Nehemiah 4
1 Kwathi ukuba uSanibhalathi ezwe ukuthi sase silwakha kabusha ugange, wathukuthela wagana unwabu, wabhodla umlilo, wabaklolodela abaJuda.
2 Wakhuluma nabangani bakhe nempi eSamariya, wathi: “Benzani laba baJuda abantekentekana na? Ngabe bazokwakha kabusha izinto? Bazokwenza imihlatshelo na? Bazoyiqeda ngosuku na? Ngabe bazovuselela amatshe engqumbini yamabibi, bese beshisela phezu kwawo na?”
3 UThobiya, umAmoni, wema eduze kwakhe wakloloda, wathi: “Ngisho bengazakha kabusha lezi zingange, uma kukhwela impungushe phezu kwazo ziyomane ziziwele!”
4 Ngase ngikhuleka, ngithi: “Nkulunkulu wami, yizwa ukuthi basedelela kanjani, uyibuyisele kubo inhlamba yabo, ubanikele babe njengempango ezweni lokuthunjwa.
5 Ungabaxoleli izono zabo, necala labo ungalesuli phambi kwakho, ngokuba bakwedelele phambi kwabakhi.”
6 Saqhubeka nokwakha, saphumelela ukulwakha kabusha ugange lwaze lwaphakathi nendawo ubude, ngoba abantu babenomdlandla wokusebenza.
7 Lapho uSanibhalathi, uThobiya, ama-Arabhu, ama-Amoni nama-Ashidodi, bezwa ukuthi ugange eJerusalema luyakhuphuka nokuthi izimfa ziyavalwa, bathukuthela kakhulu,
8 base bakha uzungu lokuza kanyekanye bazolwa nalo iJerusalema, badale inxushunxushu.
9 Sakhuleka kuNkulunkulu wethu, sabeka abaqaphi ukulinda ubusuku nemini.
10 UJuda wathi: “Amandla abathwala imithwalo aphelile, maningi amabibi, asisakwazi ukuqhubeka sakhe kabusha ugange.”
11 Izitha zethu zathi: “Sizobazuma, sibathelekele bengazelele, sibabulale, ungabe usaqhubeka umsebenzi.”
12 AbaJuda ababakhelene nazo, bafika basixwayisa kaninginingi, bethi: “Zizofika zivela ezindaweni zonke ezihlala kuzo zizomelana nathi.”
13 Ngase ngimisa abantu ngokwemindeni yabo, ngezansi ezindaweni ezisemuva kogange nakwezisobala, benezinkemba, imikhonto neminsalo yabo.
14 Ngakubona lokho, ngaphakama, ngathi kubaholi nezikhulu nakubantu bonke: “Ningazesabi. Khumbulani iNkosi enamandla neyesabekayo, nilwele abafowenu, abantwana benu, omkenu nemizi yenu.”
15 Izitha zethu zezwa ukuthi sesizwile ngozungu lwazo, nokuthi uNkulunkulu uliphunzisile icebo lazo. Sonke sabuyela ogangeni, kwayilowo nalowo emsebenzini wakhe.
16 Kusukela ngalolo lusuku enye ingxenye yezinceku zami yakha, enye yaphatha imikhonto, amahawu, iminsalo nezivikelo zesifuba. Abaholi babeseka abendlu yakwaJuda,
17 ababakha kabusha ugange. Ababethwala imithwalo, bathwala imithwalo yabo ngesandla esisodwa ngesinye bephethe izikhali.
18 Bonke abakhayo babegaxe izinkemba ezinqulwini zabo, beqhubeka bakha. Indoda eyayihlaba umkhosi ngecilongo, yayiseduze kwami.
19 Ngathi kubaholi nezikhulu nakubantu: “Umsebenzi mkhulu, wendlalekile, thina siqhelelene kakhulu ogangeni.
20 Uma nizwa kuhlatshwa umkhosi ngecilongo, anobuthana ngakimi. UNkulunkulu wethu uzosilwela.”
21 Saqhubeka kanjalo nokusebenza, enye ingxenye ihlome ngemikhonto ilungele ukulwa, kusukela entathakusa kuze kuqhakaze izinkanyezi.
22 Ngaleso sikhathi ngabuye ngayala bonke abantu, ngathi: “Yilowo nalowo nenceku yakhe mabahlale phakathi eJerusalema ukuze basiqaphe ebusuku, basebenze emini.”
23 Mina-ke, abafowethu, izinceku zami namadoda ayengabaqaphi ayengilandela, asizange sizikhumule izimpahla zethu; yilowo nalowo wayephethe isikhali ngesandla sakhe.