EYEMFUDUKO 23

₁“Ungaze uhlwayele iindaba zolwimi. Sukuncedisana netshijolo ngokulingqinela ngobuxoki. ₂Sukuvuma ukona ngenxa yokukhukuliswa sisihlwele. Ungaze uyigqwethe inyaniso ngenxa yefuthe lesihlwele. ₃Sukuba negobe ngakwihlwempu xa kuthethwa ityala lalo.

₄“Xa ubhaqe inkomo okanye idonki yotshaba lwakho ilahleka, yithathe uyigoduse. ₅Ukuba ubona umntu okuthiyileyo eqhuba idonki ebuthisayo isoyiswa ngumthwalo, sukumyekela; mncedise niyivuse.

₆“Musa ukugqwetha umthetho xa kuthethwa ityala lehlwempu. ₇Bucezele ubuqhophololo bokutyhola umntu ongenatyala, ungabi sisizekabani sokufa kwelungisa elimsulwa, kuba iqhophololo ndiyaligweba. ₈Sukuvuma ukunyotywa, kuba unyobo luyamfamekisa, luwawexule amalungisa. ₉Ungamcinezeli umbhaceli. Kaloku uyazi ukuba kunjani na ukuba ngumbhaceli, kuba wawukhe wangumbhaceli kwelaseJiputa.”

₁₀“Amasimi akho walime uwavune iminyaka ibe mithandathu. ₁₁Ke ngowesixhenxe wayeke alale. Into evelayo kuwo yoba yeyamahlwempu; eseleyo ke ibe yeyeenyamakazi. Yoba seso nakwisidiliya nesinquma sakho.

₁₂“Sebenza iintsuku zibe ntandathu, kodwa ngolwesixhenxe ungawuphathi umsebenzi, ukuze izicaka nababhaceli ngokunjalo nemfuyo yakho ifumane ikhefu ihlaziyeke.

₁₃“Wanyamekele amazwi endiwathethileyo kuwe. Ungazinquli *izithixo, ungaze uzikhankanye nokuzikhankanya oku.”

₁₄“Ndenzeleni itheko kathathu ngonyaka. ₁₅Ngenyanga uAbhibhi enaphuma ngayo eJiputa, yenzani itheko lesonka sentlama engenagwele njengoko ndaniyalelayo. Kwithuba leentsuku ezisixhenxe zeli theko ze nitye sona sodwa.

“Sanukuza phambi kukaThixo ningaphathanga mnikelo.

₁₆“Yenzani itheko lolibo ukuqala kwenu ukuvuna.

“Yenzani itheko lesivuno xa niqokelela iziqhamo zomsebenzi wenu emasimini. ₁₇Minyaka le ngexesha lala matheko mathathu amadoda makeze kundinqula mna *Ndikhoyo iNkosi yenu.

₁₈“Xa niphalaza igazi, nisenza idini, ze ninganikeli ngaxa-nye ngesonka sentlama enegwele. Ngala mathuba ke amanqatha edini elo makangabekwa mbeko.

₁₉“Minyaka le zisa ulibo lwesivuno sakho endlwini kaNdikhoyo uThixo wakho.

“Uze ungaze ulipheke itakane lebhokhwe ngobisi lukanina.”

₂₀“Uyabona ke, ndiya kukuthumela isithunywa sam, sikulondoloze endleleni yakho, sikuse kuloo ndawo ndikulungiselele yona. ₂₁Uze usithobele, ungasivukeli, kuba simele mna; ibe ke asiyi kuba nalusini kulowo usivukelayo. ₂₂Kambe ke ukuba uyayiphulaphula ngenyameko into ethethwa siso, wenze ngokomyalelo wam, iintshaba zakho ziya kuba zezam, ndibachase abakuchasayo. ₂₃Isithunywa sam siya kukukhokela, sikuse kwilizwe lama-Amori, amaHiti, amaPerezi, amaKanana, amaHivi, namaJebhusi, ndize mna ndiwatshabalalise. ₂₄Ungakhe ulinge uguqe unqule *izithixo zawo; ungazingeni neendlela zawo zonqulo. Ndaweni yaloo nto uzuzikhiqe izithixo zawo; uyiqhekeze uyiqethule imifanekiso yazo yamatye. ₂₅Ukuba ke uthe wanqula mna *Ndikhoyo uThixo wakho, ndiya kukuthamsanqela ngokutya namanzi, ndikutshayele ukufa kungabikho phakathi kwenu. ₂₆Kwelo lizwe lenu akukho mfazi uya kuphuma sisu, kungayi kubakho mfazi ungaphathiyo. Ewe, ndiya kunenza niphile nide nikhokhobe.

₂₇“Ndiya kubenza barhwaqele bonke abantu abakuchasayo, ndizenze zidideke zonke izizwe olwa nazo. Ewe, ndiya kuba ngakuwe, utsho uziswantsulise zonke iintshaba zakho. ₂₈Ndozithumela ngoonomeva iintshaba zakho, atsho asabe ungekafiki amaHivi, amaKanana, namaHiti. ₂₉Andiyi kuwagxotha ngonyaka omnye, khon' ukuze kungabi senkangala kwelo lizwe, uthi wena ufika abe amarhamncwa selegunyile. ₃₀Ndaweni yaloo nto ndiya kuthi chu ukuwafifinga oku, ude wena wande ngokwaneleyo, ube nako ukulithatha elo lizwe ulimé. ₃₁Imida yakho iya kusuka kuLwandle oluBomvu, iye kuthi xhaxe kulwandle iMeditera; isuke kumlambo iEfrati, iye kuthi gaa ngentlango. Ndiya kubanikezela kuwe abemi belo zwe, ubagxothe phambi kwakho. ₃₂Uze ungenzi mnqophiso nabo, okanye *nezithixo zabo. ₃₃Uze ungabavumeli beme emhlabeni wakho, hleze bakulukuhle undivukele. Mhla wazinqula izithixo zabo, woba ungenile emgibeni.”