Ikulumo kaStefani
1Umphristi omkhulu wambuza wathi: “Ngambala lokhu kunjalo na?”
2Yena waphendula wathi: “Bafowethu nani bobaba, ngilalelani! UZimu wephazimulo wabonakala kubaba u-Abrahamu asahlala eMesopotamiya, angakahlali eRharana, 3wathi kuye,
“ ‘Tjhiya inarhekhenu,
abantu bekhenu nendlu kayihlo,
uye enarheni engizakutjengisa yona.’
4“Mbala wayitjhiya inarha yamaKasidi wayokuhlala eRharana. Emva kokufa kwakayise, uZimu wamfudusela enarheni enihlala kiyo nina nje. 5Kodwana akhange amnikele ilifa lapho, ngitjho nomtletlana wendawo. Kunalokho ngesikhathesi wamthembisa nanyana gade anganamntwana bona ngemuva kwakhe izakuba ngeyakhe neenzukulwana zakhe. 6UZimu wakhuluma kuye bunje wathi, ‘Yazi mbala bona iinzukulwana zakho zizakuba ziinkhonzi enarheni engasiyo yazo. Zizakulotjha abantu benarha leyo abazazigandelela iminyaka emakhulu amane. 7Kodwana ngizakugweba isizwe esibagandelelekweso. Kuzakuthi emva kwalokho baphume lapho bazongilotjha endaweni le.’ 8Yeke wenza naye isivumelwano sokusoka. Nje-ke u-Abrahamu waba nguyise ka-Isaka bewamsoka anamalanga abunane abelethiwe. U-Isaka yena wabeletha uJakopo, uJakopo waba ngubaba wabokhokho abalitjhumi nambili.
9“Abokhokho baba nomona ngoJosefa, bamthengisa bona ayokuba likhoboka eGibhide. Kodwana uZimu gade anaye, 10wamvikela kizo zoke iimbandezelo zakhe. Wamupha ukuhlakanipha wenza nokobana azuze umusa phambi kwakaFaro, ikosi yeGibhide. Ngalokho uFaro wamenza umbusi phezu kweGibhide nesigodlweni sakhe soke.
11“Nje-ke kwaba khona indlala ekulu eGibhide neKanana, yaletha ukuhlupheka okukhulu, abokhokho bebatlhoga ukudla. 12Kuthe bona uJakopo ezwe bona kukhona ukudla eGibhide, wathumela abokhokho bethu kokuthoma lapho. 13Kwathi kwesibili nabafikako, uJosefa wazazisa kibomnakwabo, uFaro naye wathoma ukwazi ngebekhabo lakaJosefa. 14Yeke uJosefa wathumela ilizwi kuyise uJakopo amazisa bona yena nendlu yakhe bafudukele eGibhide, kubabantu abamatjhumi alikhomba nesihlanu ngesibalo. 15Ngokunjalo-ke uJakopo wehlela eGibhide, lapha yena nabokhokho bethu bafela khona. 16Iindumbu zabo zalethwa eTjhekemu, babulungwa ngethuneni u-Abrahamu alithenga emadodaneni kaRhamori eTjhekemu ngenani elithileko lemali.
17“Kwathi isikhathi sisabandamela bona uZimu agcine isithembiso asenzako ku-Abrahamu, inani labantu bekhethu eGibhide landa labuyeleleka. 18Nje-ke kwavela enye ikosi ebeyingamazi uJosefa yabusa eGibhide. 19Yona yaphatha abantu bekhethu ngelunya, yakatelela abokhokho bona balahle amasana wabo ukuze angaphili. 20UMosi wabelethwa ngesikhatheso, amntwana omuhle phambi kwakaZimu. Waba ngaphasi kwetjhejo lendlu kayise iinyanga ezintathu. 21Kuthe bona akhutjhwe ngekhaya, indodakazi kaFaro yazithathela yena yazikhulisela njengomntwanayo. 22Yeke uMosi wafundiswa boke ubuhlakani bamaGibhide, waba namandla ngekulumo nangezenzo.
23“Kuthe uMosi selaneminyaka ematjhumi amane, wakhumbula ukuthekela ama-Israyeli wekhabo. 24Wabona omunye aphethwe kumbi mGibhide, wavikela umuntu ophethwe kumbi loyo, wambuyiselela ngokubulala umGibhide. 25Ngokwenza njalo wadlumbana bona abantu bekhabo bazakulemuka bonyana uZimu bekasebenzisa yena ekubathukululeni, kodwana akhange bakulemuke lokho. 26Ngakusasa godu wabona ama-Israyeli amabili asilwa wodwa, walinga ukuwalamula ngokuthi athi, ‘Madoda, nibomfo nina; alo kubayini niphathane kumbi nje?’ 27Kodwana loyo ogade aphethe omunye kumbi wasunduza uMosi wathi, ‘Ubekwe ngubani bonyana ube mbusi nomgwebi phezu kwethu? 28Kghani ucabanga ukungibulala nami njengomGibhide ombuleleko izolo?’ 29Kuthe bona uMosi ezwe lokho, wabalekela eMidiyana, lapho ahlala khona njengesikhonzi bewaba namadodana amabili.
30“Emva kweminyaka ematjhumi amane, kwabonakala ingilozi kuMosi iselangabini lomlilo esithukghwaneni esivuthako erhalawumbeni eduze nentaba yeSinayi. 31Kwathi lokha nakabona lokhu, warareka ngakubonako. Asatjhidela bona aqale aseduze, wezwa ilizwi lakaSomnini lithi, 32‘NginguZimu wabokhokho bakho, uZimu ka-Abrahamu, ka-Isaka noJakopo.’ UMosi wadedemela ngevalo wabhalelwa nakuqala. 33Nje-ke uSomnini wathi kuye, ‘Hlubula amapatlagwanakho ngombana lapha ujame khonapho yindawo ecwengileko. 34Ngambala ngibonile amatlhuwiso wabantu bami eGibhide. Ngisizwile isililo sabo; ngalokho ngehlile kobana ngibasindise. Nje-ke yewuze, ngizokuthuma eGibhide.’
35“Nguye kanye yena Mosi loyo ebamdela ngamezwi wokuthi, ‘Ubekwe ngubani bonyana ube mbusi nomgwebi?’ Yena loyo bekathunyelwe nguZimu ngesandla sengilozi eyabonakala kuye esithukghwaneni bona abembusi nomsindisi. 36Wabakhupha eGibhide, iye, wenza iimangaliso neembonakaliso eGibhide, elwandle lomGaba kanye nerhalawumbeni iminyaka ematjhumi amane. 37Nguye uMosi loyo owatjela ama-Israyeli wathi, ‘UZimu uzanivusela phakathi kwabafowenu umphorofidi onjengami.’ 38Nguye loyo ogade asehlanganweni erhalawumbeni kanye nengilozi eyakhuluma kuye nakibokhokho bethu entabeni yeSinayi. Wamukela amezwi aphilako wakaZimu bona awadlulisele kithi.
39“Kodwana abokhokho bethu akhange bavume ukumlalela. Kunalokho bamkhaphela ngeqadi nangeenhliziyo zabo babuyela eGibhide 40bebathi ku-Aroni, ‘Sikima usenzele abozinyana abazasikhokhela ngombana nakhu uMosi okunguye owasikhupha enarheni yeGibhide asazi bonyana kwenzekeni ngaye.’ 41Kwaba kulokha nabenza isithombe sekonyana, baletha imihlabelo kiso benama ngemisenzi yezandla zabo. 42Kodwana uZimu wabafulathela, wabaliselela bona balotjhe umkhambathi womkayi njengombana kutloliwe encwadini yabaphorofidi ukuthi, ‘Ngakhe nganiyala bonyana ningilethele imihlabelo neminikelo eminyakeni ematjhumi amane eniyihlezi erhalawumbeni, nina ndlu yakwa-Israyeli na? 43Niphakamise ithempedlana lakaMoleki nekwekwezi yakazinyanenu uRefani okumifanekiso yeenthombe enayenzako kobana niyilotjhe. Yeke ngizonithumela ekuthunjweni ngaphetjheya kweBhabheli.’
44“Abokhokho bethu babanethaberinakeli lobufakazi hlangana nabo erhalawumbeni. Belenziwe njengombana uZimu gade akhombise uMosi, ngokuya ngomfanekiso awubonako. 45Bangena nalo bakhamba noJotjhuwa lokha nabathumba inarha yezizwe uZimu aziqotjhako ngaphambi kwabo. Ithaberinakelelo laba senarheni leyo bekwaba sesikhathini sakaDavida, 46owamukela umusa ebusweni bakaZimu bewabawa bonyana akhele uZimu kaJakopo indlu. 47Kodwana nguSolomoni owamakhela indlu.
48“Nokho uZimu ongoPhezulu akahlali ngendlini eyakhiwe babantu, njengombana umphorofidi asitjho,
49“ ‘Izulu sihlalo sami sobukhosi,
iphasi lisinabelo seenyawo zami.
Alo, yikumba bani-ke enizangakhela yona,
indawami yokuphumula ibe yini?
50Kanti akusisisandla sami esenze koke lokho na?’
51“Nina bontanyana, abaneenhliziyo neendlebe ezingakasokwa, ninjengaboyihlo! Ngesikhathi soke nijamelana noMoya oCwengileko! 52Nitjho bona ukhona umphorofidi abokhokho benu abangakhange khebamphathe kumbi na? Angithi babulala ngitjho nalabo abamemezela ngokuza koLungileko. Nje-ke nina nimkhaphele benambulala. 53Angitjho ngini enamukela umthetho owalethwa ngomyalo weengilozi, kodwana akhange kheniwulalele?”
Ukukhandwa kwakaStefani
54Kuthe bona bezwe lokho bavutha ngelaka, bamgugudela amazinyo ngokubila. 55Kodwana uStefani azele uMoya oCwengileko, waqala phezulu ezulwini wabona iphazimulo kaZimu noJesu ajame ngesigomeni sakaZimu. 56Wathi: “Qalani! Ngibona izulu livuleka neNdodana yoMuntu ijame ngesigomeni sakaZimu!”
57Ngalokho bavala iindlebe zabo bamemeza, batheleka boke. 58Bamrhudulela ngaphandle kwedorobho, bathoma ukumkhanda ngamatje. Abofakazi babeka izambatho zabo eenyaweni zesokana elinguSawula. 59Basamkhanda ngamatje njalo, uStefani wathandaza asithi: “Kosi Jesu, yamukela ummoyami.” 60Waguqa phasi warhuwelela wathi: “Kosi! Ungabali isonwesi phezu kwabo.” Sele atjhwile lokhu, walala ubuthongo besiphelani.
