Izwi Eliphezu kweDamaseku
IDamaseku liba yinqwaba yamanxiwa, nenkazimulo ka-Israyeli incipha ibe yimihlwathi emibili noma emithathu esiqongweni somuthi oshaywe. Iphuzu livela phakathi nendawo: ekugcineni abantu babheka kuMenzi wabo, uBaba wethu, esikhundleni salokho okwenziwe yiminwe yabo. Izizwe zibhonga njengolwandle, bese ziyanyamalala.
17 1Isiprofetho ngeDamaseku. Bheka—iDamaseku ngeke lisabe yidolobha; liba yinqwaba yamanxiwa. 2Amadolobha ase-Aroweri ashiyiwe; ayakushiyelwa imihlambi, eyakulala phansi kungekho oyethusayo. 3Inqaba iyakunyamalala kwa-Efrayimi, nombuso eDamaseku; nensali yase-Aramu iyakuba njengenkazimulo yabantwana bakwa-Israyeli, kusho uBaba wamabutho asezulwini.
4Ngalolo suku inkazimulo kaJakobe iyakwehliswa, namafutha omzimba wakhe ayakuncipha. 5Kuyakuba njengalapho umvuni ebutha amabele amile avune izikhwebu ngengalo yakhe; kuyakuba njengalapho umuntu ekhothoza amabele eSigodini saseRefayimi. 6Kodwa kuyakusala okuncane, njengalapho umnqumo ushaywa: iminqumo emibili noma emithathu evuthiwe esiqongweni kakhulu, emine noma emihlanu emagatsheni athelayo, kusho uBaba ka-Israyeli. a a v6 Abalimi beminqumo babevuna ngokushaya amagatsha ngezinduku ezinde ukuze bawise izithelo phansi; iminqumo embalwa esiqongweni kakhulu yayihlala ingafinyeleleki.
7Ngalolo suku abantu bayakubheka kuMenzi wabo, namehlo abo ayakuphendukela koNgcwele ka-Israyeli—uBaba wethu. b b v7 oNgcwele ka-Israyeli yigama elikhethekile lika-Isaya ngoBaba wethu — elimbiza njengoNkulunkulu ongcwele ozibophele kubantu abavame ukumkhohlwa. 8Abayikubheka ema-altare, umsebenzi wezandla zabo, abayikugqolozela lokho okwenziwe yiminwe yabo—izinsika zika-Ashera nama-altare empepho. 9Ngalolo suku amadolobha abo anamandla ayakuba njengezindawo ezishiyiweyo zamahlathi nezingqongo zezintaba, ezalahlwa lapho abantwana bakwa-Israyeli befika; kuyakuba yincithakalo. 10Ngokuba ukhohliwe uBaba wensindiso yakho, awuzange uwukhumbule iDwala lesiphephelo sakho. Ngalokho, noma utshala izivande ezinhle ufake namahlumela omvini wezizwe, 11nanoma ngosuku otshala ngalo zona ziqala ukuhluma, kuthi ekuseni okutshaliwe kwakho kuyaqhakaza, kodwa isivuno siyakunyamalala ngosuku losizi nobuhlungu obungelapheki. 12Maye, umsindo wabantu abaningi— bayahlokoma njengokuhlokoma kwezilwandle! Ukuduma kwezizwe— ziyaduma njengokuduma kwamanzi anamandla! 13Izizwe ziyaduma njengokuduma kwamanzi amaningi, kodwa uBaba wethu uyakuzikhuza, zibaleke ziye kude, ziqhutshwa phambi komoya njengamakhoba asemagqumeni, njengothuli oluntwezayo phambi kwesiphepho. 14Kusihlwa, nanko uvalo olungazelelwe! Kungakasi, abasekho. Yilesi isabelo salabo abasiphangayo, inkatho yalabo abasiphundlayo.
