UNEHEMIYA 9

“Malibongwe igama lakho elidumileyo;

ngamana laphakanyiselwa phezulu kunayo yonke intsikelelo nezibongo.

₆Nguwe wedwa uMahlalekho,

nguwe umenzi wamazulu,

nalawo asemajuku-jukwini,

nelo hlokondiba leenkwenkwezi zawo,

nkqu nehlabathi nako konke okukulo,

oozilwandle nako konke ezikufumbathileyo.

Iinto zonke uzithi jize ngobomi,

neendimbane zamazulu zinqula wena.

₇“Wena unguNdikhoyo uThixo.

Nguwe owanyula uAbram,

wamkhupha eUre yelamaKaledi,

waza wamthiya elinguAbraham.

₈Wena wamfumanisa enyanisekile,

waza wenza umnqophiso naye

wokunika izizukulwana zakhe

umhlaba wamaKanana namaHiti,

ama-Amori namaPerezi,

amaJebhusi namaGirgashi.

Waza ke waligcina elo dinga,

kuba wena ulilungisa.

₉“Wakubona ukubandezeleka koobawo-mkhulu kwelaseJiputa;

phaya kuLwandle oluBomvu wasiphulaphula isikhalo sabo.

₁₀Wathumela imiqondiso emangalisayo,

ukumkani waseJiputa wamenzela izimanga,

nawo onke amaphakathi akhe,

nabantu belizwe lakhe,

kuba wena uyazi inkohlakalo yawo amaJiputa kubantu bakho.

Wena wazenzela igama eliqaqambileyo unanamhlanje!

₁₁Wena walahlula-hlula ulwandle phambi kwabo bebukele,

baza ke bona bawela kulo kumhlaba owomileyo.

Ke zona iintshaba zabo suka wazintywilisela enzulwini;

suka zee loce zanyamalala ngathi lilitye litshona esizibeni.

₁₂Emini wabakhokela ngomqulu welifu,

ebusuku wabakhokela ngelangatye lomlilo,

suka wena wabakhanyisela kuloo ndlela babeyihamba.

₁₃“Wena wehla wathi ngcu kwintaba iSinayi,

wathetha nabo usezulwini,

waza wabanika imiqathango

nemithetho elunge kwaphela,

izimiso neziyalo ezifanalekileyo.

₁₄Wawazisa kubo umhla wakho owodwa wokuphumla,

wabathi jize ngemiyalelo,

imimiselo, kwanemithetho,

ngesicaka sakho uMosis.

₁₅Bakulamba wabanika ukutya,

ukutya okuvela ezulwini.

Bakunxanwa wabanika amanzi,

amanzi aphuma eliweni.

Wena wabayalela usithi mabalithathe elo lizwe,

umhlaba owabafungela ngawousithi sobanika isandla sakho.

₁₆“Kodwa ke bona oobawo-mkhulu

suka bakhukhumala banenkani,

abayithobela imiyalelo yakho.

₁₇Abavumanga kuphulaphula,

bayilibala imimangaliso yakho

owayenza phakathi kwabo.

Suka bankaniza bagwilika,

bazinyulela inkokheli,

befuna ukuphindela ebukhobokeni.

Kambe ke wena unguThixo oxolelayo,

wambeth' isisa novelwano,

ucaphuka kade,

uphuphum' uthando.

Ewe, wena akubalahlanga.

₁₈Nangona sebezenzele umfanekiso,

baqingqa ithole, besithi:

‘Nanko uThixo wakho

owakukhupha kwelo laseJiputa;’

naxa babesenza amanyundululu.

₁₉Ngenxa yobukhulu benceba yakho

akubashiyanga kuloo ntlango;

awunqumamanga umqulu welifu.

Emini wabakhokela endleleni yabo,

lenjenjalo nelangatye lomlilo,

ebusuku labakhanyisela indlela yabo.

₂₀“Wabathi jize ngoMoya wakho olungileyo,

Moya lowo wabafundisayo ke.

Akubavimbanga ukutya okuyimana;

suka wabanika amanzi bakunxanwa.

₂₁Iminyaka yaba ngamashumi amane,

wena ubalondolozile kuloo ntlango.

Ewe, zange baswele lutho:

izivatho zabo zange ziguge;

azidumbanga neenyawo zabo.

₂₂“Wabanikela izizwe nezikumkani,

wababela nezo zisekudeni,

suka bawuthatha umhlaba kaSihon,

bawuthatha umhlaba kaOgi ukumkani waseBhashan.

₂₃Wena wayandisa inzala yabo, yanjengeenkwenkwezi esibhakabhakeni,

waza wabangenisa kwelo lizwe wawuthe mabangene kulo balithabathe ooyise-mkhulu.

₂₄Ewe, oonyana babo bangena kulo, balithabatha laza lalelabo.

Waboyisela amaKanana awayemi kwelo lizwe;

wawanikela kubo amaKanana, ndawonye nezikumkani zawo,

nezo ntlanga zaloo mhlaba, ukuze benz' unothanda kuzo.

₂₅Bahlasela izixeko ezinqatyisiweyo,

bayithatha imihlaba yendyebo.

Ewe, bazithimba nezindlu ezazizele ngooni nooni,

oomaqula selembiwe kade,

oozidiliya noozinquma,

ooziqhamo ngendlu yazo.

Ewe, batya bathi mpu,

batsho baba ngabondlekileyo,

bexhamla ukulunga kwakho.

₂₆“Kodwa bathelela ngentswela-mbeko,

suka bavukelana nawe,

umthetho wakho bawufulathela.

Ewe, bababulala *abashumayeli bakho,

nditsho abo babebaluleka, bezama ukubabuyisela kuwe,

benza izinto ezimanyumnyezi.

₂₇Waza ke wena wabanikezela ezintshabeni

ezasuka zabaphatha kabuhlungu.

Bathe bekuloo ngcinezelo ke,

suka bahlahlamba bazibika kuwe.

Ke wena weva usezulwini,

waza ke ngaloo mfobe yakho

wabathi jize ngabahlanguli,

ke bona babakhulula ezintshabeni.

₂₈“Bathe ke bakuphumla,

basuka baphindela ebubini.

Suka ke wena wabalahla,

wabanikela ezintshabeni zabo,

zaza ke zona zabalawula.

Baphindile ke bazibika kuwe,

waza weva wena usezulwini

yaphindelela imfobe yakho,

ubahlangula umhla nezolo.

₂₉Ke wena wabatyityimbisela umnwe,

usithi mababuyele emthethweni wakho.

Kodwa ke basuka bakhukhumala,

bazidela iziyalo zakho.

Bazinyathela ngeenyawo izimiso zakho,

ezo zibubomi bomntu wonke othi yena azithobele.

Basuka bakufulathela bekhukhumele,

bankaniza, abakuphulaphula.

₃₀“Yaba liqela leminyaka wena ubanyamezele.

NgoMoya wakho wena wabaluleka,

usebenzisa abashumayeli bakho.

Kodwa ke bona abakhathalanga,

waza ke wabanikezela kwizizwe ezingabamelwana.

₃₁Kodwa ngenxa yaloo mfobe yakho wena akubatshitshisanga;

wena zange ubalahle, Thixondini onesisa nenceba.

₃₂“Ngoko ke, Thixo wethu,

Ngangalalandini yengangamsha,

wena Thixo owoyikekayo,

uwugcinayo umnqophiso wokubonelela,

yijonge le nkxwaleko ingaka,

ingabi yintw' engento kuwe.

Nditsho iinkathazo ezasihlelayo,

ezehlela ookumkani neenkokheli zethu,

ababingeleli nabashumayeli,

oobawo kunye nabantu bakho bebonke,

ukusukela kwimihla yookumkani baseAsiriya,

ukuza kuthi ga ngoku.

₃₃Kwezo zinto zasihlelayo wena uhleli ulungile;

wasoloko usenza ngentembeko, ke thina sibhatyaza.

₃₄Izikumkani neenkokheli zethu,

ababingeleli noobawo-mkhulu,

abawuthobelanga umthetho wakho,

abazikhathalelanga iziyalo zakho nezilumkiso owabanika zona.

₃₅Nangethuba babesembusweni wabo,

bexhamla ukulunga kwakho okungaka,

kulo mhlaba uphangaleleyo wendyebo,

lo wena wabavava ngawo,

abavumanga ukukukhonza,

abajikanga ezindleleni zabo ezimbi.

₃₆“Naku ke thina singamakhoboka namhlanje;

ewe, singamakhoboka kulo mhlaba

wawuwunike oobawo-mkhulu

ukuze baxhamle imveliso yawo

kunye namaqithi-qithi owavelisayo.

₃₇Ngoku ngenxa yobutyala bethu

loo ntaphane yemveliso iyaxhatshazwa

zizikumkani ozibeke phezu kwethu.

Zilawula iziqu zethu nemfuyo yethu;

ewe, zenz' unothanda!

Hay' imbandezelo esikuyo!”