1 “Isono sakwaJuda silotshiwe ngothi lwensimbi lokuloba; ngesihloko sedayimani* siqoshiwe ezibhebheni zezinhliziyo zabo nasezimpondweni zama-altare enu,
2 abantwana babo besakhumbula ama-altare abo nawo-Ashera* babo ngasemithini eluhlaza emagqumeni aphakemeyo.
3 Intaba yami yasendle, impahla yakho nengcebo yakho yonke ngiyakukunikela kube yimpango kanye nezindawo zakho eziphakemeyo ngenxa yezono emikhawulweni yakho yonke.
4 Uyakuyeka ngokwakho ifa lakho engakunika lona, ngikwenze ukuba ukhonze izitha zakho ezweni ongalaziyo, ngokuba niphembile umlilo olakeni lwami oyakuvutha kuze kube phakade.”
5 Usho kanje uJehova, uthi:“Uqalekisiwe umuntu othemba kubantu,ayenze inyama ibe yingalo yakhe,nonhliziyo yakhe isuka kuJehova.
6 Uyakuba njengesihlahla esiyize ehlane,angaboni ukuthi kuyeza okuhle,uyakuhlala ezindaweni ezishileyo ehlane,ezweni likasawoti elingahlalwa muntu.
7 “Ubusisiwe umuntu othemba kuJehova,nothemba lakhe linguJehova.
8 Ngokuba uyakuba njengomuthi otshalwe ngasemanzini,ozenabisa izimpande zawo ngasemfuleni,ongesabi lapho kufika ukushisa,amaqabunga awo abe luhlaza,angabi naluvalo ngomnyaka wesigagadu,anganqamuki ukuthela izithelo.”
9 Inhliziyo iyakhohlisa ngaphezu kwakho konke,futhi imbi;ngubani ongayazi na?
10 “Mina Jehova ngivivinya inhliziyo,ngihlola izinso ukuba nginike,kube yilowo nalowonjengezindlela zakhe,njengezithelo zezenzo zakhe.”
11 Intendele efukamela ingazalanga,unjalo owenza ingcebo ngokungalungi;iyakumshiya phakathi nezinsuku zakhe,abe yisiwula ngasekugcineni.
12 Indawo yendlu yethu engcweleiyisihlalo sobukhosi esinenkazimuloesiphakemeyo.
13 O, themba lika-Israyeli, Jehova,bonke abakushiyayo bayakujabha;abachezuka kimi bayakulotshwaemhlabathini,ngokuba bamshiyile uJehova,umthombo wamanzi aphilayo.
14 Ngiphulukise, Jehova, ngiphuluke;ngisindise, ngisindiswe,ngokuba uludumo lwami.
15 Bheka, bathi kimi:“Liphi izwi likaJehova na?Malize phela.”
16 Mina-ke angiyekanga ukwalusa ngokukulandela,futhi angilufisanga usuku olwesabekayo;wena uyazi;okwaphuma emlonyeni wamikwakuphambi kobuso bakho.
17 Ungabi luvalo kimi;uyisiphephelo sami ngosuku lobubi.
18 Mababe namahloni abangizingelayo,kepha mina mangingabi nawo;baphele amandla bona,mina ngingapheli wona kodwa;behlisele usuku lobubi,ubaphule ngokwaphula okuphindiweyo.
19 Usho kanje kimi uJehova, uthi: “Hamba ume esangweni lamadodana abantu, angena ngalo amakhosi akwaJuda, aphuma ngalo futhi, nasemasangweni onke aseJerusalema,
20 uthi kuwo: ‘Zwanini izwi likaJehova nina makhosi akwaJuda, noJuda wonke, nani nonke enakhileyo eJerusalema eningena ngalawa masango;
21 usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Xwayani ngenxa yemiphefumulo yenu ukuba ningathwali mthwalo ngosuku lwesabatha, ningawungenisi ngamasango aseJerusalema;
22 futhi ningakhiphi mthwalo ezindlini zenu ngosuku lwesabatha, ningasebenzi msebenzi, kepha lungcweliseni usuku lwesabatha njengokuyala kwami oyihlo,
23 nakuba bengalalelanga, bengabekanga izindlebe, kepha benza lukhuni intamo yabo, ukuze bangezwa, balaywe.
24 Kuyakuthi uma ningilalela nokungilalela, usho uJehova, ukuba ningangenisi mthwalo ngamasango alo muzi ngosuku lwesabatha, nilungcwelise usuku lwesabatha ukuze ningenzi ngalo umsebenzi,
25 kungene ngamasango alo muzi amakhosi nezikhulu abahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavide bekhwele izinqola namahhashi, bona nezikhulu zabo, abantu bakwaJuda nabakhileyo eJerusalema, nalo muzi uyakuhlala kuze kube phakade.
26 Bayakufika bephuma emizini yakwaJuda, nasemaphandleni aseJerusalema, nasezweni lakwaBenjamini, nasehlanzeni, nasezintabeni, naseningizimu, beletha iminikelo yokushiswa, nemihlatshelo, neminikelo yempuphu, nenhlaka, befika neminikelo yokubonga endlini kaJehova.
27 Kepha uma ningalaleli ukuba nilungcwelise usuku lwesabatha, ningathwali mthwalo lapho ningena ngamasango aseJerusalema ngosuku lwesabatha, ngiyakuphemba umlilo emasangweni alo, uqede izindlu zamakhosi zaseJerusalema, ungacinywa.’ ”