1 Kepha kwathi lapho uSanibalati esezwile ukuthi sabe siluvusa ugange, wathukuthela, wavutha ulaka, waklolodela abaJuda.
2 Wakhuluma phambi kwabafowabo nempi yaseSamariya, wathi: “Benzani laba baJuda abangenamandla na? Bayekwe bebodwa na? Bahlabe yini? Bakuqede ngosuku na? Bavuse amatshe emfuthumfuthwini yamabibi lokhu eshisiwe na?”
3 UThobiya wakwa-Amoni wayengakuye, wathi: “Yebo, nalokho abakwakhayo, uma kukhuphuka impungushe, iyakulubhidliza ugange lwamatshe abo.”
4 Ngase ngikhuleka ngathi: “Yizwa, Nkulunkulu wethu, ngokuba sidelelekile, ubuyisele inhlamba yabo phezu kwamakhanda abo, ubanikele ukuba baphangwe ezweni lokuthunjwa;
5 ungalisibekeli icala labo, masingesulwa isono sabo phambi kwakho, ngokuba bakucunulile ngaphambi kwabakhi.”
6 Sase sivusa-ke ugange; lonke ugange lwahlanganiswa kwaze kwagamanxa, ngokuba abantu babenenhliziyo yokusebenza.
7 Kepha kwathi oSanibalati, noThobiya, nabase-Arabiya, nabakwa-Amoni, nabase-Ashidodi sebezwa ukuthi ukulungiswa kwezingange zaseJerusalema kuyaqhubeka, nokuthi izimfa seziqale ukuvalwa, bathukuthela kakhulu,
8 benza ugobe ukuba baye ukulwa neJerusalema, balilimaze.
9 Kepha sakhuleka kuNkulunkulu wethu, sabamisela abalindi imini nobusuku ngenxa yabo.
10 UJuda wathi: “Amandla abathwalayo aphelile; amabibi maningi; asisenakuluvusa ugange.”
11 Abamelene nathi bathi: “Abayikwazi, abayikubona size sifike phakathi kwabo, sibabulale, sivimbe umsebenzi.”
12 Kwathi lapho abaJuda ababehlala eceleni kwabo sebefika, bathi kithi kayishumi, bevela ezindaweni zonke: “Buyelani kithi.”
13 Ngase ngimisa ngenzansi ezindaweni ezisemva kogange nakwezisobala abantu ngemindeni yabo, benezinkemba zabo, nemikhonto yabo, neminsalo yabo.
14 Lapho sengibhekile, ngasuka ngathi kwabakhulu nakubabusi nakwabanye abantu: “Ningabesabi; khumbulani iNkosi enkulu neyesabekayo, nilwele abafowenu, namadodana enu, namadodakazi enu, nawomkenu, nezindlu zenu.”
15 Kwathi izitha zethu sezizwile ukuthi kwazeke kithi nokuthi uNkulunkulu wayeshafisile icebo labo, sabuyela sonke ogangeni, kwaba yilowo nalowo emsebenzini wakhe.
16 Kusukela kulolo suku inxenye yezinceku zami yasebenza emisebenzini, nenxenye yazo yaphatha imikhonto, nezihlangu, neminsalo, namabhantshi ensimbi; ababusi babe semva kwendlu yonke yakwaJuda.
17 Abavusayo ugange nabathwalayo imithwalo bazithwesa benza umsebenzi ngesinye isandla, nangesinye baphatha izikhali zabo;
18 nabakhi bonke babe nenkemba ibhincwe ezinkalweni zabo, bakha kanjalo. Owabetha icilongo wayengaseceleni kwami.
19 Ngokuba ngangithe kwabakhulu nakubabusi nakwabanye abantu: “Umsebenzi mkhulu, ubanzi, sahlukene ogangeni, omunye ukude nomunye.
20 Noma kuyiphi indawo lapho nizwa khona ukubethwa kwecilongo, buthanani khona, nize kithi; uNkulunkulu wethu uyakusilwela.”
21 Sase senza nathi umsebenzi wethu, inxenye iphethe imikhonto, kusukela ekuqaleni kokusa kuze kuphume izinkanyezi.
22 Kanjalo ngaleso sikhathi ngathi kubantu: “Yilowo nalowo kahlale nenceku yakhe phakathi kweJerusalema ukuba zibe ngabalindi bethu ebusuku, zisebenze emini.”
23 Mina nabafowethu, nezinceku zami, nabalindi abangilandelayo, kwakungekho kithi owakhumula izingubo zakhe; yilowo nalowo wayenesikhali esandleni sakhe.