UHezekeli 16

16 ¹Izwi likaBaba wethu lafika kimi, lathi:

²“Ndodana yomuntu, yenza iJerusalema libhekane nezenzo zalo ezinengekayo, ³uthi: iNkosi uBaba ithi kulo iJerusalema: Imvelaphi yakho nokuzalwa kwakho kwakusezweni lamaKhanani; uyihlo wayengumAmori, unyoko wayengumHeti. ⁴Ngosuku owazalwa ngalo inkaba yakho ayinqunywanga, awuhlanzwanga ngamanzi, awesulwanga ngosawoti, awusongwanga ngezindwangu. ^a a v4 Izingane ezazisanda kuzalwa kulowo mhlaba zazeswulwa ngosawoti zisongwe ngokuqinile ukuze zivikeleke ziqiniswe — le ngane ayizange inikwe lokho kunakekelwa nhlobo. ⁵Alikho iso elakuhawukela ngokwanele ukuba lenze okukodwa kwalokhu kuwe ngesihawu; kunalokho walahlwa endle, wedelelwa ngosuku owazalwa ngalo.

⁶“Ngedlula ngakubona ukhahlela egazini lakho, kwathi ulele egazini lakho ngathi kuwe, ‘Phila!’ Yebo, usegazini lakho ngathi kuwe, ‘Phila!’ ^b b v6 Lapho kungekho omunye owayeyifuna, uBaba wethu wakhuluma ukuphila phezu kwengane elahliwe — uthando lwakhe, hhayi ukubaluleka kwayo, yilapho indaba iqala khona. ⁷Ngakwenza wakhula njengesitshalo sasendle. Wakhula waba mude, wafinyelela ebuhleni obugcwele; amabele akho avela, nezinwele zakho zakhula, kodwa wawuhamba ze unqunu.

⁸“Lapho ngiphinda ngedlula ngakubona, wawusukhulile ngokwanele uthando. Ngendlala umphetho wengubo yami phezu kwakho, ngagubuzela ubunqunu bakho. Ngakwenzela isifungo sami, ngenza isivumelwano nawe, kusho iNkosi uBaba, waba ngowami. ^c c v8 Ukwendlala ingubo yomuntu phezu komunye kwakuyisenzo sasendulo sokucela umshado, lowo muntu umthathe abe ngowakho — yiso kanye isenzo uRuthe asicela kuBhowazi encwadini kaRuthe 3:9.

⁹“Ngase ngikugeza ngamanzi, ngahlanza igazi kuwe, ngakugcoba ngamafutha. ¹⁰Ngakugqokisa ingubo efekethisiwe nezimbadada zesikhumba esihle, ngakusonga ngelineni elihle, ngakumboza ngendwangu eyigugu. ¹¹Ngakuhlobisa ngemihlobiso: ngafaka izigqizo ezihlakaleni zakho nomgexo entanyeni yakho. ¹²Ngafaka isongo ekhaleni lakho, amacici ezindlebeni zakho, nomqhele omuhle ekhanda lakho. ¹³Ngakho wahlotshiswa ngegolide nangesiliva, izingubo zakho zaba yilineni elihle, nendwangu eyigugu, nendwangu efekethisiwe. Wadla ufulawa ocolekileyo, uju, namafutha. Waqhubeka waba muhle ngokwengeziwe, waphakama waba yindlovukazi. ¹⁴Udumo lwakho lwanda phakathi kwezizwe ngenxa yobuhle bakho, obapheleliswa inkazimulo engakunika yona, kusho iNkosi uBaba.

¹⁵“Kodwa wethemba ubuhle bakho, futhi, ngenxa yodumo lwakho, wafeba, wathululela umusa wakho kubo bonke abedlulayo—ubuhle bakho baba ngobabo. ¹⁶Wathatha ezinye zezingubo zakho wazenzela izindawo eziphakeme ezimibalabala, futhi kuzo wafeba. Izinto ezinjalo akufanele zenzeke—nhlobo! ^d d v16 ‘Izindawo eziphakeme’ kwakuyizindawo zokukhonzela eziphakeme ezingaphandle ezazisetshenziselwa ukukhonza izithombe kulo lonke elaseKhanani nelakwa-Israyeli. ¹⁷Wathatha nemihlobiso yakho emihle yegolide neyesiliva engangikunike yona, wenza izithombe zabesilisa, wafeba nazo. ¹⁸Wathatha izingubo zakho ezifekethisiwe ukuba uzimboze ngazo, wabeka amafutha ami nempepho yami phambi kwazo. ¹⁹Ukudla engakunika kona—ufulawa ocolekileyo, amafutha, noju engakuphakela kona—wakubeka phambi kwazo njengephunga elimnandi. Kwaba njalo, kusho iNkosi uBaba.

²⁰“Wathatha amadodana namadodakazi owawungizalele wona, wawanikela ezithombeni njengokudla. Ubufebe bakho babungakanele yini? ²¹Wahlaba abantwana bami wabanikela, ubadabulisa emlilweni ubanikela ezithombeni. ²²Kuzo zonke izinto zakho ezinengekayo nasebufebeni bakho wakhohlwa izinsuku zobusha bakho, lapho wawuhamba ze unqunu, ukhahlela egazini lakho.

²³“Emva kwabo bonke ububi bakho—maye, maye kuwe! kusho iNkosi uBaba.

²⁴“Wazakhela idundulu, wazenzela indawo ephakeme kuzo zonke izinkundla zomphakathi. ²⁵Kuwo wonke amagumbi ezitaladi wakha indawo yakho ephakeme, wawona ubuhle bakho, waziphana kubo bonke abedlulayo, wandisa ubufebe bakho. ²⁶Wafeba namaGibhithe, omakhelwane bakho abanenkanuko, wandisa ubufebe bakho ukuze ungicunule. ²⁷Ngako ngelula isandla sami ngimelene nawe, nganciphisa umngcele wakho. Ngakunikela ebugovini bezitha zakho, amadodakazi amaFilisti, ayenamahloni ngenxa yokuziphatha kwakho okuhlazisayo. ²⁸Wafeba namaAsiriya, ungenelisekile; wafeba nawo, kodwa wawungakeneliseki. ²⁹Wandisa ubufebe bakho waze wafinyelela eBhabhiloni, izwe labathengisi, kodwa naphezu kwalokhu wawungenelisekile.”

³⁰“Yeka ukuthi inhliziyo yakho ibuthakathaka kanjani, kusho iNkosi uBaba, ngokuba wenza konke lokhu, umsebenzi wesifebe esinesibindi!

³¹“Lapho wakha idundulu lakho kuwo wonke amagumbi, wenza indawo yakho ephakeme kuzo zonke izinkundla, wawungafani ngisho nesifebe, ngokuba wenqaba inkokhelo.

³²“Wena mfazi oyisiphingi! Uthatha abafokazi esikhundleni sendoda yakho siqu. ³³Amadoda anika zonke izifebe izipho, kodwa wena wanika zonke izithandwa zakho izipho, uzifumbathisa ukuba zize kuwe zivela nhlangothi zonke ngenxa yobufebe bakho. ³⁴Ebufebeni bakho wawuphambene nabanye abesifazane: akekho owakuncenga. Wena wakhokha, kodwa akekho owakukhokhela—okuphambene ngqo.

³⁵“Ngakho-ke, wena sifebe, zwana izwi likaBaba wethu! ³⁶Itsho kanje iNkosi uBaba: “Ngenxa yokuthi inkanuko yakho yathululwa, nobunqunu bakho bembulwa ngokufeba kwakho nezithandwa zakho nazo zonke izithombe zakho ezinengekayo, nangenxa yegazi labantwana bakho owabanika lona, ³⁷ngakho ngiyakubutha zonke izithandwa zakho owawuthokoza ngazo—lezo owazithanda nalezo owazizonda—ngizilethe ukuba zimelane nawe zivela nhlangothi zonke, ngikuhlubule ube nqunu phambi kwazo, futhi ziyakubona bonke ubunqunu bakho. ³⁸Ngiyakukwahlulela njengoba kwahlulelwa abesifazane abaphingayo nababulali, ngehlisele phezu kwakho igazi lentukuthelo nomhawu. ³⁹Ngiyakukunikela ezithandweni zakho. Ziyakudiliza amadundulu akho, zibhidlize izindawo zakho eziphakeme, zikuhlubule izingubo zakho, zithathe imihlobiso yakho emihle, zikushiye uze unqunu. ⁴⁰Ziyakuletha isixuku ukuba simelane nawe sikukhande ngamatshe, sikusike ube yizicucu ngezinkemba zazo. ⁴¹Ziyakushisa izindlu zakho, zikwahlulele phambi kwabesifazane abaningi. Ngiyakuqeda ubufebe bakho, futhi ngeke usakhokhela izithandwa zakho. ⁴²Khona-ke intukuthelo yami kuwe iyakudamba, umhawu wami uyakusuka kuwe; ngiyakuthula, ngingabe ngisathukuthela.”

⁴³“Ngenxa yokuthi awuzange ukhumbule ubusha bakho, kodwa wangicunula ngakho konke lokhu, ngiyakwehlisela ekhanda lakho lokho okwenzile, kusho iNkosi uBaba. Awunezelanga yini ukuhlazeka kuzo zonke ezinye izenzo zakho ezinengekayo?

⁴⁴“Wonke umuntu oshoyo izaga uyakusho lesi saga ngawe: ‘Njengonina, kunjalo nendodakazi.’” ⁴⁵Uyindodakazi kanyoko, owazonda indoda yakhe nabantwana bakhe. Uyidadewabo wodadewenu, ababezonda abakubo. Unyoko wayengumHeti, uyihlo engumAmori. ⁴⁶Enyakatho yakho kwakuhlala udadewenu omdala iSamariya namadodakazi akhe; eningizimu yakho, udadewenu omncane iSodoma namadodakazi akhe. ⁴⁷Awuhambanga kuphela ezindleleni zabo walingisa izenzo zabo ezinengekayo; kuzo zonke izindlela zakho washesha waba yinkohlakalo ngaphezu kwabo. ⁴⁸Kuphila kwami, kusho iNkosi uBaba, udadewenu iSodoma namadodakazi akhe abazange benze lokho wena namadodakazi akho enikwenzile.

⁴⁹“Yilesi isono sikadadewenu iSodoma: yena namadodakazi akhe babezidla, besuthi ngokweqile, bonwabile benganaki; abazange basize abampofu nabaswele. ⁵⁰Babezidla, benza izinto ezinengekayo phambi kwami. Ngako ngabasusa lapho ngikubona. ⁵¹ISamariya ayizange yone ngisho nohhafu wezono zakho. Wandisa izinto zakho ezinengekayo ngaphezu kwezabo, wenza odadewenu babonakale belungile ngakho konke okwenzile. ⁵²Thwala ihlazo lakho, ngokuba wanika odadewenu izaba. Njengoba izono zakho zazinengeka ngaphezu kwezabo, babonakala belungile kunawe. Ngakho yiba namahloni uthwale ihlazo lakho, ngokuba wenza odadewenu babonakale belungile.

⁵³“Kodwa ngiyakubuyisa inhlanhla yeSodoma namadodakazi ayo, neyeSamariya namadodakazi ayo, nenhlanhla yakho kanye nazo, ⁵⁴ukuze uthwale ihlazo lakho, unamahloni ngakho konke okwenza ekududuzeni kwazo. ⁵⁵Odadewenu, iSodoma neSamariya kanye namadodakazi abo, bayakubuyela esimweni sabo sakuqala, nawe kanye namadodakazi akho esimweni sakho. ⁵⁶Wawungafuni ngisho ukumbiza udadewenu iSodoma ezinsukwini zakho zokuzidla, ⁵⁷ngaphambi kokuba ububi bakho siqu bembulwe. Manje usuhlekwa usulu ngamadodakazi akwa-Edomi nabo bonke omakhelwane bayo, nangamadodakazi amaFilisti—bonke abakuzungezile abakwedelelayo. ⁵⁸Uyakuthwala imiphumela yokungcola kwakho nezenzo zakho ezinengekayo, kusho uBaba wethu.

⁵⁹Itsho kanje iNkosi uBaba: “Ngiyakwenza kuwe njengoba ufanele, ngokuba wadelela isifungo sami ngokwephula isivumelwano. ⁶⁰“Kodwa ngiyakusikhumbula isivumelwano sami nawe ezinsukwini zobusha bakho, ngimise isivumelwano esiphakade nawe. ^e e v60 Ngisho nangemva kwakho konke ukukhaphela, uBaba wethu ngeke avumele ubudlelwano buphele — uzibopha esivumelwaneni esiphakade, lona kanye uthando oluthembekileyo olufinyelela ekugcwaleni kwalo kuJesu. ⁶¹Khona-ke uyakukhumbula izindlela zakho ube namahloni lapho wamukela odadewenu, abadala nabancane. Ngiyakubanika kuwe njengamadodakazi, kodwa kungaveli esivumelwaneni sethu nawe. ⁶²Ngakho ngiyakumisa isivumelwano sami nawe, futhi uyakwazi ukuthi nginguBaba wakho. ⁶³Lapho ngikwenzela inhlawulo yokubuyisana ngakho konke okwenzile, uyakukhumbula ube namahloni, ungaphinde uvule umlomo wakho ngenxa yehlazo lakho, kusho iNkosi uBaba.’”