UNehemiya 5:1-19

Kwaba khona ukukhala okukhulu kwabantu nabafazi babo ngabafowabo, amaJuda. Ngokuba kwakukhona ababethi: “Thina, amadodana ethu namadodakazi ethu, sibaningi; ngalokho siyabathathela amabele, ukuze sidle, siphile. Kwakukhona futhi abanye abathi: “Sibambise amasimu ethu, nezivini, nezindlu zethu, ukuze sithenge ukolweni ngenxa yokuswelakala. Kwakukhona nabathi: “Saboleka imali yentela yenkosi, nangemali yamasimu ethu nezivini zethu.” Kepha manje inyama yethu injengenyama yabafowethu, nabantwana bethu banjengabantwana babo; bheka, siletha amadodana ethu namadodakazi ethu ebugqilini, namadodakazi ethu asevele enziwe izigqila; futhi akukho emandleni ethu ukubakhulula; ngoba abanye abantu balamasimu ethu lezivini zethu. Futhi ngathukuthela kakhulu lapho ngibabiza futhi ngizwa lawa mazwi. Ngase ngiceba phakathi kwami, ngabasola abakhulu nababusi, ngathi kubo: Nibiza inzalo, kube yilowo nalowo kumfowabo. Futhi ngabamisela ibandla elikhulu. Ngasengisithi kubo: Sahlenga ngokwamandla ethu abazalwane bethu abaJuda, ababethengiswe kwabezizwe; futhi ningaze nidayise abafowenu na? noma bazothengiselwa thina? Bathula ke bangathola lutho lokuphendula. Futhi ngathi: Kakukuhle ukuthi nenze lokhu; Aniyikuhamba yini ekwesabeni uNkulunkulu wethu ngenxa yehlazo labezizwe, izitha zethu? Ngendlela efanayo mina nabafowethu nezinceku zami sasibiza imali nokolweni kubo; Babuyisele namuhla amasimu abo, nezivini zabo, neminqumo yabo, nezindlu zabo, nokwekhulu kwemali, nokolweni, newayini, namafutha eniwatholile kubo. Base bethi: “Sizowabuyisela, singabafuni lutho; ngakho sizokwenza njengokusho kwakho. Ngase ngibiza abapristi, ngabafungisa ukuba benze ngokwalesi sithembiso. Nami nganyakazisa ingubo yami, ngathi: “Ngakho uNkulunkulu uyanyakazisa, kube yilowo nalowo endlini yakhe nasemsebenzini wakhe ongasigcwalisi lesi sithembiso; naye makavuthululwe kanjalo, angenalutho. Ibandla lonke lathi: Amen, lidumise uJehova. Abantu benza njengesithembiso. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kusukela esikhathini engamiswa ngaso ukuba ngibe ngumbusi wabo ezweni lakwaJuda, kusukela ngomnyaka wamashumi amabili kwaze kwaba ngumnyaka wamashumi amathathu nambili ka-Aritahishashita inkosi, iminyaka eyishumi nambili, mina nabafowethu asizange sisidle isinkwa sombusi. Kodwa ababusi bangaphambili ababengaphambi kwami bahlambalaza abantu, bathatha kubo isinkwa newayini, ngaphandle kwamashekeli angamashumi amane esiliva; yebo, ngisho nezinceku zabo zibusa phezu kwabantu; kepha angikwenzanga lokho ngenxa yokumesaba uNkulunkulu. Yebo, ngaqhubeka nomsebenzi walolu donga, futhi asithenganga mhlaba, futhi zonke izinceku zami zabuthana lapho emsebenzini. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kwakukhona etafuleni lami kumaJuda nababusi abayikhulu namashumi amahlanu, ngaphandle kwalabo abeza kithi bevela kwabezizwe abasizungezile. Futhi okwakulungiselelwa mina imihla ngemihla kwakuyinkomo eyodwa nezimvu eziyisithupha ezikhethiweyo; kwalungiselelwa mina nezinyoni, kwaqoqwa kanye ngezinsuku eziyishumi zonke izinhlobo zewayini; nokho angisibizanga isinkwa sombusi, ngokuba ubugqila babunzima phezu kwalaba bantu. Ngikhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, kube kuhle, njengakho konke engikwenzele laba bantu.