To The Word – Day 201

₁Isiprofetho.

Izwi likaJehova ku-Israyeli ngesandla sikaMalaki.

₂“Nginithandile,” usho uJehova.

“Nokho nithi: ‘Usithande kanjani na?’

“U-Esawu akasiye umfowabo kaJakobe na?” usho uJehova. “Ngamthanda uJakobe, ₃kepha u-Esawu ngamzonda, ngenza izintaba zakhe incithakalo, nefa lakhe ngalinika amakhanka asehlane.”

₄Uma u-Edomi ethi: “Sichithiwe, kepha siyakubuye sakhe izincithakalo,” usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uthi: “Bayakwakha bona, kepha mina ngiyakudiliza, babizwe ngokuthi uMkhawulo Wobubi, nabantu uJehova abathukuthelelayo kuze kube phakade. ₅Amehlo enu ayakukubona, bese nithi: ‘UJehova uyakuba mkhulu, kudlule nasemkhawulweni ka-Israyeli.’

₆“Indodana idumisa uyise, nenceku inkosi yayo; uma nginguyise, kuphi ukudunyiswa kwami? Uma ngiyinkosi, kuphi ukwesatshwa kwami?” usho uJehova Sebawoti, “kinina bapristi enilidelela igama lami.”

Nokho nithi: “Silidelele kanjani igama lakho na?”

₇“Ngokunikela ngesinkwa esingcolileyo e-altare lami.”

Bese nithi: “Sikungcolise ngani na?”

“Ngokusho kwenu ukuthi: ‘Itafula likaJehova lidelelekile.’ ₈Lapho ninikela ngesilwane esiyimpumputhe sibe ngumhlatshelo, akukubi na? Lapho ninikela ngesilwane esiqhugayo nesigulayo, akukubi na? Mawusisondeze kumbusi wakho; uyakuba nomusa kuwe na? Uyakukwamukela na?” usho uJehova Sebawoti.

₉“Manje ake ninxuse kuNkulunkulu ukuba abe nomusa kithi; njengokuba ninokunjalo ezandleni zenu, uyakunamukela na?” usho uJehova Sebawoti.

₁₀“Sengathi kungaba khona phakathi kwenu ongavala izicabha, ukuze ningabaseli ize e-altare lami! Angithokozi ngani,” usho uJehova Sebawoti, “angiyikwamukela iminikelo ezandleni zenu. ₁₁Ngokuba kusukela ekuphumeni kwelanga kuze kube sekushoneni kwalo igama lami likhulu phakathi kwezizwe; ezindaweni zonke igama lami lishiselwa impepho kanye neminikelo ehlambulukileyo, ngokuba igama lami likhulu phakathi kwezizwe,” usho uJehova Sebawoti.

₁₂“Kepha niyalihlambalaza ngokusho kwenu ukuthi: ‘Itafula leNkosi lingcolile lona, nesithelo salo, ukudla kwalo, sidelelekile.’ ₁₃Nisho futhi ukuthi: ‘Bheka ukuhlupheka!’ bese nilincimfela,” usho uJehova Sebawoti, “niletha okuthathwe ngobudlova, nokuqhugayo, nokugulayo, niletha kanjalo umnikelo; bengiyakwamukela lokhu esandleni senu na?” usho uJehova. ₁₄“Makaqalekiswe okhohlisayo, okukhona emhlambini wakhe iduna, kanti athembise, ahlabele iNkosi okonakeleyo; ngokuba ngiyinkosi enkulu,” usho uJehova Sebawoti, “negama lami liyesabeka phakathi kwezizwe.”

₁“Manje lo myalo ungowenu bapristi. ₂Uma ningezwa, uma ningakubeki enhliziyweni ukunika igama lami udumo,” usho uJehova Sebawoti, “ngiyakuthuma kini isiqalekiso, ngiqalekise izibusiso zenu, yebo, sengiziqalekisile, ngokuba anikubeki enhliziyweni.

₃“Bhekani, ngiyakusongela inzalo yenu ngenxa yenu, ngithele umquba ebusweni benu, umquba wemikhosi yenu, nisuselwe kuwo. ₄Niyakwazi ukuthi ngithumile kini lo myalo ukuba isivumelwano sami noLevi sime,” usho uJehova Sebawoti. ₅“Isivumelwano sami naye sasingukuphila nokuthula, ngamnika khona ukuba esabe; wangesaba, waphela amandla phambi kwegama lami. ₆Umthetho weqiniso wawusemlonyeni wakhe, nobubi babungatholwa ezindebeni zakhe; wahamba nami ngokuthula nangobuqotho, wabuyisa abaningi ebubini.

₇“Ngokuba izindebe zompristi ziyakugcina ukwazi, kufunwe umthetho emlonyeni wakhe, ngokuba uyisithunywa sikaJehova Sebawoti. ₈Kepha nichezukile endleleni, nikhubekisile abaningi emthethweni; nisonakalisile isivumelwano sikaLevi,” usho uJehova Sebawoti. ₉“Ngalokho mina nginenzile naba ngabadelelekileyo nabathotshisiweyo phambi kwabantu bonke njengokuba ningazigcinanga izindlela zami, kepha nikhethe ubuso emthethweni.

₁₀“Asinaye ubaba munye thina sonke? Asidalwanga nguNkulunkulu munye na? Sikhohlisanelani, kube yilowo nomfowabo, sisingcolisa isivumelwano sawobaba na?

₁₁“UJuda ukhohlisile, isinengiso senziwe kwa-Israyeli naseJerusalema, ngokuba uJuda uyingcolisile indlu engcwele kaJehova ayithandayo, waganwa yindodakazi kankulunkulu wabezizwe. ₁₂UJehova makanqume kumuntu owenza lokhu ufakazi nophendulayo ematendeni akwaJakobe kanye noletha umnikelo kuJehova Sebawoti.

₁₃“Ngokwesibili niyakwenza nalokhu: nisibekela i-altare likaJehova ngezinyembezi, nangokukhala, nangokububula, angabe esayinakekela iminikelo, ingabe isamukeleka esandleni senu. ₁₄Bese nithi-ke: ‘Ngani na?’ Ngokuba uJehova wayengufakazi phakathi kwakho nomfazi wobusha bakho omkhohlisile wena, noma engumngane wakho nomfazi wesivumelwano sakho.

₁₅“AkusiMunye osenzileyo, okusele kuye umoya wethu na? Ufunani lo Munye? Inzalo kaNkulunkulu. Ngalokho qaphelani umoya wenu ukuba ningamkhohlisi umfazi wobusha benu.

₁₆“Ngokuba ngiyazonda ukwahlukana,” usho uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, “nozisibekelayo ngobudlova njengesambatho,” usho uJehova Sebawoti.

Ngalokho qaphelani umoya wenu ukuba ningakhohlisi.

₁₇Nimkhathazile uJehova ngamazwi enu.

Nokho nithi: “Simkhathaze kanjani?”

Ngokusho ukuthi: “Bonke abenza okubi bahle emehlweni kaJehova; yena uthokoza ngabo,” noma: “Uphi uNkulunkulu wokwahlulela na?”

₁“Bhekani, ngiyathuma isithunywa sami; siyakulungisa indlela phambi kwami. INkosi eniyifunayo iyakufika ngokuzumayo ethempelini layo; nesithunywa sesivumelwano enithokoza ngaso, bheka, siyeza,” usho uJehova Sebawoti.

₂Ngubani ongathwala usuku lokufika kwaso? Ngubani oyakuma ekubonakaleni kwaso na? Ngokuba sinjengomlilo wocwengisisayo nensipho yomhlanzi. ₃Siyakuhlala sicwengisisa sihlanza isiliva, sihlambulule amadodana kaLevi, siwahluze njengegolide nesiliva, aze anikele ngeminikelo kuJehova ngokulunga. ₄Isiyakuba mihle kuJehova iminikelo yakwaJuda neyeJerusalema njengasezinsukwini zasendulo naseminyakeni yakuqala.

₅“Ngiyakusondela kini ukwahlulela, ngibe ngufakazi osheshayo ngabalumbi, nangeziphingi, nangabafunga amanga, nangabacindezela abaqashwa ngenkokhelo yabo, nabafelokazi, nezintandane, nabachezukisa abafokazi, bengangesabi mina,” usho uJehova Sebawoti.

₆“Ngokuba mina Jehova angiguquki; ngalokho nina madodana kaJakobe aniqedwa. ₇Kusukela emihleni yawoyihlo nichezukile ezimisweni zami, anizigcinanga. Buyelani kimi, ngiyakubuyela kini,” usho uJehova Sebawoti.

“Nokho nithi: ‘Siyakubuyela kanjani?’

₈“Umuntu angaphanga uNkulunkulu na? Nokho niyangiphanga.

“Bese nithi: ‘Sikuphange kanjani na?’

“Ngokweshumi nangeminikelo. ₉Niqalekisiwe ngesiqalekiso, nokho niyangiphanga, sizwe sonke. ₁₀Ngenisani konke okweshumi endlini yengcebo ukuba kube ngukudla endlini yami, ningivivinye ngalokhu,” usho uJehova Sebawoti, “uma ngingayikunivulela amafasitele asezulwini, nginithululele isibusiso kunokwaneleyo. ₁₁Ngenxa yenu ngiyakukhuza okudlayo, kungachithi izithelo zomhlabathi wenu, nemivini yenu ayiyikuphutha endle,” usho uJehova Sebawoti. ₁₂“Zonke izizwe ziyakuthi nibusiswe, ngokuba niyakuba yizwe elithokozisayo,” usho uJehova Sebawoti.

₁₃“Amazwi enu ayelukhuni kimi,” usho uJehova.

“Nokho nithi: ‘Sikhulumeni ngawe na?’

₁₄“Nithi: ‘Kuyize ukukhonza uNkulunkulu; kuyinzuzoni ukuthi sigcinile imfanelo yakhe nokuthi sihambe ngokukhedamisa phambi kukaJehova Sebawoti na? ₁₅Kepha manje siyakuthi babusisiwe abaziqhenyayo; yebo, abenza okubi bayakhiwa; noma bemlinga uNkulunkulu, bayakhululwa.’ ”

₁₆Khona abamesabayo uJehova bakhuluma bodwa omunye nomunye; uJehova waqaphela, wezwa, kwalotshwa phambi kwakhe incwadi yokukhumbula ababemesaba uJehova, bezindla ngegama lakhe.

₁₇“Bayakuba ngabami,” usho uJehova Sebawoti, “babe yimfuyo yami ngosuku engiyakulwenza, ngibahawukele, njengalokhu umuntu ehawukela indodana yakhe emkhonzayo. ₁₈Bese nibuya, nahlukanise abalungileyo nababi, abamkhonza uNkulunkulu nabangamkhonziyo.

₁“Ngokuba bheka, luyeza usuku, luvutha njengeziko; bonke abaziqhenyayo nabo bonke abenza okubi bayakuba ngamabibi; luyakubashisa lolo suku oluzayo,” usho uJehova Sebawoti, “lungabashiyeli mpande nagatsha. ₂Kepha kinina enilesabayo igama lami kuyakuphuma ilanga lokulunga, linokuphilisa emaphikweni alo; niyakuphuma, nitshekule njengamathole esibaya. ₃Niyakunyathela phansi ababi, ngokuba bayakuba luthuli phansi kwamathe ezinyawo zenu ngosuku engilwenzayo,” usho uJehova Sebawoti.

₄“Khumbulani umthetho kaMose inceku yami engamyala ngawo eHorebe ngaye wonke u-Israyeli, waba yizimiso nezahlulelo.

₅“Bhekani, ngiyakuthuma kini u-Eliya umprofethi, lungakafiki usuku lukaJehova olukhulu nolwesabekayo. ₆Uyakuphendulela izinhliziyo zawoyise kubantwana nezinhliziyo zabantwana koyise, funa ngifike, ngishaye izwe ngesiqalekiso.”