Nehemiah 1
1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it came to pass in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,
Amazwi kaNehemiya indodana kaHakaliya. Kwasekusithi ngenyanga kaKisilevi ngomnyaka wamatshumi amabili, lapho mina ngiseShushani isigodlo,
2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, came, he and certain men out of Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, that were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
uHanani omunye wabafowethu wafika yena lamadoda avela koJuda. Ngasengibabuza mayelana lamaJuda ayephunyukile asala ekuthunjweni, langeJerusalema.
3 And they said to me, The remnant who are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach. Also the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and the gates of it are burned with fire.
Basebesithi kimi: Labo abasalayo abasala ekuthunjweni lapho esabelweni baphakathi kokuhlupheka okukhulu lehlazo, lomduli weJerusalema wadilika, lamasango ayo atshiswa ngomlilo.
4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days. And I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,
Kwasekusithi sengizwe lamazwi ngahlala phansi ngakhala inyembezi, ngalila okwezinsuku, ngizila ukudla, ngikhuleka phambi kukaNkulunkulu wamazulu.
5 and said, I beseech thee, O Jehovah, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments:
Ngathi: Ngiyancenga, Nkosi, Nkulunkulu wamazulu, Nkulunkulu omkhulu lowesabekayo, ogcina isivumelwano lomusa kulabo abamthandayo labagcina imilayo yakhe,
6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou may hearken to the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee at this time, day and night, for the sons of Israel thy servants while I confess the sins of the sons of Israel, which we have sinned against thee. Yea, I and my father's house have sinned.
indlebe yakho ake ilalele, lamehlo akho avuleke, ukuzwa umkhuleko wenceku yakho engiwukhuleka phambi kwakho lamuhla emini lebusuku ngabantwana bakoIsrayeli, inceku zakho, njalo ngivuma ngenxa yezono zabantwana bakoIsrayeli esizone kuwe. Yebo, mina lendlu kababa sonile;
7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances, which thou commanded thy servant Moses.
senze kubi lokwenza kubi kuwe, kasigcinanga imilayo lezimiso lezahlulelo owalaya ngakho uMozisi inceku yakho.
8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commanded thy servant Moses, saying, If ye trespass, I will scatter you abroad among the peoples,
Ake ukhumbule ilizwi owalaya ngalo uMozisi inceku yakho usithi: Uba lina liphambuka, mina ngizalichithachitha phakathi kwezizwe;
9 but if ye return to me, and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts were in the outermost part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and will bring them to the place that I have chosen, to cause my name to dwell there.
uba lina liphendukela kimi, lilondoloza imilayo yami, liyenze, lanxa abaxotshiweyo benu besephethelweni lamazulu, ngizababutha besuka lapho ngibaletha endaweni engiyikhethileyo ukubeka ibizo lami khona.
10 Now these are thy servants and thy people whom thou have redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.
Laba-ke bazinceku zakho labantu bakho owabahlenga ngamandla akho amakhulu langesandla sakho esiqinileyo.
11 O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who delight to fear thy name, and, I pray thee, prosper thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. Now I was cupbearer to the king.
Ngiyacela, Nkosi, indlebe yakho ake ilalele umkhuleko wenceku yakho, lomkhuleko wezinceku zakho eziloyisa ukwesaba ibizo lakho, ake uphumelelise inceku yakho lamuhla, uyinike izihawu phambi kwalumuntu. Njalo ngangingumphathi wezitsha zenkosi.
