UZefaniya 2

2 ¹Buthanani ndawonye, zibuthe nina sizwe esingenamahloni, ²ngaphambi kokuba isimemezelo sizale—usuku ludlula njengamakhoba—ngaphambi kokuba intukuthelo evuthayo kaBaba wethu ifike phezu kwenu, ngaphambi kokuba usuku lwentukuthelo kaBaba wethu lufike phezu kwenu. ³Funani uBaba wethu, nina nonke abathobekileyo bezwe, enenza ukwahlulela kwakhe; funani ukulunga, funani ukuthobeka. Mhlawumbe niyakufihlwa ngosuku lwentukuthelo kaBaba wethu. ⁴Ngokuba iGaza iyakushiywa, ne-Ashkeloni ibe yincithakalo; i-Ashdodi iyakuxoshwa emini, ne-Ekroni isishulwe. ⁵Maye kini enihlala ngaselwandle, sizwe samaKhereti! Izwi likaBaba wethu limelene nani, Khanani, zwe lamaFilisti: “Ngiyakunibhubhisa kuze kungasali muntu ohlalayo.” ⁶Ugu lolwandle luyakuba ngamadlelo, kube khona amadlelo abelusi nezibaya zemihlambi. ⁷Ugu luyakuba ngolwensali yendlu kaJuda; bayakweluselapho, nasezindlini zase-Ashkeloni bayakulala kusihlwa. Ngokuba uBaba wethu uyakubanakekela abuyise inhlanhla yabo. ⁸Ngizwile ukuklolodela kukaMowabi nokuthuka kwabakwa-Amoni, ababeklolodela ngakho abantu bami bezigabisa ngezwe labo.

⁹Ngakho-ke, kuphila kwami, kusho uBaba wamabutho asezulwini, uBaba wethu ka-Israyeli, uMowabi uyakuba njengeSodoma, nabakwa-Amoni babe njengeGomora—izwe lezimbati nemigodi kasawoti, incithakalo kuze kube phakade. Insali yabantu bami iyakubaphanga, nabasindileyo besizwe sami bayakubadla ifa. ¹⁰“Lokhu yikho abayakukuthola ngenxa yokuzidla kwabo, ngokuba baklolodela bezigabisa ngabantu bakaBaba wamabutho asezulwini. ¹¹UBaba wethu uyakwesabeka kubo, ngokuba uyakubhubhisa ngendlala onkulunkulu bonke bomhlaba; namagu onke ezizwe ayakumkhothamela, yilowo nalowo esendaweni yakhe.”

¹²Nani maKushe niyakubulawa ngenkemba yami.

¹³Uyakwelulela isandla sakhe ngasenyakatho abhubhise i-Asiriya, enze iNineve ibe yincithakalo, yome njengehlane. ¹⁴Imihlambi iyakulala phakathi kwayo, zonke izinhlobo zezilwane zasendle; kokubili isikhova nenhloli kuyakulala eziqongweni zezinsika zayo. Izwi liyakucula emafasiteleni, kube khona incithakalo embundwini, ngokuba umsebenzi womsedari usembuliwe. ¹⁵Lona ngumuzi owawungakhathali owawuhlala uvikelekile, owawuthi enhliziyweni yawo: “Yimina, akakho omunye ngaphandle kwami.” Yeka ukuba yincithakalo osekuyikho, isikhundla sezilwane zasendle! Bonke abadlula kuwo bayancifela baphakamise isibhakela.