IZaga 8

8 ¹Angithi ukuhlakanipha kuyamemeza, nokuqonda kuphakamisa izwi lakho? ²Phezu kwezindawo eziphakeme eceleni kwendlela, lapho izindlela zihlangana khona, kumi lapho. ³Eceleni kwamasango, emnyango wokungena edolobheni, eminyango kuyamemeza: ⁴“Kini, nonke bantu, ngiyamemeza; izwi lami lifinyelela kubo bonke abantu. ⁵Nina eningenalwazi, fundani ukuqaphela; nina eniyiziwula, zuzani inhliziyo enokuqonda. ⁶Lalelani, ngokuba ngikhuluma izinto ezinhle, nakho konke engikushoyo kulungile. ⁷Umlomo wami ukhuluma iqiniso, ngokuba izindebe zami ziyabunyanya ububi. ⁸Onke amazwi omlomo wami alungile; akukho phakathi kwawo elisontekile noma eligwegwile. ⁹Konke kusobala kwoqondayo, kulungile nakulabo abathola ulwazi. ¹⁰Yamukelani ukufundisa kwami esikhundleni sesiliva, nolwazi kunegolide elikhethekile, ¹¹ngokuba ukuhlakanipha kungcono kunamatshe ayigugu, futhi akukho okufisayo okungafaniswa nakho.

¹²Mina, Ukuhlakanipha—uJesu, ukuhlakanipha kukaBaba wethu—ngihlala nokuqaphela, ngithola ulwazi nokucabangela. ¹³Ukumesaba uBaba wethu kuwukuzonda okubi. Ukuzidla nokuzikhukhumeza, indlela embi, nenkulumo egwegwile ngiyakuzonda. ¹⁴Iseluleko ngesami, nokuhlakanipha okuqinile; mina ngiwukuqonda; amandla ngawami. ¹⁵Ngami amakhosi ayabusa, nababusi bamisa okulungile; ¹⁶ngami izikhulu ziyabusa, nabakhulu—bonke ababusa ngokulunga. ¹⁷Ngiyabathanda abangithandayo, nalabo abangifunayo bayangithola. ¹⁸Kukimi ingcebo nodumo, ingcebo emiyo nokulunga. ¹⁹Isithelo sami singcono kunegolide, kunegolide elicwengekile, nalokho engikuvezayo kudlula isiliva elikhethekile. ²⁰Ngihamba endleleni yokulunga, ezindleleni zobulungiswa, ²¹nginika ingcebo ibe yifa kulabo abangithandayo, ngigcwalise iziphala zabo.

²²UBaba wethu wangivelisa ekuqaleni kwendlela yakhe, ngaphambi kwemisebenzi yakhe yasendulo. ^a a v22 Ukuhlakanipha—iNdodana—kwavezwa, akuzange kudalwe; ingokaBaba wethu kusukela phakade, ihlanganyela ukuphila kwakhe ngaphambi kokuba kudalwe lutho. ²³Kwasukela ezikhathini zasendulo ngamiswa, kwasekuqaleni, umhlaba ungakaqali. ²⁴Kungakabi khona amanzi ajulile ngavezwa, kungakabi khona imithombo echichima amanzi. ²⁵Izintaba zingakamiswa, amagquma engakabi khona, ngavezwa, ²⁶engakawenzi umhlaba namasimu awo, noma uthuli lokuqala lomhlaba. ²⁷Lapho emisa amazulu endaweni yawo, ngangikhona; lapho edweba umjikelezo phezu kobuso bokujula, ²⁸lapho emisa isibhakabhaka phezulu, lapho eqinisa imithombo yokujula, ²⁹lapho enikela ulwandle umkhawulo walo ukuze amanzi angeqi imingcele yawo, lapho edweba izisekelo zomhlaba, ³⁰ngase ngiseceleni kwakhe njengengcweti enekhono, ngangiyinjabulo yakhe yemihla ngemihla, ngithokoza phambi kwakhe njalo, ^b b v30 Ezinye izinguqulo zasendulo lapha zifunda ngokuthi ‘umntwana omncane’ esikhundleni sokuthi ‘ingcweti enekhono,’ zibonisa ukuhlakanipha njengomntwana othokoza eceleni kukaBaba. ³¹ngithokoza emhlabeni wakhe wonke, ngijabulela usapho lwabantu.

³²Manje-ke, bantwana bami, lalelani kimi: babusisiwe abagcina izindlela zami. ³³Lalelani ukufundiswa nibe nokuhlakanipha; ningakudeleli. ³⁴Ubusisiwe lowo ongilalelayo, olinda imihla yonke emasangweni ami, elindele eceleni komnyango wami. ³⁵Ngokuba othola mina uthola ukuphila, athole umusa kuBaba wethu. ³⁶Kodwa ongangitholi uyawulimaza umphefumulo wakhe; bonke abangizondayo bathanda ukufa.”