Nehemiah 9
1 And on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.
Ngosuku lwamatshumi amabili lane lwaleyonyanga abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebebuthana ngokuzila ukudla, langamasaka, lenhlabathi phezu kwabo.
2 And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.
Inzalo yakoIsrayeli yasizehlukanisa labo bonke abezizweni; basebesima bavuma izono zabo lobubi baboyise.
3 And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of Jehovah their God a fourth part of the day; and a fourth part they confessed, and worshipped Jehovah their God.
Basebesukuma endaweni yabo yokuma, bafunda egwalweni lomlayo weNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo ingxenye yesine yosuku; njalo ngengxenye yesine bavuma futhi bakhonza iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo.
4 Then stood up upon the platform of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, Chenani, and cried with a loud voice to Jehovah their God.
Lezikhwelweni zamaLevi kwakumi oJeshuwa, loBani, uKadimiyeli, uShebaniya, uBuni, uSherebiya, uBani, uKenani; bamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu eNkosini uNkulunkulu wabo.
5 And the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, Pethahiah, said, Stand up, bless Jehovah your God from eternity to eternity. And let [men] bless the name of thy glory, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.
AmaLevi, oJeshuwa, loKadimiyeli, uBani, uHashabineya, uSherebiya, uHodiya, uShebaniya, uPethahiya basebesithi: Sukumani libusise iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu kusukela ephakadeni kuze kube nininini; kalibusiswe ibizo lakho elilodumo eliphakanyiswe phezu kwaso sonke isibusiso lendumiso.
6 Thou art the Same, thou alone, Jehovah, who hast made the heaven of heavens, and all their host, the earth and all that is therein, the seas and all that is therein. And thou quickenest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.
Nguwe oyiNkosi wena wedwa, wena wenza amazulu, izulu lamazulu lalo lonke ibutho lawo, umhlaba lakho konke okukuwo, izinlwandle lakho konke okukuzo, wena uyagcina konke kuphila; lebutho lamazulu liyakukhonza.
7 Thou art the Same, Jehovah Elohim, who didst choose Abram and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham;
Wena uyiNkosi uNkulunkulu, owakhetha uAbrama wamkhupha eUri yamaKhaladiya, wenza ibizo lakhe laba nguAbrahama;
8 and foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest the covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, — to give it to his seed; and thou hast performed thy words, for thou art righteous.
wafica inhliziyo yakhe ithembekile phambi kwakho, wenza laye isivumelwano sokunika ilizwe lamaKhanani, amaHethi, amaAmori, lamaPerizi, lamaJebusi, lamaGirigashi, ukulinika inzalo yakhe; uwamisile amazwi akho, ngoba ulungile.
9 And thou sawest the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red Sea;
Wabona ukuhlupheka kwabobaba eGibhithe, wezwa ukukhala kwabo ngasoLwandle oluBomvu,
10 and didst shew signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants, and upon all the people of his land; for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them, and thou didst make thee a name, as it is this day.
wenza izibonakaliso lezimangaliso kuFaro lakuzo zonke inceku zakhe lakubo bonke abantu belizwe lakhe, ngoba wazi ukuthi baziphatha ngokuzigqaja kubo; njalo wazenzela ibizo njengalamuhla.
11 And thou didst divide the sea before them, and they went through the midst of the sea on dry [ground]; and their pursuers thou threwest into the depths, as a stone into the mighty waters.
Wehlukanisa ulwandle phambi kwabo ukuze bachaphe phakathi kolwandle emhlabathini owomileyo; wasuphosela ababaxotshayo ezinzikini njengelitshe emanzini alamandla.
12 And thou leddest them in the day by a pillar of cloud, and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go.
Wasubakhokhela ngensika yeyezi emini langensika yomlilo ebusuku ukubakhanyisela indlela abazahamba ngayo.
13 And thou camest down on mount Sinai, and didst speak with them from the heavens, and gavest them right judgments and true laws, good statutes and commandments.
Wehlela phezu kwentaba yeSinayi, wakhuluma labo usemazulwini, wabanika izahlulelo eziqondileyo, lemilayo eqotho, izimiso lemilayezelo elungileyo,
14 And thou madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and prescribedst for them commandments and statutes and a law, through Moses thy servant.
wabazisa isabatha lakho elingcwele, wabalaya imilayo, lezimiso, lomthetho, ngesandla sikaMozisi inceku yakho.
15 And thou gavest them bread from the heavens for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and didst say to them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.
Wabanika isinkwa esivela emazulwini ekulambeni kwabo, lamanzi edwaleni wabakhuphela wona ekomeni kwabo; wabatshela ukuthi bazangena badle ilifa lelizwe owaphakamisa isandla sakho ukubanika lona.
16 But they, our fathers, dealt proudly, and hardened their neck, and hearkened not to thy commandments,
Kodwa bona labobaba baziphatha ngokuzigqaja, benza lukhuni intamo yabo, kabayilalelanga imilayo yakho.
17 and refused to obey, neither were they mindful of thy wonders which thou hadst done among them; but hardened their neck, and in their rebellion made a captain to return to their bondage. But thou art a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great loving-kindness, and thou forsookest them not.
Yebo, bala ukulalela, kabakhumbulanga izimangaliso zakho owazenza kubo; kodwa bazenza lukhuni intamo yabo, lekuvukeleni kwabo bamisa induna ukuze babuyele ebugqilini babo. Kodwa wena unguNkulunkulu wezintethelelo, olomusa, lesihawu, ophuza ukuthukuthela, lowande ngothando, kawubatshiyanga.
18 Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy god that brought thee up out of Egypt! and they had wrought great provocation,
Lalapho sebezenzele ithole elibunjwe ngokuncibilikisa bathi: Lo nguNkulunkulu wakho, owakwenyusa eGibhithe, benza ukuhlambaza okukhulu,
19 yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness. The pillar of the cloud departed not from over them by day, to lead them on the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.
kodwa wena ngezihawu zakho ezinengi kawubatshiyanga enkangala; insika yeyezi kayisukanga kubo emini, ukubakhokhela endleleni, lensika yomlilo ebusuku, ukubakhanyisela lendlela abazahamba ngayo.
20 Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.
Wabanika umoya wakho omuhle ukubafundisa, lemana yakho kawuyigodlanga emlonyeni wabo, wabanika amanzi ekomeni kwabo.
21 Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing; their clothes grew not old, and their feet swelled not.
Yebo, iminyaka engamatshumi amane wabondla enkangala, kabaswelanga lutho; izigqoko zabo kaziguganga, lenyawo zabo kazivuvukanga.
22 And thou gavest them kingdoms and peoples, and didst divide them by countries; and they possessed the land of Sihon, as well the land of the king of Heshbon, as the land of Og king of Bashan.
Wasebanika imibuso lezizwe, wababela kwaze kwaba semagumbini; njalo badla ilifa lelizwe likaSihoni lelizwe lenkosi yeHeshiboni lelizwe likaOgi inkosi yeBashani.
23 And their children thou didst multiply as the stars of heaven, and thou broughtest them into the land concerning which thou didst say to their fathers that they should go in to possess it.
Wandisa abantwana babo njengenkanyezi zamazulu, wabangenisa elizweni owawutshele oyise ukuthi bazangena badle ilifa lalo.
24 And the children went in and possessed the land; and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, both their kings and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they would.
Sebengenile abantwana babo badla ilifa lelizwe; wehlisela phansi phambi kwabo abahlali belizwe, amaKhanani, wabanikela esandleni sabo, lamakhosi abo, labantu belizwe, ukuze benze ngabo ngokwentando yabo.
25 And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all good things, wells digged, vineyards and olive-gardens, and fruit trees in abundance. And they did eat and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness.
Basebethumba imizi ebiyelweyo, lelizwe elivundileyo, badla ilifa lezindlu ezigcwele konke okuhle, imithombo egejiweyo, izivini, lezivande zemihlwathi, lezihlahla zezithelo ngobunengi. Badla-ke basutha, bazimuka, bazithokozisa ngokuhle kwakho okukhulu.
26 But they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets who testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations.
Kube kanti kabalalelanga, bakuvukela wena, bawuphosela umlayo wakho emva komhlana wabo, babulala abaprofethi bakho abafakaza bemelene labo ukubaphendulela kuwe, benza ukuhlambaza okukhulu.
27 And thou gavest them into the hand of their oppressors, and they oppressed them; and in the time of their distress, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from the heavens, and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their oppressors.
Ngakho wabanikela esandleni sezitha zabo ezabahluphayo; kwathi ngesikhathi sokuhlupheka kwabo bakhala kuwe, wena-ke wezwa usemazulwini; langokwezisa zakho ezinengi wabanika abasindisi ababasindisa esandleni sezitha zabo.
28 But when they had rest, they did evil again before thee; and thou didst leave them in the hand of their enemies, and they had dominion over them; and again they cried unto thee, and thou heardest [them] from the heavens, and many times didst thou deliver them, according to thy mercies.
Kodwa sebephumulile benza okubi futhi phambi kwakho; ngakho wabatshiya esandleni sezitha zabo zaze zababusa; sebebuyile bakhala kuwe, wena wezwa usemazulwini; wabakhulula ngokwezisa zakho izikhathi ezinengi.
29 And thou testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law; but they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thine ordinances (which if a man do, he shall live in them); and they withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.
Wafakaza umelene labo ukuze ubenze babuyele emlayweni wakho; kube kanti bona baziphatha ngokuzigqaja, kabayilalelanga imilayo yakho, kodwa bemelene lezahlulelo zakho bona bemelene lazo (okuthi umuntu ezenza uzaphila ngazo), banika ihlombe lobuqholo, benza lukhuni intamo yabo, kabaze balalela.
30 And many years didst thou forbear with them, and testifiedst against them by thy Spirit through thy prophets; but they would not give ear: and thou gavest them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
Wababekezelela iminyaka eminengi, wafakaza umelene labo ngomoya wakho ngesandla sabaprofethi bakho, kodwa kababekanga indlebe. Ngakho wabanikela esandleni sabantu bezizwe.
31 Nevertheless for thy manifold mercies' sake, thou didst not make a full end of them nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.
Kanti ngezisa zakho ezinengi kawubaqedanga, kawubatshiyanga; ngoba unguNkulunkulu olomusa lesihawu.
32 And now, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and loving-kindness, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the days of the kings of Assyria unto this day.
Ngakho khathesi, Nkulunkulu wethu, uNkulunkulu omkhulu, olamandla lowesabekayo, ogcina isivumelwano lomusa, kakungabi kuncinyane phambi kwakho ukuhlupheka konke, okusificileyo, amakhosi ethu, iziphathamandla zethu, labapristi bethu, labaprofethi bethu, labobaba, labo bonke abantu bakho, kusukela ensukwini zamakhosi eAsiriya kuze kube lamuhla.
33 But thou art just in all that is come upon us; for thou hast acted according to truth, and we have done wickedly.
Kodwa ubulungile mayelana lakho konke okusehleleyo, ngoba wenzile ngokuqonda, kodwa thina senze ngobubi.
34 And our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers, have not performed thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them.
Lamakhosi ethu, iziphathamandla zethu, abapristi bethu, labobaba bethu kabawenzanga umlayo wakho, kabalalelanga imithetho yakho lezifakazelo zakho owazifakaza umelene labo.
35 And they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land that thou didst set before them, neither turned they from their wicked works.
Ngoba bona kabakukhonzanga embusweni wabo lekulungeni kwakho okunengi owabanika khona lemazweni abanzi lavundileyo owawabeka phambi kwabo; njalo kabaphendukanga ezenzweni zabo ezimbi.
36 Behold, we are servants this day, and the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are bondmen in it.
Khangela, siyizigqili lamuhla, yebo, ilizwe owalinika obaba ukuthi badle isithelo salo lokuhle kwalo, khangela, siyizigqili kulo.
37 And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: and they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure; and we are in great distress.
Njalo isivuno salo lisandisela amakhosi owabeke phezu kwethu ngenxa yezono zethu; njalo abusa phezu kwemizimba yethu laphezu kwezifuyo zethu ngokwentando yawo; sesisesizini olukhulu.
38 And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, our Levites, [and] our priests are at the sealing.
Langenxa yakho konke lokhu senza isivumelwano esiqinileyo, sisibhala; iziphathamandla zethu, amaLevi ethu, abapristi bethu, basebefaka uphawu phezu kwaso.
