U-Obhadiya 1

1 ¹Umbono ka-Obadiya. Nakhu okushiwo yiNkosi uBaba ngo-Edomi: Sizwile umbiko ovela kuBaba wethu, nesithunywa esithunyelwe phakathi kwezizwe—“Sukumani! Asisukume simelane naye empini!”

²Bheka, ngizokwenza ube mncane phakathi kwezizwe; uzodelelwa kakhulu impela. ³Ukuzidla kwenhliziyo yakho kukukhohlisile, wena ohlala ezingoxweni zedwala, okhaya lakho lisezingqongweni, othi kuwena, “Ngubani ongangehlisela phansi emhlabathini?” ^a a v3 Abantu base-Edomi bakha idolobha labo eliyinhloko phakathi kwamawa amadwala abomvu okwamarozi aseningizimu yeJordani namuhla — indawo ababekholelwa ukuthi ayinakuhlaselwa. ⁴Noma undiza phezulu njengokhozi, noma wakha isidleke sakho phakathi kwezinkanyezi, ngizokwehlisa usuka lapho, kusho uBaba wethu. ⁵Uma amasela efika kuwe, uma abaphangi befika ebusuku—yeka ukubhujiswa kwakho!—bebengeke yini bebe kuphela lokho abakufunayo? Uma abavuni bamagilebhisi befika kuwe, bebengeke yini bashiye amanye amagilebhisi? ⁶Yeka ukuphangwa kuka-Esawu, ingcebo yakhe efihliwe iphangiwe! ⁷Bonke ababebambisene nawe bakuxoshele emngceleni; labo ababenokuthula nawe bakukhohlisile bakwahlula; labo ababedla nawe etafuleni lakho bakubekele ugibe ngaphansi kwakho—kodwa awukuboni nokukubona. ⁸Angiyikubhubhisa yini ngalolo suku, kusho uBaba wethu, izihlakaniphi zase-Edomi, ngiqede ukuqonda entabeni ka-Esawu? ⁹Amaqhawe akho ayakuphahlazwa, Themani, ukuze wonke umuntu osentabeni ka-Esawu anqunywe ekubulaweni. ^b b v9 IThemani yayiyisifunda sase-Edomi; lapha imelela sonke isizwe. ¹⁰Ngenxa yodlame owalwenza kumfowenu uJakobe, ihlazo liyakukusibekela, uyakunqunywa kuze kube phakade.

¹¹Ngosuku owama ngaleqele ungenzi lutho, ngosuku izihambi zathwala umcebo wakhe nabezizwe bangena emasangweni akhe benzela iJerusalema inkatho—nawe wawunjengomunye wabo. ¹²Kodwa ungajabuleli umfowenu ngosuku lweshwa lakhe; ungathokozeli abantu bakwaJuda ngosuku lokubhujiswa kwabo; ungaqholoshi kakhulu ngosuku losizi. ¹³Ungangeni esangweni labantu bami ngosuku lwenhlekelele yabo; wena phezu kwabo bonke, ungajabuleli ingozi yakhe ngosuku lwenhlekelele yakhe; ungaphangi umcebo wakhe ngosuku lwenhlekelele yakhe. ¹⁴Ungemi emahlanganweni ezindlela ukuze unqume ababalekayo bakhe; ungabanikeli abasindileyo bakhe ngosuku losizi.

¹⁵Ngokuba usuku lukaBaba wethu luseduze kuzo zonke izizwe. Njengoba wenzile, kuyakwenziwa njalo kuwe; izenzo zakho ziyakubuyela ekhanda lakho. ¹⁶Ngokuba njengoba waphuza entabeni yami engcwele, kanjalo zonke izizwe ziyakuphuza njalonjalo; ziyakuphuza zigwinye, zibe sengathi azizange zibe khona. ¹⁷Kodwa entabeni iZiyoni kuyakuba khona ukukhululwa, iyakuba ngcwele, nendlu kaJakobe iyakudla ifa layo. ¹⁸Indlu kaJakobe iyakuba ngumlilo nendlu kaJosefa ibe yilangabi, indlu ka-Esawu ibe yizibi; ziyakuyishisa ziyiqede, kungabikho osindayo wendlu ka-Esawu, ngokuba uBaba wethu ukhulumile.

¹⁹Abantu baseNegebi bayakudla intaba ka-Esawu, nabasemathafeni asezansi bayakudla izwe lamaFilisti; bayakudla izwe lakwa-Efrayimi nezwe laseSamariya, uBhenjamini uyakudla iGileyadi. ²⁰Abathunjwa balelibutho labantu bakwa-Israyeli bayakudla izwe lamaKhanani kuze kufike eZarefati, nabathunjwa baseJerusalema abaseSefaradi bayakudla imizi yaseNegebi. ^c c v20 ISefaradi yayiyindawo ekude lapho amaJuda ayethunjelwe khona; indawo yayo encamile ayaziwa. ²¹Abakhululi bayakwenyukela entabeni iZiyoni ukuze babuse intaba ka-Esawu, umbuso ube ngokaBaba wethu. ^d d v21 U-Obadiya uphetha ngokubusa kukaBaba wethu — ukubusa okufanayo uJesu akumemezela wasifundisa ukuba sikuthandazele: “Umbuso wakho mawuze.”