IZenzo 7

7 ¹Umpristi omkhulu wayesebuza wathi: “Ingabe lezi zinto ziyiqiniso na?”

²UStefanu wathi: “Bazalwane nani bobaba, lalelani: uBaba wethu wenkazimulo wabonakala kubaba wethu u-Abrahama eMesophothamiya, engakahlali eHarana,

³wathi kuye: ‘Phuma ezweni lakho nasezihlotsheni zakho, uye ezweni engizakukukhombisa.’

⁴Waphuma ezweni labaseBabiloni wahlala eHarana. Emva kokufa kukayise, uBaba wethu wamsusa lapho wamngenisa kuleli zwe enihlala kulo manje. ⁵Akamnikanga lifa kulo, ngisho nendawo enganyathelwa unyawo olulodwa—kodwa wamthembisa lona kanye nenzalo yakhe emva kwakhe njengefa, nakuba wayengenamntwana. ⁶UBaba wethu wathi inzalo yakhe yayizakuba ngabafokazi ezweni elingesilo elabo, igqilazwe iphathwe kabi iminyaka engamakhulu amane.

⁷UBaba wethu wathi: ‘Ngizakwahlulela isizwe abasikhonzayo,’ kusho uBaba wethu, ‘emva kwalokho bazakuphuma bangikhonze kulendawo.’

⁸Wamnika isivumelwano sokusoka. U-Abrahama wazala u-Isaka wamsoka ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili; u-Isaka wazala uJakobe, uJakobe wazala okhokho abayishumi nambili.

⁹Okhokho, benomona ngoJosefa, bamthengisa eGibhithe, kodwa uBaba wethu wayenaye, ¹⁰wamsindisa kuzo zonke izinhlupheko zakhe, wamnika umusa nokuhlakanipha phambi kukaFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe, owamenza umbusi phezu kweGibhithe nawo wonke umuzi kaFaro. ¹¹Kwafika indlala nokuhlupheka okukhulu kulo lonke iGibhithe neKhanani, obaba bethu abazange bakuthole ukudla. ¹²UJakobe wathi ezwa ukuthi kukhona okusanhlamvu eGibhithe, wathuma obaba bethu khona okokuqala. ¹³Ekuhambeleni kwesibili, uJosefa wazazisa kubafowabo, uFaro waziswa ngomndeni kaJosefa. ¹⁴UJosefa wathumela ukuba kubizwe uyise uJakobe nazo zonke izihlobo zakhe, abantu abangamashumi ayisikhombisa nanhlanu sebebonke.

¹⁵UJakobe wehlela eGibhithe, wafa, yena nobaba bethu. ¹⁶Babuyiselwa eShekemi, bangcwatshwa ethuneni u-Abrahama ayelithenge ngesiliva kumadodana kaHamori eShekemi.

¹⁷Kwathi lapho sekusondele isikhathi sesithembiso uBaba wethu asinika u-Abrahama, abantu banda bachuma eGibhithe, ¹⁸kwaze kwavela enye inkosi phezu kweGibhithe eyayingamazi uJosefa. ¹⁹Le nkosi yaxhaphaza abantu bakithi yaphatha kabi obaba bethu, ibaphoqa ukuba balahle izingane zabo ezincane ukuze zife.

²⁰Ngaleso sikhathi kwazalwa uMose, omuhle emehlweni kaBaba wethu. Wondliwa izinyanga ezintathu endlini kayise. ²¹Kwathi lapho elahliwe, indodakazi kaFaro yamthola yamkhulisa njengendodana yayo. ²²UMose wafundiswa kukho konke ukuhlakanipha kwaseGibhithe, wayenamandla ekukhulumeni nasezenzweni.

²³Eseneminyaka engamashumi amane, wanquma ukuvakashela abafowabo, amadodana ka-Israyeli. ²⁴Wathi ebona omunye wabo ephathwa kabi, wamvikela lowo ocindezelwayo, wamphindisela ngokubulala umGibhithe. ²⁵Wayecabanga ukuthi abafowabo bazakuqonda ukuthi uBaba wethu wayebanika insindiso ngesandla sakhe, kodwa abazange baqonde.

²⁶Ngakusasa wabafica belwa, wazama ukubabuyisana, wathi: ‘Madoda, ningabazalwane. Kungani nonana?’ ²⁷Kodwa lowo muntu owayona umakhelwane wakhe wamsunduza uMose, wathi: ‘Ngubani okubeke umbusi nomahluleli phezu kwethu? ²⁸Ufuna ukungibulala njengoba ubulele umGibhithe izolo na?’ ²⁹Ngenxa yaleli zwi, uMose wabaleka wahlala njengomfokazi ezweni laseMidiyani, lapho azala khona amadodana amabili.

³⁰Emva kweminyaka engamashumi amane, kwabonakala kuye ingelosi ehlane lwaseNtabeni iSinayi, elangabini lesihlahla esivuthayo. ³¹UMose wakubona wamangala; esasondela ukuba abuke eduze, kwafika izwi likaBaba wethu, lathi:

³²‘NginguNkulunkulu wawoyihlo—uNkulunkulu ka-Abrahama, u-Isaka, noJakobe.’ UMose waqhaqhazela, engaze alinge ukubuka. ³³UBaba wethu wayesethi kuye: ‘Khumula izicathulo ezinyaweni zakho, ngokuba indawo omi kuyo iwumhlabathi ongcwele.’ ³⁴Ngikubonile impela ukuhlupheka kwabantu bami eGibhithe, ngikuzwile ukububula kwabo, ngehlile ukuba ngibasindise. Manje hamba—ngikuthuma eGibhithe.

³⁵Lo Mose, abamala bethi: ‘Ngubani okubeke umbusi nomahluleli?’—nguye uBaba wethu amthuma njengombusi nomhlengi, ngesandla sengelosi eyabonakala kuye esihlahleni. ³⁶Lo muntu wabakhipha, enza izimangaliso nezibonakaliso ezweni laseGibhithe, oLwandle Olubomvu, nasehlane iminyaka engamashumi amane. ³⁷Lo nguMose owathi kumadodana ka-Israyeli: ‘UBaba wethu uzakunivusela umprofethi onjengami, aphume kubafowenu.’ ³⁸Nguye owayesebandleni ehlane nengelosi eyayikhuluma naye eNtabeni iSinayi, nobaba bethu—wamukela amazwi aphilayo ukuba asinike wona.

³⁹Obaba bethu bala ukumlalela; bamchitha, ezinhliziyweni zabo babuyela eGibhithe, ⁴⁰bethi ku-Aroni: ‘Senzele onkulunkulu abazakuhamba phambi kwethu. Kodwa lo Mose owasikhipha ezweni laseGibhithe, asazi ukuthi wehlelwa yini.’ ⁴¹Benza ithole ngalezo zinsuku, banikela ngomhlatshelo kuleso sithombe, bajabulela lokho izandla zabo ezazikwenzile. ⁴²Kodwa uBaba wethu wafulathela, wabanikela ekukhonzeni amabutho asezulwini, njengoba kulotshiwe encwadini yabaprofethi: ‘Nangilethela yini izilwane ezihlatshiweyo nemihlatshelo iminyaka engamashumi amane ehlane, ndlu ka-Israyeli? ⁴³Nathwala itende likaMoloki nenkanyezi kankulunkulu wenu uRefani, izithombe enazenzela zona ukuba nizikhonze; ngakho ngizakunixosha niye ngale kakhulu kweBabiloni.’

⁴⁴Okhokho bethu babenetende lobufakazi ehlane, njengoba lowo owakhuluma noMose amyala ukuba alenze, ngokwesibonelo ayesibonile. ⁴⁵Obaba bethu balingenisa nabo kanye noJoshuwa lapho bephuca izizwe uBaba wethu azixosha phambi kwabo. Kwaba njalo kwaze kwaba yizinsuku zikaDavida, ⁴⁶owathola umusa kuBaba wethu, wacela ukuthola indawo yokuhlala kaBaba wethu. ⁴⁷Kodwa nguSolomoni owamakhela indlu. ⁴⁸Kodwa oPhezukonke akahlali ezindlini ezenziwe ngezandla zabantu, njengoba umprofethi esho ethi:

⁴⁹‘Izulu liyisihlalo sami sobukhosi, nomhlaba uyisenabelo sezinyawo zami. Ningangakhela ndlu luhlobo luni, kusho uBaba wethu, noma iyiphi indawo yokuphumula kwami? ⁵⁰Angithi isandla sami senza zonke lezi zinto na?’

⁵¹“Nina bantu benkani, eningasokile ezinhliziyweni nasezindlebeni, nihlala nimelana noMoya oNgcwele—njengoba kwakunjalo koyihlo, kunjalo nakini. ⁵²Yimuphi umprofethi oyihlo abangamzingelanga? Babulala labo ababememezela kusengaphambili ukufika koLungileyo—enimkhaphele manje nambulala. ⁵³Nina enamukela umthetho ngezingelosi kodwa anawugcina.”

⁵⁴Kwathi lapho bezwa lezi zinto, bathukuthela, bagedla amazinyo kuye. ⁵⁵Kodwa uStefanu, egcwele uMoya oNgcwele, wagqolozela ezulwini, wabona inkazimulo kaBaba wethu, noJesu emi ngakwesokunene sikaBaba wethu. ^a a v55 UStefanu ubona uJesu emi eceleni kukaBaba wethu ezulwini—iNdodana ihlonishwa ngakwesokunene sikaBaba, yehlukile kuBaba kodwa ihlanganyela inkazimulo yakhe.

⁵⁶Wathi: “Bhekani, ngibona amazulu evulekile neNdodana yomuntu imi ngakwesokunene sikaBaba wethu.”

⁵⁷Kodwa bamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, bavala izindlebe zabo, bamgijimela. ⁵⁸Bamkhiphela ngaphandle komuzi, bamkhanda ngamatshe. Ofakazi babeka izingubo zabo ezinyaweni zensizwa egama layo linguSawulu.

⁵⁹Kwathi besamkhanda ngamatshe, uStefanu wamemeza wathi: “Nkosi Jesu, yamukela umoya wami.” ^b b v59 Esefa, uStefanu unikela umoya wakhe kuJesu—wona kanye umthandazo uJesu awuthandaza kuBaba esiphambanweni (Luka 23:46). Ukuwuthandaza kuJesu kuwukumvuma njengeNkosi.

⁶⁰Eguqa ngamadolo, wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu wathi: “Nkosi, ungababaleli lesi sono.” Wabe eselala ubuthongo.