Nehemiya 4

¹Kepha kwathi lapho uSanibalati esezwile ukuthi sabe siluvusa ugange, wathukuthela, wavutha ulaka, waklolodela abaJuda.

²Wakhuluma phambi kwabafowabo nempi yaseSamariya, wathi: “Benzani laba baJuda abangenamandla na? Bayekwe bebodwa na? Bahlabe yini? Bakuqede ngosuku na? Bavuse amatshe emfuthumfuthwini yamabibi lokhu eshisiwe na?”

³UThobiya wakwa-Amoni wayengakuye, wathi: “Yebo, nalokho abakwakhayo, uma kukhuphuka impungushe, iyakulubhidliza ugange lwamatshe abo.”

⁴Ngase ngikhuleka ngathi: “Yizwa, Nkulunkulu wethu, ngokuba sidelelekile, ubuyisele inhlamba yabo phezu kwamakhanda abo, ubanikele ukuba baphangwe ezweni lokuthunjwa;

⁵ungalisibekeli icala labo, masingesulwa isono sabo phambi kwakho, ngokuba bakucunulile ngaphambi kwabakhi.”

⁶Sase sivusa-ke ugange; lonke ugange lwahlanganiswa kwaze kwagamanxa, ngokuba abantu babenenhliziyo yokusebenza.

⁷Kepha kwathi oSanibalati, noThobiya, nabase-Arabiya, nabakwa-Amoni, nabase-Ashidodi sebezwa ukuthi ukulungiswa kwezingange zaseJerusalema kuyaqhubeka, nokuthi izimfa seziqale ukuvalwa, bathukuthela kakhulu,

⁸benza ugobe ukuba baye ukulwa neJerusalema, balilimaze.

⁹Kepha sakhuleka kuNkulunkulu wethu, sabamisela abalindi imini nobusuku ngenxa yabo.

¹⁰UJuda wathi: “Amandla abathwalayo aphelile; amabibi maningi; asisenakuluvusa ugange.”

¹¹Abamelene nathi bathi: “Abayikwazi, abayikubona size sifike phakathi kwabo, sibabulale, sivimbe umsebenzi.”

¹²Kwathi lapho abaJuda ababehlala eceleni kwabo sebefika, bathi kithi kayishumi, bevela ezindaweni zonke: “Buyelani kithi.”

¹³Ngase ngimisa ngenzansi ezindaweni ezisemva kogange nakwezisobala abantu ngemindeni yabo, benezinkemba zabo, nemikhonto yabo, neminsalo yabo.

¹⁴Lapho sengibhekile, ngasuka ngathi kwabakhulu nakubabusi nakwabanye abantu: “Ningabesabi; khumbulani iNkosi enkulu neyesabekayo, nilwele abafowenu, namadodana enu, namadodakazi enu, nawomkenu, nezindlu zenu.”

¹⁵Kwathi izitha zethu sezizwile ukuthi kwazeke kithi nokuthi uNkulunkulu wayeshafisile icebo labo, sabuyela sonke ogangeni, kwaba yilowo nalowo emsebenzini wakhe.

¹⁶Kusukela kulolo suku inxenye yezinceku zami yasebenza emisebenzini, nenxenye yazo yaphatha imikhonto, nezihlangu, neminsalo, namabhantshi ensimbi; ababusi babe semva kwendlu yonke yakwaJuda.

¹⁷Abavusayo ugange nabathwalayo imithwalo bazithwesa benza umsebenzi ngesinye isandla, nangesinye baphatha izikhali zabo;

¹⁸nabakhi bonke babe nenkemba ibhincwe ezinkalweni zabo, bakha kanjalo. Owabetha icilongo wayengaseceleni kwami.

¹⁹Ngokuba ngangithe kwabakhulu nakubabusi nakwabanye abantu: “Umsebenzi mkhulu, ubanzi, sahlukene ogangeni, omunye ukude nomunye.

²⁰Noma kuyiphi indawo lapho nizwa khona ukubethwa kwecilongo, buthanani khona, nize kithi; uNkulunkulu wethu uyakusilwela.”

²¹Sase senza nathi umsebenzi wethu, inxenye iphethe imikhonto, kusukela ekuqaleni kokusa kuze kuphume izinkanyezi.

²²Kanjalo ngaleso sikhathi ngathi kubantu: “Yilowo nalowo kahlale nenceku yakhe phakathi kweJerusalema ukuba zibe ngabalindi bethu ebusuku, zisebenze emini.”

²³Mina nabafowethu, nezinceku zami, nabalindi abangilandelayo, kwakungekho kithi owakhumula izingubo zakhe; yilowo nalowo wayenesikhali esandleni sakhe.