Abalungileyo Bayaphumula, Abahlubuki Bayazulazula
Abantu abalungile bayafa kungabikho noyedwa oqaphelayo. UBaba wethu ubiza ngegama ukunikela ngezingane njengemihlatshelo nemibhede ezintabeni eziphakemeyo, bese ebuza ukuthi babesaba bani kangangokuba bamkhohlwa. Ophakemeyo nongcwele uthi uhlala nabachotshoziwe futhi uphilisa umuntu owayelokhu ehamba emshiya.
57 1Olungileyo uyabhubha, kungekho obeka lokhu enhliziyweni; abantu abathembekileyo bayasuswa, kungekho oqonda ukuthi abalungileyo basindiswa ebubini obuzayo. 2Ungena ekuthuleni; baphumula emibhedeni yabo—wonke ohamba ngobuqotho.
3Kodwa nina—sondelani lapha, nina bantwana bomthakathikazi, nina nzalo yesiphingi nesifebe! 4Nihleka bani usulu? Nivulela bani umlomo wenu niphume nolimi? Anisibo yini abantwana bokuhlubuka, inzalo yamanga, 5nina enisha ngenkanuko phakathi kwama-okhi, ngaphansi kwazo zonke izihlahla eziluhlaza, enihlaba abantwana benu ezigodini, ngaphansi kwemifantu yamadwala? 6Phakathi kwamatshe abushelezi esigodi kukhona isabelo sakho; yebo, yiwo inkatho yakho. Kuwo uthululele umnikelo wokuphuzwa, waletha umnikelo wempuphu. Ngingeneliseka yini ngakho konke lokhu? 7Entabeni ephakeme nephakemeyo ubeke umbhede wakho; nalapho wenyukela khona ukuba unikele umhlatshelo. 8Emuva komnyango nensika yomnyango umisile uphawu lwakho. Ungishiya, wembula umbhede wakho; wenyukela kuwo wawenza waba banzi. Wenza isivumelwano nabo; wawuthanda umbhede wabo, wabukisisa ubunqunu babo. 9Waya enkosini unamafutha, wandisa amakha akho; wathuma izithunywa zakho kude, wazehlisela phansi kuze kube semhlabeni wabafileyo. a a v9 ‘Inkosi’ cishe kusho uMoleki, unkulunkulu wamaKhanani ohlotshaniswa nomhlatshelo wabantwana. 10Wakhathala ngenxa yobude bendlela yakho, nokho awushongo ukuthi, “Alikho ithemba.” Wathola amandla amasha, ngakho awuzange uphele amandla. 11Ubani lo owawumesaba umethuke kangaka waze waqamba amanga, awungikhumbula, awunaka lutho? Angithulanga yini isikhathi eside kangaka waze wangasangesaba? 12Ngiyakuveza obala ukulunga kwakho nemisebenzi yakho, kodwa ngeke kukusize ngalutho. 13Uma ukhala, akuthi iqoqo lakho lezithombe likukhulule! Umoya uzozisusa zonke, ukuphefumula kuzozithatha. Kodwa othola isiphephelo kimi uyakudla ifa lezwe azuze nentaba yami engcwele.
Lungisani Indlela Yokubuya Ekhaya
14Kuyothiwa: “Yakhani, yakhani, lungisani indlela! Susani zonke izithiyo endleleni yabantu bami.”
15Ngokuba usho kanje oPhakemeyo noPhakanyisiweyo—uBaba wethu, ophila phakade, ogama lakhe linguNgcwele: “Ngihlala endaweni ephakeme nengcwele, kanye nalowo odabukileyo nothobekileyo emoyeni, ukuze ngivuselele umoya wabathobekileyo nokuvuselela inhliziyo yabadabukileyo. b b v15 uBaba wethu uhlala endaweni ephakeme nengcwele — futhi wakha ikhaya lakhe kwabanenhliziyo ephukileyo. Yilena inhliziyo kaNkulunkulu eyembuliwe: uBaba ofanayo ophila phakade uyazithoba ukuba ahlale nanoma ubani omoya wakhe uchotshoziwe. 16Ngokuba angiyikulwa njalonjalo, futhi ngeke ngithukuthele kokuphela; ngokuba khona umoya ubungaphela amandla phambi kwami—wona kanye umoya wokuphila engawenzayo. 17Ngenxa yokuhaha kwakhe okuyisono ngathukuthela; ngamshaya, ngafihla ubuso bami, ngathukuthela—kodwa waqhubeka efulathela, elandela indlela yenhliziyo yakhe. 18Ngizibonile izindlela zakhe, kodwa ngiyakumphilisa; ngiyakumhola ngibuyisele induduzo kuye nakulabo abamlilelayo, 19ngiletha indumiso ezindebeni zabo. Ukuthula, ukuthula kokude nokuseduze,” kusho uBaba wethu, “ngiyakubaphilisa.” c c v19 UPawulu usebenzisa lokhu kuthula-kokude-nokuseduze ngqo kuJesu: ‘Weza washumayela ukuthula kini enanikude nokuthula kulabo ababeseduze’ (Efe 2:17). Isithembiso sikaBaba wethu sokuthula sifinyelela kokubili kumJuda nakowezizwe ngeNdodana.
20Kodwa ababi banjengolwandle olujahayo, olungenakuthula, omanzi alo aphehla udaka nebhuqu.
21“Akukho ukuthula,” kusho uBaba wethu, “kwababi.”
