1 Ngikhuluma iqiniso ngikuKristu, angiqambi amanga, unembeza wami ufakazelana nami eMoyeni oNgcwele
2 ukuthi nginokudabuka okukhulu nobuhlungu obungapheliyo enhliziyweni yami.
3 Ngokuba ngingafisa ukuba mina uqobo ngibe ngoqalekisiweyo kuKristu ngenxa yabazalwane bami abangabakithi ngokwenyama;
4 bona bangabakwa-Israyeli, okungesabo isimo sobuntwana nenkazimulo, nezivumelwano, nokumiswa komthetho, nenkonzo, nezithembiso,
5 abangababo okhokho avela kubo uKristu ngokwenyama, yena onguNkulunkulu ophezu kwakho konke, obongekayo kuze kube phakade. Amen.
6 Akusikho okungathi izwi likaNkulunkulu liphuthile. Ngokuba asibo bonke abavela ku-Israyeli abangabakwa-Israyeli;
7 nakuba beyinzalo ka-Abrahama, bonke abasibo abantwana, kodwa kuthiwa: “Ngo-Isaka iyakubizwa inzalo yakho.”
8 Lokhu kungukuthi akusibo abantwana benyama abangabantwana bakaNkulunkulu labo, kodwa abantwana besithembiso bathiwa inzalo.
9 Ngokuba lingelesithembiso leli zwi lokuthi: “Ngalesi sikhathi ngizakufika; khona uSara uzakuba nendodana.”
10 Akuyilokhu kuphela, kodwa kwaba njalo nakuRebeka ekhulelisiwe ngoyedwa, u-Isaka, ukhokho wethu;
11 ngokuba bengakazalwa, bengakenzi okuhle nokubi, ukuze icebo likaNkulunkulu eliya ngokukhetha lime,
12 kungabi ngemisebenzi, kodwa kube ngaye obizayo, kwashiwo kuye ukuthi:“Omkhulu uyakukhonza omncane,”
13 njengalokho kulotshiwe ukuthi:“UJakobe ngamthanda,kepha u-Esawu ngamzonda.”
14 Ngakho siyakuthini na? Kukhona yini ukungalungi kuNkulunkulu na? Qha nakanye.
15 Ngokuba kuMose uthi:“Ngizakumhawukela engimhawukelayo,ngimzwele engimzwelayo.”
16 Ngakho-ke akuyi ngentando nangokuzikhathaza komuntu, kodwa kuya ngokuhawukela kukaNkulunkulu.
17 Ngokuba umbhalo uthi kuFaro: “Ngakuphakhamisela khona lokhu ukuba ngibonakalise amandla ami kuwe nokuba igama lami lishunyayelwe emhlabeni wonke.”
18 Ngakho uhawukela lowo athanda ukumhawukela, umenza lukhuni lowo athanda ukumenza lukhuni.
19 Usuzakuthi kimi: “Usasolelani yena na? Ngokuba ngubani ongamelana nentando yakhe na?”
20 O, wena muntu! Ungubani-ke wena ophikisana noNkulunkulu na? Okubunjiweyo kungasho yini kowakubumbayo ukuthi: “Wangenzelani ngaba njena na?”
21 Nokuba akanamandla yini umbumbi ebumbeni ukwenza ngesigaxa sisinye isitsha esinye esihloniphekayo nesinye esingahloniphekiyo na?
22 Uma, pho, uNkulunkulu, ethanda ukubonakalisa ulaka nokuveza amandla akhe, wathwala ngokubekezela okukhulu izitsha zolaka ezilungiselwe ukubhujiswa
23 ukuba abonakalise ingcebo yenkazimulo yakhe ezitsheni zomusa ayezilungisele inkazimulo ngaphambili,
24 thina asibizayo nathi, kungesikho kubaJuda kuphela kodwa nakwabezizwe?
25 Njengalokhu esho nakuHoseya ukuthi:“Ngiyakubiza abangesiso isizwe sami ngokuthi isizwe sami,nongathandiwe ngokuthi uthandiwe;
26 nasendaweni lapha kwathiwa kubo:‘Anisibo abantu bami,’lapho bayakubizwa ngokuthi:‘Abantwana bakaNkulunkulu ophilayo.’ ”
27 U-Isaya umemeza ngo-Israyeli, uthi:“Nokuba umumo wabantwana bakwa-Israyeliungangesihlabathi solwandle,yinsali eyakusindiswa,
28 ngokuba iNkosi iyakufezaizwi layo emhlabeni,iliphelelise, ikhawuleze,”
29 njengalokho washo u-Isaya ngaphambili ukuthi:“Uma iNkosi Sebawoti ibingasishiyelangainzalo besiyakuba njengeSodoma,sifane neGomora.”
30 Ngakho siyakuthini na? Ukuthi abezizwe abangafunisisanga ukulunga batholile ukulunga, ukulunga kambe okungokukholwa;
31 kepha u-Israyeli, elandela umthetho wokulunga, kafinyelelanga emthethweni.
32 Ngani na? Ngokuba akubanga ngokukholwa kodwa kungathi ngemisebenzi; baqhuzuka etsheni lokuqhuzula,
33 njengalokho kulotshiwe ukuthi:“Bheka, ngibeka eSiyoni itshe lokukhubekisa,nedwala lokuwisa,nokholwa yilo akayikujabha.”