1 Ngenyanga uNisan kunyaka wamashumi amabini kakumkani uAtashasta, ngethuba lokunikwa kwakhe iwayini, ndayithatha iwayini leyo ndamnika. Ukumkani wayengazange andibone ndilusizi ngaphambili,
2 ngoko ke ukumkani wathi kum: “Ungaguli nje, ngani ke ukuba bunxunguphale kangaka ubuso bakho? Makube ikho into ekuhluphayo entliziyweni.”Ndasuka ndoyika,
3 kodwa ndathi kukumkani: “Phil' ud' ukhokhobe, kumkani! Bebungathini ubuso bam ukungathi rhubaxa xa isixeko abângcwatywa kuso oobawo singamabhodlo, amasango aso etshatyalaliswe ngomlilo?”
4 Ukumkani wathi kum: “Yintoni ke oyifunayo?”Ndathandaza uThixo wamazulu,
5 ndaza ke ndathi kukumkani: “Xa kukholekile kuwe, kumkani, nesicaka sakho esi sisamkeleka kuwe, ndithume kwelakwaJuda kwisixeko abângcwatywa kuso oobawo, ukuze ndisivuse.”
6 Ke ukumkani, enokumkanikazi ecaleni kwakhe, wathi kum: “Loba ngakanani olo hambo; khona, uya kubuya nini?” Kwakholeka ke kukumkani ukundikhulula, ndaza ke ndammisela ixesha.
7 Kananjalo ndathi kuye: “Ukuba uyakholwa, kumkani, uze undinike iileta eziya kubalawuli belentshona ye-Efrati, ukuze bangandithinteli ukudlulela kwelakwaJuda.
8 Uze undiphathise neleta eya kuAsafu umgcini-mahlathi okumkani, ukuze andinike imithi yokwenza imiqadi yamasango enqaba ekufuphi nendlu kaThixo, neyokwakha iindonga zesixeko, ndawonye nendawo yam yokuhlala.” Ngenxa yesandla esikulunga sikaThixo wam esasiphezu kwam ukumkani wazamkela zonke ezo zicelo zam.
9 Ndaya ke kubalawuli belentshona ye-Efrati, ndabanika ezo leta zazivela kukumkani. Kananjalo ke ukumkani wayendikhuphele namagosa omkhosi, namajoni amahashe.
10 USanebhalati umHoron, noTobhiya igosa lom-Amon, bathe bakuyiva le nto, suka bakhathazeka yinto yokuba kubekho umntu oze kuphuhlisa intlalo-ntle yamaSirayeli.
11 Ndaya eJerusalem, ndaza emva kweentsuku ezintathu
12 ndaphuma ngobusuku ndinebathwana lamadoda. Zange ndixelele mntu ngento uThixo wam ayibeke entliziyweni yam ukuba ndiyenzele iJerusalem. Kwakungekho nazinto zokukhwela ngaphandle kwaleyo ndandikhwele kuyo.
13 Ngobusuku njalo ndaphuma ngeSango leNtili, ndaya ngakwiQula likaDyakalashe neSango lobuLongwe, ndazihlola ezo ndonga zidilikileyo naloo masango atshiswe ngomlilo.
14 Ndadlulela kwiSango loMthombo neQula loKumkani; kambe ke andibanga nako ukudlula khona ndikhwele.
15 Ewe, intili ndayinyuka ngobusuku ndizihlola iindonga. Ndaza ke ndajika, ndangena ngeSango leNtili.
16 Abaphathi babengandazi apho ndiye khona nento endandiyenza, kuba ndandingekathethi nto kumaJuda, nababingeleli, nezikhulu, nabaphathi, nabanye ababeza kusebenza.
17 Ndaza ndathi kubo: “Ngaba niyayibona na le nkxwaleko sikuyo? IJerusalem ingamabhodlo; amasango ayo atshiswe ngomlilo. Ngoko ke yizani sizivuse iindonga zeJerusalem, ukuze siphume ehlazweni.”
18 Kananjalo ndabaxelela ngesandla esikulunga sikaThixo wam ebesiphezu kwam, ngokunjalo namazwi athethwe ngukumkani kum.Baphendula ke bathi: “Masiqalise ukwakha.” Baqalisa ke ukuwenza loo msebenzi mhle.
19 Kambe ke uSanebhalati umHoron, noTobhiya igosa lom-Amon, noGeshem um-Arabhu, bakuyiva loo nto, basuka baphoxisa bahlekisa ngathi, besithi: “Yintoni le niyenzayo? Nizama ukuvukelana nokumkani?”
20 Ndabaphendula ndathi: “UThixo wamazulu uza kusiphumelelisa. Thina zicaka zakhe siza kuqalisa ukwakha; kambe ke nina aninasabelo eJerusalem, ningenalo nalubango; nangokwasezimbalini aninalungelo kuyo.”