Ake sithi ukuhlehlela emuva eminyakeni emibalwa edlule. UNehemiya, inceku yeNkosi u-Aritahishashita, wayengumIsrayeli owayehlala ePheresiya edolobheni laseShushani. Umfowabo kaNehemiya wafika nezindaba ezimbi evela kwaJuda wathi: ‘Abaphephile abantu ababuyela eJerusalema. Izindonga namasango okwabhidlizwa abaseBhabhiloni akukaze kwakhiwe kabusha.’ UNehemiya waphatheka kabi. Wayefuna ukuya eJerusalema ayosiza ngakho wathandaza ukuze inkosi imvumele ahambe.

Kamuva, inkosi yabona ukuthi uNehemiya uphatheke kabi. Yathi: ‘Angikaze ngikubone unje. Kwenzenjani?’ UNehemiya wathi: ‘Ngingahlala kanjani ngingadabuki uma iJerusalema idolobha lakithi lingamanxiwa?’ Inkosi yabuza: ‘Ungathanda ngikwenzeleni?’ Ngokushesha, uNehemiya wathandaza ngenhliziyo. Wabe esethi: ‘Ngicela ungivumele ngiye eJerusalema ngiyokwakha kabusha izindonga zalo.’ INkosi u-Aritahishashita yamvumela uNehemiya ukuba ahambe futhi yaqinisekisa ukuthi uphephile ohambweni lakhe olude. Yaphinde yabeka uNehemiya waba undunankulu wakwaJuda, yamnika nezingodo zokulungisa amasango edolobha.

Lapho uNehemiya efika eJerusalema, wahlolisisa izindonga zedolobha. Wabe esebiza abapristi nababusi, wathi kubo: ‘Akukuhle neze lokhu. Kumelwe siqale ukusebenza.’ Abantu bavuma, baqala ukwakha kabusha izindonga.

Kodwa ezinye zezitha zama-Israyeli zawenza inhlekisa, zathi: ‘Impungushe ingazilahla phansi lezi zindonga enizakhayo.’ Izisebenzi azikunakanga lokho kweyiswa, zaqhubeka nokusebenza. Izindonga zaphama futhi zaqina.

Izitha zeza nelinye icebo ukuze zihlasele iJerusalema kungalindelekile. Lapho amaJuda ezwa ngalelo cebo, esaba. Kodwa uNehemiya wathi: ‘Ningesabi. UJehova unathi.’ Wabeka abaqaphi abazogada izisebenzi futhi izitha azikwazanga ukuhlasela.

 Ezinsukwini ezingu-52 nje kuphela, izindonga namasango kwase kuqediwe. UNehemiya wabizela wonke amaLevi eJerusalema ukuze linikezelwe. Wawahlela aba amaqembu amabili abaculi. Anyuka ngezitebhisi zeSango Lesiphethu egudla udonga elinye iqembu laya ngakwesokudla elinye laya ngakwesobunxele sedolobha. Aculela uJehova edlala amacilongo, amasimbali namahabhu. U-Ezra wayehamba neqembu elilodwa kanti uNehemiya wayehamba nelinye, baze bafika ethempelini. Bonke abantu—amadoda, abesifazane nezingane—benza imihlatshelo kuJehova futhi bajabula. Umsindo wenjabulo yabo wawuzwakala kude le.