Ukungakholwa kwabakwa-Israyeli kuyadabukisa
1Ngikhuluma iqiniso ngikuKristu, angiqambi amanga, unembeza wami ufakazelana nami eMoyeni oNgcwele 2ukuthi nginokudabuka okukhulu nobuhlungu obungapheliyo enhliziyweni yami. 3Ngokuba ngingafisa ukuba mina uqobo ngibe ngoqalekisiweyo kuKristu ngenxa yabazalwane bami abangabakithi ngokwenyama; 4bona bangabakwa-Israyeli, okungesabo isimo sobuntwana nenkazimulo, nezivumelwano, nokumiswa komthetho, nenkonzo, nezithembiso, 5abangababo okhokho avela kubo uKristu ngokwenyama, yena onguNkulunkulu ophezu kwakho konke, obongekayo kuze kube phakade. Amen.
Abakwa-Israyeli bakhethwa nguNkulunkulu
6Akusikho okungathi izwi likaNkulunkulu liphuthile. Ngokuba asibo bonke abavela ku-Israyeli abangabakwa-Israyeli; 7nakuba beyinzalo ka-Abrahama, bonke abasibo abantwana, kodwa kuthiwa: “Ngo-Isaka iyakubizwa inzalo yakho.” 8Lokhu kungukuthi akusibo abantwana benyama abangabantwana bakaNkulunkulu labo, kodwa abantwana besithembiso bathiwa inzalo. 9Ngokuba lingelesithembiso leli zwi lokuthi: “Ngalesi sikhathi ngizakufika; khona uSara uzakuba nendodana.”
10Akuyilokhu kuphela, kodwa kwaba njalo nakuRebeka ekhulelisiwe ngoyedwa, u-Isaka, ukhokho wethu; 11ngokuba bengakazalwa, bengakenzi okuhle nokubi, ukuze icebo likaNkulunkulu eliya ngokukhetha lime, 12kungabi ngemisebenzi, kodwa kube ngaye obizayo, kwashiwo kuye ukuthi:
“Omkhulu uyakukhonza omncane,”
13njengalokho kulotshiwe ukuthi:
“UJakobe ngamthanda,
kepha u-Esawu ngamzonda.”
14Ngakho siyakuthini na? Kukhona yini ukungalungi kuNkulunkulu na? Qha nakanye. 15Ngokuba kuMose uthi:
“Ngizakumhawukela engimhawukelayo,
ngimzwele engimzwelayo.”
16Ngakho-ke akuyi ngentando nangokuzikhathaza komuntu, kodwa kuya ngokuhawukela kukaNkulunkulu. 17Ngokuba umbhalo uthi kuFaro: “Ngakuphakhamisela khona lokhu ukuba ngibonakalise amandla ami kuwe nokuba igama lami lishunyayelwe emhlabeni wonke.” 18Ngakho uhawukela lowo athanda ukumhawukela, umenza lukhuni lowo athanda ukumenza lukhuni. 19Usuzakuthi kimi: “Usasolelani yena na? Ngokuba ngubani ongamelana nentando yakhe na?” 20O, wena muntu! Ungubani-ke wena ophikisana noNkulunkulu na? Okubunjiweyo kungasho yini kowakubumbayo ukuthi: “Wangenzelani ngaba njena na?” 21Nokuba akanamandla yini umbumbi ebumbeni ukwenza ngesigaxa sisinye isitsha esinye esihloniphekayo nesinye esingahloniphekiyo na?
Nabezizwe bayakukhethwa ngomusa kaNkulunkulu
22Uma, pho, uNkulunkulu, ethanda ukubonakalisa ulaka nokuveza amandla akhe, wathwala ngokubekezela okukhulu izitsha zolaka ezilungiselwe ukubhujiswa 23ukuba abonakalise ingcebo yenkazimulo yakhe ezitsheni zomusa ayezilungisele inkazimulo ngaphambili, 24thina asibizayo nathi, kungesikho kubaJuda kuphela kodwa nakwabezizwe? 25Njengalokhu esho nakuHoseya ukuthi:
“Ngiyakubiza abangesiso isizwe sami ngokuthi isizwe sami,
nongathandiwe ngokuthi uthandiwe;
26nasendaweni lapha kwathiwa kubo:
‘Anisibo abantu bami,’
lapho bayakubizwa ngokuthi:
‘Abantwana bakaNkulunkulu ophilayo.’ ”
27U-Isaya umemeza ngo-Israyeli, uthi:
“Nokuba umumo wabantwana bakwa-Israyeli
ungangesihlabathi solwandle,
yinsali eyakusindiswa,
28ngokuba iNkosi iyakufeza
izwi layo emhlabeni,
iliphelelise, ikhawuleze,”
29njengalokho washo u-Isaya ngaphambili ukuthi:
“Uma iNkosi Sebawoti ibingasishiyelanga
inzalo besiyakuba njengeSodoma,
sifane neGomora.”
30Ngakho siyakuthini na? Ukuthi abezizwe abangafunisisanga ukulunga batholile ukulunga, ukulunga kambe okungokukholwa; 31kepha u-Israyeli, elandela umthetho wokulunga, kafinyelelanga emthethweni. 32Ngani na? Ngokuba akubanga ngokukholwa kodwa kungathi ngemisebenzi; baqhuzuka etsheni lokuqhuzula, 33njengalokho kulotshiwe ukuthi:
“Bheka, ngibeka eSiyoni itshe lokukhubekisa,
nedwala lokuwisa,
nokholwa yilo akayikujabha.”
