1 Umpristi omkhulu wayesethi: “Nembala lokhu kunjalo na?”
2 Yena wathi: “Madoda, bazalwane, nani bobaba, lalelani. UNkulunkulu wenkazimulo wabonakala kubaba u-Abrahama eseMesopotamiya, engakakhi eHarana,
3 wathi kuye: ‘Phuma ezweni lakini nasezihlotsheni zakho, uye ezweni engizakukukhombisa lona.’
4 “Khona waphuma ezweni lamaKaledi, waya wakha eHarana. Kwathi esefile uyise, uNkulunkulu wamsusa lapho, wamhlalisa kuleli zwe enakhe kulo nina manje.
5 Kepha akamnikanga ifa kulo, ngisho nelingangonyawo, wathembisa kodwa ukuthi uzakumnika lona libe ngelakhe nelenzalo yakhe emva kwakhe, engakabi namntwana.
6 UNkulunkulu wakhuluma kanje, wathi: ‘Inzalo yakhe izakuba ngumfokazi ezweni lezizwe; bayakuyenza izigqila, bayiphathe kabi iminyaka engamakhulu amane.
7 Kepha leso sizwe abayakuba yizigqila kuso ngiyakusahlulela mina, washo uNkulunkulu, andukuba baphume, bangikhonze kule ndawo.’
8 Wayesemnika isivumelwano sokusoka; kanjalo-ke wazala u-Isaka, wamsoka ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili; u-Isaka wazala uJakobe, uJakobe wazala okhokho abayishumi nambili.
9 “Okhokho baba nomhawu ngoJosefa, bathengisa ngaye, wasiwa eGibithe; kodwa uNkulunkulu wayenaye,
10 wamkhipha kuzo zonke izinhlupheko zakhe, wamupha umusa nokuhlakanipha phambi kukaFaro inkosi yaseGibithe; yena wammisa abe ngumbusi eGibithe nakuyo yonke indlu yakhe.
11 “Kepha kwafika indlala kulo lonke iGibithe nakwaKhanani, nokuhlupheka okukhulu; obaba kabafumana ukudla.
12 UJakobe esezwile ukuthi kukhona ukudla eGibithe, wathuma obaba ngokokuqala;
13 kwathi ngokwesibili uJosefa waziwa ngabafowabo; kwabonakala kuFaro isizwe sakubo kaJosefa.
14 UJosefa wayesethumela wabiza uJakobe uyise nabakubo bonke, abantu abangamashumi ayisikhombisa nanhlanu.
15 UJakobe wehlela eGibithe; wafa yena nawobaba.
16 Bayiswa eSikemi, babekwa ethuneni alithenga u-Abrahama ngenani lesiliva kumadodana kaHamori eSikemi.
17 “Kepha sesisondele isikhathi sesithembiso uNkulunkulu asisho ku-Abrahama, banda abantu, baba baningi eGibithe,
18 kwaze kwavela enye inkosi eGibithe ebingamazi uJosefa.
19 Yona yasiphatha ngobuqili isizwe sakithi, yabahlupha obaba ngokubalahlisa izingane zabo zingaphili.
20 “Ngaleso sikhathi kwazalwa uMose, waba muhle kuNkulunkulu; wondliwa izinyanga ezintathu endlini kayise;
21 eselahliwe, indodakazi kaFaro yamthola, yazondlela yena ukuba abe yindodana yayo.
22 UMose wafundiswa ukuhlakanipha konke kwabaseGibithe; waba namandla ngamazwi nangemisebenzi yakhe.
23 “Kuthe eseneminyaka engamashumi amane ezelwe, kwafika enhliziyweni yakhe ukuba abamele abafowabo, abantwana bakwa-Israyeli.
24 Wabona umuntu ephathwa kabi, wamvikela, wamphindisela ohlushwayo, wambulala owaseGibithe.
25 Ubethemba ukuthi abafowabo bayakuqonda ukuthi uNkulunkulu ubanika ukusindiswa ngesandla sakhe; kepha abakuqondanga.
26 Nangangomuso wafika kubo belwa, wazama ukubalamula, babuyisane, wathi: ‘Madoda, ningabazalwane; niphathanelani kabi na?’
27 “Kepha lowo owayemona umakhelwane wakhe wamhlohloloza wathi: ‘Ubekwe ngubani ube ngumbusi nomahluleli phezu kwethu na?
28 Usufuna ukungibulala nami, njengalokho ubulele owaseGibithe izolo na?’
29 Khona uMose wabaleka ngenxa yalelo zwi, waba ngumfokazi ezweni lakwaMidiyani, lapho azala khona amadodana amabili.
30 “Kwathi sekuphelele iminyaka engamashumi amane, kwabonakala kuye ehlane lentaba yaseSinayi ingelosi iselangabini lomlilo esihlahleni.
31 UMose ekubona wamangala ngalowo mbono; esasondela ukuba abhekisise, kwafika izwi leNkosi, lathi:
32 ‘NginguNkulunkulu wawoyihlo, uNkulunkulu ka-Abrahama noka-Isaka nokaJakobe.’ UMose wathuthumela, akaba nasibindi sokubhekisisa.
33 “INkosi yayisithi kuye: ‘Khumula izicathulo ezinyaweni zakho, ngokuba indawo omi kuyo ingumhlabathi ongcwele.
34 Ngikubonile nokukubona ukuhlushwa kwesizwe sami esiseGibithe, ngizwile ukububula kwaso; sengehlile ukuba ngibakhiphe. Woza kalokhu, ngizakukuthumela eGibithe.’
35 “UMose lowo abamalayo bethi: ‘Ubekwe ngubani ube ngumbusi nomahluleli na?’ nguyena amthumayo uNkulunkulu ngesandla sengelosi eyabonakala kuye esihlahleni, abe ngumbusi nomhlengi.
36 Yena lowo wabakhipha enza izimangaliso nezibonakaliso ezweni laseGibithe, naseLwandle Olubomvu, nasehlane iminyaka engamashumi amane.
37 “Nguye uMose lowo owathi kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli: ‘UNkulunkulu uyakunivusela umprofethi kubafowenu onjengami.’
38 Nguye lowo owayesebandleni ehlane kanye nengelosi eyakhuluma naye entabeni yaseSinayi kanye nawobaba, nowamukela amazwi okuphila, ukuze aninike wona.
39 “Kepha obaba abavumanga ukumlalela, kodwa bamhlohloloza, babuyela emuva eGibithe ngezinhliziyo zabo,
40 bathi ku-Aroni: ‘Senzele onkulunkulu abazakuhamba phambi kwethu; ngokuba uMose lowo owasikhipha ezweni laseGibithe, asazi ukuba wehlelwe yini.’
41 Benza ithole ngaleyo mihla, baletha umhlatshelo esithombeni, bajabula ngemisebenzi yezandla zabo.
42 Kepha uNkulunkulu wabafulathela, wabadedela ukuba bakhonze ibandla lezulu, njengokuba kulotshiwe encwadini yabaprofethi ukuthi:“ ‘Naningilethela iminikelo nemihlatsheloiminyaka engamashumi amane ehlanenina ndlu ka-Israyeli na?
43 Qha, nathatha itende likaMolokinenkanyezi kankulunkulu uRemfani,imifanekiso enayenza ukuba nikhuleke kuyo.Ngiyakunimukisela ngaphambili kweBabiloni.’
44 “Kwakukhona itende lobufakazi kobaba ehlane njengalokho akuyalayo yena owakhuluma noMose ukuba alenze ngomfanekiso abewubonile;
45 obaba benoJoshuwa balamukela, balingenisa ezweni lezizwe azixoshayo uNkulunkulu ebusweni bawobaba, kwaze kwaba semihleni kaDavide
46 owathola umusa ebusweni bukaNkulunkulu, wacela ukufunela uNkulunkulu kaJakobe idokodo.
47 Kepha nguSolomoni owamakhela indlu.
48 “Kodwa oPhezukonke akahlali ezindlini ezenziwe ngezandla njengokusho komprofethi ukuthi:
49 “ ‘Izulu liyisihlalo sami sobukhosi,nomhlaba uyisenabelo sezinyawo zami;ngenjani indlu eniyakungakhela yona,’ isho iNkosi,‘noma yiyiphi indawo yamiyokuphumula na?
50 Isandla sami asikwenzangakonke lokho na?’
51 “Nina bantamo zilukhuni, abangasokile ezinhliziyweni nasezindlebeni, nimelana njalo noMoya oNgcwele; njengoyihlo ninjalo nani.
52 Ngumuphi kubaprofethi oyihlo abangamzingelanga na? Bababulala ababememezela ngaphambili ukuza koLungileyo, eseningabakhapheli nababulali bakhe,
53 nina enamukela umthetho ngokuyala kwezingelosi, kepha aniwugcinanga.”
54 Kwathi bekuzwa lokho, bahlabeka ezinhliziyweni, bamgugudela amazinyo.
55 Kepha yena egcwele uMoya oNgcwele wagqolozela ezulwini, wabona inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu, noJesu emi ngakwesokunene sikaNkulunkulu,
56 wathi: “Bheka, ngibona izulu livuliwe, neNdodana yomuntu imi ngakwesokunene sikaNkulunkulu.”
57 Base bekhamuluka ngezwi elikhulu, bavala izindlebe, batheleka kuye kanyekanye,
58 bamkhiphela ngaphandle komuzi, bamkhanda ngamatshe. Ofakazi babeka izingubo zabo ngasezinyaweni zensizwa egama layo linguSawulu.
59 UStefanu bamkhanda ngamatshe ekhuleka ethi: “Nkosi Jesu, yamukela umoya wami.”
60 Wayeseguqa phansi, wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: “Nkosi, ungababaleli lesi sono.” Eseshilo lokho walala ubuthongo.