UJudithi 8

₁Ngalezo zinsuku uJudithi wezwa ngalezi zinto: wayeyindodakazi kaMerari indodana ka-Oksi indodana kaJosefa ka-Oziyeli ka-Elikhiya ka-Ananiyase kaGidiyoni kaRafayimi ka-Ahithubi ka-Eliya kaHilikhiya ka-Eliyabe kaNathaniyeli kaSalamiyeli kaSarasadayi ka-Israyeli. ₂Umyeni wakhe uManase, owayengowesizwe nomndeni wakubo, wayefe ngesikhathi sokuvunwa kwebhali. ₃Ngokuba ngesikhathi emi ebheke labo ababebopha izithungo ensimini, wehlulwa ngukushisa, walala embedeni wakhe, wafela emzini wakhe iBhethuliya. Bamngcwaba kanye nokhokho bakhe ensimini eyayiphakathi kweDothani neBhalamoni.

₄UJudithi wahlala engumfelokazi iminyaka emithathu kanye nezinyanga ezine, ₅emise itende ophahleni lwendlu yakhe. Wabhinca amasaka okhalo lwakhe wembatha nezobufelokazi. ₆Wazila ukudla izinsuku zonke zobufelokazi bakhe, ngaphandle kosuku olwendulela iSabatha nangeSabatha uqobo, ngaphambi kokwethwasa kwenyanga, nangalo usuku lokwethwasa kwenyanga, nangemikhosi nezinsuku zokuthokoza kwendlu yakwa-Israyeli. ₇Wayemuhle kakhulu, kumnandi ukumbuka. Umyeni wakhe uManase wayemshiyele igolide nesiliva, isisebenzi zesilisa nezesifazane, imfuyo kanye namasimu, futhi waligcina lelifa lakhe. ₈Akukho namunye owakhuluma kabi ngaye, ngokuba wayemesaba uNkulunkulu futhi ezinikele kakhulu. UJudithi uhlangana nomkhandlu womuzi.

₉Lapho uJudithi esezwile amazwi anzima akhulunywa ngabantu bakwa-Israyeli ngabaholi babo, ngenxa yokuba base bephela amandla ngokweswela amanzi, futhi esezwile konke u-Uziya ayekushilo kubo, nokuthi wethembisile kubo ngesifungo ukunikela umuzi kuma-Asiriya emva kwezinsuku eziyisihlanu, ₁₀wathumela isisebenzi sakhe, esasengamele yonke impahla yakhe, ukubiza u-Uziya noKharibhisi kanye noKharimisi, izikhulu zomuzi. ₁₁Bafika kuye, wayesethi kubo: “Ngilaleleni, babusi babantu baseBhethuliya! Lokho enikusho kubantu namuhla akulungile, futhi senenze nesifungo phakathi kwenu noNkulunkulu, nethembisa ukuthi niyakunikela umuzi ezitheni zethu uma iNkosi ingaphenduki ukusisiza kulezi zinsuku. ₁₂Ningobani nina ukulinga uNkulunkulu namuhla, nokuba nizibeke endaweni kaNkulunkulu maqondana nezindaba zabantu na? ₁₃Niyayilinga iNkosi uSomandla, kodwa anizukufunda lutho!

₁₄“Aninakukuqonda ukujula kwenhliziyo yomuntu, nokusebenza kwengqondo yakhe; nilindele kanjani ukuthi ningahlola uNkulunkulu, owenza zonke lezi zinto, futhi nazi umqondo wakhe noma niqonde imicabango yakhe na? Hayi, bafowethu, ningayithukuthelisi iNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu. ₁₅Ngokuba uma ekhetha ukungasisizi ngalezi nsuku, unamandla okusivikela ngesikhathi athanda ngaso noma ukusibhubhisa ebusweni bezitha zethu. ₁₆Ningazami ukunqunda izinjongo zeNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, ngokuba uNkulunkulu kafani nomuntu, akasatshiswa, futhi kaguqulwa ngukunxusa njengomuntu.

₁₇“Ngakho-ke sisalinde ukukhululwa nguye masimcele ukuba asisize, ngokuba uyakusizwa uma kukuhle kuye. ₁₈Ngokuba akukaze kwenzeke esizukulwaneni sethu, noma ezinsukwini zethu, ukuba kube khona isizwe, noma umndeni, noma abantu, noma umuzi phakathi kwemizini yethu okhonza unkulunkulu owenziwe ngezandla njengoba kwakwenzeka ezinsukwini ezadlulayo. ₁₉Kwakungaleso sizathu okhokho bethu banikelwa enkembeni nasekuphangweni, ngaleyo ndlela behlelwa ngenkulu inhlekelele phambi kwezitha zabo. ₂₀Kodwa thina asimazi omunye unkulunkulu ngaphandle kwakhe, ngakho-ke sikholwa ukuthi akanakusilahla thina kanye nesizwe sethu. ₂₁Ngokuba uma sithunjwa, lonke iJudiya kanye nezindawo ezingcwele liyakuthunjwa liphangwe; yena uyakwenza sikhokhe ngegazi lethu, sikhokhela ukungcoliswa kwalo. ₂₂Ukubulawa kwabahlobo bethu kanye nokuthunjwa kwezwe nokuchithwa kwefa lethu, konke lokhu uyakukubeka emakhanda ethu phakathi kwabezizwe, noma kukuphi lapho sithunjelwe khona njengezigqila, futhi siyakuba yinhlamba nehlazo emehlweni abo bonke abasithumbileyo. ₂₃Ngokuba ukuthunjwa kwethu akunakusilethela umusa, kodwa iNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu iyakukuphendula kube yihlazo.

₂₄“Ngakho-ke, bafowethu, masibe yisibonelo kubafowethu, ngokuba impilo yabo isezandleni zethu, kanjalo nezindawo ezingcwele ithempeli ne-althare kwencike kithi. ₂₅Ngaphezu kwakho konke masiyibonge iNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, osilingayo njengoba enza kokhokho bethu. ₂₆Khumbulani akwenza ku-Abhrahama, nokuthi wamlinga kanjani u-Isaka, nokuthi kwenzekani kuJakobe eSiriya laseMesopotamiya, lapho eluse izimvu zikaLabani, umalume wakhe. ₂₇Ngokuba ukulingwa kwethu akukabi ngomlilo, njengokuba enza kubo, ukuhlola izinhliziyo zabo, futhi kakaphindiseli kithi, kodwa iNkosi iyabashaya labo abasondele kuyo ukuze ibeluleke ibaqondise.”

₂₈U-Uziya wayesethi kuye: “Konke okukhulumile kuvela enhliziyweni eqinisile, akukho noyedwa ongaphika lawa mazwi. ₂₉Namuhla kakulona usuku lokuqala ubonakalisa inhlakanipho, kodwa kusukela ekuqaleni kwempilo yakho, abantu bakubonile ukuqonda kwakho, ngokuba okusenhliziyweni yakho kulungile. ₃₀Nokho abantu bebome ngale ndlela yokuthi basiphoqile ukuba sibenzele lokho esikuthembisile, futhi basiphoqa ukuba senze isifungo esingenakwephulwa. ₃₁Ngakho-ke lokhu uyinkosikazi emesabayo uNkulunkulu, sikhulekele, ukuze iNkosi isithumelele imvula ukugcwalisa imithombo yethu. Ngaleyo ndlela asiseyukuphelelwa ngamandla ngenxa yokoma.”

₃₂UJudithi wayesethi kubo: “Ngilaleleni, ngizokwenza into eyakukhunjulwa yizo zonke izizukulwane zozalo lwethu. ₃₃Manini esangweni lomuzi kulobu busuku ukuze ngikwazi ukuphuma nesisebenzi sami esethembekile, ngaphambi kokuba ziphele izinsuku enethembise ngazo ukunikela umuzi ezitheni zethu, iNkosi iyakumkhulula u-Israyeli ngesandla sami. ₃₄Ningalokothi nifune ukuthi ngenzani, ngokuba angiyukunitshela ngize ngikuqede lokho engizakukwenza.”

₃₅U-Uziya kanye nababusi bathi kuye: “Hamba ngokuthula, iNkosi uNkulunkulu ikuhole, ukusiphindiselela ezitheni zethu.”

₃₆Babuya ethendeni baphindela ezikanekisweni zabo.