I-Eksodusi 23

₁“Awuyukusabalalisa umbiko ongamanga, awuyukubambisana nababi ukwethula ubufakazi obungamanga. ₂Awuyukulilandela iningi ekwenzeni okungalungile noma lapho wethula ubufakazi ecaleni, awuyukuzihlanganisa neningi ukuze uhlanekezele umthetho. ₃Awuyukukhombisa ukuvuna ompofu ecaleni.

₄“Uma ufumana inkabi yesitha sakho noma imbongolo yaso iduka, yibuyisele kuso. ₅Uma ubona imbongolo yalowo okuzondayo ipatalele phansi komthwalo, uyoyeka yini ukuyikhulula? Yelekelele ukuze ikhululeke.

₆“Awuyukubuhlanekezela ubulungiswa ngenxa yabampofu ecaleni labo. ₇Ziqhelelanise nokwethwesa omunye icala lamanga, ungambulali ongenacala noma labo abaseqinisweni, ngokuba angiyukumkhulula onecala.

₈“Awuyukwamukela ukufunjathiswa, ngokuba ukudizelwa kuyaziphuphuthekisa izikhulu, bese kuphambanisa nendlela yalabo abahamba ngokulunga. ₉Awuyukumcindezela umfokazi, uyayazi inhliziyo yomfokazi, ngokuba nani naningabafokazi eGibhithe.”

₁₀“Iminyaka eyisithupha uyakutshala insimu yakho, uvune isivuno sayo, ₁₁kodwa ngonyaka wesikhombisa uyakuyiphumuza, awuyukuyilima; uyakuyiyeka ibe yifusi, ukuze abampofu bakini badle, kuthi lokho abakushiyayo kudliwe yizilwane zasendle. Uyokwenza kanjalo nangesivini sakho nangeminqumo yakho.

₁₂“Uyakusebenza izinsuku eziyisithupha, uphumule ngosuku lwesikhombisa, ukuze inkabi yakho, nembongolo yakho kuphumule, nesigqila esizalelwe kwakho, nogogobele kwakho bahlunyelelwe.

₁₃“Kuqapheleni konke engikusho kini. Ningakhuleki emagameni abanye onkulunkulu; ningawaphathi ngisho nangemilomo yenu amagama abo.”

₁₄“Uyongenzela imikhosi kathathu ngonyaka.

₁₅“Ngenyanga u-Abibi, inyanga owaphuma ngayo eGibhithe, uyogubha umkhosi wesinkwa esingenamvubelo ngendlela engakuyala ngayo. Ezinsukwini eziyisikhombisa zalo mkhosi ungasidli isinkwa esinemvubelo. Makungezi muntu phambi kwami engaphethe lutho.

₁₆“Uyogubha umkhosi wokuvuna wezithelo zokuqala zomsebenzi wakho owuhlwanyele ensimini.

“Ugubhe umkhosi wokuqoqa konke okulime ensimini ekupheleni konyaka. ₁₇Kathathu ngonyaka bonke abesilisa bakho bayokuza phambi kweNkosi uSimakade.

₁₈“Awuyukuletha kimi igazi lomhlatshelo wami nanoma yini okunemvubelo, noma ugcine amanoni omkhosi wami kuze kube ngakusasa.

₁₉“Ngonyaka uyoletha endlini kaSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho okwekhethelo kwesivuno sakho sokuqala.

“Ungalipheki izinyane lembuzi obisini lukanina.”

₂₀“Bheka, ngizothumela ingelosi ikwandulele ukuze ikuvikele ohambeni, futhi ikufinyelelise endaweni engiyilungisileyo. ₂₁Ilalelisise, futhi uyithobele. Ungayivukeli, ngokuba ayiyukuzithethelela iziphambeko zenu, ngokuba igama lami likuyo. ₂₂Kepha uma ulalela nokulalela izwi layo wenza konke ekutshela khona, ngiyobazonda abakuzondayo, ngibe yisitha sezitha zakho. ₂₃Ingelosi yami izokwandulela, ikuyise kuma-Amori, kumaHithi, kumaPherizi, kumaKhanani, kumaHivi, nakumaJebusi, ngiyowabhubhisa. ₂₄Ungabakhothameli onkulunkulu bawo, ungahuheki ukuba ubakhonze, ungazenzi izinto azenzayo. Kodwa uyobabhidliza onkulunkulu bawo, ucekele phansi izinsika zabo zamatshe. ₂₅Niyakumkhonza uSimakade uNkulunkulu wenu, Mina ngiyobusisa ukudla namanzi enu, ngisuse izifo phakathi kwenu. ₂₆Ezweni lakini akekho owesifazane oyophuphunyelwa yisisu, noma oyoba yinyumba. Ngiyokupha impilo ende.

₂₇“Ngiyokwenza abantu abamelene nawe bangesabe; ngilethe ukudideka phakathi kwabantu olwa nabo, ngenze zonke izitha zakho zikubalekele. ₂₈Ngiyokwenza izitha zakho zithuthumele, ngigudluze amaHivi, amaKhanani namaHithi phambi kwakho. ₂₉Angiyukuzixosha phambi kwakho ngonyaka owodwa; uma ngingenza kanjalo, izwe liyosala dengwane, kuthi izilwane zasendle zibe ziningi kunawe. ₃₀Kunalokho, ngizozixosha phambi kwakho kancane kancane, uze wande ngokwanele ukuba ulidle izwe. ₃₁Ngiyokwandisa imingcele yezwe lakho kusukela oLwandle Lomhlanga kuze kufike olwandle lwamaFilisti, kusukela ehlane kuze kushaye emfuleni. Ngiyonipha amandla phezu kwezakhamuzi zezwe, nizixoshe phambi kwenu. ₃₂Ningenzi isivumelwano nazo, noma nonkulunkulu bazo. ₃₃Abayukuhlala ezweni lakini, funa banenze none kimi, ngokuba uma nikhonza onkulunkulu bazo, bayokuba wugibe kini.”