97 – Iincwadi ezibhalelwe amabandla

₁“Bhalela ummeli webandla lase-Efese, uthi: ‘Nanga amazwi avela kulowo uphethe iinkwenkwezi ezisixhenxe ngesandla sokunene, ujikeleza phakathi kwezibane ezisixhenxe zegolide. ₂Ndiyayazi indlela obusebenza ngayo ubulaleka, unenyameko. Ndiyazi ukuba akubanyamezeli abantu abakhohlakeleyo. Ubavavanyile abo babesithi *bangabathunywa bengengabo, wabafumanisa bengamaxoki. ₃Ubunzima ubuthwele ngenyameko ngenxa yam, akoyiswa. ₄Kodwa ke nantsi indawo ngakuwe: Akusandithandi njengoko wawundithanda ekuqaleni. ₅Khawukhumbule indlela owawa bhaxa ngayo. Yahlukana nezono; qhuba ngendlela obuhamba ngayo ekuqaleni. Ukuba akuguquki, ndiya kuza ndisisuse isibane sakho endaweni yaso. ₆Kambe ke nantsi indawo ekuthethelelayo: Imikhwa yamaNikolawo uyithiyile kanye njengam.

₇“ ‘Lowo uneendlebe zokuva makaluve udaba oluthethwa nguMoya ebandleni!

“ ‘Lowo woyisileyo ndomnika ilungelo lokutya kumthi wobomi osemyezweni kaThixo.’ ”

₈“Bhalela ummeli webandla laseSmirna, uthi: ‘Nanga amazwi alowo ungowokuqala ukwangowokugqibela, owayefile wabuya wavuka: ₉Ndiyayazi indlela ebenicinezeleke ngayo, nihlwempuzekile. Kodwa nizizityebi phezu koko. Ndiyayazi indlela ebenenyeliswa ngayo ngabo bazenza amaJuda – baligquba likaSathana! ₁₀Nize ningayoyiki intshutshiso ezayo. Abanye benu umtyholi uza kubaphosa entolongweni, enivavanya. Nophatheka nzima iintsuku ezilishumi. Nize ninyaniseke kude kuse ekufeni. Ndonithwesa imbasa yobomi.

₁₁“ ‘Lowo uneendlebe zokuva makaluve udaba oluthethwa nguMoya ebandleni!

“ ‘Lowo woyisileyo akanako ukwenziwa nto kukufa kwesibini.’ ”

₁₂“Bhalela ummeli webandla lasePergama, uthi: ‘Olu daba luvela kulowo unekrele elibukhali elibaze macala. ₁₃Ndiyayazi le ndawo uhlala kuyo: Kusebhotwe kwaSathana! Kodwa nakuba kunjalo awundilahlanga. Awuzange utyhafe undikhanyele, nangethuba kwakubulawa ingqina lam elithembekileyo uAntipas, apho kuloo dolophu yakho ilikhaya likaSathana. ₁₄Kambe ke ndineendawana ezingandikholisiyo apha kuwe: Kwalapho kuwe bakho abasabambelele kwimfundiso kaBhalam. Kaloku yena ngulowa wafundisa uBhalaki ukulukuhla amaSirayeli. Wawakhuthaza ukuba atye ukutya okwenzelwe izithixo, arheletye. ₁₅Ngokukwanjalo ke nalapho kuni bakho ababambelele kwimfundiso yamaNikolawo. ₁₆Ngoko ke guquka, kungenjalo abo bantu ndiya kubahlasela ngekrele lomlomo.

₁₇“ ‘Lowo uneendlebe zokuva makaluve udaba oluthethwa nguMoya ebandleni!

“ ‘Lowo woyisileyo ndiya kumpha *imana efihliweyo. Ndiya kumnika nelitye elimhlophe apho kukrolwe igama elitsha elingaziwa mntu ngaphandle kwalowo lilelakhe.’ ”

₁₈“Bhalela ummeli webandla laseTiyatire, uthi: ‘Nalu udaba oluvela kuNyana kaThixo, yena unamehlo alenya ngathi ngamadangatye omlilo, onyawo zimenyezela ngathi lubhedu olugudisiweyo. ₁₉Ndiyasazi isimo sakho: unothando; uthembekile, ukhuthele, unomonde. Futhi ndiyaqonda ukuba ngoku uthath' unyawo kunakuqala. ₂₀Kambe ke ndinendawo ngakuwe: Kaloku awumchasi uJezebhele, intokazi ethi *ingumshumayeli. Ngemfundiso yakhe izicaka zam uziwexulela ekurheletyeni nasekutyeni ukutya okwenzelwe izithixo. ₂₁Nakuba ndimnikile ithuba lokuguquka ezonweni zakhe, akazimiselanga ukwahlukana nokurheletya. ₂₂Ngoku ke ndiya kumphosa emandlalweni apho aya kuthi yena kunye nabo arheletya nabo bangcungcutheke. Le nto ndiza kuyenza; ngaphandle kokuba bangaguquka kule nkohlakalo bayenza kunye naye. ₂₃Ndiya kubabulala abalandeli bakhe. Onke amabandla aya kuqonda ukuba mna ndiyazazi iingcinga neenjongo zabantu. Umntu ngamnye ndiya kumamkelisa ngokwezenzo zakhe.

₂₄“ ‘Kodwa ke abanye benu apha eTiyatire khange bayingene le mfundiso. Aninamava ngale nto abanye bathi yimfihlelo kaSathana. Nina andiyi kunibeka xanduva lumbi. ₂₅Kambe ke namathelani kuloo nto ninayo ndide ndifike. ₂₆Lowo woyisileyo, ewe, onyamezeleyo ekwenzeni ukuthanda kwam kwada kwasesiphelweni, ndiya kumnika amagunya phezu kwezizwe. ₂₇Uya kuzilawula ngentonga yentsimbi izizwe, azintlekeze njengezitya zodongwe. ₂₈Loo magunya ndawathatha kuBawo. Nam ke ndiya kumnika ikhwezi lokusa.

₂₉“ ‘Lowo uneendlebe zokuva makaluve udaba oluthethwa nguMoya ebandleni!’ ”

₁“Bhalela ummeli webandla laseSardes, uthi: ‘Nanga amazwi avela kulowo uphethe ooMoya abasixhenxe bakaThixo, neenkwenkwezi ezisixhenxe: Ndiyazazi iindlela zakho. Ndiyazi ukuba nakuba udume ngokuphila nje, ufile kodwa. ₂Vuka, uhlaziye loo ntlantsana isahleliyo, hleze ife nayo! Akukho namnye umsebenzi wakho endiwufumene ugqibekile phambi kukaThixo. ₃Ngoko ke khumbula iimfundiso ozifumeneyo; zilandele, uguquke. Ukuba akuvuki, ndofika njengesela – akuyi kwazi nokuba bendifike nini na. ₄Phofu unabantu abambalwa eSardes abangazingcolisanga bona izambatho zabo. Bohamba bevathe ezimhlophe kunye nam, yaye ibafanele loo nto. ₅Lowo woyisileyo wovatha ezimhlophe. Andisoze ndilicime igama lakhe kuludwe lwamagama abo baphilayo. Kaloku ndiya kumvuma ukuba ungowam phambi kukaBawo nezithunywa zakhe.

₆“ ‘Lowo uneendlebe zokuva makaluve udaba oluthethwa nguMoya ebandleni!’ ”

₇“Bhalela ummeli webandla laseFiladelfiya, uthi: ‘Nanga amazwi avela kulowo uyingcwele, ungowenene, uphethe izitshixo zakwaDavide; lowo uthi akuvula kungavali bani, athi akuvala kungavuli mntu. ₈Ndiyazazi iindlela zakho. Khangela ndibeke ucango oluvuliweyo phambi kwakho. Akukho bani unako ukuluvala. Ndiyazi ukuba amandlana onawo akangako, kodwa ulithobele ilizwi lam, àkwandikhanyela. ₉Ndiya kwenza le nto ke: Abo baligquba likaSathana, amamenemene azenza amaJuda engengawo, ndiya kubathoba, bakhahlele kuwe, bazi ukuba ndiyakuthanda. ₁₀Ke ngenxa yokuba uzingisile ekulithobeleni ilizwi lam elikubizela ekunyamezeleni, ndiza kukuhlangula kwishwangusha eliza ehlabathini lize kulinga bonke abantu. ₁₁Ndiyeza kwakamsinya. Yilondoloze imbo yakho. Lumka hleze ixhwilwe imbasa yakho. ₁₂Lowo woyisayo ndiya kumenza intsika yendlu kaThixo wam, angaze ahlukane nayo. Ndiya kulibhala kuye igama likaThixo wam negama lesixeko sikaThixo wam. Ewe, ndixela iJerusalem entsha, leyo izayo, iphuma ezulwini kuThixo wam. Ngokunjalo ndiya kulibhala kuye negama lam elitsha.

₁₃“ ‘Lowo uneendlebe zokuva makaluve udaba oluthethwa nguMoya ebandleni!’ ”

₁₄“Bhalela ummeli webandla laseLawodike, uthi: ‘Nalu udaba oluvela *kuAmen, olingqina elithembekileyo nelinyanisekileyo. Yena ngumthombo wayo yonke indalo kaThixo. ₁₅Ndiyasazi isimo sakho: Awubandi, awushushu. Akwaba ubushushu okanye ubanda! ₁₆Kodwa ke ngenxa yokuba udikidiki, ungeshushu ungabandi, ndiza kukutshica. ₁₇Uzingca ngokuba usisityebi, umi kakuhle. Uthi awuswele nto. Enyanisweni nakuba ungaqondi nje ungowokusizelwa, impula kalujaca, kuba ulihlwempu, imfama, uzé. ₁₈Ngoko ke ndikucebisa ukuba uthenge kum igolide enyityilikiswe ngomlilo yacwenga, ukuze ube sisityebi. Ngokunjalo thenga neempahla ezimhlophe, ukuze ubufihle ubuze bakho. Thenga nentambiso, uqabe amehlo akho, khon' ukuze ubone. ₁₉Abo ndibathandayo ndiyabakhalimela ndibohlwaye. Ngoko ke zimisele, uguquke. ₂₀Uyabona, ndimi emnyango ndinkqonkqoza. Ukuba umntu uyeva aze avule, ndiya kungena ndihlale naye, sitye kunye. ₂₁Lowo woyisileyo uya kuba nenxaxheba ebhotwe. Kaloku nam ndoyisa ndaza ndafumana inxaxheba yokungqendeva noBawo ebhotwe.

₂₂“ ‘Lowo uneendlebe zokuva makaluve udaba oluthethwa nguMoya ebandleni.’ ”