98 – Isihlalo sobukhosi sasezulwini

₁Emva koko ndabona izulu livulekile phambi kwam. Ndeva eliya lizwi bendilive lithetha nam, lihlokoma okwexilongo lisithi kum: “Yiza ngapha ndikubonise izinto ezimelwe kukwenzeka emva kwezi.” ₂Ngoko nangoko ndaba semandleni kaMoya. Ndabona apho ezulwini kukho isihlalo sobukhosi. ₃Kwakuhleli kuso ingangalala ekhazimla okwamatye exabiso, akudidi loozidayimani ngokumenyezela, ekuthiwa yijaspa nekorneli ukubizwa kwawo. Isihlalo eso sasinesangqa somnyama owawubengezela nawo oku kwelitye lexabiso eliluhlaza ekuthiwa yiemeraldi ukubizwa kwalo. ₄Kwakukho nezinye izihlalo zithe thande, zingqonge isihlalo sobukhosi, zingamashumi mabini anesine; kukho namadoda amakhulu angamashumi mabini anesine awayethe nqwadalala kwezo zihlalo. Ayethe wambu ezimhlophe iingubo, ethwele izithsaba zegolide. ₅Apho esihlalweni sobukhosi kwakutshawuza imibane, kugragrama iindudumo. Kwakukho nezibane ezisixhenxe ezivuthayo phambi kwaso, ezingooMoya abasixhenxe bakaThixo. ₆Kwakukho nento eyayingathi lulwandle lweglasi, ithe thebelele apho ngasesihlalweni, icwenge ngathi ngumkhenkce.

Esazulwini apho, kanye ngasesihlalweni, kwakuhleli izilwanyana ezine zinamehlo macala onke, zingqonge isihlalo eso kanye. ₇Isilwanyana sokuqala sasifana nengonyama. Esesibini sasinjengenkomo. Esesithathu sasifana nomntu, esesine sinjengokhozi luphaphazela. ₈Isilwanyana ngasinye sasinamaphiko amathandathu, sinamehlo ngapha nangapha. Zazidumisa zingayeki emini nasebusuku, zisithi:

₉Lo gama izilwanyana ezine zibongayo, zidumisa, zibulela kulowo unguSonini-nanini uhleli esihlalweni sokulawula, ₁₀wona amadoda amakhulu angamashumi amabini anesine ayekhahlela, enqula kulowo uhleli esihlalweni, unguSonini-nanini. Ayedanduluka, atsho azibeke nezithsaba zawo phambi kwengangalala, athi:

₁Ke kaloku ndabona kukho ohleli esihlalweni sokulawula, esandleni sakhe sokunene ephethe incwadi. Yona ke yayibhalwe macala, futhi iyincwadi enamacandelo asixhenxe. Icandelo ngalinye lalinophawu olugunyazisa ukuba yovulwa ngonelungelo kuphela. ₂Kananjalo ndabona ingwanyalala yesithunywa sezulu esakhwaza sabuza sathi: “Ngaba ngubani ofanelekileyo onokuluqhaqha uphawu, ayivule le ncwadi?” ₃Kambe ke zange afumaneke onako ukuyivula ayifunde, nditsho nasezulwini, emhlabeni, naphantsi komhlaba. ₄Kuthe kwakungafumaneki bani ukufaneleyo ukuyivula ayifunde incwadi leyo, zehl' iinyembezi kum. ₅Kodwa ke enye yamadoda amakhulu yandikhalimela yathi: “Musa ukulila. Kaloku iNgonyama yesizwe sikaJuda, umnombo kaDavide, igqwesile, ikufanele ukuluqhaqha uphawu ngalunye, iyivule incwadi.”

₆Ndaza ke ndabona iXhwane limi bhuxe esazulwini sebhotwe. Lalingqongwe zizilwanyana ezine, ngokunjalo nangamadoda amakhulu. IXhwane eli lalibonakala ngathi lagwintwa. Lalineempondo ezisixhenxe, namehlo asixhenxe, angooMoya abasixhenxe bakaThixo abathunyelwe ehlabathini liphela. ₇IXhwane eli laya kulowo wayehleli esihlalweni sokulawula, lafika layithatha incwadi leyo esandleni sakhe sokunene. ₈Lithe iXhwane lakuyithatha incwadi leyo, izilwanyana ezine ndawonye namashumi amabini anesine amadoda amakhulu, asuka ee guqaqa phambi kwalo. Indoda nganye yayinehapu nesitya segolide esizele ziziqhumiso eziyimithandazo yosapho lukaThixo. ₉Ayevuma ingoma entsha, esithi:

₁₁Kwakhona ndakhangela, ndabona izigidi ngezigidi namawaka-waka ezithunywa zezulu! Zazingqonge ibhotwe, nezilwanyana ezine, ngokunjalo namadoda amakhulu. ₁₂Zazidanduluka zicula zisithi:

₁₃Ke kaloku ndaziva izidalwa nayo yonke indalo, ezulwini nasemhlabeni, phantsi komhlaba naselwandle, zidanduluka zisithi:

₁Ndalibona ke iXhwane liqhaqha uphawu lokuqala lwaloo macandelo asixhenxe. Ngokunjalo ndasiva esinye sezilwanyana ezine sithetha ngelizwi elizongomayo, sisithi: “Yiz' apha!” ₂Kwaza kwathi gqi ihashe elimhlophe, ophezu kwalo ephethe utolo. Ke kaloku wathiwa jize ngesithsaba. Waphuma noloyiso, wahamba esenza iziqwenga, kuj' ubugodo konke apho ahamba khona.

₃Lithe iXhwane lakuqhaqha uphawu lwesibini, ndeva isilwanyana sesibini sisithi: “Yiz' apha!” ₄Kwathi gqi elinye ihashe, libomvu ngebala. Lowo wayephezu kwalo wanikwa ilungelo lokugxobha-gxobha inzolo ehlabathini liphela, khon' ukuze abantu bagebengane. Yena ke wanikwa ingxavula yekrele.

₅IXhwane lithe lisakuluqhaqha uphawu lwesithathu, ndeva isilwanyana sesithathu sisithi: “Yiz' apha!” Ndithe ndakukhangela ndabona ihashe elimnyama. Lowo wayekhwele kulo wayephethe isikali sokulinganisa, ngesandla. ₆Kananjalo ndeva isandi esingathi lilizwi, siphuma kweziya zilwanyana zine. Lathetha lathi: “Isitya sengqolowa singangomvuzo wemini enye; izitya ezithathu zamazimba zingangomvuzo wemini enye; kambe ke uze ungadlalisi ngawo amafutha ndawonye newayini.”

₇Kwakhona iXhwane laqhaqha uphawu lwesine, ndaza ndeva isilwanyana sesine sisithi: “Yiz' apha!” ₈Ndakukhangela ndabona elinye ihashe; lona lalimbatshile. Igama lalowo wayehleli phezu kwalo lalinguKufa, kanti ke ezinyaweni zakhe kwakulandela uLabafileyo. Banikwa amagunya phezu kwesiqingatha sesine sehlabathi, ukuze bageqe ngekrele, ngembalela, isibetho, nangamarhamncwa.

₉Ngokunjalo iXhwane laluqhaqha nolwesihlanu uphawu. Ngaphantsi kweqonga lamadini ndababona abo babebulewe ngenxa yokushumayela ilizwi likaThixo, nangenxa yokungqina. ₁₀Babhomboloza bathi: “Kakade ke, Nkosi, Somandla oyiNgcwele kanye, koda kube nini ungasiphindezeli ulibuyekeze igazi lethu elaphalazwa ngabantu beli hlabathi?” ₁₁Elowo nalowo kubo wathiwa wambu ngomnweba omhlophe. Ngokunjalo kwathiwa mabakhe balinde okwethutyana, bade baphelele abalingane namawabo asaza kubulawa kwanjengabo.

₁₂Ndalibona ke ngoku iXhwane liqhaqha uphawu lwesithandathu. Suka yazama-zamisa inyikima, ilanga lafaka ezokuzila lathi thsu, inyanga yona yajika yaligazi. ₁₃Iinkwenkwezi zona zavuthulukela emhlabeni, zaxel' amakhiwane egeqwa sisaqhwithi. ₁₄Sona isibhakabhaka saphel' emehlweni, kwaba ngathi kusongwa umqulu, zonke iintaba neziqithi zanqukrulwa. ₁₅Zasuka ke izikumkani zehlabathi, abasemagunyeni neengqwayi-ngqwayi zomkhosi, oozityebi nezinxiba-mxhaka, nalo lonke uluntu, oozicaka nabakhululekileyo, baya kuzímela emiqolombeni nasemiqhokrweni ezintabeni. ₁₆Badanduluka bebhekisa ezintabeni nasemaweni, bathi: “Siweleni, ukuze sifihlakale kulowo uhleli esihlalweni sokulawula nakwingqumbo yeXhwane! ₁₇Ewe, kaloku iMini yabo yokuphindezela igalelekile. Yaz'ba ngubani na ke onokusinda kuyo?”

₁Emva koko ndabona izithunywa ezine zimi kwiikona zone zomhlaba. Zazivalele imimoya yomhlaba yomine apho, ukuze kungabikho nampunde yamoya uvela elwandle, okanye ucande emhlabeni, ungabhudli namnye umthi. ₂Ndabona nesinye isithunywa sisithi gqi ngasempumalanga, siphethe uphawu lukaThixo ohlala ehleli. Samemeza sibhekisa kweziya zithunywa zine bezinikwe igunya lokonakalisa umhlaba nolwandle, sisithi: ₃“Khanikhe nime ngokonakalisa umhlaba nolwandle nemithi! Maside sigqibe ukubeka uphawu lukaThixo kumabunzi ezicaka zakhe!” ₄Ndaliva lixelwa nenani labo baphawulwayo. Kwaphawulwa ikhulu elinamashumi mane anesine amawaka kuzo zonke izizwe zakwaSirayeli. ₅Kwisizwe sakwaJuda kwaphawulwa ishumi elinambini lamawaka, kwesakwaRubhen yaba lishumi elinambini lamawaka, kwaGadi yalishumi elinambini lamawaka, ₆kwesakwa-Ashere yalishumi elinambini lamawaka, kwesakwa-Nafetali yalishumi elinambini lamawaka, kwesakwaManase yalishumi elinambini lamawaka, ₇kwesakwa-Simon yalishumi elinambini lamawaka, kwesakwaLevi yalishumi elinambini lamawaka, kwesakwaIsakare yalishumi elinambini lamawaka, ₈kwesakwaZebhulon yalishumi elinambini lamawaka, kwesakwaJosefu yalishumi elinambini lamawaka, kwaza nakwesakwaBhenjamin yalishumi elinambini lamawaka.

₉Emva koko ndabona kusithi thu ihlokondiba elalingenakubalwa bani. Abo yayingabantu beentlanga ngeentlanga, izizwe ngezizwe, neelwimi ngeelwimi. Babemi phambi kwesihlalo sokulawula naphambi kweXhwane. Babevathe ezimhlophe, bephethe amasundu, ₁₀bedanduluka besithi: “Huntshu! Usoyisele uThixo ohleli esihlalweni sakhe sokulawula, nalo iXhwane!” ₁₁Izithunywa zonke zazimi zingqonge isihlalo eso sokulawula namadoda amakhulu kwakunye nezilwanyana ezine, zathi qubudu phambi kukaThixo osesihlalweni sakhe, zanqula ₁₂zisithi:

₁₃Enye inkonde yathi kum: “Aba bantu bambethe iingubo ezimhlophe ngoobani, bevela phi?”

Ndaphendula ndathi: ₁₄“Mhlekazi, kwazi wena.”

Yona yathi: “Aba bantu ngabo baphume kwiinkxwaleko zengcinezelo. Bazihlambile zamhlophe iingubo zabo ngamandla egazi leXhwane. ₁₅Yiyo loo nto bemi phambi kukaThixo bemnqula imini nobusuku endlwini yakhe. Lowo uhleli kwisihlalo sakhe sokulawula wobafukamela. ₁₆Abayi kulamba, abayi kunxanwa, abayi kugqatswa lilanga, bengayi kuva bushushu. ₁₇Kaloku iXhwane elimi esazulwini sebhotwe liza kubalúsa, libaqhubele kwimithombo yamanzi aphilisayo. Wobasul' iinyembezi uThixo.”