1 Ndeva ilizwi *likaNdikhoyo lisithi:
2 “Mntundini, thetha nabantu bakuni uthi: Ndakuthumela ikrele elizweni, baze abantu balo bakhethe omnye wabo ukuba abe ngumlindi,
3 athi akubona ikrele lisiza kwenzakalisa isizwe asuke avuthele ixilongo ukulumkisa isizwe;
4 ke othe waliva ixilongo kodwa akahoya, laza lafika lona ikrele lamtyakatya wafa, ityala lelakhe.
5 Ulivile ixilongo, kodwa akahoya; ngoko ke ityala lokufa kwakhe lelakhe. Ukuba ebehoyile ngesindile ekufeni.
6 Kodwa ukuba uthe umlindi, elibona ikrele lisiza, akalivuthela ixilongo ukulumkisa abantu, laza ikrele lafika labulala omnye wabo, lowo uya kufa ngenxa yesono sakhe, kodwa ityala lokufa kwakhe liya kuba lelomlindi.
7 “Mntundini, wena ndikwenze umlindi wendlu kaSirayeli; ngoko phulaphula amazwi endiwathetha kuwe, uze ubalumkise.
8 Xa ndisithi kumntu okhohlakeleyo: ‘Inene, uza kufa, sikhohlakalindini,’ uze wena ungathethi naye umnqande kubugwenxa bakhe, ade yena afele esonweni sakhe, ityala lokufa kwakhe ndiya kulibeka kuwe.
9 Kodwa ukuba umntu okhahlakeleyo umnqandile kubugwenxa bakhe, waza akakuva, uya kufa ngenxa yesono sakhe, kodwa wena uya kuba ubuhlangule ekufeni ubomi bakho.
10 “Mntundini, xelela indlu kaSirayeli uthi: ‘Nina nithi: Iziphoso zethu nezono zethu zingumthwalo onzima phezu kwethu; siyangcungcutheka ngenxa yazo. Siya kuthini na ke ukuze sisinde?’
11 Yithi kubo: ‘Ndikho nje ndiyafunga, itsho iNkosi uNdikhoyo; akundikholisi ukufa kwabakhohlakeleyo. Ndithanda ukuba baguquke, bahlukane nezenzo zabo zobugwenxa, badle ubomi. Guqukani! Guqukani kwiindlela zenkohlakalo. Ngani ukuba nide nife, ndlundini kaSirayeli?’
12 “Ngoko ke, mntundini, yithi kubantu bakuni: ‘Ubulungisa bomntu olilungisa abuyi kumsindisa mhla wakreqa; nenkohlakalo yokhohlakeleyo ayiyi kumeyelisela xa athe wahlukana nayo. Nelungisa xa lithe lakreqa aliyi kuvunyelwa lidle ubomi.’
13 Ukuba ilungisa ndilixelele ukuba liya kudla ubomi, laza lakreqa kuba likholose ngobulungisa balo, bonke ubulungisa balo buya kulityalwa; liya kufa ngenxa yesono salo.
14 Ukuba ndithe kumntu okhohlakeleyo: ‘Wena uza kufa,’ waza yena wazohlwaya, wenza okulungileyo –
15 waza wayibuyisa loo mpahla bekubanjiswe ngayo ngumboleki, wayibuyisa impahla ayibileyo, wenza ngokwemimiselo yobomi, wahlukana nobubi, ngokwenene akayi kufa, uya kudla ubomi.
16 Akukho nasinye isono sakhe esiya kukhunjulwa. Kaloku wenze okufanelekileyo nokulungileyo – inene, uya kudla ubomi.
17 “Kanti noko abantu bakuni bathi: ‘Indlela aqhuba ngayo uNdikhoyo ayinabulungisa.’ Ukanti yindlela yabo engalunganga.
18 Ukuba umntu olilungisa uyakreqa ebulungiseni, enze ububi, uya kufa ngenxa yezono zakhe.
19 Kanti ukuba umntu okhohlakeleyo uthe wazikhwebula enkohlakalweni, wenza okulungileyo, uya kudla ubomi ngenxa yoko.
20 Kanti noko, ndlu kaSirayeli, nisathi: ‘Indlela aqhuba ngayo uNdikhoyo ayinabulungisa.’ Kodwa mna ndiya kugweba umntu ngamnye ngokwezenzo zakhe.”
21 Ngomhla weshumi kwinyanga yeshumi yonyaka weshumi elinambini wokuthinjwa kwethu, indoda eyayibhunce eJerusalem yeza kum yathi: “Isixeko siwile!”
22 Kanti ngobusuku obuphambi kokufika kwaloo mfo, ndasiva isandla *sikaNdikhoyo, waza wavuleka umlomo wam kusasa singekabonani. Ewe, wavuleka umlomo wam, ndayeka ukuthula.
23 Ndaliva ilizwi likaNdikhoyo lisithi:
24 “Mntundini, bathi abantu abahlala kuloo mabhodlo akwaSirayeli: ‘UAbraham yayikukuphela kwakhe, kodwa ilizwe lalilelakhe lonke. Kanti thina sibaninzi, makube ilizwe silinikiwe ukuba libe lelethu lonke.’
25 “Ke ngoko baxelele uthi: Itsho iNgangalala uNdikhoyo ukuthi: Njengokuba nisitya inyama enegazi nje, nithembele *nakwizithixo zenu eziqingqiweyo, niphalaza negazi, ngaba eli lizwe lingalelenu njani?
26 Nithe qhiwu ikrele; izenzo zenu zinezothe; ngamnye kuni ukrexeza nomfazi wommelwane wakhe. Ngaba eli lizwe lingalelenu njani?
27 “Baxelele wenjenje: Itsho iNgangalala uNdikhoyo ukuthi: Ndikho nje ndiyafunga, amasalela akulaa mabhodlo aza kutyakatywa ngekrele. Abangaphandle kwesixeko ndiya kubanikezela emarhamncweni abaqwenge, abangene kwinqaba nasemiqolombeni baya kubulawa ngubhubhani.
28 Ilizwe ndiya kulenza libe yinkangala yentlango, aphele amandla ebelizingca ngawo, nakwiintaba zakwaSirayeli kuya kuba sebugxwayibeni, kungabikho mntu unqumlayo kuzo.
29 Baya kundiqonda ukuba ndinguNdikhoyo xa umhlaba sendiwubharhisile ngenxa yamanyundululu abo.
30 “Wena ke, mntundini, abantu bakuni bayathetha ngawe beziziqhu ngasezindongeni nakwiminyango yezindlu, bathi omnye komnye: ‘Yizani nize kuva udaba oluvela kuNdikhoyo.’
31 Abantu bam bayeza kuwe ngokwabantu bakaThixo, bafike bahlale phambi kwakho, baphulaphule loo nto uyithethayo, kodwa abenzi nto ngayo. Banenzondelelo ngomlomo, kodwa iintliziyo zabo ziyila ubuqhophololo.
32 Enyanisweni wena kubo unjengomntu ocula iingoma zothando ngelizwi elimyoli, nodlala isikhalisi kamnandi, kuba bayaweva amazwi akho, kodwa abenzi lutho ngawo.
33 “Zakuzaliseka zonke ezi zinto (njengokuba kuza kuba njalo) baya kuqonda ukuba bekukho *umshumayeli phakathi kwabo.”