1 Kwathi lapho oSanibalati, noThobiya, noGeshemi wase-Arabiya, nezinye izitha sebezwile ukuthi ngivusile ugange nokuthi akusasele sikhala, noma ngaleso sikhathi ngangingakamisi izivalo emasangweni,
2 oSanibalati noGeshemi bathumela kimi, bathi: “Woza sihlangane komunye wemizana yasethafeni lase-Ono.” Babehlose ukwenza okubi kimi.
3 Ngathuma izithunywa kubo, ngathi: “Ngisebenza umsebenzi omkhulu, anginakwehla; umsebenzi ubuyakumelani, ngiwuyeke, ngehlele kini, na?”
4 Bathumela kane kimi ngaleyo ndlela; ngabaphendula ngokunjalo.
5 USanibalati wayesethuma inceku yakhe kimi kanjalo ngokwesihlanu, iphethe incwadi evulekileyo esandleni sayo.
6 Kwakulotshwe kuyo ukuthi: “Kuzwakele ezizweni, naye uGashimu uthi wena nabaJuda nihlose ukuhlubuka, okungalokho uvusa ugange, ube yinkosi yabo; yebo, anjalo amazwi.
7 Futhi ubekile abaprofethi ukuba bashumayele ngawe eJerusalema ukuthi uyinkosi kwaJuda. Njengokuba lawo mazwi eyakuzwakala enkosini, mawuze, silulekane.”
8 Ngase ngithumela kuye, ngathi: “Azikho izinto ezinjengalezo ozishoyo; ziqanjwe nguwe enhliziyweni yakho.”
9 Ngokuba bonke babesethusa bethi: “Izandla zabo ziyakudangala emsebenzini ukuba ungenziwa.” Ngase ngikhuleka ngathi: “Kepha manje, Nkosi, qinisa izandla zami.”
10 Ngase ngiya endlini kaShemaya indodana kaDelaya kaMehetabeli owayezivalele. Wathi: “Masihlangane endlini kaNkulunkulu phakathi kwethempeli, sivale iminyango yethempeli, ngokuba bayakufika ukukubulala, yebo, ebusuku bayakufika bakubulale.”
11 Ngathi: “Umuntu onjengami abaleke na? Ngubani onjengami ongangena ethempelini, aphile, na? Angingeni.”
12 Ngaqonda ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayengamthumile, kepha wakhuluma leso siprofetho ngami eqashiwe ngoThobiya noSanibalati.
13 Wayeqashelwe lokhu kokuba ngesabe, ngenze kanjalo, ngone, babe nombiko omubi, bangijivaze.
14 Ngakhuleka ngathi: “Khumbula, Nkulunkulu wami, oThobiya noSanibalati ngalezo zenzo zabo, nomprofethikazi uNohadiya, nabanye abaprofethi, ababengesabisa.”
15 Ugange lwaphela ngolwamashumi amabili nanhlanu lwenyanga ka-Eluli ngezinsuku ezingamashumi ayisihlanu nambili.
16 Kwathi lapho zonke izitha zikuzwa lokho, abezizwe bonke abasizungezayo, besaba, bayetha, ngokuba baqonda ukuthi lowo msebenzi wawenziwe nguNkulunkulu wethu.
17 Phezu kwalokho abakhulu bakwaJuda bathuma ngalezo zinsuku izincwadi eziningi kuThobiya, nezikaThobiya zafika kubo.
18 Ngokuba abaningi bakwaJuda babefungile kubo, ngokuba wayengumkhwenyana kaShekaniya indodana ka-Ara; indodana uJehohanani yayithathile indodakazi kaMeshulamu indodana kaBerekiya.
19 Bakhuluma ngezenzo zakhe ezinhle phambi kwami, bamukisa kuye amazwi ami. UThobiya wathuma izincwadi ukungesabisa.