1 Nantsi ke imiqathango yomnqophiso *uNdikhoyo awayalela uMosis ukuba awenze namaSirayeli kwelaseMowabhi; yona ixhasa umnqophiso owenziwa nguNdikhoyo kwintaba iHorebhe.
2 UMosis wawahlanganisa ndawonye amaSirayeli, waza wathetha nawo wenjenje: “Nizibonele ngokwenu into eyenziwe nguNdikhoyo kukumkani waseJiputa, nakumaphakathi akhe, nelizwe lakhe liphela.
3 Nizibonile izibetho ezirhwaqelisayo, imiqondiso, nemimangaliso ayenzileyo uNdikhoyo.
4 Kanti unanamhla akaninikanga ingqondo yokuqiqa, namehlo okubona, neendlebe zokuva.
5 Kule minyaka ingamashumi amane ndinikhokela entlango, impahla yenu yokunxiba, ngokunjalo neembadada zenu, azikhange ziguge.
6 Beningenasonka nawayini natywala, kodwa uNdikhoyo unilungiselele, khon' ukuze nimqonde ukuba unguNdikhoyo uThixo wenu.
7 Sithe ke sakufika kulo mhlaba baphuma beza kusihlasela ookumkani uSihon waseHeshbhon nokumkani uOgi waseBhashan. Kambe ke saboyisa.
8 Umhlaba wabo ke sawuthimba, sawahlulela indlu kaRubhen nekaGadi ngokunjalo nesiqingatha sakwaManase.
9 Ngoko ke yithobeleni ngenyameko imiqathango yalo mnqophiso, khon' ukuze nibe nempumelelo kuyo yonke into eniyenzayo.
10 “Namhlanje ke nimi phambi koNdikhoyo uThixo wenu, nina xa ninonke – iintloko zezindlu zakuni, amadoda amakhulu, amaphakathi namadoda akwaSirayeli ephela,
11 abafazi nabantwana benu, nabangeneleli abacanda iinkuni nabakha amanzi.
12 Nilapha ke khon' ukuze nifungiswe nibopheleleke kumnqophiso noNdikhoyo uThixo wenu,
13 ukuze uNdikhoyo animisele nibe ngabantu bakhe ncakasana, yena ke abe nguThixo wenu ngokwesithembiso sakhe nanjengoko wafungayo kooyihlo-mkhulu, uAbraham noIsake noYakobi.
14 Lo mnqophiso ke ngokunjalo nesi sifungo uNdikhoyo akasenzi nani kuphela,
15 koko usenza nabo bonke, nabangekhoyo apha namhlanje, ngokunjalo nani nina nimi phambi kwakhe namhlanje.
16 “Niyazi ukuba kwakunjani na kwelaseJiputa; futhi nisayikhumbula indlela esahamba ngayo sicanda kwimihlaba yezinye izizwe.
17 Nayibona nemifanekiso engamasikizi eyenziwe ngomthi, amatye, isiliva, negolide.
18 Lumkani ke hleze kubekho ndoda, mfazi, noba ngumzi, okanye isizwe kwezimi apha namhlanje, esiya kuthi simfulathele uNdikhoyo uThixo, sinqule *oothixo beentlanga. Ze niqiniseke ingaze ibekho phakathi kwenu ingcambu eyityhefu evelisa iziqhamo ezikrakra.
19 Xa umntu ololo hlobo athi akuyiva imiqathango yalo mnqophiso azikhohlise entliziyweni yakhe, athi: ‘Mna andinakuhlelwa nto; ndohlala eluxolweni noxa ndisenza ukuthanda kwam,’ into enjalo ingabangela ukuba kutshatyalaliswe konke nje, olungileyo nongendawo.
20 Ewe, uNdikhoyo akayi kuba natarhu kumntu onjalo. Ndaweni yaloo nto uya kucaphuka, uvuthe umsindo wakhe, zize zithi neziqalekiso ezibhaliweyo apha kule ncwadi zimgubungele, ade ke uNdikhoyo amcime igama kwelimiweyo.
21 UNdikhoyo uya kwenza umzekelo ngaye kuzo zonke izizwe zakwaSirayeli, amhlisele izithwakumbe ngokweziqalekiso zomnqophiso obhalwe kule ncwadi yomthetho wakhe.
22 “Oonyana benu abaya kuvela emva kwenu, ngokunjalo neentlanga eziphuma kumazwe akude, ziya kusibona isithwakumbe nenkxwaleko ayihlisele ilizwe lenu uNdikhoyo.
23 Umhlaba uya kubharha, wambathiswe yisulfure netyuwa. Awuyi kuvelisa nto; akuyi kuntshula nokhula olu lwembala. Elo lizwe liya kuba njengeSodom neGomora, iAdama neZebhoyim, awathi ngenxa yengqumbo nomsindo wazitshabalalisa uNdikhoyo.
24 “Zonke iintlanga ziya kubuza zithi: ‘Kwakutheni ukuze uNdikhoyo awenjenje lo mhlaba? Wayekhathazwe yintoni ade abe nomsindo kangaka?’
25 Impendulo ke iya kuthi: ‘Kungenxa yokuba betyeshele umnqophiso ophakathi kwabo noNdikhoyo uThixo wooyise-mkhulu; mnqophiso lowo bângena kuwo ekubakhupheni kwakhe eJiputa.
26 Basuke banqula *thixo bambi ababengabazi ngaphambili, ababengavumelekile ukuba babanqule.
27 UNdikhoyo ke wavutha ngumsindo, waza elo lizwe walihlisela ezi ziqalekiso zibhalwe apha kule ncwadi.
28 Ewe, wakhathazeka gqitha, wabancothula ngomsindo kwelakowabo, wabafudusela kwilizwe lasemzini apho basekhoyo unanamhla.’
29 “Kambe ke zona izinto ezifihlakeleyo zezikaNdikhoyo uThixo wethu, ukanti ke zona ezityhiliweyo ziya kusoloko zizezethu nabantwana bethu. Ngoko ke masiyithobele imiqathango yalo mthetho.”