Umzekelo ka-Abraham
1Yintoni na ngoko esiya kuthi, uAbraham, ubawo wethu, ufumene yona ngokwenyama? 2Kuba uAbraham, ukuba wayegwetyelwe ngokwasemisebenzini, ange eneqhayiya; akanalo ke phambi koThixo. 3Kuba sithini na isibhalo? Sithi ke, Wakholwa uAbraham kuThixo, kwaza oko kwabalelwa kuye ebulungiseni. 4Ke kaloku, kulowo usebenzayo, umvuzo àwubalelwa ngokwaselubabalweni; ubalelwa ngokwasekubangweni. 5Ke kulowo ùngasebenziyo, ùthi akholwe kuye omgwebelayo lowo ungahloneli Thixo, ukholo lwakhe lubalelwa ebulungiseni; 6kwanjengokuba noDavide eluncoma uyolo lwaloo mntu, uThixo ambalela ubulungisa kungekho misebenzi, esithi,
7Banoyolo abazigqitho zixolelweyo,
Abazono zigutyungelweyo;
8Inoyolo indoda eya kuthi iNkosi ingakhe ibalele sono kuyo.
(INdum. 32:1)
9Olo luyolo ngoko lunconywayo lulolwabolwaluko bodwa na? Asilulo olwabo bangebolwaluko nabo na? Kuba sithi, kuAbraham ukholo lwabalelwa ebulungiseni. 10Lwathiwani na ke ngoko ukubalelwa kuye? Esekwalukeni, esekungalukini, sini na? Engekhona ekwalukeni; esekungalukini. 11Waza wamkela umqondiso wolwaluko, waba litywina lokuqinisa ubulungisa bokholo abenalo esekungalukini: ukuba abe nguyise wabo bonke abakholwayo besekungalukini, ukuze ubulungisa bubalelwe nakubo; 12nokuthi abe nguyise wabalukileyo, abanganele ukuba ngabalukileyo nje kodwa; abathi phezu koko bahambe emkhondweni wokholo lobawo wethu uAbraham, abenalo esekungalukini.
13Kuba ukumbeka ngedinga uAbraham, nokuba yimbewu yakhe, lokuba yindlalifa yalo ihlabathi, bekungengamthetho; bekungobulungisa bokholo. 14Kuba abo basemthethweni, ukuba ngabo iindlalifa, ukholo lungaba lwenziwe into engento, nedinga lingaba liphuthisiwe; 15kuba umthetho usebenza ingqumbo. Ke apho kungekho mthetho, akukho sigqitho.
16Ngenxa yoku, ilifa lelaselukholweni; ukuze libe ngokobabalo; ukuze idinga liqiniseke kuyo yonke imbewu; lingabi kweyasemthethweni yodwa, libe nakweyaselukholweni luka-Abraham, ongubawo wethu sonke 17(njengokuba kubhaliwe kwathiwa, Ndikumisile ukuba ube nguyise weentlanga ezininzi), phambi koThixo awakholwáyo kuye, obadlisa ubomi abafileyo, azibize izinto ezingekhoyo, zinge zikho. 18Owakholwayo ngethemba, kungekho nethemba eli, ukuze abe nguyise weentlanga ezininzi, ngokoko kwathethwayo: Iya kuba njalo imbewu yakho. 19Wathi, engebuthathaka nje ngokholo, akondela emzimbeni wakhe, obuselufile (emayela ekhulwini leminyaka ezelwe), kwanokufa kwesizalo sikaSara; 20owathi, ngokusingisele kwidinga likaThixo, akathandabuza ngokungakholwa; wesuka womelela ngokholo, ezukisa uThixo, 21eqinisekile ukuba oko akumise ngedinga, unako nokukwenza.
22Kungoko kwabalelwa nokubalelwa ebulungiseni kuye. 23Ke kaloku, ukuba kwabalelwa kuye, akubhalwanga ngenxa yakhe yedwa; 24kwabhalwa nangenxa yethu, thina kwakuza kubalelwa kuthi, thina bakholwayo kulowo wamvusayo uYesu iNkosi yethu kwabafileyo; 25owanikelwa ngenxa yeziphoso zethu, waza wabuya wavuswa ngenxa yokugwetyelwa kwethu.
