1 Ngosuku lweshumi kwinyanga yesihlanu ngonyaka wesixhenxe, kweza kum iqela lamadoda amakhulu akwaSirayeli, ahlala phambi kwam, eze kubuzisa *kuNdikhoyo.
2 Ndeva ilizwi likaNdikhoyo lisithi:
3 “Mntundini, thetha namadoda amakhulu akwaSirayeli, uthi kuwo: Ithi iNgangalala uNdikhoyo: Nize kubuzisa kum na? Ngokwenene ndiyafunga andiyi kunivumela nibuzise kum, itsho iNgangalala uNdikhoyo.
4 “Mntundini, bagwebe! Ewe, bagwebe! Baxelele ngezenzo ezinezothe zooyise,
5 uthi kubo: Naku okuthethwa yiNgangalala uNdikhoyo: Mhla ndazinyulela uSirayeli, ndafunga ndamisa izibhozo phambi kwesizukulwana sendlu kaYakobi, ndaza ndazityhila kubo eJiputa. Ewe, ndamisa isibhozo, ndathi kubo: ‘Mna ndinguNdikhoyo uThixo wenu.’
6 Ngaloo mhla ndafunga kubo ndathi ndiya kubakhupha eJiputa, ndibase kwilizwe endibafunele lona, ilizwe eliphuphuma ubisi nobusi, elona lizwe lilibhongo emazweni.
7 Ndaza ndathi kubo: ‘Omnye nomnye kuni makahlukane *nemifanekiso enezothe esenizimisele kuyo, niyeke ukuzigqwalisa *ngezithixo zaseJiputa. Ndim uNdikhoyo uThixo wenu.’
8 “Bandivukela, bala ukundiphulaphula, abayilahla imifanekiso enezothe ababezimisele kuyo, abazilahla izithixo zaseJiputa. Ndatsho ke ukuthi ndiya kuyikhuphela kubo ingqumbo yam; baya kuwuva umsindo wam eJiputa.
9 Kodwa ngenxa yegama lam ndenza ngako konke ukuba lingabandakanywa nokungendawo zizizwe abahlala phakathi kwazo nendizityhile phambi kwazo kumaSirayeli xa ndandiwakhupha eJiputa.
10 Ndawakhupha ke eJiputa, ndaza ndawazisa entlango.
11 Ndawanika imimiselo yam, ndawabekela nemithetho yam, ngokuba umntu oyithobelayo uya kudla ubomi ngayo.
12 Ndada ndawamisela *iMihla yam yokuPhumla njengomqondiso phakathi kwam nawo, ukuze azi ukuba mna Ndikhoyo ndiwenze abantu ababodwa.
13 “Kodwa kuko konke oku abantu bakwaSirayeli bandivukela entlango, bayityeshela imimiselo yam, bayilahla imithetho yam – nakuba lowo uyithobelayo eya kudla ubomi ngenxa yayoNqulo 18:5 – bayinyelisa kwaphela iMihla yam yokuPhumla. Ndatsho ukuthi ndiya kuyikhuphela kubo ingqumbo yam, ndibatshabalalise entlango.
14 Kodwa ngenxa yegama lam ndenza ngako konke ukuba lingenyeliswa emehlweni ezizwe abahlala phakathi kwazo nezandibona xa ndadibakhupha.
15 Kwakhona ndafunga entlango ndisithi andiyi kubasa kwilizwe endabanika lona, ilizwe eliphuphuma ubisi nobusi, ilizwe elilibhongo emazweni,
16 kuba bayilahla imithetho yam, baza bayityeshela imimiselo yam, bayinyelisa iMihla yam yokuPhumla. Kaloku babethe swii zizithixo zabo.
17 Kodwa ke noko ndaba nenceba kubo, ndaza andabatshabalalisa baphelele entlango.
18 Entlango ndithe kubantwana babo: ‘Maze ningahambi ngemimiselo yooyihlo, okanye nithobele imithetho yabo, nizigqwalise ngezithixo zabo.
19 Mna ndinguNdikhoyo uThixo wenu; yenzani ngokwemimiselo yam, niyithobele imithetho yam ngononelelo.
20 Yigcineni iyodwa iMila yam yokuPhumla, ukuze ibe ngumqondiso phakathi kwam nani. Kwakuba njalo niya kwazi ukuba mna ndinguNdikhoyo uThixo wenu.’
21 “Kodwa nabo abantwana bandivukela, bayityeshela imimiselo yam, baza abayigcina imithetho, nakuba umntu oyithobelayo aya kudla ubomi ngayo, bayinyelisa iMihla yam yokuPhumla. Ngako oko ndathi ndiya kuyikhuphela kubo ingqumbo yam, uphelele kubo umsindo wam entlango apho.
22 “Kodwa ke noko ndazibamba ngenxa yegama lam, ndenza ngako konke endinako ukuba linganyeliswa ezintlangeni abahleli phakathi kwazo nezandibonayo xa ndandibakhupha.
23 Ndaza ke entlango apho ndafunga kubo ndiphakamise isibhozo ukuba ndiya kubacitha-chitha babe ziimbacu emazweni,
24 kuba kaloku abayithobelanga imithetho yam, bayilahla nemimiselo yam, bayinyelisa neMihla yam yokuPhumla, balangazelela izithixo zooyise.
25 Ndabayeka bahamba ngemimiselo engeyiyo, bathobela nemithetho abangenakudla ubomi ngayo;
26 ndabayeka bazigqwalisa ngeminikelo yabo – idini lezibulo – khon' ukuze batsho barhwaqele, ze bandazi mna ukuba ndinguNdikhoyo.
27 “Ngoko ke, mntundini, thetha nabantu bakwaSirayeli, uthi: Itsho iNgangalala uNdikhoyo ukuthi: Ooyihlo bandinyelisa ngokungathembeki.
28 “Ndathi ndakufika nabo kumhlaba endandifungile ukuba ndiya kubanika wona, bona baba ngábona induli ephakamileyo okanye umthi oqhamileyo, basuka benza amadini neminikelo, into eyandixhokonxayo, bade banikela nangeziqhumiso ezivumba limnandi nangezinto ezithululwayo.
29 Ndabuza ndathi kubo: ‘Sisiphi esi sibingelelo niquqela kuso?’ ” (Nanamhla oku kuthiwa sisibingelelo.Okanye “indawo ephakamileyo yonqulo”)
30 “Ke ngoko yithi kwindlu kaSirayeli: Itsho iNgangalala *uNdikhoyo ukuthi: Ngaba niza kuzigqwalisa nixele ooyihlo, nilangazelela *izithixo ezinezothe?
31 Xa ninikezela izipho zenu – idini elingoonyana benu emlilweni – niyazigqwalisa nangoku ngezithixo zenu. Ke, mzi kaSirayeli, nithi mandiniyeke nibuzise kum? Ndiyafunga, mna Nkosi Ndikhoyo, andisokuze ndiyivume loo nto.
32 “Nina nithi: ‘Sifuna ukufana nezinye iintlanga, nabanye abantu behlabathi abanqula umthi nelitye.’ Kodwa ayisokuze ihle loo nto niyifunayo.
33 Itsho iNgangalala uNdikhoyo ukuthi: Ndiyafunga, ndiza kunilawula ngesandla esigadalala, niyive ingqumbo yam.
34 Ngamandla am amakhulu ndiya kuniphuthuma ezizweni, ndinibuyise emazweni ebenibhacele kuwo ngenxa yengqumbo yam.
35 Ndiya kunibeka kwintlango yeentlanga, ndinigwebe sijongene ubuso ngobuso.
36 “Itsho iNgangalala uNdikhoyo ukuthi: Ndiya kunigweba njengoko ndandenzile kooyihlo kwintlango yaseJiputa.
37 Ndiya kunalusa nihambe phantsi komsimelelo wam, ndinifake phantsi kwembophelelo yomnqophiso.
38 “Ndiya kubakhuphela ngaphandle abo banenkani bandivukelayo. Nakuba ndiya kubakhupha kwilizwe abaphambukele kulo, kodwa abayi kungena kwilizwe lakwaSirayeli. Niya kuqonda ngoko ukuba ndinguNdikhoyo.
39 “Kuni ke, ndlu kaSirayeli, itsho iNgangalala uNdikhoyo ukuthi: Hambani nonke ngabanye, niye kunqula izithixo zenu ezinezothe. Kodwa kamva niya kundiphulaphula, nahlukane nokunyelisa igama lam elingcwele ngeminikelo nezithixo zenu.
40 “Nanku umlomo weNkosi uNdikhoyo: Phezu kwentaba yam eyodwa, intaba ephakamileyo kaSirayeli, apho kanye elizweni, kulapho iya kundinqula khona indlu kaSirayeli iphela, nam ndoyamkela. Apho ndiya kuyifuna imirhumo yenu neminikelo yenu ekhethiweyo kwakunye namadini enu awodwa.
41 Ndiya kunamkela okwesiqhumiso esivumba limnandi xa ndiniphuthuma ezizweni ndinihlanganisa kuloo mazwe nibhacele kuwo, ndize ndizityhile ubungcwele bam kuni, ezinye izizwe zibona.
42 Niya kundazi ukuba ndinguNdikhoyo xa ndiningenisa elizweni lakwaSirayeli, ilizwe endafunga ndamisa isibhozo ukuba ndiya kulinikezela kooyihlo.
43 Apho ke niya kuyikhumbula indlela ebeniziphethe ngayo, nezenzo zenu ezinigqwalisileyo, nize nizizonde ngobugwenxa benu.
44 Niya kundazi ukuba ndinguNdikhoyo xa sendinibonelela egameni lam, ndingazinanze nganto iindlela zenu ezigwenxa nezenzo zenu zenkohlakalo, ndlu kaSirayeli. Nguwo lowo umlomo weNgangalala iNkosi uNdikhoyo.”
45 Ndeva ilizwi likaNdikhoyo lisithi:
46 “Mntundini, bheka emzantsi, wenze intshumayelo echasene nomzantsi namahlathi awo.
47 Yithi kwihlathi lomzantsi: Live izwi likaNdikhoyo. Itsho iNkosi uNdikhoyo ukuthi: Ndiza kukuntumeka ngomlilo oya kutshisa yonke imithi yakho eluhlaza neyomileyo. Akukho uya kulicima idangatye elivuthayo elosuka ligqatse bonke ubuso ngezantsi nangentla elizweni.
48 Wonke umntu uya kuqonda ukuba ngumlilo ophenjwe ndim Ndikhoyo, kuba awuyi kucima.”
49 Ndithe ke mna: “Yini, Ngangalala Ndikhoyo, baza kuthi: ‘Úyantsonkotha kwakhona!’ ”