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 of Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king: that wine was before him, and I took up the wine, and gave it to the king: and I was as one languishing away 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 thy countenance sad, seeing thou dost not appear to be sick? this is not without cause, but some evil, I know not what, is in thy heart. And I was seized with an exceeding 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 for ever: why should not my countenance be sorrowful, seeing the city of the place of the sepulchres of my fathers is desolate, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire?
4 Inkosi yasisithi kimi: Kuyini okudingayo? Ngasengikhuleka kuNkulunkulu wamazulu.
Then the king said to me: For what dost thou make 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 seem good to the king, and if thy servant hath found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldst send me into Judea to the city of the sepulchre of my father, and I will build 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, and the queen that sat by him: For how long shall thy journey be, and when wilt thou return? And it pleased the king, and he sent me: and I fixed 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 of the country beyond the river, that they convey me over, till I come into 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, to give me timber that I may cover the gates of the tower of the house, and the walls of the city, and the house that I shall enter into. And the king gave me according to the good hand of my God with me.
9 Ngasengifika kubabusi ngaphetsheya komfula, ngabanika incwadi zenkosi. Inkosi yayithume-ke lami induna zebutho labagadi bamabhiza.
And I came to the governors of the country beyond the river, and gave them the king’s letters. And the king had sent with me captains of soldiers, and horsemen.
10 Lapho uSanibhalathi umHoroni loTobiya inceku, umAmoni, besizwa, kwabacunula ngokucunula okukhulu ukuthi umuntu ufikile ukudingela abantwana bakoIsrayeli okuhle.
And Sanaballat the Horonite, and Tobias the servant, the Ammonite, heard it, and it grieved them exceedingly, that a man was come, who sought the prosperity of the children of Israel.
11 Ngafika-ke eJerusalema, ngaba lapho insuku ezintathu.
And 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 arose in the night, I and some few men with me, and I told not any man what God had put in my heart to do in Jerusalem, and there was no beast with me, but the beast that I rode upon.
13 Ngasengiphuma ebusuku ngesango lesigodi, ngaqonda emthonjeni womgobho lesangweni lomquba, ngihlola imiduli yeJerusalema eyayidilikile lamasango ayo ayeqedwe ngomlilo.
And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, and before the dragon fountain, and to the dung gate, and I viewed the wall of Jerusalem which was broken down, and the gates thereof which were consumed with fire.
14 Ngasengisedlulela esangweni lomthombo lechibini lenkosi; kodwa kwakungelandawo yenyamazana ukwedlula ngaphansi kwami.
And I passed to the gate of the fountain, and to the king’s aqueduct, and there was no place for the beast on which I rode to pass.
15 Ngasengisenyuka ngesifula ebusuku ngihlola umduli; ngaphenduka, ngangena ngesango lesigodi, ngabuyela.
And I went up in the night by the torrent, and viewed the wall, and going back I came to 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.
But the magistrates knew not whither I went, or what I did: neither had I as yet told any thing to the Jews, or to the priests, or to the nobles, or to the magistrates, or to the rest that did the work.
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 know the affliction wherein we are, because Jerusalem is desolate, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire: come, and let us build up the walls of Jerusalem, and let us 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 shewed them how the hand of my God was good with me, and the king’s words, which he had spoken to me, and I said: Let us rise up, and build. And their hands were strengthened in good.
19 Lapho uSanibhalathi umHoroni loTobiya inceku, umAmoni, loGeshema umArabhiya besizwa basihleka usulu, baseyisa bathi: Iyini linto eliyenzayo? Liyayivukela inkosi yini?
But Sanaballat the Horonite, and Tobias the servant, the Ammonite, and Gossem the Arabian heard of it, and they scoffed at us, and despised us, and said: What is this thing that you do? are you going to rebel 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 helpeth us, and we are his servants: let us rise up and build: but you have no part, nor justice, nor remembrance in Jerusalem.
