Nehemiah 2
1 And it came to pass in the month Nisan of the twentieth year of king Arthasastha, that the wine was before me: and I took the wine, and gave [it] to the king: and there was not another before him.
Ngenyanga kaNisani ngomnyaka wamatshumi amabili weNkosi u-Athazekisisi, ngesikhathi ephiwa iwayini, ngalithatha iwayini ngalisa enkosini. Ngangingakaze ngivele kuyo ngidanile;
2 And the king said to me, Why is thy countenance sad, and dost thou not control thyself? and now this is nothing but sorrow of heart. Then I was very much alarmed,
ngakho inkosi yangibuza yathi, “Kungani ubuso bakho bukhanya buhlobile kanje wena ungaguli? Lokhu ngeke kube ngokunye ngaphandle kokudana okusenhliziyweni.” Ngezwa ngisesaba kakhulu,
3 and I said to the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be said, forasmuch as the city, even the home of the sepulchres of my fathers, has been laid waste, and her gates have been devoured with fire?
kodwa ngathi enkosini, “Phila lanini nkosi! Ubuso bami bungayekelelani na ukuhloba njengoba idolobho lapho okulele khona okhokho selingamanxiwa nje, lamasango alo atshiswa ngomlilo na?”
4 And the king said to me, For what dost thou ask thus? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
Inkosi yathi kimi, “Pho ufunani?” Ngasengikhuleka kuNkulunkulu wezulwini,
5 And I said to the king, If [it seem] good to the king, and if thy servant shall have found favour in thy sight, [I ask] that [thou] wouldest send him into Juda, to the city of the sepulchres of my fathers; then will I rebuild it.
yikho ngasengiyiphendula inkosi ngathi, “Aluba kungaba yikuthanda kwenkosi njalo nxa inceku yakho ifumene umusa emehlweni ayo, kayingithumele kulelodolobho elikoJuda lapho okwambelwa khona okhokho ukuze ngiyolakha kakutsha.”
6 And the king, and his concubine that sat next to him, said to me, For how long will thy journey be, and when wilt thou return? and [the proposal] was pleasing before the king, and he sent me away, and I appointed him a time.
Inkosi eyayihlezi lendlovukazi eceleni kwayo yangibuza yathi, “Uhambo lwakho luzathatha isikhathi esingakanani, njalo uzabuya nini?” Inkosi yathanda ukuthi ngihambe; yikho ngamisa isikhathi.
7 And I said to the king, If [it seem] good to the king, let him give me letters to the governors beyond the river, so as to forward me till I come to Juda;
Ngaphinde ngathi kuyo, “Nxa kuyikuthanda kwenkosi, ngicela izincwadi ziye kubabusi bangaphetsheya kweYufrathe, ukwenzela ukuthi bangivikele ohanjweni lwami ngize ngiyefika koJuda?
8 and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the garden which belongs to the king, that he may give me timber to cover the gates, and for the wall of the city, and for the house into which I shall enter. And the king gave to me, according as the good hand of God [was upon me].
Njalo ngicela incwadi eya ku-Asafi, umphathi wegusu lenkosi, yikho ezanginika izigodo zokwenza izinsika zamasango esigodlo eduzane lethempeli lezomduli wedolobho kanye lezendlu engizahlala kuyo.” Kwathi ngoba isandla somusa sikaNkulunkulu wami sasiphezu kwami, inkosi yazamukela izicelo zami.
9 And I came to the governors beyond the river, and I gave them the king's letters. (Now the king had sent with me captains of the army and horsemen.)
Yikho ngasengisiya kubabusi bangaphetsheya kweYufrathe ngabapha izincwadi zenkosi. Inkosi yayingiphe futhi abalawuli bebutho kanye lamabutho amabhiza ukuba bangiphelekezele.
10 And Sanaballat the Aronite heard [it], and Tobia the servant, the Ammonite, and it was grievous to them that a man was come to seek good for the children of Israel.
Kwathi ukuba uSanibhalathi umHoroni loThobhiya umʼAmoni owayeyinduna bekuzwa lokhu, bakhathazeka kakhulu ukuthi ukhona owayeselande ukuzathuthukisa inhlalo yaba-Israyeli.
11 So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
Ngaya eJerusalema, kwathi sengihlale khona insuku ezintathu
12 And I rose up by night, I and a few men with me; and I told no man what God put into my heart to do with Israel; and there was no beast with me, except the beast which I rode upon.
ngaphuma kusebusuku ngilamadoda ambalwa. Ngangingazange ngitshele muntu ngalokho uNkulunkulu wami ayekubeke enhliziyweni yami ngeJerusalema. Ngangingelanyamazana ngaphandle kwaleyo engangiyigadile.
13 And I went forth by the gate of the valley by night, and to the mouth of the well of fig trees, and to the dung-gate: and I mourned over the wall of Jerusalem which they were destroying, and her gates were devoured with fire.
Ebusuku ngaphuma ngeSango leSigodi ngaqonda uMthombo weKhanka leSango loBulongwe, ngihlola imiduli yeJerusalema, eyayibhidliziwe, kanye lamasango ayo ayetshiswe ngomlilo.
14 And I passed on to the fountain gate, and to the king's pool; and there was no room for the beast to pass under me.
Ngaqhubeka sengiqonde eSangweni loMthombo leSiziba Senkosi, kodwa kwakungelantshukuntshu yokudlula ubabhemi wami engangimgadile;
15 And I went up by the wall of the brook by night, and mourned over the wall, and passed through the gate of the valley, and returned.
yikho ngasengikhwela ngesigodi kusebusuku, ngihlola umduli. Ekucineni ngaphenduka ngangena ngeSango leSigodi.
16 And the sentinels knew not why I went, nor what I was doing; and until that time I told [it] not to the Jews, or to the priests, or to the nobles, or to the captains, or to the rest [of the men] who wrought the works.
Izinduna kazizange zikwazi ukuthi ngangiye ngaphi lokuthi ngangisenzani, ngoba ngangivele ngingakatsho lutho kubaJuda loba kubaphristi loba ezikhulwini loba ezinduneni loba lakubobani ababezakwenza umsebenzi.
17 Then I said to them, Ye see this evil, in which we are, how Jerusalem is desolate, and her gates have been set on fire: come, and let us build throughout the wall of Jerusalem, and we shall be no longer a reproach.
Ngasengisithi kubo, “Liyalubona uhlupho esiphakathi kwalo: iJerusalema selingamanxiwa nje, lamasango alo atshisiwe ngomlilo. Wozani, siwakhe kutsha umduli weJerusalema ukuze singabi silokhu sihlaziswa.”
18 And I told them of the hand of God which was good upon me, also about the words of the king which he spoke to me: and I said, Let us arise and build. And their hands were strengthened for the good [work].
Ngaphinda ngabatshela ngesandla somusa sikaNkulunkulu wami kimi lokuthi inkosi yayitheni kimi. Baphendula bathi, “Kasiqaliseni ukwakha.” Yikho bahle bawuqalisa umsebenzi lo omuhle.
19 And Sanaballat the Aronite, and Tobia the servant, the Ammonite, and Gesam the Arabian, heard [it], and they laughed us to scorn, and came to us, and said, What [is] this thing that ye are doing? are ye revolting against the king?
Kodwa kwathi ukuba uSanibhalathi umHoroni, loThobhiya induna yomʼAmoni loGeshemi umArabhu bekuzwa lokho, basichithoza basihleka. Babuza bathi, “Kuyini lokhu elikwenzayo. Selihlamukele inkosi na?”
20 And I answered them, and said to them, The God of heaven, he shall prosper us, and we his servants are pure, and we will build: but ye have no part, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.
Ngabaphendula ngokuthi, “UNkulunkulu wasezulwini uzasiphumelelisa. Thina izinceku zakhe sesiqalisa ukwakha kutsha, kodwa lina, kalilasabelo eJerusalema, loba imfanelo loba lungelo bani lomdabuko wenu.”
