¹ Kepha kwathi lapho uSanibalati esezwile ukuthi sabe siluv usa 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 kw amakhanda 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 s ize 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 lap ho 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.