I-Eksodusi 23

23 ¹“Ungasakazi umbiko wamanga, ungahlanganyeli nababi ukuba ube ngufakazi onesihluku.

²“Ungalandeli iningi ekwenzeni okubi, ungafakazi ecaleni usekela iningi ukuze uphambule ubulungiswa, ³futhi ungakhethi ubuso bompofu ecaleni lakhe.

⁴“Uma uhlangabezana nenkabi yesitha sakho noma imbongolo yaso iduka, uyibuyisele kuso ngempela. ⁵Uma ubona imbongolo yesitha sakho iwile ngaphansi komthwalo wayo, ungayishiyi—umsize ukuyikhulula.

⁶“Ungaphiki ubulungiswa kubampofu bakho emacaleni abo. ⁷Qhelelana namacala angamanga; ungabulali ongenacala nolungileyo, ngokuba ngeke ngimyeke onecala.

⁸“Ungathathi mfumbathiso—uphuphuthekisa ababonayo, uphendukezele amazwi abalungileyo.

⁹“Ungacindezeli owezizwe—niyayazi inhliziyo yowezizwe, njengoba nani naniyizifika ezweni laseGibhithe.

Ukuphumula Komhlaba

¹⁰“Iminyaka eyisithupha uyakuhlwanyela umhlaba wakho, uvune izithelo zawo, ¹¹kodwa ngonyaka wesikhombisa, uwuyeke uwushiye ungalinywanga, ukuze abampofu babantu bakho badle; okuseleyo, kudliwe yizilwane zasendle. Wenze njalo nasesivinini sakho nasensimini yakho yeminqumo.

¹²“Sebenza izinsuku eziyisithupha; uphumule ngolwesikhombisa, ukuze inkabi yakho nembongolo yakho kuphumule, nendodana yesigqilakazi sakho nowezizwe baphefumule.

¹³“Qaphela konke engikushilo kuwe. Ungaphathi amagama abanye onkulunkulu; angezwakali emlonyeni wakho.

Imikhosi Emithathu Phambi KukaBaba Wenu

¹⁴“Kathathu ngonyaka uyakungenzela umkhosi. ¹⁵Gcina uMkhosi weSinkwa Esingenamvubelo: udle isinkwa esingenamvubelo izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, njengoba ngakuyala, ngesikhathi esimisiweyo enyangeni ka-Abhibhi—ngokuba ngaleso sikhathi waphuma eGibhithe. Akekho oyakubonakala phambi kwami engaphethe lutho. ^a a v15 U-Abhibhi uyinyanga yasentwasahlobo lapho izilimo zivuthwa khona—kamuva eyabizwa ngokuthi uNisani. U-Israyeli waphuma eGibhithe ngale nyanga. ¹⁶Gcina uMkhosi woKuvuna—izithelo zokuqala zalokho okukuhlwanyele ensimini—noMkhosi wokuButha ekupheleni konyaka, lapho ubutha khona izithelo zakho ensimini. ¹⁷Kathathu ngonyaka bonke abesilisa bakho bayakubonakala phambi kukaBaba oBusayo.

¹⁸“Unganikeli ngegazi lomhlatshelo wami kanye nanoma yini enemvubelo, ungashiyi amafutha omnikelo womkhosi wami kuze kube sekuseni.

¹⁹“Letha okuhle kakhulu kwezithelo zokuqala zomhlabathi wakho endlini kaBaba wakho. Ungapheki izinyane lembuzi obisini lukanina.

Isithunywa Esithunywe Phambili

²⁰“Bheka, ngithuma isithunywa phambi kwakho ukuba sikugcine endleleni, sikuyise endaweni engiyilungisileyo. ²¹Qaphela phambi kwaso, ulalele izwi laso. Ungasivukeli—ngeke sikuthethelele ukuhlubuka kwakho, ngokuba igama lami lingaphakathi kwaso. ^b b v21 Ukuthi ‘igama lami likuso’ kusho ukuthi isithunywa siphethe igunya eliphelele nobukhona bukaNkulunkulu. ²²Kodwa uma uzwa ngempela izwi laso, wenze konke engikushoyo, ngiyakuba yisitha sezitha zakho, umphikisi wabamelene nawe. ²³Isithunywa sami siyakuhamba phambi kwakho, sikuyise kuma-Amori, amaHeti, amaPherizi, amaKhanani, amaHivi, namaJebusi, mina ngibaqothule. ²⁴Ungakhothameli onkulunkulu babo, ungabakhonzi, ungalandeli izenzo zabo. Badilize nya, uphahlaze izinsika zabo ezingcwele zibe yizicucu. ²⁵Uyakukhonza uBaba wakho, yena uyakubusisa isinkwa sakho namanzi akho; mina ngiyakususa isifo phakathi kwakho. ²⁶Akekho oyakuphunza noma abe yinyumba ezweni lakho; ngiyakuzigcwalisa izinsuku zakho. ²⁷Ngiyakuthuma uvalo lwami phambi kwakho, ngiphithizelise zonke izizwe ozihlangabezayo, ngenze zonke izitha zakho zikufulathele. ²⁸Ngiyakuthuma umnyovu phambi kwakho, uxoshe amaHivi, amaKhanani, namaHeti phambi kwakho. ^c c v28 ‘Umnyovu’ ungase usho iminyovu uqobo noma uvalo nokudideka uNkulunkulu akuthumela phambi kuka-Israyeli. ²⁹Ngeke ngibaxoshe phambi kwakho ngonyaka owodwa, funa izwe libe yihlane, izilwane zasendle zikwandele. ³⁰Kancane kancane ngiyakubaxosha phambi kwakho, uze wande, uthathe izwe libe yifa lakho. ³¹Ngiyakumisa umngcele wakho kusukela oLwandle Olubomvu kuze kufike oLwandle lwamaFilisti, kusukela ehlane kuze kufike eMfuleni, ngokuba ngiyakunikela kuwe abantu balelo zwe, uyakubaxosha phambi kwakho. ^d d v31 “uLwandle Olubomvu” luhumusha isiHebheru u-Yam Suf (“uLwandle Lwemihlanga”); “uLwandle lwamaFilisti” = uLwandle iMedithera; “uMfula” = u-Ewufrathe. ³²Ungenzi isivumelwano nabo noma nonkulunkulu babo. ³³Mabangahlali ezweni lakho, funa bakwenze wone kimi—uma ukhonza onkulunkulu babo, kuyakuba ngumgibe kuwe ngempela.”