Amacebo ezitha ngoNehemiya
1Kwathi lapho oSanibalati, noThobiya, noGeshemi wase-Arabiya, nezinye izitha sebezwile ukuthi ngivusile ugange nokuthi akusasele sikhala, noma ngaleso sikhathi ngangingakamisi izivalo emasangweni, 2oSanibalati noGeshemi bathumela kimi, bathi: “Woza sihlangane komunye wemizana yasethafeni lase-Ono.” Babehlose ukwenza okubi kimi. 3Ngathuma izithunywa kubo, ngathi: “Ngisebenza umsebenzi omkhulu, anginakwehla; umsebenzi ubuyakumelani, ngiwuyeke, ngehlele kini, na?” 4Bathumela kane kimi ngaleyo ndlela; ngabaphendula ngokunjalo.
5USanibalati wayesethuma inceku yakhe kimi kanjalo ngokwesihlanu, iphethe incwadi evulekileyo esandleni sayo. 6Kwakulotshwe kuyo ukuthi: “Kuzwakele ezizweni, naye uGashimu uthi wena nabaJuda nihlose ukuhlubuka, okungalokho uvusa ugange, ube yinkosi yabo; yebo, anjalo amazwi. 7Futhi ubekile abaprofethi ukuba bashumayele ngawe eJerusalema ukuthi uyinkosi kwaJuda. Njengokuba lawo mazwi eyakuzwakala enkosini, mawuze, silulekane.”
8Ngase ngithumela kuye, ngathi: “Azikho izinto ezinjengalezo ozishoyo; ziqanjwe nguwe enhliziyweni yakho.”
9Ngokuba bonke babesethusa bethi: “Izandla zabo ziyakudangala emsebenzini ukuba ungenziwa.” Ngase ngikhuleka ngathi: “Kepha manje, Nkosi, qinisa izandla zami.”
10Ngase ngiya endlini kaShemaya indodana kaDelaya kaMehetabeli owayezivalele. Wathi: “Masihlangane endlini kaNkulunkulu phakathi kwethempeli, sivale iminyango yethempeli, ngokuba bayakufika ukukubulala, yebo, ebusuku bayakufika bakubulale.”
11Ngathi: “Umuntu onjengami abaleke na? Ngubani onjengami ongangena ethempelini, aphile, na? Angingeni.” 12Ngaqonda ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayengamthumile, kepha wakhuluma leso siprofetho ngami eqashiwe ngoThobiya noSanibalati. 13Wayeqashelwe lokhu kokuba ngesabe, ngenze kanjalo, ngone, babe nombiko omubi, bangijivaze.
14Ngakhuleka ngathi: “Khumbula, Nkulunkulu wami, oThobiya noSanibalati ngalezo zenzo zabo, nomprofethikazi uNohadiya, nabanye abaprofethi, ababengesabisa.”
Ukuphela kogange
15Ugange lwaphela ngolwamashumi amabili nanhlanu lwenyanga ka-Eluli ngezinsuku ezingamashumi ayisihlanu nambili. 16Kwathi lapho zonke izitha zikuzwa lokho, abezizwe bonke abasizungezayo, besaba, bayetha, ngokuba baqonda ukuthi lowo msebenzi wawenziwe nguNkulunkulu wethu.
17Phezu kwalokho abakhulu bakwaJuda bathuma ngalezo zinsuku izincwadi eziningi kuThobiya, nezikaThobiya zafika kubo. 18Ngokuba abaningi bakwaJuda babefungile kubo, ngokuba wayengumkhwenyana kaShekaniya indodana ka-Ara; indodana uJehohanani yayithathile indodakazi kaMeshulamu indodana kaBerekiya. 19Bakhuluma ngezenzo zakhe ezinhle phambi kwami, bamukisa kuye amazwi ami. UThobiya wathuma izincwadi ukungesabisa.
