IzEnzo 7

₁Umpristi omkhulu wayesethi: “Nembala lokhu kunjalo na?”

₂Yena wathi: “Madoda, bazalwane, nani bobaba, lalelani. UNkulunkulu wenkazimulo wabonakala kubaba u-Abrahama eseMesopotamiya, engakakhi eHarana, ₃wathi kuye: ‘Phuma ezweni lakini nasezihlotsheni zakho, uye ezweni engizakukukhombisa lona.’

₄“Khona waphuma ezweni lamaKaledi, waya wakha eHarana. Kwathi esefile uyise, uNkulunkulu wamsusa lapho, wamhlalisa kuleli zwe enakhe kulo nina manje. ₅Kepha akamnikanga ifa kulo, ngisho nelingangonyawo, wathembisa kodwa ukuthi uzakumnika lona libe ngelakhe nelenzalo yakhe emva kwakhe, engakabi namntwana. ₆UNkulunkulu wakhuluma kanje, wathi: ‘Inzalo yakhe izakuba ngumfokazi ezweni lezizwe; bayakuyenza izigqila, bayiphathe kabi iminyaka engamakhulu amane. ₇Kepha leso sizwe abayakuba yizigqila kuso ngiyakusahlulela mina, washo uNkulunkulu, andukuba baphume, bangikhonze kule ndawo.’ ₈Wayesemnika isivumelwano sokusoka; kanjalo-ke wazala u-Isaka, wamsoka ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili; u-Isaka wazala uJakobe, uJakobe wazala okhokho abayishumi nambili.

₉“Okhokho baba nomhawu ngoJosefa, bathengisa ngaye, wasiwa eGibithe; kodwa uNkulunkulu wayenaye, ₁₀wamkhipha kuzo zonke izinhlupheko zakhe, wamupha umusa nokuhlakanipha phambi kukaFaro inkosi yaseGibithe; yena wammisa abe ngumbusi eGibithe nakuyo yonke indlu yakhe.

₁₁“Kepha kwafika indlala kulo lonke iGibithe nakwaKhanani, nokuhlupheka okukhulu; obaba kabafumana ukudla. ₁₂UJakobe esezwile ukuthi kukhona ukudla eGibithe, wathuma obaba ngokokuqala; ₁₃kwathi ngokwesibili uJosefa waziwa ngabafowabo; kwabonakala kuFaro isizwe sakubo kaJosefa. ₁₄UJosefa wayesethumela wabiza uJakobe uyise nabakubo bonke, abantu abangamashumi ayisikhombisa nanhlanu. ₁₅UJakobe wehlela eGibithe; wafa yena nawobaba. ₁₆Bayiswa eSikemi, babekwa ethuneni alithenga u-Abrahama ngenani lesiliva kumadodana kaHamori eSikemi.

₁₇“Kepha sesisondele isikhathi sesithembiso uNkulunkulu asisho ku-Abrahama, banda abantu, baba baningi eGibithe, ₁₈kwaze kwavela enye inkosi eGibithe ebingamazi uJosefa. ₁₉Yona yasiphatha ngobuqili isizwe sakithi, yabahlupha obaba ngokubalahlisa izingane zabo zingaphili.

₂₀“Ngaleso sikhathi kwazalwa uMose, waba muhle kuNkulunkulu; wondliwa izinyanga ezintathu endlini kayise; ₂₁eselahliwe, indodakazi kaFaro yamthola, yazondlela yena ukuba abe yindodana yayo. ₂₂UMose wafundiswa ukuhlakanipha konke kwabaseGibithe; waba namandla ngamazwi nangemisebenzi yakhe.

₂₃“Kuthe eseneminyaka engamashumi amane ezelwe, kwafika enhliziyweni yakhe ukuba abamele abafowabo, abantwana bakwa-Israyeli. ₂₄Wabona umuntu ephathwa kabi, wamvikela, wamphindisela ohlushwayo, wambulala owaseGibithe. ₂₅Ubethemba ukuthi abafowabo bayakuqonda ukuthi uNkulunkulu ubanika ukusindiswa ngesandla sakhe; kepha abakuqondanga. ₂₆Nangangomuso wafika kubo belwa, wazama ukubalamula, babuyisane, wathi: ‘Madoda, ningabazalwane; niphathanelani kabi na?’

₂₇“Kepha lowo owayemona umakhelwane wakhe wamhlohloloza wathi: ‘Ubekwe ngubani ube ngumbusi nomahluleli phezu kwethu na? ₂₈Usufuna ukungibulala nami, njengalokho ubulele owaseGibithe izolo na?’ ₂₉Khona uMose wabaleka ngenxa yalelo zwi, waba ngumfokazi ezweni lakwaMidiyani, lapho azala khona amadodana amabili.

₃₀“Kwathi sekuphelele iminyaka engamashumi amane, kwabonakala kuye ehlane lentaba yaseSinayi ingelosi iselangabini lomlilo esihlahleni. ₃₁UMose ekubona wamangala ngalowo mbono; esasondela ukuba abhekisise, kwafika izwi leNkosi, lathi: ₃₂‘NginguNkulunkulu wawoyihlo, uNkulunkulu ka-Abrahama noka-Isaka nokaJakobe.’ UMose wathuthumela, akaba nasibindi sokubhekisisa.

₃₃“INkosi yayisithi kuye: ‘Khumula izicathulo ezinyaweni zakho, ngokuba indawo omi kuyo ingumhlabathi ongcwele. ₃₄Ngikubonile nokukubona ukuhlushwa kwesizwe sami esiseGibithe, ngizwile ukububula kwaso; sengehlile ukuba ngibakhiphe. Woza kalokhu, ngizakukuthumela eGibithe.’

₃₅“UMose lowo abamalayo bethi: ‘Ubekwe ngubani ube ngumbusi nomahluleli na?’ nguyena amthumayo uNkulunkulu ngesandla sengelosi eyabonakala kuye esihlahleni, abe ngumbusi nomhlengi. ₃₆Yena lowo wabakhipha enza izimangaliso nezibonakaliso ezweni laseGibithe, naseLwandle Olubomvu, nasehlane iminyaka engamashumi amane.

₃₇“Nguye uMose lowo owathi kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli: ‘UNkulunkulu uyakunivusela umprofethi kubafowenu onjengami.’ ₃₈Nguye lowo owayesebandleni ehlane kanye nengelosi eyakhuluma naye entabeni yaseSinayi kanye nawobaba, nowamukela amazwi okuphila, ukuze aninike wona.

₃₉“Kepha obaba abavumanga ukumlalela, kodwa bamhlohloloza, babuyela emuva eGibithe ngezinhliziyo zabo, ₄₀bathi ku-Aroni: ‘Senzele onkulunkulu abazakuhamba phambi kwethu; ngokuba uMose lowo owasikhipha ezweni laseGibithe, asazi ukuba wehlelwe yini.’ ₄₁Benza ithole ngaleyo mihla, baletha umhlatshelo esithombeni, bajabula ngemisebenzi yezandla zabo. ₄₂Kepha uNkulunkulu wabafulathela, wabadedela ukuba bakhonze ibandla lezulu, njengokuba kulotshiwe encwadini yabaprofethi ukuthi:

₄₄“Kwakukhona itende lobufakazi kobaba ehlane njengalokho akuyalayo yena owakhuluma noMose ukuba alenze ngomfanekiso abewubonile; ₄₅obaba benoJoshuwa balamukela, balingenisa ezweni lezizwe azixoshayo uNkulunkulu ebusweni bawobaba, kwaze kwaba semihleni kaDavide ₄₆owathola umusa ebusweni bukaNkulunkulu, wacela ukufunela uNkulunkulu kaJakobe idokodo. ₄₇Kepha nguSolomoni owamakhela indlu.

₄₈“Kodwa oPhezukonke akahlali ezindlini ezenziwe ngezandla njengokusho komprofethi ukuthi:

₅₁“Nina bantamo zilukhuni, abangasokile ezinhliziyweni nasezindlebeni, nimelana njalo noMoya oNgcwele; njengoyihlo ninjalo nani. ₅₂Ngumuphi kubaprofethi oyihlo abangamzingelanga na? Bababulala ababememezela ngaphambili ukuza koLungileyo, eseningabakhapheli nababulali bakhe, ₅₃nina enamukela umthetho ngokuyala kwezingelosi, kepha aniwugcinanga.”

₅₄Kwathi bekuzwa lokho, bahlabeka ezinhliziyweni, bamgugudela amazinyo. ₅₅Kepha yena egcwele uMoya oNgcwele wagqolozela ezulwini, wabona inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu, noJesu emi ngakwesokunene sikaNkulunkulu, ₅₆wathi: “Bheka, ngibona izulu livuliwe, neNdodana yomuntu imi ngakwesokunene sikaNkulunkulu.”

₅₇Base bekhamuluka ngezwi elikhulu, bavala izindlebe, batheleka kuye kanyekanye, ₅₈bamkhiphela ngaphandle komuzi, bamkhanda ngamatshe. Ofakazi babeka izingubo zabo ngasezinyaweni zensizwa egama layo linguSawulu.

₅₉UStefanu bamkhanda ngamatshe ekhuleka ethi: “Nkosi Jesu, yamukela umoya wami.” ₆₀Wayeseguqa phansi, wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: “Nkosi, ungababaleli lesi sono.” Eseshilo lokho walala ubuthongo.