Nehemiah 9
1 Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackcloth, 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 strangers, 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 the LORD their God a fourth part of the day; and [another] fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD 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 stairs of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, [and] Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the LORD their God.
Lezikhwelweni zamaLevi kwakumi oJeshuwa, loBani, uKadimiyeli, uShebaniya, uBuni, uSherebiya, uBani, uKenani; bamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu eNkosini uNkulunkulu wabo.
5 Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, [and] Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting: and blessed be thy glorious name, 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 LORD, even thou alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all things that are thereon, the seas and all that is in them, and thou preservest 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 Then art the LORD the God, 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 a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite, and the Girgashite, even to give it unto his seed, and 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 shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land; for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them; and didst get 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, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their pursuers thou didst cast 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 Moreover thou leddest them in a pillar of cloud by day; and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light in the way wherein they should go.
Wasubakhokhela ngensika yeyezi emini langensika yomlilo ebusuku ukubakhanyisela indlela abazahamba ngayo.
13 Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, 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 madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them commandments, and statutes, and a law, by the hand of Moses thy servant:
wabazisa isabatha lakho elingcwele, wabalaya imilayo, lezimiso, lomthetho, ngesandla sikaMozisi inceku yakho.
15 and gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and commandedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst lifted up thine hand 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 and 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 mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their neck, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy, and 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 had wrought great provocations;
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 cloud departed not from over them by day, to lead them in 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, [and] they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.
Yebo, iminyaka engamatshumi amane wabondla enkangala, kabaswelanga lutho; izigqoko zabo kaziguganga, lenyawo zabo kazivuvukanga.
22 Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and peoples, which thou didst allot after their portions: so they possessed the land of Sihon, even the land of the king of Heshbon, and 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 Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and 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 So 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, with 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 fenced cities, and a fat land and possessed houses full of good things, cisterns hewn out, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance: so 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 Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their back, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them again unto 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 Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their adversaries, who distressed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours who saved them out of the hand of their adversaries.
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 after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest from heaven; 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 testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them, ) and 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 Yet many years didst thou bear with them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit through thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou 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 in thy manifold mercies 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 Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the travail 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 time 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 Howbeit thou art just in all that is come upon us; for thou hast dealt truly, but we have done wickedly:
Kodwa ubulungile mayelana lakho konke okusehleleyo, ngoba wenzile ngokuqonda, kodwa thina senze ngobubi.
34 neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept 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 For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest 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 as for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants 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: also they have power 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 yet for all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, our Levites, [and] our priests, seal unto it.
Langenxa yakho konke lokhu senza isivumelwano esiqinileyo, sisibhala; iziphathamandla zethu, amaLevi ethu, abapristi bethu, basebefaka uphawu phezu kwaso.
