Nehemiah 2
1 And it came to pass, in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that, wine, was before him, —so I took up the wine, and gave unto the king, and I had never been sad before him.
Ngenyanga kaNisani ngomnyaka wamatshumi amabili weNkosi u-Athazekisisi, ngesikhathi ephiwa iwayini, ngalithatha iwayini ngalisa enkosini. Ngangingakaze ngivele kuyo ngidanile;
2 Then said the king unto me, Wherefore is thy countenance sad, seeing that, thou, art not sick? this is nothing else, but sadness of heart. Then feared I exceedingly,
ngakho inkosi yangibuza yathi, “Kungani ubuso bakho bukhanya buhlobile kanje wena ungaguli? Lokhu ngeke kube ngokunye ngaphandle kokudana okusenhliziyweni.” Ngezwa ngisesaba kakhulu,
3 and said unto the king—Let the, king, unto times age-abiding, live! Wherefore should my countenance, not be sad, when, the city—the place of the sepulchres of my fathers, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?
kodwa ngathi enkosini, “Phila lanini nkosi! Ubuso bami bungayekelelani na ukuhloba njengoba idolobho lapho okulele khona okhokho selingamanxiwa nje, lamasango alo atshiswa ngomlilo na?”
4 Then the king said to me, Concerning what, is it, thou, wouldst make request? So I prayed unto the God of the heavens,
Inkosi yathi kimi, “Pho ufunani?” Ngasengikhuleka kuNkulunkulu wezulwini,
5 and then said unto the king, If, unto the king, it seemeth good, and if thy servant might find favour before thee, That thou wouldst send me unto Judah, unto the city of the sepulchres of my fathers, that I might build it.
yikho ngasengiyiphendula inkosi ngathi, “Aluba kungaba yikuthanda kwenkosi njalo nxa inceku yakho ifumene umusa emehlweni ayo, kayingithumele kulelodolobho elikoJuda lapho okwambelwa khona okhokho ukuze ngiyolakha kakutsha.”
6 And the king said unto me, the queen, also sitting beside him, For how long would be thy journey? and when wouldst thou return? So it seemed good before the king to send me, and I set him a time.
Inkosi eyayihlezi lendlovukazi eceleni kwayo yangibuza yathi, “Uhambo lwakho luzathatha isikhathi esingakanani, njalo uzabuya nini?” Inkosi yathanda ukuthi ngihambe; yikho ngamisa isikhathi.
7 Then said I unto the king, If, unto the king, it seemeth good, may, letters, be given me, unto the pashas Beyond the River, —that they may convey me over, until I come into Judah;
Ngaphinde ngathi kuyo, “Nxa kuyikuthanda kwenkosi, ngicela izincwadi ziye kubabusi bangaphetsheya kweYufrathe, ukwenzela ukuthi bangivikele ohanjweni lwami ngize ngiyefika koJuda?
8 also a letter unto Asaph, keeper of the park that belongeth unto the king, that he may give me timber to build up the gates of the fortress which pertaineth to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house whereinto I shall enter. And the king gave me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
Njalo ngicela incwadi eya ku-Asafi, umphathi wegusu lenkosi, yikho ezanginika izigodo zokwenza izinsika zamasango esigodlo eduzane lethempeli lezomduli wedolobho kanye lezendlu engizahlala kuyo.” Kwathi ngoba isandla somusa sikaNkulunkulu wami sasiphezu kwami, inkosi yazamukela izicelo zami.
9 Then came I unto the pashas Beyond the River, and gave them the letters of the king, —now the king, had sent with me, captains of the army, and horsemen.
Yikho ngasengisiya kubabusi bangaphetsheya kweYufrathe ngabapha izincwadi zenkosi. Inkosi yayingiphe futhi abalawuli bebutho kanye lamabutho amabhiza ukuba bangiphelekezele.
10 And, when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant the Ammonite, heard of it, it vexed them, with a great vexation, —that there had come a man, to seek welfare, for the sons of Israel.
Kwathi ukuba uSanibhalathi umHoroni loThobhiya umʼAmoni owayeyinduna bekuzwa lokhu, bakhathazeka kakhulu ukuthi ukhona owayeselande ukuzathuthukisa inhlalo yaba-Israyeli.
11 So I entered Jerusalem, —and was there three days.
Ngaya eJerusalema, kwathi sengihlale khona insuku ezintathu
12 Then rose I by night, I, and a few men with me, I having told no man, what, my God, had been putting in my heart, to do for Jerusalem, —and, beast, was there none with me, save the beast on which, I myself, was riding.
ngaphuma kusebusuku ngilamadoda ambalwa. Ngangingazange ngitshele muntu ngalokho uNkulunkulu wami ayekubeke enhliziyweni yami ngeJerusalema. Ngangingelanyamazana ngaphandle kwaleyo engangiyigadile.
13 So I went forth through the valley-gate by night, even unto the front of the snake-fountain, and into the dung-gate, —and I viewed the walls of Jerusalem, how, they, were broken down, and, the gates thereof, consumed with fire.
Ebusuku ngaphuma ngeSango leSigodi ngaqonda uMthombo weKhanka leSango loBulongwe, ngihlola imiduli yeJerusalema, eyayibhidliziwe, kanye lamasango ayo ayetshiswe ngomlilo.
14 Then passed I over unto the fountain-gate, and unto the pool of the king, —but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.
Ngaqhubeka sengiqonde eSangweni loMthombo leSiziba Senkosi, kodwa kwakungelantshukuntshu yokudlula ubabhemi wami engangimgadile;
15 Then went I up in the torrent-bed, by night, and viewed the wall, —and turned back, and entered by the valley-gate, and so returned.
yikho ngasengikhwela ngesigodi kusebusuku, ngihlola umduli. Ekucineni ngaphenduka ngangena ngeSango leSigodi.
16 Now, the deputies, knew not whither I had gone, nor what I was doing, —not even to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the deputies, nor to the rest who were doing the work, had I as yet told it.
Izinduna kazizange zikwazi ukuthi ngangiye ngaphi lokuthi ngangisenzani, ngoba ngangivele ngingakatsho lutho kubaJuda loba kubaphristi loba ezikhulwini loba ezinduneni loba lakubobani ababezakwenza umsebenzi.
17 So I said unto them, Ye, can see the misfortune that, we, are in, how that, Jerusalem, lieth waste, and, the gates thereof, are burned with fire: Come, and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may remain, no longer, a reproach.
Ngasengisithi kubo, “Liyalubona uhlupho esiphakathi kwalo: iJerusalema selingamanxiwa nje, lamasango alo atshisiwe ngomlilo. Wozani, siwakhe kutsha umduli weJerusalema ukuze singabi silokhu sihlaziswa.”
18 Then told I them, of the hand of my God, that, it, had been good upon me, as also of the words of the king, which he had spoken unto me, —so they said, We will arise and build! and they strengthened their hands right well.
Ngaphinda ngabatshela ngesandla somusa sikaNkulunkulu wami kimi lokuthi inkosi yayitheni kimi. Baphendula bathi, “Kasiqaliseni ukwakha.” Yikho bahle bawuqalisa umsebenzi lo omuhle.
19 But, when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed at us, and poured contempt upon us, —and said, What is this thing which ye would do? against the king, would ye rebel?
Kodwa kwathi ukuba uSanibhalathi umHoroni, loThobhiya induna yomʼAmoni loGeshemi umArabhu bekuzwa lokho, basichithoza basihleka. Babuza bathi, “Kuyini lokhu elikwenzayo. Selihlamukele inkosi na?”
20 Then answered I them, and said to them—The God of the heavens—he, will prosper us, therefore, we his servants, will arise and build, —But, to you, pertaineth no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.
Ngabaphendula ngokuthi, “UNkulunkulu wasezulwini uzasiphumelelisa. Thina izinceku zakhe sesiqalisa ukwakha kutsha, kodwa lina, kalilasabelo eJerusalema, loba imfanelo loba lungelo bani lomdabuko wenu.”
