UTobiti Weluleka UThobiyase
1Ngalolo suku uTobiti wakhumbula imali yakhe abe eyigcinelwe nguGabayeli waseRagesi eMediya, 2ngakho-ke wathi enhliziyweni yakhe: “Bheka manje sengicela ukufa. Yini ngingabizi uThobiyase indodana yami ngimchazele ngale mali ngaphambi kokuba ngife na?”
3Wayesebiza indodana yakhe uThobiyase, wathi kuye: “Ungingcwabe kahle, umhloniphe unyoko, ungamlahli izinsuku zonke zokuphila kwakhe futhi umenzele konke okuyothokozisa umoya wakhe, ungamkhubi ngalutho. 4Umkhumbule, mntanami, ngoba unyoko wabhekana nezingozi eziningi lapho ekukhulelwe, nalapho naye esefile umngcwabe eduze nami, engcwabeni linye nelami. 5Mntanami, yesabe iNkosi izinsuku zonke zakho, ubalekele isono nokwephula imithetho yayo. Phila ngobuqotho zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwakho, futhi ungahambi ngezindlela zababi; 6ngokuba bonke abahamba ngokweqiniso bayokuba nenqubekela-phambili kukho konke abakwenzayo. Abenza ukulunga, 7wobapha iminikelo empahleni yakho, ungalivumeli iso lakho libe nomona lapho upha umuntu. Ungamfulatheli ompofu, noNkulunkulu ngeke akufulathele.
8“Uma unempahla eningi, phana ngokulingene nobuningi bayo; noma incane, ungesabi ukupha ngokulingene nempahla onayo. 9Ngokwenza njalo uyobe uzibekela ingcebo enhle ngosuku lokuswela kwakho. 10Ngokuba ukunikela kukhulula umuntu ekufeni kumlonde angangeni ebumnyameni. 11Ngokweqiniso, ukwabela abampofu kulabo abakwenzayo, kungumnikelo ophakeme phambi koPhezukonke.
12“Mntanami, xwaya ukuhlobonga noma okwayiphi indlela. Okokuqala, thatha umfazi ezihlotsheni zakho; ungaganwa ngowesifazane wabezizwe, ongesiye owesizwe sikayihlo; ngokuba siyinzalo nolibo lwabaphrofethi. Khumbula, mntanami ukuthi uNowa, u-Abhrahama, u-Isaka, noJakobe okhokho bethu basendulo, bonke bathatha abafazi ezihlotsheni zabo. Babusiswa enzalweni yabo, futhi isizukulwane sabo siyakudla ifa lezwe. 13Ngakho-ke mntanami, zithande izihlobo zakho, ungazenyanyi enhliziyweni yakho, amadodana namadodakazi abantu bakho, ungenqabi ukuzithathela umfazi phakathi kwabo. Ngokuba ukuphakama kuletha incithakalo nokudideka okukhulu. Futhi lapho kukhona ubuvila kukhona nokulahlekelwa nobuphofu obukhulu, ngenxa yokuba ubuvila bungunina wendlala. 14Ungayigcini kuze kube lusuku oluzayo imivuzo yalabo abakusebenzelayo, bakhokhele ngokushesha. Uma ukhonza uNkulunkulu uyokwemukela umvuzo. Ziqaphele, mntanami kukho konke okwenzayo futhi ube nesimilo.
15“Lokho okuzondayo, ungakwenzi komunye. Ungabi yinkolotsha yewayini kulo mhlaba noma uvumele ukudakwa kube ngumhlobo wakho endleleni. 16Phana abalambile ukudla, wembulele abahlwempu. Uma unakho kwavama, yabela abampofu, ungalivumeli iso lakho libe nomona lapho unikela. 17Beka isinkwa sakho ethuneni labalungileyo, kodwa ungabeki lutho ethuneni lezoni. 18Funa iseluleko kuwo wonke ohlakaniphileyo, futhi ungasedeleli iseluleko esiqotho. 19Ngezikhathi zonke yibonge iNkosi uNkulunkulu, uyinxuse ukuba yenze izindlela zakho ziqonde, nokuba zonke izindlela nezinhlelo zakho ziphumelele. Ngokuba akukho sizwe esinokuqonda, kodwa iNkosi uqobo iyozinika iseluleko esihle; uma ithanda ilahla phansi ehayidesi elijulile. Ngakho-ke mntanami, khumbula le miyalo yami ungavumi ukuba yesuleke enhliziyweni yakho.
20“Ake ngikuchazele-ke mntanami, ukuthi ngabeka amathalente alishumi esiliva kuGabayeli indodana kaGabariya waseRagesi eMediya ukuba angigcinele wona. 21Ungesabi, mntanami, ngenxa yokuba sesimpofu. Ucebile kakhulu uma wesaba iNkosi uNkulunkulu futhi ubalekela izono noma ngezaluphi uhlobo, wenze okulungileyo emehlweni eNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho.”
