Nerhemiya 4:1-23
4 Nje-ke kuthe lokha uSanibhalathi+ nakezwa ukuthi sakha kabutjha iboda, wasilingeka khulu, wasolo anyefula amaJuda.
2 Wakhuluma phambi kwabafowabo naphambi kwebutho leSamariya, wathi: “Imitherethere yamaJuda le yenzani? Icabanga bona izokwenza umsebenzi lo ngokwayo? Izokwenza imihlatjelo? Icabanga bona ingaqeda umsebenzi lo ngelanga linye? Kghani izokusebenzisa amatje atjhileko asefucufucwini yehlabathi?”+
3 Nje-ke uThobiya+ umAmoni,+ obekajame eqadi kwakhe, wathi: “Ngitjho nepungutjha nayingakhwela phezu kwebodanyana lamatje alakhako, ingaligiriza.”
4 Ngalokho ngathandaza ngathi: “Sibawa usilalele Zimethu, sinyaziwe,+ sibawa wenze inyazo abasinyaze ngalo liwele phezu kweenhloko zabo,+ ubanikele emanabenabo, enarheni abathunjelwe kiyo.
5 Ungaweqiseli amehlo umlandwabo namkha uvumele izono zabo zisulwe phambi kwakho,+ ngombana bathuke abakhi.”
6 Nje-ke saragela phambili sakha, iboda loke lahlangana lakhiwa kabutjha belafika phakathi naphakathi kokuphakama kwalo, abantu baragela phambili basebenza ngeenhliziyo zoke.
7 Msinyana uSanibhalathi, uThobiya,+ ama-Arabhu,+ ama-Amoni nama-Atjhidodi,+ nabezwa ukuthi ukuvuselelwa kwamaboda weJerusalema kuragela phambili nokuthi iinkhala ziyavaleka, basilingeka khulu.
8 Baluka amano wokuyokulwa neJerusalema nokubanga ihlangahlangano kilo.
9 Kodwana sathandaza kuZimethu besabeka nabonogada bona basivikele kibo, ubusuku nemini.
10 Nanyana kunjalo, abantu bakwaJuda bebathi: “Iinsebenzi* seziphelelwa mamandla begodu kusesenefucufucu enengi; angeze sikghone ukwakha iboda.”
11 Amanabethu asolo athi: “Kuzokuthi bangakatjheji namkha bangasiboni, sibafikele sibabulale, besijamise nomsebenzi.”
12 Bekuthi nanyana kunini nakufika amaJuda ahlala eduze namanabethu, asitjele ngokubuyelelweko athi: “Amanabethu azosisahlela avela kiwo woke amahlangothi.”
13 Nje-ke ngabeka amadoda lapha iboda lisesephasi khona, ngawabeka ngokwemindenawo aphethe iinsabula, imikhonto, nemisubela.
14 Ngithe nangibona ukuthi athukiwe, ngasikima khonokho ngatjela iinkhulu+ namasekela wababusi nabo boke abantu: “Ningabasabi.+ Khumbulani uJehova onamandla nosabekako;+ lwelani abafowenu, amadodana namadodakazenu, abafazi nemizenu.”
15 Kuthe lokha amanabethu nakezwa ukuthi siyazi bona enzani nokuthi uZimu weqiniso utjhaphise iqhinga lawo, soke sabuyela emsebenzini wokwakha iboda.
16 Kusukela mhlokho kuye phambili, ingcenye yamadoda beyisebenza+ bese kuthi enye ihlome ngemikhonto, ngeemviko, ngemisubela, imbethe nezambatho zepi. Amakhosana+ ajama ngemva kwamaJuda asekela
17 lawo ebekakha iboda. Labo ebebathwala imithwalo bebasebenza ngesandla sinye kukulapho esinye sibambe isikhali.
18 Umakhi ngamunye bekakha afake isabula edinini, obekabetha ipalapala+ bekajame eqadi kwami.
19 Nje-ke ngathi eenkhulwini, kumasekela wababusi nakibo boke abantu: “Umsebenzi usesemkhulu begodu unabile, sesihlukene khulu.
20 Nanizwa itjhada lepalapala, hlanganani ndawonye lapha sikhona nje. UZimethu uzosilwela.”+
21 Yeke saraga nokusebenza kukulapho abanye bahlome ngemikhonto kusukela ngamasa bekurhwaqele.
22 Ngathi ebantwini: “Woke umuntu nesisebenzi sakhe ababe seJerusalema ebusuku, bona bagade bese kuthi emini basebenze.”
23 Ngitjho nami, abafowethu, iinsebenzi zami,+ nabonogada ebebangilandela akakho namunye wethu okhewahlubula isambatho sakhe, ngamunye bekasolo aphethe isikhali sakhe ngesandla sokudla.
Imitlolo Ephasi
^ Namkha “Abathwali bemithwalo.”
