UTobiti 1

₁Le ncwadi isitshela ngoTobiti indodana kaThobiyeli, kaHananiyeli, ka-Aduweli, kaGabayeli, kaRafayeli, kaRaguweli, wolibo luka-Asiyeli, wesizwe sakwaNafethali. ₂Okwathi ngezinsuku zika-Enemesaru inkosi yase-Asiriya wathunjwa endaweni iTishibe eyayingaseningizimu yeKedeshi lakwaNafethali, emngcingweni ongenhla weGalile, ngenhla kwe-Asheri, ngaphesheya komgwaqo obheke entshonalanga, ngasenyakatho yePhogori.

₃Mina Tobiti ngahamba ngobuqotho nangokulunga zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwami futhi ngenza izenzo eziningi zomusa kubafowethu, nakubantu besizwe sakithi esasithunjwelwe nabo eNineve ezweni lama-Asiriya. ₄Lapho ngiseyibhungwana, ngisesezweni lakithi, izwe lakwa-Israyeli, sonke isizwe sakwaNafethali, ukhokho wami, sahlubuka embusweni wenkosi uDavide naseJerusalema. Lo muzi wawuqokwe phakathi kwemizi yonke yezizwe zakwa-Israyeli njengendawo lapho zonke izizwe zakwa-Israyeli ziyokunikela khona imihlatshelo, nalapho futhi ithempeli indawo uNkulunkulu ahlala kuyo, labusiswa, lahlukaniswa ukuba libe ngelezizukulwane zonke kuze kube phakade. ₅Bonke abozalo lwami indlu kakhokho wami uNafethali, banikela imihlatshelo etholeni elalimiswe yinkosi uJerobowamu kwaDani nakuzo zonke izintaba zaseGalile.

₆Kepha mina ngedwa ngangiya njalo emkhosini eJerusalema, njengoba kunqunyelwe u-Israyeli ngokwesimiso saphakade. Ngangiphuthuma eJerusalema nolibo lwezithelo zakho konke okulinyiweyo, nawo onke amazibulo emfuyo, nokweshumi kwezinkomo, kanye noboya bokuqala obugundwe ezimvini. ₇Konke lokhu ngangikunikela kubaphristi, amadodana ka-Aroni ayese-althare, kanjalo nokweshumi kohlamvu, newayini, namafutha, namapomegranithi, namakhiwane bese kuthi ezinye izinhlobo zezithelo ngizinike amadodana kaLevi ayesebenza ethempelini eJerusalema. Futhi ngangithatha iminyaka eyisithupha ngonga, uze uphindwe umnikelo wokweshumi bese ngiya ukuyowunikela eJerusalema. ₈Ngizonikeza lokhu ezintandaneni nakubafelokazi nalabo ababephendukele ku-Israyeli. Ngangikuletha ngibanikeze ngonyaka wesithathu, bese sikudla njengokumisiwe emthethweni kaMose nanjengoba eyalile uDebhora ugogo owayezala ubaba u-Hananiyeli, njengoba phela ubaba wayengasekho ngisele ngiyintandane.

₉Lapho sengikhulile sengiyindoda, ngaganwa ngowesifazane oyilunga lomndeni wami, owangizalela indodana engayiqamba igama lokuthi nguThobiyase. ₁₀Emuva kokuthunjelwa e-Asiriya, ngafinyelela eNineve njengothunjiweyo, bonke abozalo lwami nabakwethu badla ukudla kwabezizwe, ₁₁kodwa mina ngawuthiba umphefumulo wami angizilandelanga izindlela namasiko abezizwe. ₁₂Ngenxa yokuba ngangimkhumbula uNkulunkulu ngomphefumulo wami wonke, ₁₃Ophezukonke wangenzela umusa ku-Enemesaru, engangimthengela konke akudingayo. ₁₄Ngangijwayele ukuya eMediya ukuyothenga kwaze kwaba sekufeni kwakhe. Lapho ngiseMediya ngashiya amasaka esiliva alinganiselwa emathalenteni ayishumi, esandleni sikaGabayeli umfowabo kaGabariya. ₁₅Kepha kwathi ukuba u-Enemasari afe, kuthathe indodana yakhe uSenakheribi njengombusi, umgwaqo oya eMediya wawungasaphephile, ngakho-ke kwakungaselula ukuya eMediya.

₁₆Ezinsukwini zika-Enemesaru ngangenza imisebenzi eminingi yothando kubafowethu, labo besizwe sami. ₁₇Nganginikela ukudla kwami kwabalambile nezimpahla zami kwabampofu; uma ngibona isidumbu sofileyo sanoma yimuphi wabantu bakithi siphonswe ngemuva kothango lwaseNiniva, ngangisingcwaba. ₁₈Ngangingcwaba nanoma ngubani owayesuke ebulewe nguSenakheribi, uma ayebaleke kwaJuda ngezinsuku zempindiselo, iNkosi yezulu eyayizehlisele kuye ngenxa yokuhlambalaza kwakhe. Ngenxa yolaka lwakhe uSenakheribi wabulala abaningi bakwa-Israyeli; engangizithatha izidumbu zabo ngizingcwabe isinyelela. Kwakuthi lapho isizifuna inkosi uSenakheribi ingabe isazithola. ₁₉Kwase kuthi omunye wabaseNineve waya kongihlala enkosini, ukuthi yimi engibangcwabayo, ngakho-ke ngacasha. Kwathi lapho sekungikhanyele ukuthi inkosi isizwile ngami nokuthi ngiyafunwa ukuze ngisiwe kwagoqanyawo, ngaba novalo ngase ngiyabaleka. ₂₀Kwasekuthi yonke impahla yami yathathwa, akushiywanga lutho kuyo, konke kwasiwa esikhwameni senkosi, ngaphandle komkami u-Anna nendodana yami uThobiyase.

₂₁Aziphelanga izinsuku ezingama-40, uSenakheribi wabulawa ngamadodana akhe amabili qede abalekela ezintabeni zase-Ararathi, indodana yakhe u-Esari Hadoni yase ibusa emva kwakhe. U-Esari Hadoni wamisa u-Ahikari indodana yomfowethu uHanayeli ukuba abheke sonke isikhwama sombuso wakhe, futhi wamnikeza negunya lokuphathwa kwezwe. ₂₂U-Ahikari wanginxusela, ngase ngibuyela eNineve. Ngalesi sikhathi u-Ahikari wayesengumphathindebe omkhulu, kanye nomgcini wendandatho yokusicilela, futhi wayephethe wonke amabhuku ezimali ngaphansi kwenkosi uSenakheribi, ngakho-ke inkosi u-Esari Hadoni yambuyisela kuso lesi sikhundla. Wayengumshana wami futhi eyisihlobo sami esikhulu.