Ukukhethwa kwaka-Israyeli nguZimu
1Ngikhuluma iqiniso kuKrestu, angirhwayi amanga; nonembezami uyakuqinisa lokho ngoMoya oCwengileko, 2nangisithi nginokudabuka okukhulu nobuhlungu obungapheliko ehliziyweni yami. 3Ngitjho ngombana bengingafisa bona mina ngokwami ngithukwe bengijutjwe kuKrestu ngebanga labazalwana bami, iye iinhlobo zami ngenyama. 4Bona bama-Israyeli, baphiwe ukwenziwa abantwana bakaZimu, iphazimulo, iimvumelwano, ukunikelwa umthetho, ukulotjha kanye neenthembiso. 5Bayinzalo yabokhokho lapha kuvela khona uMesiya ngokwenyama, ongikho koke, obusiswe nguZimu isiphelani. Amen.
6Akusingathi ilizwi lakaZimu lihlulekile ngombana akusiwo woke ama-Israyeli angewakwa-Israyeli mbala. 7Begodu akusibo boke abantwana baka-Abrahamu abaziinzukulwana zakhe zamambala, kodwana “iinzukulwana zakho zizokuthiyelelwa ngo-Isaka.” 8Lokhu kutjho bonyana abantwana bakaZimu akusibo benyama kodwana bantwana besithembiso ababalelwa eenzukulwaneni 9ngombana nakhu okwatjhiwo sithembiso: “Ngesikhathi esifaneleko, ngaso lesisikhathi ngizakubuya, begodu noSara uzabe sele anendodana.”
10Akugcini lapho kwaphela, nakuRabega kwenzeka soneso lokha nagade azithwele abantwana bendoda yinye, engukhokho wethu u-Isaka. 11Khonapho kwathi bangakabelethwa namkha benze nanyana yini ehle namkha embi (ukuze umnqopho kaZimu wokukhetha uragele phambili 12ingasi ngokwemisebenzi kodwana ngokubizwa kwakhe) uRabega watjelwa kwathiwa: “Omkhulu uzakukhothamela omncani”, 13njengombana umtlolo uthi:
“UJakopo ngamthanda,
kodwana u-Esewu ngamlahla.”
14Alo, sizakuthini na? Sizakuthi uZimu akakalungi? Awa, nakanye! 15Angithi wathi kuMosi:
“Ngizokurhawukela engimrhawukelako,
ngizwele engimzwelako.”
16Yeke akuyi ngentando yomuntu namkha ngamandlakhe, kodwana kuya ngomusa kaZimu 17ngombana umtlolo uthi kuFaro: “Ngakwenyusela khona lokhu kobana ngiveze amandlami ngawe nokobana ibizo lami libatjazwe kilo loke iphasi.” 18Yeke urhawukela afuna ukumrhawukela, enze bukhuni afuna ukumenza bukhuni.
Ubukhali kanye nomusa kaZimu
19Wena-ke uzakuthi kimi: “Alo-ke, usasolelani na? Ngubani ongajamelana nentando yakhe na?” 20Kodwana ungubani-ke wena kobana ungaphendulana noZimu na? Okubunjiweko kungatjho njani kumbumbi ukuthi: “Ungibumbeleni ngaba nje na?” 21Umbumbi akanalo ilungelo phezu komdaka na? Angithi ngawo umdaka lowo angabumba isitja esikhethekileko godu enze esinye esingakakhetheki?
22Sizakwazi ngani nakube uZimu, ngokuthanda ukubonisa ubukhali bakhe kanye nokwazisa amandlakhe, ubekezelele khulu ngesineke izitja afanele azithukuthelele, ezibekelwe ukubhujiswa na? 23Sizakwazi ngani bona mhlambe wenze lokho ukuze kuthi lezo azibekele umusa, iye lezo azilungiselele umusa phambilini, azazise umnono wephazimulwakhe ayilungiselela zona na? 24Iye, kufaka ngitjho nathi asibizileko, ingasi hlangana namaJuda kwaphela kodwana naphakathi kwabatjhili. 25Kunjengobana asitjho kuHosiya:
“Abantu ebekungasibo bami, ngizababiza bona ngebami,
naloyo obekangathandeki ngithi ‘unguthandiwe’.”
26“Nendaweni lapho kwathiwa kibo,
“ ‘Anisibo abantu bami,’
lapho bazakubizwa bona
babantwana bakaZimu ophilako.”
27U-Isaya umemezela ngo-Israyeli uthi:
“Nanyana isibalo sama-Israyeli besingangetjhwabatjhwaba yelwandle, misalela kwaphela ezakusindiswa.
28Ngombana uSomnini uzosiphetha
isigwebo sakhe ephasinapha
ngokurhaba nangokuphelelisa.”
29Kunjengombana u-Isaya atjhwile ngaphambilini ukuthi:
“Nakube uSomnini uMninimandla woke
ubengakasitjhiyeli isizukulwana,
besizokuba njengeSodoma,
sifane neGomora.”
Ukungakholwa kwama-Israyeli
30Alo, sizakuthini na? Abatjhili abangazange batjhabatjhekele ukulungisiswa, bakufumene, okutjho ukulungisiswa ngokukholwa, 31kodwana ama-Israyeli ebegade atjhabatjhekela ukulungisiswa ngomthetho, azange aphumelele ukuthobela umthetho lowo. 32Ngebanga lani na? Ngebanga lokobana angazange akutjhabatjhekele ngokukholwa kodwana kwaba inga kungokwezenzo zawo. Akhutjwa elitjeni elisikhubekiso, 33njengombana kutlolwe kwathiwa:
“Qalani, ngibeka eZiyoni,
ilitje elizokwenza abantu bakhubeke,
idwala elizobenza bawe,
nje-ke loyo okholwa kuye,
angeze ajabhiswa.”
