UNehemiya 2
1 Kwasekusithi ngenyanga kaNisani, ngomnyaka wamatshumi amabili kaAthakisekisi inkosi, iwayini laliphambi kwakhe, ngaphakamisa iwayini nganika inkosi. Njalo ngangingakaze ngidane phambi kwayo.
And it came to pass in the month Nisan of the twentieth year of king Arthasastha, that the wine was before me: and I took the wine, and gave [it] to the king: and there was not another before him.
2 Inkosi yasisithi kimi: Kungani ubuso bakho budanile lokhu ungaguli? Kakusilutho ngaphandle kokudana kwenhliziyo. Ngasengisesaba kakhulukazi,
And the king said to me, Why is your countenance sad, and do you not control yourself? and now this is nothing but sorrow of heart. Then I was very much alarmed,
3 ngathi enkosini: Kayiphile inkosi kuze kube nininini! Ubuso bami bungedane ngani nxa umuzi, indawo yamangcwaba abobaba, ulunxiwa, lamasango awo eqedwe ngomlilo?
and I said to the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be said, forasmuch as the city, even the home of the sepulchres of my fathers, has been laid waste, and her gates have been devoured with fire?
4 Inkosi yasisithi kimi: Kuyini okudingayo? Ngasengikhuleka kuNkulunkulu wamazulu.
And the king said to me, For what do you ask thus? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
5 Ngathi enkosini: Uba kukuhle enkosini, njalo uba inceku yakho ithole umusa phambi kwakho, ngicela ukuthi ungithume koJuda emzini wamangcwaba abobaba, ukuze ngiwakhe.
And I said to the king, If [it seem] good to the king, and if your servant shall have found favour in your sight, [I ask] that [you] would send him into Juda, to the city of the sepulchres of my fathers; then will I rebuild it.
6 Inkosi yasisithi kimi, lendlovukazi ihlezi eceleni kwayo: Uhambo lwakho luzakuba ngolwesikhathi esingakanani, ubuye nini? Ngakho kwaba kuhle phambi kwenkosi ukuthi ingithume; ngasengiyinika isikhathi esimisiweyo.
And the king, and his concubine that sat next to him, said to me, For how long will your journey be, and when will you return? and [the proposal] was pleasing before the king, and he sent me away, and I appointed him a time.
7 Ngasengisithi enkosini: Uba kulungile enkosini kayinginike izincwadi eziya kubabusi bangaphetsheya komfula ukuze bangivumele ukudlula, ngize ngifike koJuda;
And I said to the king, If [it seem] good to the king, let him give me letters to the governors beyond the river, so as to forward me till I come to Juda;
8 lencwadi eya kuAsafi, umphathi wegusu inkosi elalo, ukuthi anginike izigodo zokwenza imigubazi yamasango lesigodlo esiseduze lendlu, lezomduli womuzi, lezendlu engizangena kiyo. Inkosi yanginika njengokwesandla esihle sikaNkulunkulu wami phezu kwami.
and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the garden which belongs to the king, that he may give me timber to cover the gates, and for the wall of the city, and for the house into which I shall enter. And the king gave to me, according as the good hand of God [was upon me].
9 Ngasengifika kubabusi ngaphetsheya komfula, ngabanika incwadi zenkosi. Inkosi yayithume-ke lami induna zebutho labagadi bamabhiza.
And I came to the governors beyond the river, and I gave them the king's letters. (Now the king had sent with me captains of the army and horsemen.)
10 Lapho uSanibhalathi umHoroni loTobiya inceku, umAmoni, besizwa, kwabacunula ngokucunula okukhulu ukuthi umuntu ufikile ukudingela abantwana bakoIsrayeli okuhle.
And Sanaballat the Aronite heard [it], and Tobia the servant, the Ammonite, and it was grievous to them that a man was come to seek good for the children of Israel.
11 Ngafika-ke eJerusalema, ngaba lapho insuku ezintathu.
So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
12 Ngasengisukuma ebusuku, mina lamadoda amalutshwana elami; kangitshelanga muntu lokho uNkulunkulu wami ayekufake enhliziyweni yami ukuthi ngikwenzele iJerusalema. Futhi kwakungelanyamazana kanye lami ngaphandle kwenyamazana engangiyigadile.
And I rose up by night, I and a few men with me; and I told no man what God put into my heart to do with Israel; and there was no beast with me, except the beast which I rode upon.
13 Ngasengiphuma ebusuku ngesango lesigodi, ngaqonda emthonjeni womgobho lesangweni lomquba, ngihlola imiduli yeJerusalema eyayidilikile lamasango ayo ayeqedwe ngomlilo.
And I went forth by the gate of the valley by night, and to the mouth of the well of fig trees, and to the dung-gate: and I mourned over the wall of Jerusalem which they were destroying, and her gates were devoured with fire.
14 Ngasengisedlulela esangweni lomthombo lechibini lenkosi; kodwa kwakungelandawo yenyamazana ukwedlula ngaphansi kwami.
And I passed on to the fountain gate, and to the king's pool; and there was no room for the beast to pass under me.
15 Ngasengisenyuka ngesifula ebusuku ngihlola umduli; ngaphenduka, ngangena ngesango lesigodi, ngabuyela.
And I went up by the wall of the brook by night, and mourned over the wall, and passed through the gate of the valley, and returned.
16 Lababusi babengazi lapho engangiye khona lokuthi ngenzani. Kuze kube khathesi-ke ngangingatshelanga amaJuda labapristi leziphathamandla lezinduna labanye ababesenza umsebenzi.
And the sentinels knew not why I went, nor what I was doing; and until that time I told [it] not to the Jews, or to the priests, or to the nobles, or to the captains, or to the rest [of the men] who wrought the works.
17 Ngasengisithi kibo: Liyabona inhlupheko esikiyo ukuthi iJerusalema ilunxiwa lamasango ayo atshiswe ngomlilo. Wozani sakhe umduli weJerusalema ukuze singabe sisaba lihlazo.
Then I said to them, You see this evil, in which we are, how Jerusalem is desolate, and her gates have been set on fire: come, and let us build throughout the wall of Jerusalem, and we shall be no longer a reproach.
18 Ngasengibatshela ngesandla sikaNkulunkulu wami esasisihle phezu kwami, futhi lamazwi enkosi eyayiwakhulume kimi. Basebesithi: Asisukumeni, sakhe. Ngakho baqinisa izandla zabo ngokuhle.
And I told them of the hand of God which was good upon me, also about the words of the king which he spoke to me: and I said, Let us arise and build. And their hands were strengthened for the good [work].
19 Lapho uSanibhalathi umHoroni loTobiya inceku, umAmoni, loGeshema umArabhiya besizwa basihleka usulu, baseyisa bathi: Iyini linto eliyenzayo? Liyayivukela inkosi yini?
And Sanaballat the Aronite, and Tobia the servant, the Ammonite, and Gesam the Arabian, heard [it], and they laughed us to scorn, and came to us, and said, What [is] this thing that you are doing? are you revolting against the king?
20 Ngasengibabuyisela impendulo ngathi kibo: UNkulunkulu wamazulu yena uzasiphumelelisa; lathi inceku zakhe sizasukuma sakhe; kodwa lina kalilasabelo lelungelo lesikhumbuzo eJerusalema.
And I answered them, and said to them, The God of heaven, he shall prosper us, and we his servants are pure, and we will build: but you have no part, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.
