UHezekeli 18

18 ¹Izwi likaBaba wethu lafika kimi:

²“Kungani niphinda lesi saga ngezwe lakwa-Israyeli, nithi: ‘Abazali badla amagilebhisi amuncu, aba buhlungu amazinyo abantwana’?

³“Njengoba ngikhona, kusho iNkosi uBaba wethu, ngeke nisasisebenzisa lesi saga kwa-Israyeli. ⁴‘Yonke imiphefumulo ingeyami: owomzali nowomntwana ngokufanayo. Umphefumulo owonayo yiwo oyakufa. ⁵Uma kukhona umuntu olungileyo owenza okulungileyo nokuqondileyo, ⁶akadli ezindaweni zokukhonzela ezisezintabeni, akawaphakamiseli amehlo ezithombeni zendlu ka-Israyeli. Akaphingi nomfazi womakhelwane wakhe, angalali nowesifazane osesikhathini sakhe. ⁷Akacindezeli muntu, kodwa ubuyisela isibambiso asithathele imali eyebolekiweyo. Akaphangi, kodwa unika olambileyo isinkwa sakhe, embese ohambaze ngezingubo. ⁸Akabolekisi ngenzalo, angathathi inzuzo, kodwa ususa isandla sakhe ebubini, ahlulele ngokuqondileyo phakathi komuntu nomuntu.’ ⁹Uhamba ngezimiso zami, agcine imithetho yami ngokwethembeka. Lowo muntu ulungile; uyakuphila nokuphila, kusho iNkosi uBaba wethu.

¹⁰“Uma enendodana enodlame echitha igazi, noma eyenza enye yalezi zinto, ¹¹(nakuba uyise engenzanga lutho kwalokhu): udla ezindaweni zokukhonzela ezisezintabeni, angcolise umfazi womakhelwane wakhe, ¹²acindezele ompofu noswelayo, aphange, angasibuyisi isibambiso asithathileyo, aphakamisele amehlo ezithombeni, enze izenzo ezinengekayo. ¹³Ubolekisa ngenzalo, athathe inzuzo. Uyakuphila yini lowo muntu? Akayikuphila! Ngenxa yokuba enze zonke lezi zinto ezinengekayo, uyakubulawa nokubulawa, negazi lakhe liyakuba phezu kwekhanda lakhe.

¹⁴“Kodwa uma le ndodana izala indodana ebona zonke izono zikayise, ithi noma iyazibona, ingazenzi: ¹⁵Akadli ezindaweni zokukhonzela ezisezintabeni, akawaphakamiseli amehlo ezithombeni zendlu ka-Israyeli. Akaphingi nomfazi womakhelwane wakhe. ¹⁶Akacindezeli muntu, angathathi sibambiso. Akaphangi, kodwa unika olambileyo isinkwa sakhe, embese ohambaze ngezingubo. ¹⁷Ususa isandla sakhe ebubini, angathathi nzalo nanzuzo. Ugcina imithetho yami, ahambe ngezimiso zami. Akayikufa ngenxa yesono sikayise; uyakuphila nokuphila.

¹⁸“Kodwa uyise uyakufa ngenxa yesono sakhe siqu: ngoba waphanga ngodlame, waphanga umfowabo, wenza okubi phakathi kwabantu bakibo.

¹⁹“Kepha nibuza nithi: ‘Kungani indodana ingathwali icala likayise na?’ Njengoba indodana yenze okulungileyo nokuqondileyo, yagcina zonke izimiso zami ngokucophelela, iyakuphila nokuphila. ²⁰Umphefumulo owonayo yiwo oyakufa. Indodana ngeke ithwale icala likayise, noyise ngeke athwale icala lendodana yakhe. Ukulunga kolungileyo kuyakuba phezu kwakhe, nobubi bomubi buyakuba phezu kwakhe.

²¹“Kodwa uma omubi ephenduka ezonweni zakhe zonke azenzileyo, agcine zonke izimiso zami, enze okulungileyo nokuqondileyo, uyakuphila nokuphila, angafi. ²²Azikho izono azenzayo eziyakukhunjulwa ngakuye; ngenxa yokulunga akwenzileyo uyakuphila.’ ²³Kambe ngiyathokoza yini ngokufa komubi, kusho iNkosi uBaba wethu, kungabi kungcono ukuba aphenduke ezindleleni zakhe, aphile na? ^a a v23 UBaba wethu akathokozi ngokubhujiswa kwamuntu. Isifiso sakhe esijulileyo ukuba lowo odukileyo aphenduke, abuyele ekhaya ekuphileni.

²⁴“Kodwa uma olungileyo ephenduka ekulungeni kwakhe, one, enze izinto ezinengekayo ezifanayo nalezo ezenziwa ngomubi, uyakuphila na? Akukho kokulunga kwakhe okuyakukhunjulwa. Ngenxa yokungathembeki kwakhe nangezono zakhe, uyakufa.

²⁵“Kepha nithi: ‘Indlela kaBaba wethu ayilungile.’ Zwanini, ndlu ka-Israyeli: Ingabe indlela yami ayilungile na? Akuzona yini izindlela zenu ezingalungile? ²⁶Uma olungileyo ephenduka ekulungeni kwakhe, enze okubi, uyakufela khona; ngenxa yokubi akwenzileyo, uyakufa. ²⁷Kodwa uma omubi ephenduka ebubini abenzileyo, enze okulungileyo nokuqondileyo, uyakuwusindisa umphefumulo wakhe. ²⁸Ngenxa yokuba eqaphela zonke iziphambeko zakhe, aphenduke kuzo, uyakuphila nokuphila, angafi. ²⁹Kepha indlu ka-Israyeli ithi: ‘Indlela kaBaba wethu ayilungile.’ Ingabe izindlela zami azilungile na, ndlu ka-Israyeli? Akuzona yini izindlela zenu ezingalungile?’

³⁰“Ngakho ngiyakunahlulela, ndlu ka-Israyeli, kube ngamunye ngezindlela zakhe, kusho iNkosi uBaba wethu. Phendukani! Buyani kuzo zonke iziphambeko zenu, ukuze isono singabi yikubhujiswa kwenu. ³¹Lahlani zonke izono zenu enizenzileyo; zenzeleni inhliziyo entsha nomoya omusha. Kungani niyakufa, ndlu ka-Israyeli? ³²Ngokuba angithokozi ngokufa kwamuntu, kusho iNkosi uBaba wethu. Ngakho phendukani, niphile!”