UJoweli 3

3 ¹“Ngokuba bheka, ngalezo zinsuku nangaleso sikhathi, lapho ngibuyisa inhlanhla yakwaJuda neyaseJerusalema, ²Ngiyakubutha zonke izizwe ngizehlisele esigodini sikaJehoshafati. Lapho ngiyakuzahlulela ngenxa yabantu bami, ifa lami u-Israyeli, ababahlakaza phakathi kwezizwe; ngokuba balaba izwe lami, ^a a v2 UJehoshafati usho ukuthi “uBaba uyahlulela” — igama lalesi sigodi limemezela khona lokho kwahlulela okwenzeka lapho. ³baphosela abantu bami inkatho. Bathengisa umfana ngesifebe, badayisa intombazane ngewayini ukuze baliphuze.

⁴“Manje nina ninani ngami, Tire noSidoni, nayo yonke imimandla yakwaFilistiya? Ningibuyisela yini ngento engiyenzile na? Uma ningibuyisela, ngiyakubuyisela masinyane nangokushesha emakhanda enu lokho enikwenzile. ⁵Ngokuba nathatha isiliva sami negolide lami, naletha amagugu ami amahle kunawo onke emathempelini enu. ⁶Nadayisa abantu bakwaJuda nabaseJerusalema kumaGreki, ukuze nibaqhelise kude nezwe labo.

⁷“Kodwa bheka, ngiyabavusa endaweni enabadayisela kuyo, ngiyakubuyisela emakhanda enu lokho enikwenzile. ⁸Ngiyakuthengisa amadodana enu namadodakazi enu kubantu bakwaJuda, bona bawadayisele amaSabeya, isizwe esikude— ngokuba uBaba wethu ukhulumile.”

⁹Memezelani lokhu phakathi kwezizwe: Lungiselani impi! Vusani amaqhawe! Onke amadoda alwayo mawasondele enyuke. ¹⁰Khandani amakhuba enu abe yizinkemba nezingqamu zenu zokuthena zibe yimikhonto; obuthakathaka makathi, “Ngiliqhawe.” ¹¹Phangisani nize, nina nonke zizwe ezizungezileyo, nibuthane khona. Yehlisa amaqhawe akho, Baba wethu.

¹²“Izizwe mazivuke zenyukele esigodini sikaJehoshafati; ngokuba lapho ngiyakuhlala ukuze ngahlulele zonke izizwe ezizungezileyo. ¹³Fakani isikela, ngokuba isivuno sesivuthiwe. Wozani, ninyathele, ngokuba isikhamo sewayini sigcwele nezimbiza ziyachichima— ngokuba ububi babo bukhulu.”

¹⁴Izixuku, izixuku esigodini sokunquma! Ngokuba usuku lukaBaba wethu luseduze esigodini sokunquma. ¹⁵Ilanga nenyanga kuyafiphala, nezinkanyezi zigodla ukukhanya kwazo. ¹⁶UBaba wethu uyabhonga eseZiyoni, uphakamisa izwi lakhe eseJerusalema; amazulu nomhlaba kuyathuthumela. Kodwa uBaba wethu uyisiphephelo sabantu bakhe, inqaba yabantwana bakwa-Israyeli.

UBaba Wabuyisa Abantu Bakhe

¹⁷“Khona-ke niyakwazi ukuthi nginguBaba wenu, ohlala eZiyoni, intaba yami engcwele. IJerusalema liyakuba ngcwele, abezizwe abasayikudabula kulo futhi.

¹⁸“Ngalolo suku izintaba ziyakuconsa iwayini elimnandi, amagquma ageleze ubisi, nayo yonke imifula yakwaJuda igeleze amanzi. Umthombo uyakuphuma endlini yami ugeleze unisele isigodi semitholo. ¹⁹IGibhithe liyakuba yincithakalo, u-Edomi abe yihlane eliyincithakalo, ngenxa yodlame olwenziwa kubantu bakwaJuda, abachitha igazi elingenacala ezweni labo. ²⁰Kodwa kwaJuda kuyakuhlalwa kuze kube phakade, neJerusalema ezizukulwaneni zonke. ²¹Ngiyakulihlanza icala legazi elachithwa kubo—engingakalihlanzi—ngokuba uBaba wethu uhlala eZiyoni.” ^b b v21 Lapho amanye amaBhayibheli ethi “aphindisele igazi labo,” uBaba wethu uvikela abantwana bakhe kulabo abachitha igazi labo — eletha ubulungiswa, hhayi impindiselo engenaluzwelo.