UHEZEKILE 33

₁Ndeva ilizwi *likaNdikhoyo lisithi: ₂“Mntundini, thetha nabantu bakuni uthi: Ndakuthumela ikrele elizweni, baze abantu balo bakhethe omnye wabo ukuba abe ngumlindi, ₃athi akubona ikrele lisiza kwenzakalisa isizwe asuke avuthele ixilongo ukulumkisa isizwe; ₄ke othe waliva ixilongo kodwa akahoya, laza lafika lona ikrele lamtyakatya wafa, ityala lelakhe. ₅Ulivile ixilongo, kodwa akahoya; ngoko ke ityala lokufa kwakhe lelakhe. Ukuba ebehoyile ngesindile ekufeni. ₆Kodwa ukuba uthe umlindi, elibona ikrele lisiza, akalivuthela ixilongo ukulumkisa abantu, laza ikrele lafika labulala omnye wabo, lowo uya kufa ngenxa yesono sakhe, kodwa ityala lokufa kwakhe liya kuba lelomlindi.

₇“Mntundini, wena ndikwenze umlindi wendlu kaSirayeli; ngoko phulaphula amazwi endiwathetha kuwe, uze ubalumkise. ₈Xa ndisithi kumntu okhohlakeleyo: ‘Inene, uza kufa, sikhohlakalindini,’ uze wena ungathethi naye umnqande kubugwenxa bakhe, ade yena afele esonweni sakhe, ityala lokufa kwakhe ndiya kulibeka kuwe. ₉Kodwa ukuba umntu okhahlakeleyo umnqandile kubugwenxa bakhe, waza akakuva, uya kufa ngenxa yesono sakhe, kodwa wena uya kuba ubuhlangule ekufeni ubomi bakho.

₁₀“Mntundini, xelela indlu kaSirayeli uthi: ‘Nina nithi: Iziphoso zethu nezono zethu zingumthwalo onzima phezu kwethu; siyangcungcutheka ngenxa yazo. Siya kuthini na ke ukuze sisinde?’ ₁₁Yithi kubo: ‘Ndikho nje ndiyafunga, itsho iNkosi uNdikhoyo; akundikholisi ukufa kwabakhohlakeleyo. Ndithanda ukuba baguquke, bahlukane nezenzo zabo zobugwenxa, badle ubomi. Guqukani! Guqukani kwiindlela zenkohlakalo. Ngani ukuba nide nife, ndlundini kaSirayeli?’

₁₂“Ngoko ke, mntundini, yithi kubantu bakuni: ‘Ubulungisa bomntu olilungisa abuyi kumsindisa mhla wakreqa; nenkohlakalo yokhohlakeleyo ayiyi kumeyelisela xa athe wahlukana nayo. Nelungisa xa lithe lakreqa aliyi kuvunyelwa lidle ubomi.’ ₁₃Ukuba ilungisa ndilixelele ukuba liya kudla ubomi, laza lakreqa kuba likholose ngobulungisa balo, bonke ubulungisa balo buya kulityalwa; liya kufa ngenxa yesono salo. ₁₄Ukuba ndithe kumntu okhohlakeleyo: ‘Wena uza kufa,’ waza yena wazohlwaya, wenza okulungileyo – ₁₅waza wayibuyisa loo mpahla bekubanjiswe ngayo ngumboleki, wayibuyisa impahla ayibileyo, wenza ngokwemimiselo yobomi, wahlukana nobubi, ngokwenene akayi kufa, uya kudla ubomi. ₁₆Akukho nasinye isono sakhe esiya kukhunjulwa. Kaloku wenze okufanelekileyo nokulungileyo – inene, uya kudla ubomi.

₁₇“Kanti noko abantu bakuni bathi: ‘Indlela aqhuba ngayo uNdikhoyo ayinabulungisa.’ Ukanti yindlela yabo engalunganga. ₁₈Ukuba umntu olilungisa uyakreqa ebulungiseni, enze ububi, uya kufa ngenxa yezono zakhe. ₁₉Kanti ukuba umntu okhohlakeleyo uthe wazikhwebula enkohlakalweni, wenza okulungileyo, uya kudla ubomi ngenxa yoko. ₂₀Kanti noko, ndlu kaSirayeli, nisathi: ‘Indlela aqhuba ngayo uNdikhoyo ayinabulungisa.’ Kodwa mna ndiya kugweba umntu ngamnye ngokwezenzo zakhe.”

₂₁Ngomhla weshumi kwinyanga yeshumi yonyaka weshumi elinambini wokuthinjwa kwethu, indoda eyayibhunce eJerusalem yeza kum yathi: “Isixeko siwile!” ₂₂Kanti ngobusuku obuphambi kokufika kwaloo mfo, ndasiva isandla *sikaNdikhoyo, waza wavuleka umlomo wam kusasa singekabonani. Ewe, wavuleka umlomo wam, ndayeka ukuthula.

₂₃Ndaliva ilizwi likaNdikhoyo lisithi: ₂₄“Mntundini, bathi abantu abahlala kuloo mabhodlo akwaSirayeli: ‘UAbraham yayikukuphela kwakhe, kodwa ilizwe lalilelakhe lonke. Kanti thina sibaninzi, makube ilizwe silinikiwe ukuba libe lelethu lonke.’

₂₅“Ke ngoko baxelele uthi: Itsho iNgangalala uNdikhoyo ukuthi: Njengokuba nisitya inyama enegazi nje, nithembele *nakwizithixo zenu eziqingqiweyo, niphalaza negazi, ngaba eli lizwe lingalelenu njani? ₂₆Nithe qhiwu ikrele; izenzo zenu zinezothe; ngamnye kuni ukrexeza nomfazi wommelwane wakhe. Ngaba eli lizwe lingalelenu njani?

₂₇“Baxelele wenjenje: Itsho iNgangalala uNdikhoyo ukuthi: Ndikho nje ndiyafunga, amasalela akulaa mabhodlo aza kutyakatywa ngekrele. Abangaphandle kwesixeko ndiya kubanikezela emarhamncweni abaqwenge, abangene kwinqaba nasemiqolombeni baya kubulawa ngubhubhani. ₂₈Ilizwe ndiya kulenza libe yinkangala yentlango, aphele amandla ebelizingca ngawo, nakwiintaba zakwaSirayeli kuya kuba sebugxwayibeni, kungabikho mntu unqumlayo kuzo. ₂₉Baya kundiqonda ukuba ndinguNdikhoyo xa umhlaba sendiwubharhisile ngenxa yamanyundululu abo.

₃₀“Wena ke, mntundini, abantu bakuni bayathetha ngawe beziziqhu ngasezindongeni nakwiminyango yezindlu, bathi omnye komnye: ‘Yizani nize kuva udaba oluvela kuNdikhoyo.’ ₃₁Abantu bam bayeza kuwe ngokwabantu bakaThixo, bafike bahlale phambi kwakho, baphulaphule loo nto uyithethayo, kodwa abenzi nto ngayo. Banenzondelelo ngomlomo, kodwa iintliziyo zabo ziyila ubuqhophololo. ₃₂Enyanisweni wena kubo unjengomntu ocula iingoma zothando ngelizwi elimyoli, nodlala isikhalisi kamnandi, kuba bayaweva amazwi akho, kodwa abenzi lutho ngawo.

₃₃“Zakuzaliseka zonke ezi zinto (njengokuba kuza kuba njalo) baya kuqonda ukuba bekukho *umshumayeli phakathi kwabo.”