UBaba Uyamfulathela Umntwana Wakhe Ongathembekile
Kudangele kuze kube sekugcineni. Imikhosi ngeke ilethe induduzo, ukudingiswa kusho ukudla okungcolile e-Asiriya, futhi umprofethi ubizwa ngohlanya. Imigqa enokhahlo kakhulu icela uBaba wethu ukuba anike u-Efrayimi isizalo esiphunzayo. Iphetha ngabazulazula phakathi kwezizwe, kungekho sithembiso esinamathiselwe.
9 1Ungathokozi, Israyeli; ungethabi njengezizwe. Ngokuba ube ongathembekile, ushiye uBaba wakho; uthande inkokhelo yesifebe kuzo zonke izibuya.
2Isibuya nesikhamo sewayini ngeke zibondle, newayini elisha liyakubashiya. 3Ngeke bahlale ezweni likaBaba wethu; u-Efrayimi uyakubuyela eGibhithe, e-Asiriya bayakudla ukudla okungcolileyo. 4Ngeke bathele iminikelo yewayini kuBaba wethu, nemihlatshelo yabo ngeke imjabulise yena. Isinkwa sabo siyakuba njengesinkwa sabalilayo; bonke abasidlayo bayakungcoliswa. Ngokuba isinkwa sabo siyakusuthisa indlala yabo kuphela; ngeke singene endlini kaBaba wethu.
5Uyakwenzani ngosuku lomkhosi omisiweyo, ngosuku lomgubho kaBaba wethu? 6Ngokuba bheka—babaleka encithakalweni, kodwa iGibhithe iyakubabutha, iMemfisi iyakubangcwaba. Imbabazane iyakusibekela ingcebo yabo yesiliva; ameva ayakugcwala ematendeni abo.
7Izinsuku zokujeziswa sezifikile; izinsuku zokulandisa sezifikile—makakwazi u-Israyeli lokho! Umprofethi uyisiwula, umuntu ophefumulelwe ngumoya uhlanya, ngokuba isono sakho sikhulu nobutha bakho bukhulu. 8Umprofethi ungumlindi ka-Efrayimi, kanye noBaba wami; kodwa ugibe lwenyoni lukuzo zonke izindlela zakhe, nobutha endlini kaBaba wakhe. 9Bashone phansi ngokujulileyo ekonakaleni, njengasezinsukwini zaseGibheya. Uyakukhumbula ukona kwabo; uyakujezisa izono zabo. a a v9 IGibheya kwakuyindawo lapho kwenzeka khona ukudlwengulwa okwesabekayo kweqembu, okwabangela impi yombango phakathi kwezizwe — isikhathi esimnyama kunazo zonke sika-Israyeli (AbAhluleli 19–20).
10Njengamagilebhisi ehlane ngamfumana u-Israyeli; njengezithelo zokuqala emkhiweni ngesikhathi saso sokuqala ngabona okhokho benu. Kodwa bafika eBhali-pheyori bazinikela ehlazweni, baba yisinengiso njengalokho ababekuthanda. b b v10 EBhali-pheyori, u-Israyeli wakhonza unkulunkulu wabezizwe, wawela ekuziphatheni kabi ngokocansi okukhulu — ukukhaphela kwabo kokuqala okukhulu ezweni lesithembiso (AmaNani 25). 11Inkazimulo ka-Efrayimi iyakundiza imuke njengenyoni—akukho ukuzalwa, akukho ukukhulelwa, akukho ukumitha. 12Noma bengakhulisa abantwana babo, ngiyakubemuka kuze kungabikho namunye osalayo. Yebo, maye kubo lapho ngibafulathela! 13U-Efrayimi, njengoba ngibonile, wayetshaliwe njengeThire edlelweni; kodwa u-Efrayimi umelwe ukukhiphela abantwana bakhe ekubulaweni.
14Banike bona, Baba wethu—uyakubanikani? Banike isizalo esiphunzisayo namabele omileyo.
15“Bonke ububi babo buseGiligali; lapho ngabenqaba ngenxa yezenzo zabo ezimbi; ngiyakubaxosha endlini yami; angisayikubabonisa uthando lwami; zonke izikhulu zabo zingamahlongandlebe. 16U-Efrayimi ushayiwe phansi; impande yabo yomile; ngeke bathele izithelo. Noma bengazala, ngiyakunikela abantwana babo abathandekayo ekufeni.”
17UBaba wami uyakubenqaba ngokuba bengamlalelanga; bayakuba ngabazulazulayo phakathi kwezizwe.
