Abantu Bavuma Phambi KukaBaba Wabo
Bembethe indwangu yamasaka, abathunjwa ababuyile baxoxa yonke indaba yabo ngokuzwakalayo kuBaba wabo: u-Abrahama ebizwa, ulwandle lwahlukaniswa, imana inikezwa, ithole libunjwa, abaprofethi babulawa, abahlengi bathunyelwa kaningi. Baphetha bengakakhululeki, beseyizigqila ezweni labo, futhi basayina isivumelwano esibophayo.
9 1Ngosuku lwamashumi amabili nane lwale nyanga, ama-Israyeli abuthana, ezila ukudla, egqoke amasaka, enenhlabathi emakhanda awo. a a v1 Ukufaka uthuli ekhanda, kanye nokuzila ukudla nokugqoka amasaka arhabaxa, kwakuyisibonakaliso sasendulo sosizi olujulile nokuphenduka. 2Inzalo yakwa-Israyeli yazahlukanisa nabo bonke abezizwe, yema, yavuma izono zayo necala lawokhokho bayo. 3Bema ezindaweni zabo, bafunda incwadi yoMthetho kaBaba wethu cishe amahora amathathu, base bevuma izono bekhonza uBaba wethu amanye amahora amathathu. 4UJeshuwa, uBani, uKadimiyeli, uShebaniya, uBuni, uSherebiya, uBani, noKhenani bema ezitebhisini zamaLevi, bakhala ngezwi elikhulu kuBaba wethu. 5Khona-ke amaLevi—uJeshuwa, uKadimiyeli, uBani, uHashabheniya, uSherebiya, uHodiya, uShebaniya, uPhethahiya—athi: “Sukumani, nibonge uBaba wenu, kusukela phakade kuze kube phakade. Malibongwe igama lakho elikhazimulayo, eliphakanyiselwe ngaphezu kwakho konke ukubonga nokudumisa. 6Nguwe wedwa onguBaba wethu. Wawenza amazulu, yebo, amazulu aphezulu kunawo wonke, kanye nalo lonke ibutho lawo, umhlaba nakho konke okukuwo, izilwandle nakho konke okukuzo. Uyakunika konke ukuphila, nebutho lasezulwini liyakukhonza. 7Wena unguBaba wethu, owakhetha u-Abramu wamkhipha e-Uri lamaKhaledi wamnika igama lika-Abrahama. 8Wayifumana inhliziyo yakhe ithembekile phambi kwakho, wenza isivumelwano naye sokunika izwe lamaKhanani, amaHeti, ama-Amori, amaPherizi, amaJebusi, namaGirigashi—ukuba ulinike inzalo yakhe. Futhi usigcinile isithembiso sakho, ngokuba wena ulungile. 9Wakubona ukuhlupheka kokhokho bethu eGibhithe; wakuzwa ukukhala kwabo oLwandle Olubomvu. 10Wathumela izibonakaliso nezimangaliso kuFaro, kuzo zonke izikhulu zakhe nakubo bonke abantu bezwe lakhe, ngokuba wawazi indlela yokuzidla amaGibhithe ayebaphethe ngayo abantu bethu. Ngakho wazenzela igama, elimi kuze kube namuhla. 11Wahlukanisa ulwandle phambi kwabo, baze badabula phakathi kwalo emhlabathini owomile, kodwa abaxoshi babo wabaphonsa ekujuleni, njengetshe emanzini anamandla. 12Emini wabahola ngensika yefu, ebusuku ngensika yomlilo, ukuba ubakhanyisele endleleni ababezohamba ngayo. 13Wehlela eNtabeni iSinayi; wakhuluma kubo usezulwini. Wabanika iziqondiso ezilungile nemithetho eyiqiniso, izimiso ezinhle nemiyalo. 14Wabazisa iSabatha lakho elingcwele wabanika imiyalo, izimiso, nemithetho ngenceku yakho uMose. 15Ekulambeni kwabo wabanika isinkwa esivela ezulwini, nasekomeni kwabo wabakhiphela amanzi edwaleni. Wabatshela ukuba bangene balithathe izwe owawufungile ukubanika lona. 16Kodwa bona—okhokho bethu—baba nokuzidla nenkani, benqaba ukulalela imiyalo yakho. 17Benqaba ukulalela, abazange bakhumbule izimangaliso owazenza phakathi kwabo. Baba nenkani, futhi ekuhlubukeni kwabo bamisa umholi wokubuyela ebugqilini babo. Kodwa wena unguBaba othethelelayo, onomusa nesihawu, ophuza ukuthukuthela nochichima uthando oluthembekile, futhi awuzange ubashiye. 18Yize nalapho bazenzela isithombe sethole bathi, “Lo ngunkulunkulu wenu owanikhuphula eGibhithe,” benza nokuhlambalaza okwesabekayo, 19wena, ngesihawu sakho esikhulu, awuzange ubashiye ehlane. Insika yefu yayilokhu ibahola endleleni yabo emini, nensika yomlilo yayilokhu ikhanyisa indlela yabo ebusuku. 20Wanika uMoya wakho omuhle ukuba ubafundise. Awuzange uligodle imana lakho emilonyeni yabo, wabanika amanzi okomelwa kwabo. 21Iminyaka engamashumi amane wabondla ehlane, abaswelanga lutho; izingubo zabo aziguganga, nezinyawo zabo azivuvukalanga. 22Wabanika imibuso nezizwe, ubanika izwe kuzo zonke izingxenye zomhlaba. Ngakho balithatha izwe likaSihoni inkosi yaseHeshboni nezwe lika-Ogi inkosi yaseBashani. 23Wabandisa abantwana babo njengezinkanyezi zezulu, wabangenisa ezweni owawutshele okhokho babo ukuba bangene balithathe. 24Abantwana babo bangena balithatha izwe. Wawathoba phambi kwabo amaKhanani ayehlala khona, wawanikela amaKhanani ezandleni zabo, kanye namakhosi awo nabantu bezwe, ukuba benze kuwo ngokuthanda kwabo. 25Bathumba imizi ebiyelwe ngezindonga nomhlaba ovundile; bathatha izindlu ezazigcwele konke okuhle, imithombo eyayivele yembiwe, izivini, izivande zeminqumo, nemithi yezithelo eminingi. Ngakho badla basutha bakhuluphala, bajabulela ubuhle bakho obukhulu. 26Kodwa abalalelanga, bahlubuka kuwe; balahla umthetho wakho ngemuva kwabo. Babulala abaprofethi bakho, ababebaxwayisile ukuba babuyisele kuwe, benza nokuhlambalaza okwesabekayo. 27Ngakho wabanikela ezandleni zezitha zabo, ezabacindezela bona. Kodwa ngesikhathi sosizi lwabo, lapho bekhala kuwe, wabezwa usezulwini, futhi ngesihawu sakho esikhulu wabanika abakhululi, abababkhulula— ababakhulula esandleni sezitha zabo. 28Kodwa kwathi nje lapho sebenokuphumula, baphinda benza okubi phambi kwakho. Ngakho wabashiya esandleni sezitha zabo, ezazibusa phezu kwabo. Nokho lapho bebuya bekhala kuwe, wabezwa usezulwini, futhi izikhathi ngezikhathi, ngesihawu sakho, wabakhulula. 29Wabaxwayisa ukuba babuyele emthethweni wakho, kodwa baba nokuzidla, abayilalelanga imiyalo yakho. Bona ngokwahlulela kwakho, okunika ukuphila kwonke umuntu okwenzayo. Ngenkani bafulathela, baqinisa izintamo zabo, abavuma ukulalela. 30Iminyaka eminingi wababekezelela. NgoMoya wakho wabaxwayisa ngabaprofethi bakho, kodwa abanakanga. Ngakho wabanikela ezizweni zamazwe. 31Kodwa ngesihawu sakho esikhulu awubaqedanga noma ubashiye, ngokuba wena unguBaba onomusa nesihawu. 32Manje-ke, Baba wethu—omkhulu, onamandla, nowesabekayo, ogcina isivumelwano sakhe sothando oluthembekile—ungavumeli ukuba bonke lobu bunzima bube buncane phambi kwakho: ubunzima obusehlele thina, phezu kwamakhosi ethu nabaholi bethu, abapristi bethu nabaprofethi bethu, okhokho bethu nabo bonke abantu bakho, kusukela ezinsukwini zamakhosi ase-Asiriya kuze kube namuhla. 33Kukho konke okusehlele ube ulungile; wenze ngokuthembeka, kanti thina senze okubi. 34Amakhosi ethu nabaholi bethu, abapristi bethu nokhokho bethu abawugcinanga umthetho wakho; abayinakanga imiyalo yakho nezixwayiso owabanika zona. 35Yize besembusweni wabo, bejabulela ubuhle obukhulu owabanika bona, nezwe elibanzi elivundile owalibeka phambi kwabo, abazange bakukhonze wena noma baphenduke ezindleleni zabo ezimbi. 36Manje-ke bheka—siyizigqila namuhla, siyizigqila kulona leli zwe owalinika okhokho bethu ukuba badle izithelo zalo nezinto zalo ezinhle. 37Isivuno salo esiningi siya emakhosini owawabeka phezu kwethu ngenxa yezono zethu. Abusa phezu kwemizimba yethu nezimfuyo zethu ngokuthanda kwawo, futhi sisosizini olukhulu.”
38Ngakho senza isivumelwano esiqinileyo ngokubhaliwe, esibekwe uphawu ngabaholi bethu, amaLevi, nabapristi.
