu, 8ngakhuluma nabo ngathi: “Thina-ke ngendlela ebesingakghona ngayo, sibuyise abafowethu ababaJuda ebegade bathengiswe ezizweni. Kodwana nina nithengisa abafowenu esele kufanele sibahlenge godu.”
Bona bebaseze bathulile banganalizwi abangalikhuluma. 9Nje-ke ngathi kibo: “Into eniyenzako le ayikalungi. Kanti bekungakafaneli bonyana nikhambe ngokumesaba uZimethu ukuze nikhandele ukuhlanjalazwa zizizwe ezizitha zethu na? 10Nami nabafowethu kanye neensebenzi zami sisababoleka imali nekoroyi. Yeke-ke, asisuleni isikolodo sabo. 11Babuyiseleni khona namhlanje amasimabo, iindiribe zabo, imithabo ye-oliva nezindlu zabo; nisule nenzalo yemali enibaboleke yona kobana bathenge ikoroyi, iwayini namafutha we-oliva.”
12Nje-ke bona bathi: “Iye, sizozibuyisela izintwezo begodu akukho okhunye esizobabiza khona. Sizokwenza njengombana usitjho.”
Ngalokho ngabiza abaphristi, ngenza bonyana abosaziwako neenkhulu bafunge bonyana bazakwenza njengombana bathembisile. 13Ngathintitha neenkhwama zesambatho sami ngathi: “Ngendlela efanako, indoda engaphethi isithembiswesi, uZimu uzayithintitha endlinayo nepahlenayo. Iye, ngokunjalo-ke izakulahlekelwa ngikho koke, ibe dududu.”
Nje-ke ihlangano yoke yathi: “Amen!” Yadumisa uSomnini. Abantu benza njengombana bathembisile.
14Iminyaka elitjhumi nambili yoke, okutjho emnyakeni wamatjhumi amabili ukuya ematjhumini amathathu nambili wekosi u-Aritarhitjhasta, lokha nagade ngisese mbusi enarheni yamaJuda, kungaba ngimi namkha abafowethu, akakho okhe wadla isabelo sombusi. 15Ababusi ebebangaphambi kwami babeka imithwalo enzima phezu kwabantu, bebabathathela ukudla newayini sekungasabalwa isiquntu sekhilogremu yesiliva. Ngitjho neensebenzi zabo bezibeyisa abantu. Kodwana mina azange ngenze njalo ngombana bengesaba uZimu. 16Kunalokho nganamathela emsebenzini womthangala lo, azange ngifune ukuzuza inarha. Iinsebenzi zami nazo bezihlangene lapho bonyana kusetjenzwe. 17Ngaphezu kwalokho bekunamadoda alikhulu namatjhumi amahlanu okumaJuda neenkhulu agade adla nami etafuleni, sekungasabalwa labo ebegade baphuma ezizweni ezisizombileko. 18Nje-ke ukudla egade sikulungiselela ilanga nelanga bekuba yikomo yinye nezimvu zekhethelo ezisithandathu. Godu gade ngilungiselelwa ifuyo enjengeenkukhu bese kuthi njalo elangeni letjhumi ngiyale bona kulethwe imihlobohlobo yewayini elinengi. Nanyana kunjalo azange ngibize isabelo sombusi ngombana umsebenzi ebebawenza bewumanzima emahlombe wabantwaba.
19Zimami, ngikhumbule ngakho koke engikwenze ngenca yabantwaba.
