Umuntu KaNkulunkulu Ukhuluma Ne-Althare EBhethele
1Kwavela ngaleso sikhathi kwaJuda umuntu kaNkulunkulu, ethunywe nguSimakade, waya eBhethele. UJerobhowamu wayemi e-althare ukuba ashise impepho. 2Wakhuluma kulelo althare ngezwi likaSimakade, wathi: “Althare, althare, usho kanje uSimakade kuwe, uthi: ‘Kuzozalwa umntwana endlini kaDavide, igama lakhe nguJosiya. Uyonikela phezu kwakho ngabaphristi basezindaweni eziphakemeyo abashisa impepho phezu kwakho, bashise namathambo abantu phezu kwakho.’ ”
3Wabanika isibonakaliso ngalolo lusuku, wathi: “Nasi isibonakaliso uSimakade asishoyo, uthi: i-athare liyakudatshulwa, kuthi umlotha ophezu kwalo uchithwe.”
4Kwathi ukuba inkosi ikuzwe lokho okwashiwo ngumuntu kaNkulunkulu nge-althare eBhethele, uJerobhowamu waphakamisa isandla sakhe ese-althare, wathi: “Mbambeni.”
Kepha isandla asiphakamisayo sashwabana akabe esakwazi ukusifinyeza. 5I-althare ladabuka, umlotha owawukulo wachitheka njengokwesibonakaliso esasishiwo yilowo muntu kaNkulunkulu ngezwi likaSimakade.
6Inkosi yayisithi kulowo muntu kaNkulunkulu: “Ake unginxusele kuSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho, ungikhulekele ukuba isandla sami siphile.”
Umuntu kaNkulunkulu wayinxusela inkosi kuSimakade, saphila isandla sayo, saba njengakuqala.
7Inkosi yayisithi kulowo muntu kaNkulunkulu: “Woza siye ekhaya, uzihlumelele, ngizakukupha nesipho.”
8Kepha lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu wathi enkosini: “Noma unganginika ingxenye yendlu yakho, angisoze ngaya lapho nawe, futhi angiyukudla sinkwa noma ngiphuze amanzi kule ndawo. 9Ngayalwa kanjalo yizwi likaSimakade, lathi: ‘Awuyukudla sinkwa, awuyukuphuza manzi, futhi awuyukubuya ngendlela obuhambe ngayo.’ ”
10Waphindela emuva ngenye indlela, akahambanga ngendlela ayeze ngayo eBhethele.
Umphrofethi Omdala WaseBhethele Unomuntu KaNkulunkulu
11EBhethele kwakuhlala umphrofethi owayesemdala. Kwafika kuye indodana yakhe, yamlandisa yonke imisebenzi lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu ayeyenze ngalolo lusuku eBhethele, ngisho namazwi ayewasho enkosini. Uyise esezwile ngalokho, 12wathi kuwo: “Uhambe ngayiphi indlela?”
Amadodana ayebonile ukuthi uthathe yiphi indlela lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu owayevela kwaJuda. 13Wayesethi emadodaneni akhe: “Ngibopheleleni imbongolo.”
Ayesembophelela yona, wayigibela. 14Wamlandela lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu, wamthola ehleli phansi komu-okhi, wayesethi kuye: “Wena ungumuntu kaNkulunkulu owavela kwaJuda yini na?”
Wathi: “Nginguye.”
15Wayesethi kuye: “Asihambe siye ekhaya, uthole ukudla.”
16Kepha wathi: “Anginakuphindela emuva nawe, anginakungena nawe kwakho, futhi angiyukudla sinkwa noma ngiphuze amanzi nawe kule ndawo, 17ngokuba uSimakade wathi kimi ngezwi lakhe: ‘Awuyukudla sinkwa, awuyukuphuza manzi lapho, futhi awuyukubuya ngendlela obuhambe ngayo.’ ”
18Umphrofethi wayesethi kuye: “Nami ngingumphrofethi njengawe, kodwa kukhulume ingelosi kaNkulunkulu, yathi: ‘Mbuyise nawe, eze endlini yakho ukuze athole isinkwa, aphuze namanzi.’ ”
Kepha umphrofethi wayeqamba amanga. 19Lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu wabuya nalowo mphrofethi, wafika endlini yakhe wadla isinkwa, waphuza namanzi.
20Kwathi besahlezi etafuleni, kwafika izwi likaSimakade kumphrofethi owambuyisa; 21wamemeza kulowo muntu kaNkulunkulu owayevele kwaJuda, wathi: “Usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: ‘Njengoba ungalalelanga izwi likaSimakade, ungawugcinanga umyalo uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho akuyala ngawo, 22kodwa ubuyele emuva, wadla isinkwa, waphuza amanzi endaweni akhuluma ngayo kuwe ukuba ungadli sinkwa, ungaphuzi manzi, isidumbu sakho asiyukungeniswa ethuneni lokhokho bakho.’ ”
23Kwathi eseqedile ukudla isinkwa nokuphuza, lowo mphrofethi owayembuyisile wambophelela imbongolo wagoduka. 24Esesendleleni ibhubesi lahlangana naye, lambulala, isidumbu sakhe satshingwa endleleni, imbongolo yakhe yema eduze kwaso, kanjalo nebhubesi lama eceleni kwaso. 25Bheka, abantu ababedlula bebona isidumbu sidindilize endleleni, kumi ibhubesi eceleni kwaso, bafike bakhuluma ngakho lokhu emzini ayehlala kuwo lowo mphrofethi omdala.
26Kwathi angakuzwa lokho umphrofethi owayembuyise endleleni, wathi: “Lowo ngumuntu kaNkulunkulu ongazange alalele izwi likaSimakade, yingakho uSimakade emnikele engonyameni yamdwengula, yambulala njengalokhu uSimakade eshilo kuye.”
27Wayesethi emadodaneni akhe: “Ngibopheleleni imbongolo.”
Ayibophela. 28Wahamba wasifica isidumbu sidindilize endleleni, kumi imbongolo nengonyama eceleni kwaso. Ingonyama yayingasidlanga isidumbu, futhi ayiyidwengulanga nembongolo. 29Umphrofethi wasithatha isidumbu somuntu kaNkulunkulu wasikhweza embongolweni, wabuya naso, wasiyisa emzini womphrofethi omdala, ukuze amlilele, futhi amngcwabe. 30Wasibeka isidumbu ethuneni lakhe, bamlilela, bathi: “Maye, mfowethu!”
31Kwathi esemngcwabile, wathi kumadodana akhe: “Lapho sengifile ningingcwabe ethuneni okungcwatshwe kulo umuntu kaNkulunkulu, amathambo ami niwabeke eceleni kwawakhe. 32Ngokuba izwi alimemezelayo ngokusho kukaSimakade kulo i-althare eBhethele nakuzo zonke izindlu zezindawo eziphakemeyo ezisemizini eSamariya, impela liyokwenzeka.”
UJerobhowamu Uqhubeka Endleleni Yakhe Embi
33Emveni kwalokho uJerobhowamu akaphendukanga endleleni yakhe embi, kodwa waqhubeka wabeka abaphristi ezindaweni eziphakemeyo ngangomumo wabantu. Noma ngubani owayethanda, wayehlukaniselwa ukuba abe ngumphristi wendawo ephakemeyo. 34Le nto yaba yisono kuyo indlu kaJerobhowamu kangangokuthi yabhujiswa, yachithwa ebusweni bomhlaba.
