Isithsaba sikaEfrayim esibunayo
Ababingeleli abanxilileyo bagculela imfundiso yomprofeti ngathi yintetho yosana. Abalawuli baseYerusalem baqhayisa ngesivumelwano abasenze nokufa; isichotho siya kuwukhukulisa loo mthunzi wokhuselo. Ngokuchasene nako uBawo ubeka ilitye lembombo elivavanyiweyo, aze aqukumbele ngomlimi obhula into nganye ngokungqongqo ekulingene ngayo kuphela.
28 1Yeha, isithsaba senekratshi samanxila akwaEfrayim, nentyantyambo ebunayo yobuhle baso obuzukileyo, ehleli entlokweni yentili etyebile yabo boyisiwe liwayini! 2Yabona, iNkosi uBawo inaye lowo unamandla nokomelela; njengesichotho, njengesaqhwithi esitshabalalisayo, njengesaqhwithi samanzi anamandla aphuphumayo, uya kusiphosa phantsi emhlabeni ngesandla sayo. 3Isithsaba senekratshi samanxila akwaEfrayim siya kunyathelwa ngeenyawo. 4Nentyantyambo ebunayo yobuhle baso obuzukileyo, ehleli entlokweni yentili etyebile, iya kuba njengomkhiwane wentlahlela phambi kwehlobo—othi lowo uwubonayo awuginye nje kamsinya usesandleni sakhe. 5Ngaloo mini uBawo wemikhosi yasezulwini uya kuba sisithsaba sozuko nonkontsho lobuhle kumasalela abantu bakhe, 6nomoya wobulungisa kulowo uhleli esihlalweni somgwebo, namandla kwabo babuyisela imfazwe esangweni.
7Naba ke nabo bayadiyazela liwayini, bagxadazele sisiselo esinamandla: umbingeleli nomprofeti bayadiyazela sisiselo esinamandla, badidekile liwayini, bagxadazela sisiselo esinamandla, badiyazela xa bebona imibono, bakhubeke ekukhupheni amasiko abo. 8Kuba yonke itafile igutyungelwe ngamahlanzo amanyala, akusekho ndawo icocekileyo iseleyo.
9“Wobafundisa ukwazi bani na, aze abatyhilele udaba bani na? Ngabo basanda kulunyulwa ebeleni, abo basanda kususwa ebeleni? 10Kuba kungumyalelo phezu komyalelo, umyalelo phezu komyalelo, ulutya phezu kolutya, ulutya phezu kolutya, intwana apha, intwana phaya.” a a v10 Ukuphindaphinda oku kwelokulila kungenzeka kugculela indlela kamprofeti yokufundisa—izifundo ezihluthayo, eziqhutywa rhoqo, abazibukula abalawuli bezala.
11Inene, ngabantu abaneelwimi ezingaqhelekanga nolwimi lwangaphandle, uya kuthetha nabo bantu,
12awathi kubo: “Kuko oku ukuphumla; phumuzani abadiniweyo; yiyo le indawo yokuphumla”—kodwa abavuma ukuphulaphula. 13Ngako oko ilizwi likaBawo wethu liya kuba kubo ngumthetho phezu komthetho, umthetho phezu komthetho, ulutya phezu kolutya, ulutya phezu kolutya, intwana apha, intwana phaya, ukuze bahambe bakhubeke ngomva, baphuke, babanjwe, bathinjwe.
14Ngako oko liveni ilizwi likaBawo wethu, nina bagculeli abalawula aba bantu eYerusalem! 15Ngenxa yokuba nithe: “Senze umnqophiso nokufa, saza nelabafileyo senza isivumelwano; xa uthe wagqitha unogumbe okhukulayo, awuyi kusifikela, kuba senze ubuxoki baba yindawo yethu yokusabela, saza sazifihla ebuxokini”,
16ngako oko itsho iNkosi uBawo ukuthi: “Yabona, ndibeka eZiyon ilitye, ilitye elicikidiweyo, ilitye lembombo elinqabileyo, isiseko esiqinileyo: lowo ukholwayo akayi kuthuthumba. b b v16 UPawulos noPetros bobabini basebenzisa esi sibhalo kuYesu—kumaRoma 9:33 naku-1 Petros 2:6. Ilitye lembombo awalibekayo uBawo wethu eZiyon nguNyana wakhe, isiseko lowo aphumla phezu kwakhe wonke okholwayo. 17Ndiya kwenza okusesikweni kube lulutya lokulinganisela, nobulungisa bube yintambo yokuthi nqo; isichotho siya kutshayela indawo yokusabela yobuxoki, aze amanzi akhukulise indawo yokuzimela. 18Ngelo xesha umnqophiso wakho nokufa uya kucinywa, nesivumelwano sakho nelabafileyo asiyi kuma; xa kudlula unogumbe okhukulayo, uya kunyathelwa phantsi nguwo. 19Njalo nje xa sidlula, siya kukubamba; kuba kusasa ngakusasa siya kudlula, emini nasebusuku, kube luloyiko olupheleleyo nokuva nje udaba.”
20Kuba isilili sifutshane kakhulu ukuzolula kuso, nengubo imxinwa kakhulu ukuzigubungela ngayo. 21Kuba uBawo wethu uya kusuka aphakame njengoko wenjenjalo entabeni yasePeratsim, uya kuvuseleleka njengasentilini yaseGibheyon, ukuze enze umsebenzi wakhe—ungaqhelekanga umsebenzi wakhe!—aze afeze umsebenzi wakhe—ungowasemzini umsebenzi wakhe! 22Ngoko ke ngoku musani ukugculela, hleze imixokelelwane yenu iqine ngakumbi; kuba ndivile ummiselo wokutshabalalisa ovela kuBawo wemikhosi yamazulu, ochasene nelizwe lonke.
23Phulaphulani nilive ilizwi lam; bekani iindlebe niwave amazwi am. 24Ingaba olimayo ulima imini yonke ukuze ahlwayele na? Ingaba uhlala eqhekeza elungisa umhlaba wakhe na? 25Akuba ewulungisile umphezulu wawo, akasasazi na idile, ahlwayele ikumin, atyale ingqolowa ngemikrozo, nerhasi endaweni yayo, nespelete emdeni wayo? 26UBawo wakhe umyala ngokufanelekileyo; uBawo wakhe uyamfundisa. c c v26 Nobulumko bemihla ngemihla bomlimi buvela kuBawo wethu—nguye umfundisi ongasemva kobuchule bonke nengqiqo elungileyo. 27Idile alibhulwa ngesileyi, nevili lenqwelo aliqengqwa phezu kwekumin; kodwa idile libhulwa ngenduku, nekumin ngentonga. 28Ingqolowa yesonka imele icumzwe, kodwa akayibhuli ngonaphakade; uqhubela ivili lenqwelo yakhe namahashe akhe phezu kwayo, kodwa akayicumzi ibe luthuli. 29Nako oku kuvela kuBawo wemikhosi yamazulu; umangalisayo ngamacebo, mkhulu ngobulumko.