1 Ke kaloku kwavakala kuSanebhalati, uTobhiya, noGeshem umArabhu, nezinye ke iintshaba zethu, ukuba ndibuye ndalwakha udonga, akwasala nasinye isikhewu, nangona ukuza kuthi gaa kwelo thuba ndandingekazifaki iingcango zamasango.
2 Ke uSanebhalati noGeshem bandithumelela umyalezo othi: “Khawufike sidibane kwenye yeedolophana kumathafa aseOno.”Kambe ke babesenza iyelenqe lokundenzakalisa.
3 Ngoko ke ndabathumelela izigidimi ndisithi: “Ndenza umsebenzi omkhulu apha, ngoko ke andinako ukuwuyeka ndize kuni. Ngani ukuba ume umsebenzi ndilibele kukuza kuni?”
4 Lo myalelo bawuthumela kane kum, mna ke ezo zihlandlo zozine ndawuphendula kwangaloo mpendulo inye.
5 Kwisihlandlo sesihlanu ke uSanebhalati wathumela ihlakani lakhe eliphethe kwalo myalezo mnye uyileta engavalwanga
6 ebhalwe ngolu hlobo:“Kukho ingxelo eyaziwayo phakathi kwezizwe – yaye ke uGeshem uthi iyinyaniso. Kuthiwa wena ndawonye namaJuda niceba uvukelo; kungeso sizathu nivusa olu donga nje. Ngaphezu koko ke ngokwale ngxelo wena uzimisele ukuba ngukumkani wawo,
7 kangangokuba sowude wamisela abashumayeli ukuze benze isihlokomiso ngawe apha eJerusalem, bathi: ‘Ukho ukumkani welakwaJuda!’ Le ngxelo ke iza kufikelela kukumkani; ngoko ke wena yiza ukuze sithetha-thethane.”
8 Ndamthumelela le mpendulo ke, ndathi: “Ayikho into enjengale uyithethayo; kuphela wena uyikha entloko le nto uyithethayo.”
9 Ewe, babezama ukusoyikisa besithi: “Baza kutyhafa ukuze umsebenzi bawuyeke ungagqitywanga.”Kambe ke ndathandaza ndathi: “Thixo wethu, zomeleze izandla zam!”
10 Ngenye imini ndaya endlwini kaShemaya unyana kaDelaya kaMetabheli owayezivalele emzini wakhe. Waza ke wathi: “Masiye kuhlangana endlwini kaThixo, singene ngaphakathi, sivale iingcango, kuba kukho abantu abafuna ukukubulala; ewe, baza kukubulala ngobusuku.”
11 Kambe ke ndathi apho kuye: “Uthi ingaze ibaleke indoda enjengam nje? Okanye ke uthi ndingade ndiye kungena endlwini kaThixo ukusindisa ubomi bam? Hayi bo! Andiy' apho!”
12 Ewe, ndayiqonda into yokuba akathunywanga nguThixo, koko undishumayeza ezi zinto kuba ethengwe nguTobhiya noSanebhalati.
13 Wayethengwe ukuze andigrogrise, khon' ukuze ngale nto ndenze isono, bona ke banditshabhise ngegama elibi.
14 Awu, Thixo wam, uze ubakhumbule ooTobhiya noSanebhalati ngale nto bayenzileyo; ungamlibali nomshumayelikazi uNowadiya nabo bonke abashumayeli abazama ukundigrogrisa.
15 Ke lona udonga lwagqitywa ngomhla wamashumi amabini anantlanu wenyanga uEluli, emva kweentsuku ezingamashumi amahlanu anambini lwaqalwayo.
16 Zithe ke iintshaba zethu zakuziva ezi ndaba, ndawonye nezizwe ezingabamelwana ezazibona ngamehlo, suka zaphelelwa kukuzithemba kwazo, kuba kaloku ziqonda ukuba lo msebenzi wenziwe ngoncedo lukaThixo wethu.
17 Ngaloo mihla ke izikhulu zakwaJuda zazithumela intaphane yeeleta kuTobhiya; neempendulo ke zazithululeka ukungena zivela kuTobhiya.
18 Kaloku amaJuda amaninzi ayenqophisene naye, njengoko wayengumkhwenyana kaShekaniya unyana ka-Ara, unyana wakhe uYohanan ethathe intombi kaMeshulam unyana kaBherekiya.
19 Ngaphezu koko kaloku babengoosiputsu abandinika ingxelo yemisebenzi yakhe emihle, bandule ke ukuya kumxelela loo nto ndiyithethileyo mna. Ke yena uTobhiya wayendithumelela iileta zokundigrogrisa.