1 Akuva ukuba siyalwakha udonga uSanebhalati wachukumiseka wakhathazeka gqitha. Waphoxisa ngawo amaJuda,
2 ethetha bekho noogxa bakhe nomkhosi waseSamariya. Wayesithi: “Zenza ntoni ezi ngcekengceke zamaJuda? Athi angaluvusa na olu donga lwawo? Ngaba aza kwenza amadini, asuke agqibe ukwakha udonga ngemini enye? Ngaba oba nako ukuwenza asebenziseke la matye akwezaa ngqumba zenkunkuma, lawa atshileyo?”
3 Ke uTobhiya umAmon owayesecaleni kwakhe wathi: “Iyintoni yona khona le bayakhayo? Kolu donga lwabo lwamatye kungathi kuqabele impungutye lusuke luwe!”
4 Khawuve usivelele, Thixo wethu, kuba sideliwe. Izishwabulo zabo zibuyisele kwaphezu kwabo. Banikezele babe ngamaxhoba kwilizwe lokuthinjwa.
5 Ungalingcwabi ityala labo, nezono zabo ungazisusi emehlweni akho. Kaloku bona babagibisele ngezithuko abakhi.
6 Ngoko ke saqhuba salwakha udonga lwada lwasisiqingatha ukuphakama. Kaloku abantu babesebenza ngokuzinikela.
7 USanebhalati, uTobhiya, ama-Arabhu, ama-Amon, namadoda aseAshdode, bathi bakuva ukuba umsebenzi wokuvusa iindonga zeJerusalem uqhubele phambili, zaye nezikhewu zivaliwe, basuka bakhathazeka gqitha.
8 Badibana bonke, benza iyelenqe lokuza kulwa neJerusalem, badale isiphithi-phithi.
9 Kambe ke sakhunga kuThixo wethu, samisa abalindi ukujongana nabo imini nobusuku.
10 Ke bona abantu bakwaJuda bathi: “Abasebenzi bayaphelelwa ngamandla ngoku, ibe yona inkunkuma ininzi kangangokuba singabi nako ukuqhubela phambili silwakhe udonga.”
11 Neentshaba zethu zathi: “Bothi bengekasiqondi okanye basibone, sibe sesiphakathi kwabo, sibaqwakanise bafe, ume lo msebenzi.”
12 Ke amaJuda awayemelene nazo ezi ntshaba eza kaninzi-ninzi kuthi esixelela esithi: “Noba ningathini na ziza kusihlasela.”
13 Ngoko ke ndamisa abantu emva kwezona ndawo zimfutshane apho eludongeni, iindawo ezisesichengeni, ndabamisa ngokwemizi, bexhobe ngamakrele, imikhonto, neentolo.
14 Emva kokuba ndikhe ndaqwalasela ndajonga, ndasuka ndathetha nezikhulu, namagosa, nabanye abantu, ndathi: “Musani ukuboyika; khumbulani iNkosi, ingangalala eyoyikekayo, nibalwele abantakwenu, oonyana neentombi, abafazi namakhaya enu.”
15 Iintshaba zethu zeva ukuba siyaliqonda iyelenqe lazo nokudodotyaliswa kwalo nguThixo; saza ke thina sonke yangulowo nalowo wabuyela emsebenzini wakhe eludongeni.
16 Ukusuka loo mini ke isiqingatha samadoda am saba semsebenzini, sabe ke esinye sixhobe sif' amacala ngoomikhonto, oomakhaka, oozintolo, nezikhuselo. Amagosa ke ema emva kwabo bonke abantu bakwaJuda
17 ababesakha udonga. Abathwala iimpahla zokwakha, babesebenza ngesandla esinye, esinye siphethe izixhobo;
18 umakhi ngamnye wayenxule ikrele lakhe ecaleni ngoku asebenzayo. Ke indoda evuthela isigodlo yayisoloko ikunye nam.
19 Ke kaloku ndathetha nezikhulu, namagosa, nabantu ngokubanzi, ndathi: “Lo msebenzi wethu ubanzi, uthe xakalala, saye ke thina sahluka-hlukene ekusebenzeni eludongeni apha.
20 Ngoko ke, nanini na nisiva isandi sesigodlo, khawulezani nize kuthi kuloo ndawo. UThixo wethu uza kusilwela.”
21 Ngoko ke saqhuba sisebenza ngesiqingatha samadoda aphethe imikhonto ukusukela xa kuthi qheke ukusa kude kube lungcwalazi.
22 Ngelo thuba ke ndathi ebantwini: “Umakhi ngamnye enomncedisi wakhe ebusuku makalale phakathi eJerusalem, khon' ukuze abe ngumlindi wayo, ze ke emini abe ngumakhi.”
23 Mna namawethu, namadoda angabalindi, sasingazikhululi iimpahla esizinxibileyo; sasihlala sigaxele izikhali noba siya kukha amanzi.