UHoziya 4

₁Yizwani izwi likaSimakade

nina bantu bakwa-Israyeli,

ngokuba uSimakade

umangalela izakhamuzi zezwe,

phela akukho kwethembeka,

naqiniso,

nalwazi ngoNkulunkulu ezweni.

₂“Kukhona ukuqalekisa nokukhohlisa,

ukubulala, nokweba, nokuphinga,

bayadlebeleka, kugobhoza igazi.

₃Ngalokho-ke izwe liyalila,

bonke abahlala kulo bayonda,

nezilwane zasendle,

izinyoni zezulu,

nezinhlanzi zasolwandle kuyashabalala.”

₄“Makungabi bikho owethwesa omunye icala,

makungabi bikho osola omunye,

ngokuba abantu bakho

bafana nalabo abaphikisana nomphristi.

₅Uyokhubeka emini kwabha,

nomphrofethi akhubeke kanye nawe ebusuku,

ngimbhubhise nonyoko.

₆Abantu bami bayabhujiswa ngokweswela ulwazi,

njengoba ulwenqabile ulwazi,

nami ngiyenqaba

ukuba ube ngumphristi wami.

Ukhohliwe wumthetho kaNkulunkulu wakho,

nami futhi ngiyakubakhohlwa abantwana bakho.

₇Njengoba banda nje,

kanjalo kuyanda nokona kwabo kimi.

Ngiyakuguqula ukuhlonishwa kwabo kube yihlazo.

₈Badla izono zabantu bami,

balubalubele iziphambeko zabo.

₉Kuyakuba kanje kubantu

kanjalo nakumphristi:

ngiyakubajezisa ngenxa yezindlela zabo,

ngibajezise ngezenzo zabo.

₁₀“Bayakudla, kodwa bangasuthi,

bayakufeba, kodwa bangandi,

ngokuba bamshiyile uSimakade,

₁₁bazinikela ekufebeni,

ewayinini, nasewayinini elisha,

okususa ingqondo.

₁₂Abantu bami babuza ukhuni olubaziweyo,

induku yabo ibatshele,

ngokuba umoya wobufebe ubadukisile,

basuka phansi kukaNkulunkulu wabo

ngenxa yokufeba.

₁₃Benza imihlatshelo ezicongweni zezintaba,

bashise impepho emagqumeni,

phansi kwemi-okhi,

kwemiphophula nemitherebhinte,

ngokuba umthunzi walokho muhle.

Ngalokho-ke amadodakazi enu ayafeba,

nomalokazana benu bayaphinga.

₁₄“Angiyukuwajezisa amadodakazi enu lapho efeba,

nomalokazana benu lapho bephinga,

ngokuba namadoda aphambukela ezifebeni,

enze umhlatshelo nezifebe zethempeli,

abantu abangenakuqonda bayakubhubha.

₁₅“Nakuba wena Israyeli ufeba,

uJuda makangabi nacala;

ungayi eGiligali,

ungakhuphukeli eBhethi Aveni,

ungafungi ngokuphila kukaSimakade.

₁₆Ngokuba u-Israyeli unenkani

njengesithole esinenkani;

pho uSimakade angabelusa kanjani

njengewundlu lemvu emadlelweni abanzi na?

₁₇U-Efrayimi uzibandakanye nezithombe,

myeke kanjalo.

₁₈Isiphuzo sabo sesiphelile,

kodwa bayaqhubeka nokufeba,

izikhulu zabo zilithanda kakhulu ihlazo.

₁₉Umoya ubasongile ngamaphiko awo,

bayakujabha ngemihlatshelo yabo.”