Amatshe Aphilayo, Isizwe Esikhethiweyo
Amakholwa abizwa ngokuthi angamatshe aphilayo akhiwe abe yindlu ezungeze itshe elalahlwa ngabakhi — ubupristi, abantu abangabakaBaba wethu ababekade bengebona abantu. Bese kuba neseluleko esinzima kwabasekudingisweni: philani kahle kangangokuba ukunyundela kwehluleke, zithobeni, futhi nikhuthazelele ukuhlupheka okungafanele njengoba kwenza uKhristu.
2 1Ngakho-ke, lahlani bonke ububi nenkohliso yonke nokuzenzisa nomona nokunyundela konke. 2Njengezinsana ezisanda kuzalwa, langazelelani ubisi olumsulwa lwezwi, ukuze nikhule niye ensindisweni, 3njengoba senikuzwile ngokunambitha ukuthi iNkosi inhle. a a v3 UPhetro uthatha amazwi ehubo athi “nambithani nibone ukuthi iNkosi inhle” bese ewasebenzisa kuJesu — Lowo abafundi abeze kuye bamfumana emuhle. 4Njengoba niza kuye, itshe eliphilayo elalahlwa ngabantu kodwa elikhethiweyo, eliligugu kuBaba wethu. 5Nani ngokwenu niyakhiwa, njengamatshe aphilayo, nibe yindlu engokomoya nobupristi obungcwele, ninikela ngemihlatshelo engokomoya ayamukelayo uBaba wethu ngoJesu Khristu.
6UmBhalo uthi: “Bhekani, ngibeka eZiyoni itshe legumbi elikhethiweyo neliyigugu; othi akholwe kulo akasoze ajabhiswe.”
7Ngakho lolu dumo lungolwenu nina enikholwayo. Kepha kulabo abangakholwa, itshe elalahlwa ngabakhi seliyitshe legumbi,
8nelitshe lokukhubekisa, idwala elibawisa. Bayakhubeka ngokuba bengalaleli izwi — yilokho ababemiselwe khona.
9Kodwa nina niyisizwe esikhethiweyo, ubupristi basebukhosini, isizwe esingcwele, abantu bakaBaba wethu, ukuze nimemezele izindumiso zalowo owanibiza ukuba niphume ebumnyameni ningene ekukhanyeni kwakhe okumangalisayo. 10Kuqala naningesona isizwe, kodwa manje seningabantu bakaBaba wethu; kuqala naningahawukelwanga, kodwa manje senihawukelwe. b b v10 UPhetro usebenzisa uHoseya: labo ababekade “bengesona isizwe” manje sebethiwa ngabakaBaba wethu uqobo — owangaphandle olethwe ekhaya waboniswa isihawu.
11Bangane abathandekayo, ngiyanincenga — nina bafokazi nezihambi — ukuba nigweme izinkanuko zenyama ezilwa nomphefumulo wenu. 12Philani ukuphila okuhle phakathi kwezizwe, ukuze kuthi lapho beninyundela ngokungathi ningabenzi bokubi, babone imisebenzi yenu emihle bese bedumisa uBaba wethu ngosuku azosivakashela ngalo.
13Zithobeni kubo bonke ababusi babantu ngenxa yeNkosi — kungaba kumbusi omkhulu, njengophethe konke, 14noma kubabusi, abathunywe ngumbusi omkhulu ukuba bajezise abenzi bokubi babonge labo abenza okuhle. 15Ngokuba lokhu kuyintando kaBaba wethu: ukuthi ngokwenza okuhle nithulise inkulumo yokungazi yabantu abayiziwula. 16Philani njengabantu abakhululekile — ningasebenzisi inkululeko ukufihla ububi — kodwa njengezinceku zikaBaba wethu. 17Hloniphani wonke umuntu, thandani umndeni wamakholwa, mesabeni uBaba wethu, hloniphani umbusi omkhulu.
18Zinceku, zithobeni kubaphathi benu ngenhlonipho egcwele — hhayi kuphela kulabo abalungileyo nabamnene, kodwa nakulabo abalukhuni. 19Ngokuba kuyancomeka uma umuntu ebekezelela ubuhlungu bokuhlupheka ngokungafanele, ekhumbula uBaba wethu. 20Kuyini udumo uma nibekezelela ukushaywa ngenxa yokona? Kodwa ukubekezelela ukuhlupheka ngenxa yokwenza okuhle — lokhu kuyancomeka phambi kukaBaba wethu.
21Nabizelwa kulokhu, njengoba uKhristu laye wanihluphekela, enishiyela isibonelo ukuze nilandele ezinyathelweni zakhe. 22“Akenzanga sono, futhi akutholakalanga nkohliso emlonyeni wakhe.” 23Lapho bemthuka, akaphindiselanga; lapho ehlupheka, akasabisanga, kodwa wazinikela kulowo owahlulela ngokulunga. 24Yena ngokwakhe wathwala izono zethu emzimbeni wakhe esihlahleni, ukuze sife esonweni siphilele ukulunga; ngamanxeba akhe niphilisiwe. c c v24 'Isihlahla' kusho isiphambano — uPhetro uphinda umfanekiso weTestamente eliDala wokuthwala isiqalekiso ngokulengiswa esihlahleni (uDuteronomi 21:23). 25Ngokuba naniduka njengezimvu, kodwa manje senibuyele kuMalusi noMlondolozi wemiphefumulo yenu.
