UThixo nabantu bakhe
Umbongo ka-Asafu.
1Khaniyibekel' iindlebe, mawethu, imfundiso yam;
khanindiph' iindlebe ndithethe.
2Ndiza kuthetha nani ngemizekeliso;
ndiza kuphokoz' iintsonkotha zamandulo.
3Ndixel' izinto esazivayo nesizaziyo,
izintw' esazixelelwa ngoobawo.
4Asinako ukubafihlela abantwana babo,
koko sozibhengeza kwizizukulwana ezizayo:
imisebenzi emihle *kaNdikhoyo namandla akhe,
ewe, nditsho nemimangaliso ayenzileyo.
5Wamisela umthetho kwaYakobi,
wanikela imimiselo kwaSirayeli;
wabanqonqozisa ngayo oobawo,
ukuze bafundise abantwana babo,
6khon' ukuze ziyazi izizukulwana ezizayo,
ewe, nditsho nabangekalibon' ilanga.
Bona ke bayigqithisele kubantwana babo,
7ukwenzela ukuba bakholose ngoThixo,
bangaze bayilibale imisebenzi yakhe,
koko bayithobele imimiselo yakhe;
8ewe, bona bangafuzi ooyise,
isizukulwana esineenkani nesigwilikayo,
abantu abantliziyo zibhetyebhetye,
abangazange banyaniseka kuThixo.
9AmaEfrayim axhoba ngeentolo,
engàxhob' ef' amacala,
kodwa aswantsula ngomhla wedabi.
10Akawuthobelanga umnqophiso kaThixo,
asuka ala ukuhamba ngokomthetho.
11Suke ayilibala imisebenzi yakhe,
imiqondiso awayewabonise yona.
12UThixo wenza imimangaliso phambi kooyise,
eJiputa kumathafa aseZowan.
13Walahlula-hlula ulwandle, bawela,
amanzi aba yinduli ngapha nangapha.
14Wabakhokela ngelifu emini,
ebusuku wabakhokela ngomlilo.
15Waqhekeza amawa entlango,
basela amanzi ampompozayo.
16Wavelisa imithombo elulwalweni,
amanzi aqukuqela ngathi yimilambo.
17Kodwa baphindelela ukona,
bavukelana naye uPhezukonke entlango.
18Bamvavanya ngabom uThixo
ngokubiza ukutya ababekubawela.
19Baphoxisa ngoThixo bathi:
“Angakuthatha phi na ukutya apha entlango?
20Ewe, waliqhekeza iliwa, antyunty' amanzi,
kwaza kwagqobhoza imilambo.
Ewe, makasinik' isonka kaloku,
abaph' inyama abantu bakhe.”
21Akuyiva le nto uNdikhoyo wacaphuka,
waza wamlenya ngomlilo uYakobi.
Ewe, wanoburhalarhume kuSirayeli,
22kuba bengakholosanga ngoThixo,
bengathembanga ukuba angabasindisa.
23Kambe ke wayalela isibhakabhaka,
zaza zavuleka iingcango zezulu,
24yaza *imana yawa njengemvula,
wabanika batya ukutya kwaphezulu.
25Ewe, abantu batye ukutya kwezithunywa zezulu,
baza batya bada bahlutha.
26Wathumela umoya wasempuma wabhudla,
ngamandla akhe wavusa umoya wasezantsi.
27Wabathobela inyama,
kwangathi sisivungu-vungu;
inyambalala yeentaka ezingangentlabathi yolwandle
28waziwisa apho babemise khona,
ewe, zajikeleza iintente zabo.
29Abantu batya bada bahlutha;
kaloku wabanika loo nto babeyifuna.
30Kanti ke bathe bengekadikwa,
besaxakekile besatya njalo,
31suka wavutha umsindo kuThixo,
wababulala abona bomeleleyo,
wabageqa abafana bakwaSirayeli.
32Nakuba kunjalo baphikelela ukona,
bangenelwa kukudelela, àbakholwa.
33Waza ke wababhangisa okomphunga,
imihla yabo yaphela lishwangusha.
34Akubohlwaya babuyela kuye,
baguquka bazinikela kuThixo.
35Bakhumbula ukuba nguThixo inqaba yabo,
bangáhlangulwa nguThixo uPhezukonke.
36Kodwa kuloo nto yonke bamqhatha;
bâthi: “Lala, gusha, ndikuchebe.”
37Zabe iintliziyo zona zikude lee kuye,
bengakhange bawunanze umnqophiso wakhe.
38Kambe ke yena uThixo waba nenceba,
wabaxolela iziphoso zabo,
wazibamba akabatshabalalisa;
ewe, wayewubamba futhi umsindo wakhe,
wayithomalalisa ingqumbo yakhe.
39Wakhumbula ukuba bangabantu,
into edlula njengomoya iphele.
40Kwaba kaninzi bemvukela entlango;
ewe, babemtsho abe neenzingo kwelingamiwayo.
41Baphinda-phinda ukumvavanya,
bamcaphukisa oyiNgcwele kaSirayeli.
42Bamlibala àbamkhumbula ngamandla akhe,
bawulibala umhla wokuhlangulwa kwabo elutshabeni.
43Abayikhumbulanga imiqondiso yakhe yaseJiputa,
nemimangaliso yakhe kumathafa aseZowan,
44apho wawajika khona amanzi aba ligazi,
kwayinqaba kumaJiputa ukusela emithonjeni.
45Wabathumela ngamabubu eempukane, zabangcungcuthekisa,
ngokunjalo namasele abazisela imbubho.
46Izilimo zabo wazithumela ngesihlava,
isivuno sabhuqwa ziinkumbi.
47Idiliya yabo wayivuthulula ngesiphango,
ke wona amakhiwane wawarhawula ngeqabaka.
48Iinkomo zabo wazintlitha ngesichotho,
imihlambi yabo yalenywa yimibane.
49Wasuka ke wavutha umsindo wakhe,
wayivulela ingqumbo yakhe ecaphukile,
wababandezela ngolunya,
umkhosi wezithunywa wabatshabalalisa.
50Zange abe sazibamba, wawuvulela umsindo wakhe,
akabasindisa ekufeni;
ewe, wasuka wabathumela ngobhubhani.
51Wawathi qwaka onke amazibulo amaJiputa,
wabageqa abaligugu neqhayiya lakwaHam.
52Kanti ke wabakhokela njengeegusha abantu bakhe,
entlango wabalusa ngathi ngumhlambi.
53Wabalondoloza batsho baphelelwa ngamaxhala,
kambe ke ulwandle lwaziginya iintshaba zabo.
54Wabakhokela wabasa kwelilelakhe ilizwe,
entabeni awayizuza ngamandla akhe.
55Bakufika wazidudula izizwe zabhaca,
abantu bakhe wabacandela umhlaba wazo,
amaSirayeli athi zava ezikhundleni zazo.
56Kanti ke bamlinga bamvukela uThixo uPhezukonke;
ewe, abazange bawuthobele umthetho wakhe.
57Bamvukela, bahamba ngobutshijolo booyise;
basuka àbanyaniseka, àbathembeka okwesaphetha esityokololo.
58Bamcaphukisa ngokukodwa ngokunqula izithixo,
bamkhweletisa ngemifanekiso ababeyinqula.
59Akuyibona le nto uThixo waqumba
kangangokuba wasuka wamhlamba uSirayeli.
60Ewe, wafuduka emzini wakhe eShilo,
wayishiya indlu awayehlala kuyo phakathi kwabantu.
61Wabayekela yathinjwa ityesi yomnqophiso,
iqhayiya labo lemka notshaba.
62Abantu bakhe baba zizisulu zekrele,
ilifa lakhe waliqwenga ngengqumbo.
63Abafana batshayelwa ngumlilo,
zatsho iintombi zaphoswa ngumtshato.
64Ababingeleli bageqwa likrele,
kodwa abahlolokazi babo àbalila.
65INkosi yathi khwaphuphu njengobelele,
njengegorha elishushiswa yiwayini.
66Wazikhaba iintshaba zakhe,
zatsho zaxabheleka umlibe.
67Wayilahla indlu kaJosefu,
wayibukula indlu kaEfrayim.
68Kodwa wayichonga indlu kaJuda,
intaba iZiyon ayithandayo.
69Wayakha yafana nezulu indlu yakhe;
ikhaya lakhe sisimakade, linjengomhlaba.
70Wasinyula isicaka sakhe uDavide,
wasiphuthuma ekwaluseni.
71Wamkhupha ekwaluseni amatakane,
wamenza umalusi wabantu bakhe,
wangumalusi kaSirayeli ilifa lakhe.
72Wabalusa ngokuzimisela nangenyameko;
ewe, wabakhokela ngobuchule.
