1Ngakho-ke iNkosi yenza njengokwezwi eyayilikhulume kithi, nakubahluleli ababehlulela u-Israyeli, nasemakhosini ethu nakubaholi nabantu bakwa-Israyeli nabakwaJuda. 2Akukaze kwenzeke ngaphansi kwezulu okufana nalokhu iNkosi ekwenze eJerusalema, njengoba kubhaliwe emthethweni kaMose 3Abanye bethu badla inyama yamadodana abo, abanye badla eyamadodakazi abo. 4Yonke imibuso esihaqileyo yabenza izikhonzi zayo nokuba babe yinhlamba nombhinqo kubo bonke abantu ababazungezileyo, lapho iNkosi ibahlakazele khona. 5Bawiswa phansi kabaze bavuswa, ngokuba isizwe sethu sonile eNkosini uNkulunkulu wethu, ngokungalilaleli izwi layo.
6INkosi uNkulunkulu wethu ilungile, kodwa thina nokhokho bethu sithwele ihlazo kuze kube kalokhu. 7Zonke izexwayiso zezinhlekelele iNkosi eyasexwayisa ngazo, sezisehlele. 8Nakuba kunjalo asikabufuni ubuso beNkosi ngokuphenduka, yilowo nalowo, emicabangweni emibi yezinhliziyo zethu. 9Ngakho-ke iNkosi izimise ngomumo izinhlekelele, futhi izehlisele kithi, ngokuba yona ilungile emisebenzini yayo yonke esiyale ukuba siyenze. 10Noma kunjalo asililalelanga izwi layo, ukuba sihambe ngokwezimiso iNkosi ezimisile phambi kwethu.
Umkhuleko Wokuhlengwa
11“Manje-ke Nkosi! Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, owakhuphula abantu bakho wabakhipha ezweni laseGibhithe ngesandla esinamandla nangezibonakaliso, nangamandla amakhulu nangengalo yakho enamandla, futhi wazenzela igama elikhunjulwayo kuze kube namuhla. 12Sonile, senze njengabangenaNkulunkulu, senzile okubi, Nkosi Nkulunkulu wethu, saphambana nazo zonke izimiso zakho. 13Sikhulule olakeni lwakho, ngokuba siyizinhlwa, sesiyidlanzana nje phakathi kwezizwe osihlakazele kuzo. 14Awu! Nkosi! Yizwa umkhuleko nokuncenga kwethu, ngenxa yobuNkulunkulu bakho sikhulule, usenzele umusa emehlweni abo bonke abathumbi bethu, 15ukuze umhlaba wonke wazi ukuthi uyiNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, ngokuba u-Israyeli nenzalo yakhe ubizwa ngegama lakho.
16“Nkosi! Sibheke usendaweni yakho engcwele, usizwele. Yithambisekele ngakithi indlebe yakho, Nkosi! Sizwe! 17Nkosi! Vula amehlo akho, ubone, ngokuba labo abafileyo abase Hayidesi, abamiphefumulo yabo isusiwe emizimbeni yabo, abanakukunikeza Nkosi udumo nobulungisa okungokwakho.
18“Kepha umuntu ogcwele usizi, ohamba ethotshisiwe ebuthaka, omehlo akhe esenqundekile, nomphefumulo wakhe ugagadekile, nguye, Nkosi, oyakukunikeza udumo nokulunga; 19ngokuba akungenxa yezenzo ezilungileyo zawokhokho bethu noma amakhosi ethu, ukuba silethe phambi kwakho lomkhuleko wokuncenga, Nkosi Nkulunkulu wethu.
20“Uthumele ulaka nentukuthelo yakho phezu kwethu, njengoba wawushilo ngabaphrofethi bakho ukuthi: 21‘Ngokuba isho kanje iNkosi: “Thobisani amahlombe enu nikhonze inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, uma nenze kanjalo niyakuhlala ezweni engalinika okhokho benu. 22Kepha uma ningalilaleli izwi likaNkulunkulu nikhonze enkosini yaseBhabhiloni, 23ngiyakuqeda nya izwi lokuthokoza nelokuhleka, izwi lomyeni nelikamakoti, kuyo yonke imizi yakwaJuda, nakuzo zonke izimfunda ezakhele iJerusalema, umhlaba wonke uyakuba yincithakalo ungabi namuntu owakhe kuwo.” ’
24“Kepha asililalelanga izwi lakho ukuba sikhonze inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, ngakho-ke ukwenzile owawufungile ngezinceku zakho abaphrofethi ukukwenza, kokuthi amathambo amakhosi ethu nawokhokho bethu ayombiwa endaweni yawo yokuphumula. 25Nempela-ke ngokunjalo ambiwe asakazwa esivuvwini selanga nasesithwathweni sobusuku. Babhubha ngobuhlungu obukhulu, ngendlala, ngenkemba, nangembo. 26Nendlu ebizwa ngegama lakho uyenze yaba yilokhu eyikho namuhla, ngenxa yobubi bendlu ka-Israyeli nendlu kaJuda.
27“Nokho usiphathe ngomusa nangobubele obukhulu, Nkosi, Nkulunkulu, 28njengoba wawushilo ngenceku yakho uMosi mhla umyala ukuba abhale umthetho wakho, phambi kwabantu bonke bakwa-Israyeli uthi: 29‘Uma ningalilaleli izwi lami lolu khumbintethe luyophenduka idlanzana phakathi kwezizwe, lapho ngiyakuluchithela khona. 30Ngokuba ngiyazi ukuthi abanakungilalela, ngokuba bangontamo-lukhuni. Kepha ezweni lokuthunjwa kwabo bayophenduka enhliziyweni yabo, 31bayokwazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo. Ngiyakubanika inhliziyo elalelayo nezindlebe ezizwayo, 32bayakungidumisa ezweni lokuthunjwa kwabo, bakhumbule igama lami, 33baphenduke ebulukhinini, nasebubini bezenzo zabo; ngokuba bayokhumbula izindlela zokhokho babo, abona phambi kukaNkulunkulu. 34Ngiyakubabuyisela ezweni engafunga ukulinika okhokho babo, u-Abhrahama no-Isaka noJakobe, futhi bayobusa phezu kwalo; ngiyakubandisa, futhi kabanakuqedwa. 35Ngiyakwenza isivumelwano esiphakade nabo ukuba ngibe nguNkulunkulu wabo nabo babe ngabantu bami; angisayikubuye ngibasuse abantu bami u-Israyeli ezweni engibanike lona.’ ”
