1“Mina-ke, ngonyaka wokuqala kaDariyu umMede, ngema ukumqinisa ukuba abe namandla.
Isiphrofetho Ngokuvela Kwamakhosi Epheresiya
2“Manje ngikutshela iqiniso. Bheka, kusezakuvela amakhosi amathathu ePheresiya; eyesine iyakunotha kunawo wonke; isiqinile ngengcebo yayo iyakuvusa konke ukulwa nombuso waseJavani. 3Kuyakuvela inkosi enamandla eyakubusa ngokubusa okukhulu, yenze njengentando yayo. 4Iyakuthi ingavela nje, umbuso wayo ufohlozwe, wahlukaniselwe emimoyeni yomine yezulu, ungabi ngowenzalo yayo, ungabi njengasekubuseni kwayo eyabusa ngakho, ngokuba umbuso wayo uyakusishulwa, ube ngowabanye ngaphandle kwalaba:
5“Inkosi yaseningizimu iyakuba namandla, kanjalo esinye sezikhulu zayo, yebo, sibe namandla kunayo, sibuse, nokubusa kwaso kuyakuba ngukubusa okukhulu. 6Ngasekupheleni kweminyaka bayakuhlangana, kufike indodakazi yenkosi yaseningizimu enkosini yasenyakatho ukwenza isivumelwano, kepha ayiyikugcina amandla engalo, nayo inkosi ayiyikuma nengalo yayo, kodwa iyakunikelwa nabayilethayo, nowayizalayo, nowayisizayo ngalezo zikhathi.
7“Kepha ehlumeleni lezimpande zayo kuyakuvela omunye esikhundleni sayo oyakuya empini, angene enqabeni yenkosi yasenyakatho, amelane nabo, abahlule. 8Nonkulunkulu babo nezithombe zabo ezibunjiweyo nezitsha zabo ezinxanelekayo zesiliva nezegolide uyakukuthumba, akuyise eGibhithe, ayiyeke inkosi yasenyakatho iminyaka ethile. 9Kepha yona iyakungena embusweni wenkosi yaseningizimu, kodwa iyakubuyela ezweni lakubo. 10Amadodana ayo ayakuhloma, abuthe isixuku sezimpi eziningi; ziyakufika nokufika, zikhukhule, zidlule; ziyakubuya, zilwe kuze kube senqabeni yayo.
11“Inkosi yaseningizimu iyakuvutha ulaka, iphume, ilwe nenkosi yasenyakatho; iyakuveza isixuku esikhulu, isixuku sinikelwe esandleni sayo. 12Kepha lapho isixuku sesisusiwe, inhliziyo yayo iyakuziphakamisa, iwise phansi izinkulungwane ezingamashumi amaningi, kepha ayiyukuba namandla. 13Inkosi yasenyakatho iyakubuya, iveze isixuku esikhulu kunesokuqala, ifike nokufika ngasekupheleni kwezikhathi eziyiminyaka nempi enkulu nempahla eningi.
14“Ngalezo zikhathi abaningi bayakuyisukela inkosi yaseningizimu, nabaphangi babantu bakho bayakuziphakamisa ukuwuqinisa umbono, kepha bayakuwa. 15Iyakufika inkosi yasenyakatho, inqwabele iduli, ithathe umuzi obiyelweyo; amabutho aseningizimu awayukuma, nabantu bayo abakhethiweyo abayikuba namandla okuma. 16Kepha omsukelayo uyakwenza njengentando yakhe, akakho oyakuma phambi kwakhe; uyakuma ezweni elihle, abhubhise ngesandla sakhe. 17Uyakubhekisa ubuso bakhe ukuze afike nombuso wakhe namandla kanye nezinto ezilungileyo bese enza isivumelwano naye, azenze; uyakumnika indodakazi yabesifazane, ayenzakalise, kepha ayiyukuma, futhi ayiyukuba ngeyakhe. 18Uyakuphendulela ubuso bakhe eziqhingini, adle eziningi, kepha isikhulu siyakuqeda ihlazo elenziwa nguye, futhi sibuyisele ihlazo lakhe kuye. 19Uyakuphendulela ubuso bakhe ezinqabeni zezwe lakubo, kepha uyakukhubeka, awe, angabe esafunyanwa.
20“Bese kuvela esikhundleni sakhe oyakudlulisa umthelisi emhlobisweni wombuso, kepha ngezinsuku eziyingcosana uyakubhujiswa, kungabi ngolaka nangokulwa kuphela.
Inkosi Ethatha Umbuso Ngobuqili
21“Esikhundleni sakhe kuyakuvela odelelekileyo, abangamnikanga udumo lobukhosi; uyakufika ngesikhathi sokuthula, athathe umbuso ngobuqili. 22Ngamandla esifufula bayakukhukhulwa ebusweni bakhe, babhujiswe, yebo, nesikhulu sesivumelwano. 23Emva kokuvumelana naye, uyakusebenza ngenkohliso, ngokuba uyakukhuphuka, abe namandla, yize enesizwe esincane nje. 24Ngesikhathi sokuthula uyakusukela izindawo ezinothileyo zesifunda, akwenze okungenziwanga ngoyise nangoyisemkhulu: uyakuhlakaza phakathi kwabo impango, nengcugco, nempahla, acebe amacebo ngezinqaba kube yisikhashana.
25“Uyakuvusela inkosi yaseningizimu amandla akhe nesibindi sakhe ngempi enkulu, ilwa nempi enkulu enamandla impela, kepha ayiyukuma, ngokuba bayakuceba amacebo ngayo. 26Abadla ukudla kwayo okumnandi bayakuyibhubhisa, impi yayo ikhukhulwe; abaningi bayakuwa phansi begwaziwe. 27Amakhosi-ke omabili, izinhliziyo zawo ziyakuba ngezokwenza okubi; ayakukhuluma amanga esetafuleni linye, kepha akuyukuphumelela, ngokuba ukuphela kusazokuba sesikhathini esimisiweyo. 28Bese ibuyela ezweni lakubo inempahla eningi, inhliziyo yayo imelane nesivumelwano esingcwele; isikwenzile lokho, iyakubuyela ezweni lakubo.
29“Ngesikhathi esinqunyiweyo iyakubuya, iye eningizimu, kepha akuyukuba sekugcineni njengasekuqaleni. 30Imikhumbi yaseKhithimi iyakuyisukela, bese idabuka, ibuye ithukuthelele isivumelwano esingcwele, ifeze; iyakubuya, inake abasishiyile isivumelwano esingcwele.
31“Izimpi ziyakuvela kuyo, zingcolise indlu engcwele, zibhidlize inqaba, zisuse umnikelo waphakade oshiswa imihla yonke, zimise isinengiso esisabisayo. 32Iyakungcolisa ngamazwi aluthayo labo abanecala lokwephula isivumelwano, kepha abantu abamaziyo uNkulunkulu wabo bayakuba namandla, baphikelele.
33“Abahlakaniphileyo babantu bayakuqondisa abaningi, kepha bayakuwa ngenkemba, ngelangabi, ngokuthunjwa, nangokuphangwa izinsuku eziningi. 34Ekuweni kwabo bayakusizwa ngokusizwa okuncane, bese bebambelela kubo abaningi ngokuthopha. 35Abanye kwabahlakaniphileyo bayakuwa ukuba bacwengisiswe, bahlanzwe, benziwe mhlophe kuze kube sesikhathini sokuphela, ngokuba kusezakuba sesikhathini esimisiweyo.
36“Inkosi iyakwenza njengentando yayo, iziphakamise, izikhulise phezu kwabo bonke onkulunkulu, ikhulume okumangalisayo ngoNkulunkulu wonkulunkulu, ibe nenhlanhla luze luphelele ulaka, ngokuba okumisiweyo kuyakwenziwa. 37Ayiyukubanaka onkulunkulu boyise. Ayiyukubanaka nabafiswa yisifazane kanjalo ayiyukunaka nankulunkulu mumbe, ngokuba iyakuzikhukhumeza phezu kwabo bonke. 38Kepha unkulunkulu wezinqaba uyakumdumisa esikhundleni sabo, nonkulunkulu ababengamazi oyise uyakumdumisa ngegolide, ngesiliva, nangamatshe anqabileyo nangokunye okuthandiweyo. 39Iyakwenza kanjalo ezinqabeni ezinamandla inonkulunkulu wabezizwe; omvumayo iyakumandisela udumo, imenze ukuba abuse abaningi, imehlukanisele izwe, libe ngumvuzo wakhe.
40“Ngesikhathi sokugcina inkosi yaseningizimu iyakulwa nayo; inkosi yasenyakatho iyakuza kuye njengesishingishane inezinqola, nabamahhashi, nemikhumbi eminingi, iyakungena ngaphakathi ezweni, ikhukhule, idlule. 41Iyakungena nasezweni elihle, namanye amaningi ayakukhubeka, kepha lana ayakophulwa esandleni sayo: o-Edomi, noMowabi, nemvama yabakwa-Amoni. 42Iyakwelulela isandla emazweni, neGibhithe aliyukubaleka. 43Iyakubusa phezu kwengcebo yegolide nesiliva, naphezu kwakho konke okuthandekayo kwaseGibhithe; amaLubi namaKhushe ayakuba sezinyathelweni zayo. 44Iyakwethuswa yimibiko evela empumalanga nasenyakatho; iyakuphuma ngokufutheka okukhulu ukwenzakalisa nokubhubhisa abaningi. 45Iyakumisa ithende lendlu yayo yobukhosi phakathi kolwandle nentaba enhle engcwele, kepha ilibhekise esiphethweni sayo, akakho ongayisiza.”
