UNehemiya 2
1 Ngenyanga kaNisani ngomnyaka wamatshumi amabili weNkosi u-Athazekisisi, ngesikhathi ephiwa iwayini, ngalithatha iwayini ngalisa enkosini. Ngangingakaze ngivele kuyo ngidanile;
And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, when wine was before him, that I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been [beforetime] sad in his presence.
2 ngakho inkosi yangibuza yathi, “Kungani ubuso bakho bukhanya buhlobile kanje wena ungaguli? Lokhu ngeke kube ngokunye ngaphandle kokudana okusenhliziyweni.” Ngezwa ngisesaba kakhulu,
And the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid.
3 kodwa ngathi enkosini, “Phila lanini nkosi! Ubuso bami bungayekelelani na ukuhloba njengoba idolobho lapho okulele khona okhokho selingamanxiwa nje, lamasango alo atshiswa ngomlilo na?”
And I said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?
4 Inkosi yathi kimi, “Pho ufunani?” Ngasengikhuleka kuNkulunkulu wezulwini,
Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
5 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.”
And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.
6 Inkosi eyayihlezi lendlovukazi eceleni kwayo yangibuza yathi, “Uhambo lwakho luzathatha isikhathi esingakanani, njalo uzabuya nini?” Inkosi yathanda ukuthi ngihambe; yikho ngamisa isikhathi.
And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him, ) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.
7 Ngaphinde ngathi kuyo, “Nxa kuyikuthanda kwenkosi, ngicela izincwadi ziye kubabusi bangaphetsheya kweYufrathe, ukwenzela ukuthi bangivikele ohanjweni lwami ngize ngiyefika koJuda?
Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may let me pass through till I come unto Judah;
8 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.
and a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the castle which appertaineth to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
9 Yikho ngasengisiya kubabusi bangaphetsheya kweYufrathe ngabapha izincwadi zenkosi. Inkosi yayingiphe futhi abalawuli bebutho kanye lamabutho amabhiza ukuba bangiphelekezele.
Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent with me captains of the army and horsemen.
10 Kwathi ukuba uSanibhalathi umHoroni loThobhiya umʼAmoni owayeyinduna bekuzwa lokhu, bakhathazeka kakhulu ukuthi ukhona owayeselande ukuzathuthukisa inhlalo yaba-Israyeli.
And when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly, for that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
11 Ngaya eJerusalema, kwathi sengihlale khona insuku ezintathu
So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
12 ngaphuma kusebusuku ngilamadoda ambalwa. Ngangingazange ngitshele muntu ngalokho uNkulunkulu wami ayekubeke enhliziyweni yami ngeJerusalema. Ngangingelanyamazana ngaphandle kwaleyo engangiyigadile.
And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God put into my heart to do for Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.
13 Ebusuku ngaphuma ngeSango leSigodi ngaqonda uMthombo weKhanka leSango loBulongwe, ngihlola imiduli yeJerusalema, eyayibhidliziwe, kanye lamasango ayo ayetshiswe ngomlilo.
And I went out by night by the valley gate, even toward the dragon’s well, and to the dung gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.
14 Ngaqhubeka sengiqonde eSangweni loMthombo leSiziba Senkosi, kodwa kwakungelantshukuntshu yokudlula ubabhemi wami engangimgadile;
Then I went on to the fountain gate and to the king’s pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.
15 yikho ngasengikhwela ngesigodi kusebusuku, ngihlola umduli. Ekucineni ngaphenduka ngangena ngeSango leSigodi.
Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall; and I turned back, and entered by the valley gate, and so returned.
16 Izinduna kazizange zikwazi ukuthi ngangiye ngaphi lokuthi ngangisenzani, ngoba ngangivele ngingakatsho lutho kubaJuda loba kubaphristi loba ezikhulwini loba ezinduneni loba lakubobani ababezakwenza umsebenzi.
And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.
17 Ngasengisithi kubo, “Liyalubona uhlupho esiphakathi kwalo: iJerusalema selingamanxiwa nje, lamasango alo atshisiwe ngomlilo. Wozani, siwakhe kutsha umduli weJerusalema ukuze singabi silokhu sihlaziswa.”
Then said I unto them, Ye see the evil case that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
18 Ngaphinda ngabatshela ngesandla somusa sikaNkulunkulu wami kimi lokuthi inkosi yayitheni kimi. Baphendula bathi, “Kasiqaliseni ukwakha.” Yikho bahle bawuqalisa umsebenzi lo omuhle.
And I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also of the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for the good [work].
19 Kodwa kwathi ukuba uSanibhalathi umHoroni, loThobhiya induna yomʼAmoni loGeshemi umArabhu bekuzwa lokho, basichithoza basihleka. Babuza bathi, “Kuyini lokhu elikwenzayo. Selihlamukele inkosi na?”
But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?
20 Ngabaphendula ngokuthi, “UNkulunkulu wasezulwini uzasiphumelelisa. Thina izinceku zakhe sesiqalisa ukwakha kutsha, kodwa lina, kalilasabelo eJerusalema, loba imfanelo loba lungelo bani lomdabuko wenu.”
Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem.
