UNehemiya 2
1 Kwasekusithi ngenyanga kaNisani, ngomnyaka wamatshumi amabili kaAthakisekisi inkosi, iwayini laliphambi kwakhe, ngaphakamisa iwayini nganika inkosi. Njalo ngangingakaze ngidane phambi kwayo.
Now it happened that, in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of king Artaxerxes, wine was before him; and I lifted up the wine, and I gave it to the king. And I was like someone languishing before his face.
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 expression sad, though you do not appear to be sick? This is not without cause, but some evil, I know not what, is in your heart.” And I was struck with an exceedingly great fear.
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: “O king, live forever. Why should my expression not be mournful, since the city of the house of the sepulchers of my father is desolate, and its gates have been burned with fire?”
4 Inkosi yasisithi kimi: Kuyini okudingayo? Ngasengikhuleka kuNkulunkulu wamazulu.
And the king said to me: “What would you request?” And 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 seems good to the king, and if your servant is pleasing before your face: that you would send me into Judea, to the city of the sepulcher of my father. And I will 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 said to me, with the queen who was sitting beside him: “Until what time will your journey be, and when will you return?” And it was pleasing before the countenance of the king, and so he sent me. And I established a time for him.
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 seems good to the king, may he give me letters to the governors of the region beyond the river, so that they may lead me through, until I arrive in Judea,
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 king’s forest, so that he may give me timber, in order that I may be able to cover the gates of the tower of the house, and the walls of the city, and the house that I will enter.” And the king granted to me in accord with the good hand of my God, who is with me.
9 Ngasengifika kubabusi ngaphetsheya komfula, ngabanika incwadi zenkosi. Inkosi yayithume-ke lami induna zebutho labagadi bamabhiza.
And I went to the governors of the region beyond the river, and I gave them the letters of the king. Now the king had sent with me military leaders and horsemen.
10 Lapho uSanibhalathi umHoroni loTobiya inceku, umAmoni, besizwa, kwabacunula ngokucunula okukhulu ukuthi umuntu ufikile ukudingela abantwana bakoIsrayeli okuhle.
And Sanballat, a Horonite, and the servant Tobiah, an Ammonite, heard this. And they were saddened, with a great affliction, that a man had arrived who was seeking the prosperity of the sons of Israel.
11 Ngafika-ke eJerusalema, ngaba lapho insuku ezintathu.
And I arrived at Jerusalem, and I was there for 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 got up in the night, I and a few men with me. And I did not reveal to anyone what God had placed in my heart to do in Jerusalem. And there was no animal with me, except the animal on which I was sitting.
13 Ngasengiphuma ebusuku ngesango lesigodi, ngaqonda emthonjeni womgobho lesangweni lomquba, ngihlola imiduli yeJerusalema eyayidilikile lamasango ayo ayeqedwe ngomlilo.
And I departed in the night through the gate of the valley, and before the fountain of the dragon, and toward the dung gate. And I considered the wall of Jerusalem, which was broken apart, and its gates, which had been consumed by fire.
14 Ngasengisedlulela esangweni lomthombo lechibini lenkosi; kodwa kwakungelandawo yenyamazana ukwedlula ngaphansi kwami.
And I continued on to the gate of the fountain, and to the aqueduct of the king. And there was no room for the beast on which I was sitting to pass through.
15 Ngasengisenyuka ngesifula ebusuku ngihlola umduli; ngaphenduka, ngangena ngesango lesigodi, ngabuyela.
And so I climbed up in the night along the torrent, and I considered the wall. And turning back, I went by the gate of the valley, and I returned.
16 Lababusi babengazi lapho engangiye khona lokuthi ngenzani. Kuze kube khathesi-ke ngangingatshelanga amaJuda labapristi leziphathamandla lezinduna labanye ababesenza umsebenzi.
Now the magistrates did not know where I had gone, or what I had done. For I had revealed nothing, even to that point in time, to the Jews, or to the priests, or to the nobles, or to the magistrates, or to the others who were doing the work.
17 Ngasengisithi kibo: Liyabona inhlupheko esikiyo ukuthi iJerusalema ilunxiwa lamasango ayo atshiswe ngomlilo. Wozani sakhe umduli weJerusalema ukuze singabe sisaba lihlazo.
And so I said to them: “You know the affliction in which we are, because Jerusalem is desolate, and its gates have been consumed by fire. Come, and let us rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, and let us no longer be in disgrace.”
18 Ngasengibatshela ngesandla sikaNkulunkulu wami esasisihle phezu kwami, futhi lamazwi enkosi eyayiwakhulume kimi. Basebesithi: Asisukumeni, sakhe. Ngakho baqinisa izandla zabo ngokuhle.
And I revealed to them how the hand of my God was with me for good, and the words of the king, which he had spoken to me. And I said: “Let us rise up, and build.” And their hands were strengthened for good.
19 Lapho uSanibhalathi umHoroni loTobiya inceku, umAmoni, loGeshema umArabhiya besizwa basihleka usulu, baseyisa bathi: Iyini linto eliyenzayo? Liyayivukela inkosi yini?
But Sanballat, a Horonite, and the servant Tobiah, an Ammonite, and Geshem, an Arab, heard of it. And they ridiculed and disparaged us, and they said: “What is this thing that you are doing? Could you be rebelling 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 replied to them a word, and I said to them: “The God of heaven himself is helping us, and we are his servants. Let us rise up and build. But there is no portion, or justice, or remembrance in Jerusalem for you.”
