1Maye, thana ihlokwami beyisiyalu samanzi
namehlwami amthombo weenyembezi!
Bengizakulila ubusuku nemini
ngenca yabantu bekhethu abarhayiliweko.
2USomnini uthi:
“Thana benginendawo erhalawumbeni
lapha iinkhambi ziphumulela khona
ukuze ngitjhiye abantu bami,
ngiye endaweni ekude nabo,
ngombana boke baziinhlobongi,
iye, ihlangano yabangakathembeki.
3Balungisa amalimabo
njengomsubela emsebeni.
Baziinkutani enarheni,
kodwana ingasi eqinisweni!
Baragela phambili nokonakala;
nakungimi yena abangazi.”
Kutjho uSomnini.
4“Yelelani abangani benu,
ningathembi nanyana ngubani wabafowenu
ngombana omunye nomunye wabafowenu
umkhapheli
nomunye nomunye umngani umhlebi.
5Bayaphoqana begodu abakhulumi iqiniso;
bajayeza amalimabo ukukhuluma amala.
Badurhile, 6abasabuyi.
Kukugandelela phezu kokugandelela
nekohliso phezu kwekohliso!
Bala ukungamukela.”
Kutjho uSomnini.
7Ngalokho-ke nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini uMninimandlawoke:
“Qala, sele ngizobancibilikisa bengibahlole.
Yini okhunye engingakwenza
ngabantu bami na?
8Amalimabo amisubela ebhubhisako,
akhuluma ikohliso.
Ngomlomakhe, omunye nomunye wabo
ukhuluma kuhle nomakhelwanakhe,
kodwana ehliziywenakhe umbekela isifu.
9Kumele ngingabahlunguphazi ngalokhu na?
Ngingazibuyiseleli phezu kwesizwe
esinjengalesi na?”
Kutjho uSomnini.
10Ngizakuthoma ingoma
yokukhihla isililo ngililele imibundu;
ngizile mayelana namadlelo werhalawumba
ngombana sele alifusi.
Akusenamuntu odlula lapho;
ukulila kweenkomo akusezwakali,
iinyoni ngitjho neenlwana sele kumukile.
11USomnini uthi:
“IJerusalema ngizayenza isiqorho samatje,
idzaba leempungutjha;
ngenze amadorobho wakwaJuda abe libhudu,
ukuze kungabi nomuntu ohlala kiwo.”
12Ngubani ohlakaniphe ngokwaneleko ukwazi lokhu na? USomnini ngokwakhe ukhulume nobani ukuze umuntu loyo akumemezele na? Kubayini inarha irhayilwe beyaba libhudu njengerhalawumba, kwangasaba nomuntu odlula kiyo?
13USomnini uthi: “Kungombana balahle umthethwami engiwubeke phambi kwabo. Azange bangilalele namkha balandele umthethwami. 14Esikhundleni salokho balandele ukukhunyalala kweenhliziyo zabo, balandela aboBhali njengombana bafundiswa boyise.”
15Ngalokho-ke nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini uMninimandlawoke, uZimu wakwa-Israyeli uthi: “Qalani, sele ngizokwenza abantwaba bagome iinthelo ezimunyu, basele amanzi anobuthi. 16Ngizabahlakaza hlangana nezizwe abangazaziko ngitjho naboyisemkhulu abangazange khebazibone. Ngizabagijimisa ngesabula kufikela lapha ngibarhayila khona.”
17Nakhu okwatjhiwo nguSomnini uMninimandlawoke wathi:
“Yelelani-ke!
Bizani abafazi besililo ukuze beze,
iye, nifune abanekghono lokulila beze.”
18Nje-ke umphorofidi wathi:
“Iye, abarhabe bathome basililele,
amehlwethu abe atshege iinyembezi,
kuwuluke amanzi eenkopheni zethu.
19Mbala, sele kuzwakele isililo eZiyoni
sithi, ‘Maye, sirhayilwe kangangani!
Sihlaziswe khulu
ngombana bekumele sisukele inarhethu
imizethu yaba marubhi!’
20“Yeke nina bafazi,
yenizwe ilizwi lakaSomnini,
vulani iindlebe zenu
nilalele ilizwi lomlomakhe.
Fundisani amadodakazenu
ukukhihla ingoma yesililo
iye, ngitjho nabomakhelwana benu.
21Mbala, ukufa kungene ngamafesiderethu,
kwangena ngemibhotjhongwenethu
kwabulala abantwana eendledlaneni
namasokana ematatawini.”
22USomnini uthi:
“Wena Joromiya, yithi kibo,
‘Nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini:
Iindumbu zabantu zizakurabhalala
njengomsuqwa emasimini
nanjengekoroyi esikiweko ngemva komvuni.
Kodwana akakho ozayibuthelela.’ ”
Ukusoka akumsindisi umuntu
23Nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini:
“Isihlakaniphi asingazikhakhazisi ngobuhlakani baso,
namkha itsitsirimba iziphakamise ngeenqababa zayo
nesikhumkani singazigqaji ngomnonwaso,
24kodwana ozigqajako akazigqaje
ngokobana uyangilemuka begodu uyangazi
bona nginguSomnini owenza ukwethembeka,
ubulungiswa kanye nokulunga ephasini.
Iye, ngikho lokho okungijabulisako.”
Kutjho uSomnini.
25USomnini uthi: “Isikhathi siyeza lapha ngizakuhlunguphaza khona boke abasoke enyameni kwaphela, 26okutjho iGibhide, iJuda, i-Edomu, ama-Amoni, iMowabi nabo boke abahlala erhalawumbeni abagude iinhloko zabo eenhlafunyweni. Njengayo yoke ikumba ka-Israyeli, zoke izizwezi azikasokwa ehliziyweni.”
