Uthandwe Ngothando Olungunaphakade
Ukubuyela ekhaya kukaSirayeli ochithakeleyo: ukulila kukaRakeli kuyaphendulwa, uEfrayim ebuyiswa njengonyana wamazibulo, isijwili sijike saba ngumngqungqo, nomnqophiso omtsha obhalwe ezintliziyweni endaweni yamacwecwe amatye, apho isono sixolelwa khona, wonke umntu amazi uBawo ngqo, ukususela komncinane ukuya komkhulu.
31 1“Ngelo xesha,” utsho uBawo wethu, “ndiya kuba nguBawo wazo zonke iintsapho zakwaSirayeli, baze babe ngabantwana bam.”
2Utsho oku uBawo wethu: Abantu abasindileyo ekreleni bafumana ubabalo entlango; uSirayeli waya kufuna ukuphumla.
3Wabonakala kum uBawo wethu evela kude: “Ndikuthande ngothando olungunaphakade; ngenxa yoko ndikutsalele kum ngothando olunyanisekileyo.”
4“Ndiya kuphinda ndikwakhe, uze wakhiwe, ntombi enyulu yakwaSirayeli! Ndiya kuphinda uthabathe iingqongqo zakho uphume ngomngqungqo wabenza imihlali. 5Uya kuphinda utyale izidiliya ezindulini zaseSamariya; abatyali baya kutyala badle iziqhamo.” 6Kuba kuya kufika imini apho ababoniseli baya kumemeza kwilizwe leentaba lakwaEfrayim, besithi: “Vukani, sinyuke siye eZiyon, kuBawo wethu!”
7Kuba utsho oku uBawo wethu: Vumani ngovuyo ngenxa kaYakobi, memezani ngenxa yoyena mkhulu weentlanga; vakalisani, nidumise, nithi: “Bawo wethu, sindisa abantu bakho, intsalela yakwaSirayeli!” 8“Yabona, ndiya kubazisa bevela ezweni lasentla, ndibaqokelele bevela ekupheleni komhlaba—phakathi kwabo iimfama neziqhwala, umfazi okhulelweyo nalowo usezinimbeni. Baya kubuyela apha kunye, babe ngumkhosi omkhulu. 9Baya kuza belila, ndibakhokele ngezibongozo zenceba; ndiya kubahambisa ngasemijelweni yamanzi, endleleni ethe tye, bengakhubeki, kuba ndibe nguyise kuSirayeli, uEfrayim ke ulizibulo lam.”
10Liveni ilizwi likaBawo wethu, zintlanga, nilivakalise emanxwemeni akude; yithini: “Lowo wachitha uSirayeli uya kumbutha, amgcine njengokuba umalusi egcina umhlambi wakhe.” 11Kuba uBawo wethu umkhululile uYakobi, wamhlangula esandleni esinamandla kunaye. 12Baya kuza bavume ngokukhwaza encotsheni yeZiyon, baze bakhazimle ngenxa yokulunga kukaBawo wethu—ngenxa yengqolowa, newayini entsha, neoli, nangenxa yamathole omhlambi neenkomo. Ubomi babo buya kuba njengomyezo onkcenkceshelweyo, abayi kuba saphela amandla sisingqala kwakhona.
13“Oko amankazana aya kuvuya emngqungqweni, kunye nabafana namaxhego. Ndiya kukujika ukuzila kwabo kube luvuyo; ndiya kubathuthuzela, ndibanike imihlali esikhundleni sosizi lwabo. 14Ndiya kubazalisa ababingeleli ngendyebo, baze abantwana bam baneliswe kukulunga kwam,” utsho uBawo wethu.
15Utsho oku uBawo wethu: Kuvakala izwi eRama—isijwili nokulila okukrakra. URakeli ulilela abantwana bakhe; akavumi ukuthuthuzeleka ngenxa yabantwana bakhe, kuba abasekho. a a v15 UMateyu usibona esi sijwili sizaliseka ekulileni eBhetelehem xa uHerode wabulala abantwana (uMateyu 2:18)—ize isithembiso sikaBawo wethu sokubuya kwiindinyana ezilandelayo sibhekise kwithemba elingaphaya kwentlungu.
16Utsho oku uBawo wethu: Thintela izwi lakho ekulileni, namehlo akho ezinyembezini, kuba umsebenzi wakho unomvuzo, utsho uBawo wethu; baya kubuya bevela ezweni lotshaba. 17“Likhona ithemba ngexesha lakho elizayo, utsho uBawo wethu, baze abantwana bakho babuyele ezweni lakowabo. 18Inene ndimvile uEfrayim ekhala esithi: ‘Undiqeqeshile, ndaqeqeshwa, njengethole elingaqhelanga idyokhwe; ndibuyise ukuze ndibuye, kuba wena unguBawo.’ 19Kaloku emva kokuba ndijikile, ndaguquka; emva kokuba ndifundisiwe, ndabetha ithanga lam. Ndaba neentloni ndahlazeka, kuba ndithwele ihlazo lobutsha bam. b b v19 Ukubetha ithanga kwakusisenzo samandulo esibonakalisa usizi olukhulu okanye ukothuka. 20UnguEfrayim na unyana wam othandekayo? Ungumntwana wam oyintanda na? Kuba kufuthi ndithetha nxamnye naye, ndisamkhumbula yena. Ngenxa yoko intliziyo yam ishukunyiswa yimfesane ngenxa yakhe; ndiya kuba nenceba kuye ngenene,” utsho uBawo wethu. 21“Zimisele izikhombisi zendlela wena; zenzele iimpawu zomendo. Beka ingqondo yakho emendweni, indlela owawuhamba ngayo. Buya, ntombi enyulu kaSirayeli, buyela emizini yakho. 22Koda kube nini na untengantenga, ntombi engathembekanga? Kuba ndidalile into entsha emhlabeni: umfazi uya kurhawula indoda.”
23Utsho ngokunje uBawo wemikhosi yasezulwini, uBawo kaSirayeli: Xa ndithe ndabuyisa amathamsanqa abo, baya kuphinda batsho le nto ezweni lakwaYuda nasemizini yalo: “UBawo wethu makakusikelele, khaya lobulungisa, ntaba engcwele!” 24UYuda nemizi yakhe yonke baya kuhlala khona kunye—abalimi nabo baphela behamba nemfuyo yabo. 25“Kuba ndiya kuwuhlaziya umphefumlo otyhafileyo, ndize ndiwuzalise wonke umphefumlo ophelelwe sisingqala.”
26Ngako oku ndavuka ndakhangela, ubuthongo bam babubumnandi kum.
27“Nanzo iza iintsuku, utsho uBawo wethu, endiya kuthi ndihlwayele indlu kaSirayeli nendlu kaYuda ngembewu yabantu neyezilwanyana. 28Njengoko ndandibalindele ukuba ndibanyothule, ndibadilize, ndibabhukuqe, ndibatshabalalise, ndibazisele ububi, ngokunjalo ndiya kubalindela ukuze ndibakhe ndibatyale,” utsho uBawo wethu. 29“Ngaloo mihla abasayi kuphinda bathi: ‘Oobawo badla idiliya elimuncu, aza amazinyo abantwana babo atyaba.’”
30“Elowo uya kufela isono sakhe. Lowo udla idiliya elimuncu, aya kutyaba amazinyo akhe.”
31“Nanzo iza iintsuku, utsho uBawo wethu, endiya kumisa ngazo umnqophiso omtsha nendlu yakwaSirayeli neyakwaYuda. c c v31 UYesu wawusungula lo mnqophiso omtsha kwiSidlo sokuGqibela, ngegazi lakhe (Luka 22:20); incwadi yamaHebhere imbiza ngomlamleli owenza isithembiso sikaBawo wethu siqiniseke (Hebhere 8:8-12). 32Awuyi kufana nomnqophiso endawenzayo nookhokho babo ngemini endababamba ngesandla ukuze ndibakhuphe ezweni laseYiputa—umnqophiso wam abawaphulayo, nangona ndandiyindoda kubo,” utsho uBawo wethu. 33“Kodwa nangu umnqophiso endiya kuwumisa nendlu kaSirayeli emveni kwaloo mihla, utsho uBawo wethu: Ndiya kubeka umyalelo wam ngaphakathi kubo, ndize ndiwubhale ezintliziyweni zabo. Ndiya kuba nguBawo wabo, baze bona babe ngabantwana bam. 34Akusayi kuphinda umntu afundise ummelwane wakhe okanye umzalwana wakhe, esithi: ‘Yazi uBawo wethu,’ kuba baya kundazi bonke, bethabathela komncinane wabo bese komkhulu wabo, utsho uBawo wethu. Kuba ndiya kukuxolela ukungalungisi kwabo, nezono zabo ndingabi sazikhumbula.”
35Utsho ngokunje uBawo wethu, onika ilanga ukuba libe kukukhanya emini, nommiselo oqinileyo wenyanga neenkwenkwezi ukuba zibe kukukhanya ebusuku, ozamazamisa ulwandle aze amaza alo aguguma— uBawo wemikhosi yasezulwini ligama lakhe:
36“Ukuba lo mmiselo uqinileyo uthe wasuka phambi kwam, utsho uBawo wethu, ngaloo nto oonyana bakaSirayeli baya kuyeka ukuba luhlanga phambi kwam ngonaphakade.” 37Utsho ngokunje uBawo wethu: Ukuba amazulu angasentla angalinganiswa neziseko zehlabathi ngezantsi zihlolwe, ngaloo nto ndingabalahla bonke oonyana bakaSirayeli ngenxa yezenzo zabo zonke, utsho uBawo wethu.
38“Nanku, zisiza iintsuku, utsho uBawo wethu, apho umzi uya kwakhiwa kwakhona kum, uthabathela enqabeni ende yakwaHananeli use esangweni leMbombo. 39Intambo yokulinganisa iya kolulelwa phambili, ithe tye iye endulini yaseGarebhe, yandule ukujika isinge eGowa. 40Isihlambo sonke sezidumbu nothuthu, namasimi onke, kuse emlanjaneni oyiKidron, kuse embombeni yeSango lamaHashe ngasempumalanga, kuya kuba ngcwele kuBawo wethu — akusayi kuze kunyothulwe okanye kudilizwe kwakhona.”
