1 Ndeva ilizwi *likaNdikhoyo lisithi:
2 “Bantundini, nithetha ukuthini ezweni lakwaSirayeli xa nicaphula kweli qhalo lithi:“ ‘Ooyise bâtya iidiliya ezikrwada,suka kwabuthelezi amazinyo abantwana’?
3 “Ndiyafunga, itsho iNkosi uNdikhoyo, anisayi kuphinda nicaphule kweli qhalo kwaSirayeli.
4 Kaloku wonke ophilayo ngowam; nditsho uyise nonyana, bobabini ngabam ngokufanayo. Uya kufa umntu othe wona.
5 “Nanku umfo olilungisa,owenza okulungileyo kwaphela:
6 akathathi nxaxheba kwizibingelelo zasezintabeni,okanye athembele *kwizithixo zendlu kaSirayeli;akamhlazisi umka-mmelwane,okanye alale nomfazi osexesheni;
7 akacinezeli mntu,kodwa uyakubuyisa oko bekubanjiswa ngako ebolekisa;akanguye umphangi,koko ubapha ukutya abalambileyo, abambese abahamba ze;
8 akaxhaphazi mntu xa ebolekisa,hayi, akabizi nzuzo igabadelayo;akavani nokwenza okungalunganga,ababambeneyo ubagwebela ngolungelelwano.
9 Wenza ngokwemimiselo yam,anyaniseke ekugcineni imithetho yam.“Lowo ke ulilungisa; ngenene uya kubudla ubomi, itsho iNkosi uNdikhoyo.
10 “Mhlawumbi indoda le inonyana othanda ukulwa, aphalaze igazi, okanye ade enze nezinye izinto ezingatshongo khona,
11 (naxa uyise engazange wazenza ezo zinto):“Uthatha inxaxheba kwizibingelelo zasezintabeni;uyamhlazisa umfazi wommelwane;
12 uyawacinezela amahlwempu nabasweleyo;ungumphangi;akayibuyisi impahla abeyibanjiswe ngobolekayo;unqula izithixo;wenza amanyundululu;
13 uyabaxhaphaza abantu xa ebolekisa,ewe, ubiza inzuzo engaphaya.“Ngaba uya kubudla ubomi umntu onjalo? Hayi! Ngokwenza onke la manyundululu umelwe kukufa, avune into abeyihlwayele.
14 “Xa ngaba lo nyana unonyana obubonayo bonke ubugwenxa bukayise, aze athi kunjalo angahambi ekhondweni lakhe:
15 “Akathathi nxaxheba kwizibingelelo zasezintabeni,okanye anqule izithixo zakwaSirayeli;akamhlazisi umka-mmelwane;
16 akacinezeli mntuokanye abize isibambiso kulowo ubolekayo;akanguye umphangi,kodwa ubapha ukutya abalambileyo,abambese abahamba ze;
17 ubethela kude esonweni;akabaqhathi abo ababolekayo,hayi akababizi inzuzo engaphaya;uyayithobela imithetho,enze ngokwemimiselo yam.“Akayi kufa ngenxa yesono sikayise, koko uya kubudla ubomi.
18 Kodwa yena uyise uya kufa ngenxa yesono sakhe, kuba ebaxhaphazile abantu, wamkhuthuza umntakwabo, wenza okungalunganga kumawabo.
19 “Niyabuza ke nina: ‘Ngani ukuba unyana angalithwali ityala likayise?’ Kaloku unyana wenze ubulungisa, wahamba ngokwemiyalelo yam; yena uya kubudla ubomi.
20 Ngumntu owonileyo oya kufa. Unyana akayi kulithwala ityala likayise, noyise akayi kulithwala ityala lonyana. Olungileyo uya kuvuzwa ngobulungisa bakhe, okhohlakeleyo ohlwaywe ngenkohlakalo yakhe.
21 “Kodwa ukuba okhohlakeleyo uthe wazishiya izono zakhe, wahamba ngokwayo yonke imimiselo yam, wenza okulungileyo nobulungisa, akayi kufa, kodwa uya kubudla ubomi.
22 Zonke izikreqo azenzileyo aziyi kuphinda zikhunjulwe. Uya kudla ubomi ngenxa yobulungisa abenzileyo.
23 Nanku ke umlomo weNkosi uNdikhoyo: Ngaba kuyandikholisa na ukufa komntu okhohlakeleyo? Hayi bo, into endikholisayo kukuba azijike iindlela zakhe, aze adle ubomi.
24 “Xa ilungisa libulahla ubulungisa, lize lingene enkohlakalweni, lenze amanyundululu abefudula esenziwa ngokhohlakeleyo, lingabudla njani ubomi? Bonke ubulungisa ebelifudula libenza abuyi kuba sakhunjulwa. Liya kufa kuba lingathembekanga, lifela izono zalo.
25 “Ke nina nithi: ‘Inkqubo kaNdikhoyo ayinalungelelwano.’ Phulaphula, ndlu kaSirayeli: Ngaba inkqubo yam asiyiyo eyolungelelwano na? Yinkqubo yenu kaloku engenalo ulungelelwano.
26 Ukuba ilungisa lithe laphambuka ebulungiseni, lenza isono, liya kufa ngenxa yesono eso.
27 Kodwa ukuba okhohlakeleyo uthe wayilahla inkohlakalo yakhe, wenza ubulungisa, ngokwenjenjalo uya kubusindisa ubomi bakhe.
28 Kuba eziqondile iziphoso zakhe, waza wazilahla, akayi kufa, koko uya kudla ubomi.
29 Kodwa ke noko indlu kaSirayeli isatsho ukuthi: ‘Inkqubo kaNdikhoyo ayinalungelelwano.’ Ndlu kaSirayeli, inolungelelwano inkqubo yam. Ziindlela zenu ezingenalo ulungelelwano.
30 “Ngako oko, ndlu kaSirayeli, umntu ngamnye kuni ndiza kumgweba ngokwezenzo zakhe, itsho iNkosi uNdikhoyo. Guqukani! Rhoxani kuzo zonke izikreqo enizenzayo, ukuze ningatshabalali ngenxa yenkohlakalo yenu.
31 Yahlukanani nezikreqo ebenifudula nizenza, nizifumanele intliziyo entsha, nomoya omtsha. Ngani ukuba nife, ndlu kaSirayeli?
32 Andikholiswa kukufa kwakhe nabani na, itsho iNkosi uNdikhoyo. Guqukani, nidle ubomi!”