Nehemiya wehlula labo labemelene nemsebenti wakhe
1Watsi kube eve Sanbalati kutsi tsine maJuda siyaluvusa lolubondza, watfukutsela wagaya tiboti. Wawahhalatisa emaJuda, 2akhuluma embikwebangani bakhe nasembikwemabutfo aseSamariya, watsi: “Tentani letiyatsayatsa temaJuda? Tingaluvusa yini lolubondza lwato? Tiyawunikela yini ngemihlatjelo? Tingalucedza yini ngalanga linye? Lamatje lashile aba ngumlotsa tingawavusa yini aze abe yintfo lephilako?”
3Thobiya, um-Amoni, labesedvute naye wakhuluma, watsi: “Lentfo labayakhako, ngisho nemphungutja nayingekhwela kuko, kungabhidlika lamatjana ako kube timvutfu!”
4Ngathandaza ngatsi: “Awu Nkulunkulu wetfu, vani kutsi basiphukuta kanganani. Yenta lokusiphukuta kwabo kwehlele etinhloko tabo. Banikele babe yimphango eveni lekutfunjwa. 5Ungacali ulimbonye licala labo, futsi ungatesuli tono tabo embikwakho, ngobe bajikijele labakhi ngetinhlamba emehlweni.”
6Ngako sachubeka salwakha kabusha lolubondza, lwaze lwaphakama lwabasekhatsi nendzawo yebudze balo nase luphelele, ngobe bantfu babenenhlitiyo yekusebenta.
7Kodvwa kwatsi boSanbalati, naThobiya, nema-Arabu, nema-Amoni kanye nemadvodza ase-Ashdodi kube beve kutsi lubondza lwaseJerusalema luvuswa kabusha nekutsi lomsebenti uchubeka ngemandla, sekuze kwavalwa ngisho netikhala, batfukutsela batselwa ngemanti. 8Ngako bahlangana bonkhe ndzawonye, bakha luzungu lwekutsi bete batekulwa neJerusalema basuse lutfutfuva kuyo. 9Kodvwa sathandaza kuNkulunkulu wetfu, ngenca yalolusongo sabeka bogadzi kutsi bagadze imini nebusuku.
10Bantfu bakaJuda batsi:
“Emandla alaba labakhako asayaphela,
kantsi kusenemfuhlululu lenyenti kakhulu,
singeke sikhone kuluvusa kabusha lolubondza.”
11Netitsa tetfu taticabanga, titsi: “Batawutsi basengaketeleli futsi bangakasoli lutfo, basetfuke sesisetikwabo, sibabulale bonkhe, siwumise lomsebenti wabo.”
12Noko lamaJuda labehlala emkhatsini wato asidvonsa ngendlebe kwaze kwaba kashumi basitjela kutsi letitsa tetfu tatenta emalungiselelo ekusihlasela.
13Ngako ngemisa labanye bantfu bahlome ngetinkemba, nangetikhali, nangemicibisholo; ngabahlela ngekwemindeni yabo eceleni kwelubondza lusendvo ngelusendvo, konkhe lapho lubondza lwaluselufisha ngakhona.
14Ngatsi nangibuka, ngabona kutsi bantfu bakhatsatekile, ngako ngakhuluma kubo, nakubaholi babo netindvuna tabo, ngatsi: “Ningatesabi letitsa tenu. Khumbulani kutsi Simakadze mkhulu kangakanani nekutsi futsi wesabeka kangakanani. Nine nje kufanele nilwe nivikele bantfu besive sakini, nebantfwabenu, nebafati benu kanye nemakhaya enu.”
15Tatsi kube titsa tetfu tive kutsi sesiyalwati loluzungu lwato nekutsi Nkulunkulu uwacitsile emasu ato, sabuyela sonkhe elubondzeni, ngulowo nalowo wacondza emsebentini wakhe.
16Kusukela ngalelo langa incenye yalamadvodza akami yayakha, bese kutsi lena lenye incenye ihlome ngetikhali, nangemahawu, nangebutjoki kanye nangetembatfo temphi. Baholi batihlela bona ngemuva kwaso sonkhe sive sakaJuda, 17lesasakha lolubondza. Labo lababetfwala tintfo tekwakha babesebenta ngasinye sandla, bese kutsi ngalesi lesinye babambe tikhali tekulwa. 18Ngulowo nalowo kulabakhi abesebenta abophele inkemba yakhe engculwini. Kodvwa lendvodza leyayishaya impalampala yayihlala edvute nami. 19Ngakhuluma kulabaholi, nakuletindvuna, nakulabantfu, ngatsi: “Lomsebenti mkhulu futsi sewandzile, kantsi natsi sesikhweshelene kakhulu kulolubondza. 20Nibotsi naniva kukhala kwempalampala, sonkhe sihlangane khona lapho. Nkulunkulu wetfu utasilwela.”
21Ngako sachubeka nemsebenti, incenye yemadvodza ihlome tikhali, kusukela nakudzabuka kusa kuze kube ngunakuphelela kuhwalala.
22Ngaphindze ngakhuluma kulabantfu, ngatsi: “Wonkhe umuntfu kanye nesisebenti sakakhe kufanele ahlale ngekhatsi eJerusalema ebusuku, khona batewuba bogadzi betfu ebusuku, emini babe tisebenti.” 23Ngako mine nesive sakitsi, netisebenti takami, nemadvodza labegadzile sasingasakukhumuli kwekwembatsa. Ngulowo nalowo abehlala ahlome ngesikhali sakhe ngisho nome ayawunatsa emanti.
