Verse 1: Kwathi lapho oSanibalati, noThobiya, noGeshemi wase-Arabiya, nezinye izitha sebezwile ukuthi ngivusile ugange nokuthi akusasele sikhala, noma ngaleso sikhathi ngangingakamisi izivalo emasangweni,
Verse 2: oSanibalati noGeshemi bathumela kimi, bathi: “Woza sihlangane komunye wemizana yasethafeni lase-Ono.” Babehlose ukwenza okubi kimi.
Verse 3: Ngathuma izithunywa kubo, ngathi: “Ngisebenza umsebenzi omkhulu, anginakwehla; umsebenzi ubuyakumelani, ngiwuyeke, ngehlele kini, na?”
Verse 4: Bathumela kane kimi ngaleyo ndlela; ngabaphendula ngokunjalo.
Verse 5: USanibalati wayesethuma inceku yakhe kimi kanjalo ngokwesihlanu, iphethe incwadi evulekileyo esandleni sayo.
Verse 6: Kwakulotshwe kuyo ukuthi: “Kuzwakele ezizweni, naye uGashimu uthi wena nabaJuda nihlose ukuhlubuka, okungalokho uvusa ugange, ube yinkosi yabo; yebo, anjalo amazwi.
Verse 7: Futhi ubekile abaprofethi ukuba bashumayele ngawe eJerusalema ukuthi uyinkosi kwaJuda. Njengokuba lawo mazwi eyakuzwakala enkosini, mawuze, silulekane.”
Verse 8: Ngase ngithumela kuye, ngathi: “Azikho izinto ezinjengalezo ozishoyo; ziqanjwe nguwe enhliziyweni yakho.”
Verse 9: Ngokuba bonke babesethusa bethi: “Izandla zabo ziyakudangala emsebenzini ukuba ungenziwa.” Ngase ngikhuleka ngathi: “Kepha manje, Nkosi, qinisa izandla zami.”
Verse 10: Ngase ngiya endlini kaShemaya indodana kaDelaya kaMehetabeli owayezivalele. Wathi: “Masihlangane endlini kaNkulunkulu phakathi kwethempeli, sivale iminyango yethempeli, ngokuba bayakufika ukukubulala, yebo, ebusuku bayakufika bakubulale.”
Verse 11: Ngathi: “Umuntu onjengami abaleke na? Ngubani onjengami ongangena ethempelini, aphile, na? Angingeni.”
Verse 12: Ngaqonda ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayengamthumile, kepha wakhuluma leso siprofetho ngami eqashiwe ngoThobiya noSanibalati.
Verse 13: Wayeqashelwe lokhu kokuba ngesabe, ngenze kanjalo, ngone, babe nombiko omubi, bangijivaze.
Verse 14: Ngakhuleka ngathi: “Khumbula, Nkulunkulu wami, oThobiya noSanibalati ngalezo zenzo zabo, nomprofethikazi uNohadiya, nabanye abaprofethi, ababengesabisa.”
Verse 15: Ugange lwaphela ngolwamashumi amabili nanhlanu lwenyanga ka-Eluli ngezinsuku ezingamashumi ayisihlanu nambili.
Verse 16: Kwathi lapho zonke izitha zikuzwa lokho, abezizwe bonke abasizungezayo, besaba, bayetha, ngokuba baqonda ukuthi lowo msebenzi wawenziwe nguNkulunkulu wethu.
Verse 17: Phezu kwalokho abakhulu bakwaJuda bathuma ngalezo zinsuku izincwadi eziningi kuThobiya, nezikaThobiya zafika kubo.
Verse 18: Ngokuba abaningi bakwaJuda babefungile kubo, ngokuba wayengumkhwenyana kaShekaniya indodana ka-Ara; indodana uJehohanani yayithathile indodakazi kaMeshulamu indodana kaBerekiya.
Verse 19: Bakhuluma ngezenzo zakhe ezinhle phambi kwami, bamukisa kuye amazwi ami. UThobiya wathuma izincwadi ukungesabisa.