UNehemiya 9
1 Ngelanga lamatshumi amabili lane aleyonyanga, ama-Israyeli ahlangana ndawonye, azila ukudla egqoke amasaka njalo bezithele uthuli emakhanda abo.
And in the twenty and fourth day of this month have the sons of Israel been gathered, with fasting, and with sackcloth, and earth upon them;
2 Labo ababengabako-Israyeli ngomdabuko bazehlukanisa kwabezizwe. Bema ezindaweni zabo bavuma izono zabo lobubi babokhokho babo.
and the seed of Israel are separated from all sons of a stranger, and stand and confess concerning their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers,
3 Bema khonapho ababekhona babala eNcwadini yoMthetho kaThixo uNkulunkulu wabo okwengxenye yesine yosuku, kwathi enye ingxenye yesine babevuma izono zabo njalo bekhonza uThixo uNkulunkulu wabo.
and rise up on their station, and read in the book of the law of Jehovah their God a fourth of the day, and a fourth they are confessing and bowing themselves to Jehovah their God.
4 Ethaleni kwakumi abaLevi, uJeshuwa, loBhani, loKhadimiyeli, loShebhaniya, loBhuni, loSherebhiya, loBhani loKhenani, abamemeza baqongisa amazwi kuThixo uNkulunkulu wabo.
And there stand up on the ascent, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, Chenani, and they cry with a loud voice unto Jehovah their God.
5 Njalo abaLevi ababalisa uJeshuwa, loKhadimiyeli, loBhani, loHashabhineya, loSherebhiya, loHodiya, loShebhaniya, loPhethahiya bathi: “Sukumani lidumise uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, okhona kusukela phakade kuze kube phakade. Libusisiwe ibizo lakho elingcwele, sengathi lingaphakanyiswa ngaphezulu kwakho konke ukubusiswa lokudunyiswa.
And the Levites say, [even] Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, Pethahiah, 'Rise, bless Jehovah your God, from the age unto the age, and they bless the name of Thine honour that [is] exalted above all blessing and praise.
6 Wena wedwa unguThixo. Wenza amazulu, kanye lamazulu aphezukonke, lazozonke izinkanyezi zawo, umhlaba lakho konke okukuwo, inlwandle lakho konke okukuzo. Uyapha ukuphila kukho konke, lamabutho wonke asezulwini ayakukhonza.
Thou [art] He, O Jehovah, Thyself — Thou hast made the heavens, the heavens of the heavens, and all their host, the earth and all that [are] on it, the seas and all that [are] in them, and Thou art keeping all of them alive, and the host of the heavens to Thee are bowing themselves.
7 UnguThixo uNkulunkulu, owakhetha u-Abhrama wamkhupha e-Uri lamaKhaladiya wambiza ngokuthi ngu-Abhrahama.
'Thou [art] He, O Jehovah God, who didst fix on Abraham, and didst bring him out from Ur of the Chaldeans, and didst make his name Abraham,
8 Wabona ukuthi inhliziyo yakhe yayithembekile kuwe, ngakho wenza isivumelwano laye ukupha izizukulwane zakhe ilizwe lamaKhenani, lamaHithi, lama-Amori, lamaPherizi, lamaJebusi lamaGigashi. Usigcinile isithembiso sakho ngoba ulungile.
and didst find his heart stedfast before Thee, so as to make with him the covenant, to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite, and the Girgashite, to give [it] to his seed. 'And Thou dost establish Thy words, for Thou [art] righteous,
9 Wakubona ukuhlupheka kwabokhokho bethu eGibhithe; wezwa ukukhala kwabo eLwandle oluBomvu.
and dost see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and their cry hast heard by the sea of Suph,
10 Wathumela izibonakaliso ezingumangaliso lezimanga kuFaro, kuzozonke izinduna zakhe lakubo bonke abantu belizwe lakhe, ngoba wawukwazi ukuthi amaGibhithe abaphatha njani ngodlakela. Wazenzela ibizo, elimiyo kuze kube lamuhla.
and dost give signs and wonders on Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land, for Thou hast known that they have acted proudly against them, and Thou makest to Thee a name as [at] this day.
11 Walwehlukanisa ulwandle phambi kwabo, ukuze bedlule kulo emhlabathini owomileyo, kodwa waphosela labo ababebaxhuma ekujuleni, njengelitshe liphoselwa ethwaceni lwamanzi.
And the sea Thou hast cleaved before them, and they pass over into the midst of the sea on the dry land, and their pursuers Thou hast cast into the depths, as a stone, into the strong waters.
12 Emini wawubakhokhela ngensika yeyezi, ebusuku ngensika yomlilo ukubapha ukukhanya endleleni ababehamba ngayo.
And by a pillar of cloud Thou hast led them by day, and by a pillar of fire by night, to lighten to them the way in which they go.
13 Wehla weza eNtabeni yaseSinayi; wakhuluma kubo usezulwini. Wabapha izimiso lemithetho eqondileyo njalo elungileyo, lezimemezelo lemilayo elungileyo.
'And on mount Sinai Thou hast come down, even to speak with them from the heavens, and Thou dost give to them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commands.
14 Wabazisa ngeSabatha lakho elingcwele njalo wabapha imilayo, lezimiso lemithetho ngenceku yakho uMosi.
And Thy holy sabbath Thou hast made known to them, and commands, and statutes, and law, Thou hast commanded for them, by the hand of Moses Thy servant;
15 Ngesikhathi belambile wabapha isinkwa sivela ezulwini njalo ekomeni kwabo wabalethela amanzi ephuma edwaleni; wabatshela ukuthi bangene balithathe ilizwe owafunga uphakamisa isandla ukubapha.
and bread from the heavens Thou hast given to them for their hunger, and water from a rock hast brought out to them for their thirst, and dost say to them to go in to possess the land that Thou hast lifted up Thy hand to give to them.
16 Kodwa bona, okhokho bethu, baba yiziqholo baqinisa intamo, kabaze balalela imilayo yakho.
'And they and our fathers have acted proudly, and harden their neck, and have not hearkened unto Thy commands,
17 Bala ukulalela njalo behluleka ukukhumbula izimanga owazenzayo phakathi kwabo. Baqinisa intamo kwathi ekuhlamukeni kwabo bakhetha umkhokheli ukuze babuyele ebugqilini babo. Kodwa unguNkulunkulu oxolelayo, olomusa lesihawu, ophuza ukuthukuthela kodwa wandile ngothando. Ngakho kawubafulathelanga,
yea, they refuse to hearken, and have not remembered Thy wonders that Thou hast done with them, and harden their neck and appoint a head, to turn back to their service, in their rebellion; and Thou [art] a God of pardons, gracious, and merciful, long-suffering, and abundant in kindness, and hast not forsaken them.
18 lalapho sebezibumbele isithombe sethole besithi, ‘Lo ngunkulunkulu wenu owalikhuphayo eGibhithe,’ lanxa benze amanyala esabekayo.
'Also, when they have made to themselves a molten calf, and say, this [is] thy god that brought thee up out of Egypt, and do great despisings,
19 Ngenxa yesihawu sakho esikhulu kawubakhalalanga enkangala. Emini insika yeyezi kayikhawulanga ukubakhokhela endleleni yabo, loba insika yomlilo ebusuku ukukhanyisa indlela ababemele bahambe ngayo.
and Thou, in Thine abundant mercies, hast not forsaken them in the wilderness — the pillar of the cloud hath not turned aside from off them by day, to lead them in the way, and the pillar of the fire by night, to give light to them and the way in which they go.
20 Wanika uMoya wakho omuhle ukubafundisa. Kawuyigodlanga imana yakho emilonyeni yabo, njalo wabapha amanzi ukucitsha umhawu wabo.
'And Thy good Spirit Thou hast given, to cause them to act wisely; and Thy manna Thou hast not withheld from their mouth, and water Thou hast given to them for their thirst,
21 Okweminyaka engamatshumi amane wabagcina enkangala; kabazange baswele lutho, izembatho zabo kaziguganga lezinyawo zabo kazivuvukanga.
and forty years Thou hast nourished them in a wilderness; they have not lacked; their garments have not worn out, and their feet have not swelled.
22 Wabapha imibuso lezizwe, wababela lemingcele ekude. Balithatha ilizwe likaSihoni inkosi yaseHeshibhoni lelizwe lika-Ogi inkosi yaseBhashani.
'And Thou givest to them kingdoms, and peoples, and dost apportion them to the corner, and they possess the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.
23 Wenza amadodana abo aba manengi njengezinkanyezi zomkhathi, wabaletha elizweni owawutshele okhokho babo ukuba bangene kulo balithathe.
And their sons Thou hast multiplied as the stars of the heavens, and bringest them in unto the land that Thou hast said to their fathers to go in to possess.
24 Amadodana abo angena alithatha ilizwe. Wawehlukanisa phambi kwabo amaKhenani, ababehlala phakathi kwelizwe; wanikela amaKhenani kubo, ndawonye lamakhosi awo labantu belizwe, ukuba benze kubo njengokuthanda kwabo.
'And the sons come in, and possess the land, and Thou humblest before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and givest them into their hand, and their kings, and the peoples of the land, to do with them according to their pleasure.
25 Bathumba amadolobho abiyelweyo lomhlaba ovundileyo; bazithatha izindlu ezazigcwaliswe ngakho konke okuhle, lemithombo eyayivele igejiwe, izivini, lezivande zama-oliva lezihlahla ezinengi ezezithelo. Badla bazitika bakhithika imikhaba; bazithokozisa ngokulunga kwakho okukhulu.
And they capture fenced cities, and fat ground, and possess houses full of all good, digged-wells, vineyards, and olive-yards, and fruit-trees in abundance, and they eat, and are satisfied, and become fat, and delight themselves in Thy great goodness.
26 Kodwa kabalalelanga bakuhlamukela; umthetho wakho bawubeka ngemva kwabo. Babulala abaphrofethi bakho, ababebakhuza ukuze babuyele kuwe; bahlambaza ngendlela eyesabekayo.
'And they are disobedient, and rebel against Thee, and cast Thy law behind their back, and Thy prophets they have slain, who testified against them, to bring them back unto Thee, and they do great despisings,
27 Ngakho wabanikela ezitheni zabo, zabancindezela. Kodwa kwathi sebencindezelwe bakhala kuwe. Usezulwini wabezwa, kwathi ngesihawu sakho esikhulu wabapha abakhululi, ababahlengayo ezandleni zezitha zabo.
and Thou givest them into the hand of their adversaries, and they distress them, and in the time of their distress they cry unto Thee, and Thou, from the heavens, dost hear, and, according to Thine abundant mercies, dost give to them saviours, and they save them out of the hand of their adversaries.
28 Kodwa bonela ukuphumula, baphinda njalo benza okubi phambi kwakho. Wase ubadela ezandleni zezitha zabo ukuthi zibabuse. Kwathi lapho sebekhala kuwe njalo, wezwa usezulwini, kwathi ngesihawu sakho wabakhulula izikhathi ngezikhathi.
'And when they have rest, they turn back to do evil before Thee, and Thou dost leave them in the hand of their enemies, and they rule over them; and they turn back, and call Thee, and Thou from the heavens dost hear, and dost deliver them, according to Thy mercies, many times,
29 Wabaxwayisa ukuthi babuyele emthethweni wakho, kodwa baqholoza kabaze bayilalela imilayo yakho. Benza isono ngezimiso zakho, okuthi nxa umuntu ezilalela aphile. Ngobuqholo bakufulathela, baqinisa intamo, bala ukulalela.
and dost testify against them, to bring them back unto Thy law; and they — they have acted proudly, and have not hearkened to Thy commands, and against Thy judgments have sinned, — which man doth and hath lived in them — and they give a refractory shoulder, and their neck have hardened, and have not hearkened.
30 Okweminyaka eminengi wababekezelela. NgoMoya wakho wabakhuza ngabaphrofethi bakho. Kodwa kabananzanga, ngakho wabanikela ebantwini abakhelene labo.
'And Thou drawest over them many years, and testifiest against them by Thy Spirit, by the hand of Thy prophets, and they have not given ear, and Thou dost give them into the hand of peoples of the lands,
31 Kodwa ngomusa wakho omkhulu kawubaqedanga njalo kawubadelanga, ngoba unguNkulunkulu olomusa, olozwelo.
and in Thine abundant mercies Thou hast not made them a consumption, nor hast forsaken them; for a God, gracious and merciful, [art] Thou.
32 Ngakho-ke manje, Oh Nkulunkulu wethu, uNkulunkulu omkhulu, olamandla njalo omangalisayo, ogcina isivumelwano sakhe sothando, ungadeleli bonke lobu ubunzima obusehleleyo thina laphezu kwamakhosi ethu labakhokheli, phezu kwabaphristi labaphrofethi bethu, phezu kwabobaba labantu bakho bonke, kusukela ensukwini zamakhosi ase-Asiriya kuze kube lamuhla.
'And now, O our God — God, the great, the mighty, and the fearful, keeping the covenant and the kindness — let not all the travail that hath found us be little before Thee, for our kings, for our heads, and for our priests, and for our prophets, and for our fathers, and for all Thy people, from the days of the kings of Asshur unto this day;
33 Kukho konke lokho okwenzakeleyo kithi, ubeqotho; wenze ngokuthembeka, thina sisenza okubi.
and Thou [art] righteous concerning all that hath come upon us, for truth Thou hast done, and we have done wickedly;
34 Amakhosi ethu, abakhokheli bethu, abaphristi bethu labobaba abawulandelanga umthetho wakho; abayinanzanga imilayo yakho izixwayiso owabapha zona.
and our kings, our heads, our priests, and our fathers, have not done Thy law, nor attended unto Thy commands, and to Thy testimonies, that Thou hast testified against them;
35 Loba babesembusweni wabo, bekholisa ukulunga kwakho kubo elizweni elibanzi elivundileyo lelo owabapha lona, kabakukhonzanga futhi kabaguqukanga ezindleleni zabo ezimbi.
and they, in their kingdom, and in Thine abundant goodness, that Thou hast given to them, and in the land, the large and the fat, that Thou hast set before them, have not served Thee, nor turned back from their evil doings.
36 Kodwa ake ubone, siyizigqili lamuhla, izigqili elizweni owalipha okhokho bethu ukuthi badle izithelo zalo lezinye izinto ezinhle eziphuma kulo.
'Lo, we — to-day — [are] servants, and the land that Thou hast given to our fathers, to eat its fruit and its good — lo, we [are] servants on it,
37 Ngenxa yezono zethu, isivuno salo esinengi siya emakhosini osuwabeke phezu kwethu. Abusa phezu kwemizimba yethu laphezu kwezinkomo zethu njengokuthanda kwawo. Siphakathi kosizi olumangalisayo.”
and its increase it is multiplying to the kings whom Thou hast set over us in our sins; and over our bodies they are ruling, and over our cattle, according to their pleasure, and we [are] in great distress.
38 “Ngenxa yakho konke lokhu, sesisenza isivumelwano esibophayo, sisibhala phansi, njalo abakhokheli bethu, abaLevi labaphristi bethu bafaka uphawu lwabo kuso.”
And for all this we are making a stedfast covenant, and are writing, and over him who is sealed [are] our heads, our Levites, our priests.'
