< U-Ezra 9 >
1 Kwathi ekupheleni kwalezizinto, iziphathamandla zasondela kimi zisithi: Abantu bakoIsrayeli labapristi lamaLevi kabazehlukanisanga lezizwe zamazwe ngokwezinengiso zazo, ezamaKhanani, amaHethi, amaPerizi, amaJebusi, amaAmoni, amaMowabi, amaGibhithe, lamaAmori.
2 Ngoba bazithathele emadodakazini azo bona lamadodana abo, yaze yaxubana inzalo engcwele lezizwe zamazwe; yebo, isandla seziphathamandla lababusi sasingesokuqala kulesisiphambeko.
3 Kwathi ngisizwa loludaba ngadabula isembatho sami lebhatshi lami, ngangcothula okwenwele zekhanda lami lendevu zami, ngahlala phansi ngathithibala.
4 Kwasekubuthana kimi wonke othuthumela ngamazwi kaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli ngenxa yesiphambeko sabathunjwa; ngasengihlala ngithithibele kwaze kwaba ngumnikelo wakusihlwa.
5 Kwathi ngomnikelo wakusihlwa ngasukuma ekuthotshisweni kwami, lekudabuleni kwami isembatho sami lebhatshi lami, ngaguqa ngamadolo ami, ngelulela izandla zami eNkosini uNkulunkulu wami,
6 ngathi: Nkulunkulu wami, ngilenhloni, ngiyangekile ukuphakamisela ubuso bami kuwe, Nkulunkulu wami, ngoba ububi bethu bandile ngaphezu kwekhanda, lecala lethu selikhule kwaze kwaba semazulwini.
7 Kusukela ensukwini zabobaba besiphakathi kwecala elikhulu kuze kube lamuhla, langenxa yobubi bethu thina, amakhosi ethu, abapristi bethu, sinikelwe esandleni samakhosi amazwe, enkembeni, ekuthunjweni, lekuphangweni, lehlazweni lobuso, njengalamuhla.
8 Khathesi-ke ngokwesikhatshana umusa wenziwe yiNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, ukusitshiyela ukuphepha, lokusinika isikhonkwane endaweni yayo engcwele, ukuze uNkulunkulu wethu akhanyisele amehlo ethu, njalo asinike imvuselelo encinyane ebugqilini bethu.
9 Ngoba siyizigqili, kanti ebugqilini bethu uNkulunkulu wethu kasitshiyanga, kodwa uselulele umusa phambi kwamakhosi ePerisiya, ukusinika imvuselelo, ukuphakamisa indlu kaNkulunkulu wethu, lokumisa amanxiwa ayo, lokusinika umduli koJuda laseJerusalema.
10 Khathesi-ke, Nkulunkulu wethu, sizakuthini emva kwalokhu? Ngoba siyitshiyile imilayo yakho,
11 owasilaya yona ngesandla senceku zakho abaprofethi, usithi: Ilizwe elingena kulo ukudla ilifa lalo liyilizwe elingcolileyo ngokungcola kwezizwe zamazwe, ngokunengekayo kwazo eziligcwalise ngakho kusukela ephethelweni kusiya ephethelweni, ngokungcola kwazo.
12 Ngakho-ke linganiki amadodana azo amadodakazi enu, futhi lingathatheli amadodana enu amadodakazi azo, lingadingi ukuthula kwazo lokuhle kwazo kuze kube phakade ukuze liqine lidle okuhle kwelizwe, lilitshiyele abantwana benu libe yilifa kuze kube phakade.
13 Lemva kwakho konke okusehleleyo ngenxa yezenzo zethu ezimbi langenxa yecala lethu elikhulu, ngoba wena Nkulunkulu wethu uzibambile ekusijeziseni kancane kulezono zethu, wasinika ukuphepha okunje;
14 sizayephula futhi yini imilayo yakho, sithathane lesizwe salezizinengiso? Kawuyikusithukuthelela yini uze usiqede, kuze kungabi lensali kumbe ukuphepha?
15 Nkosi, Nkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ulungile; ngoba sitshiyelwe ukuphunyuka njengalamuhla. Khangela, siphambi kwakho ecaleni lethu, ngoba kakho ongema phambi kwakho ngenxa yalokhu.
