1Sengathi ikhanda lami nga lingamanzi,
namehlo ami umthombo wezinyembezi
ukuba ngikhalele ababuleweyo bendodakazi yabantu bami
imini nobusuku.
2Sengathi nga nginendawo yokulala
kwezihambi ehlane
ukuba ngishiye abantu bami,
ngisuke kubo,
ngokuba bangabaphingi bonke,
umhlangano wabakhohlisi.
3“Bagobela umnsalo wolimi lwabo amanga,
abaqinelanga iqiniso ezweni;
kepha basuka kokubi, baya kokubi;
mina-ke abangazi,” usho uJehova.
4“Yilowo nalowo makaxwaye umakhelwane wakhe,
ningethembi nakumfowenu,
ngokuba abafowenu bonke bayaqinela,
nabo bonke abakhelwane bayahambahamba behleba.
5Yilowo nalowo uyakhohlisa umakhelwane wakhe,
abakhulumi iqiniso;
bazifundisile izilimi zabo ukukhuluma amanga,
bazikhathaza ngokwenza okubi.
6Uhlala phakathi kwenkohliso;
ngenkohliso bayala ukungazi,” usho uJehova.
7Ngalokho uJehova Sebawoti usho kanje, uthi:
“Ngiyakubancibilikisa, ngibavivinye,
ngokuba ngingenze njani
ngenxa yendodakazi yabantu bami na?
8Ulimi lwabo lungumcibisholo obulalayo,
lukhuluma inkohliso;
bakhuluma kahle ngomlomo wabo kumakhelwane wabo,
kepha ezinhliziyweni bayamqamekela.
9Angiyikubahambela ngalokhu na?” usho uJehova.
“Umphefumulo wami
awuyikuphindisa esizweni esinjengalesi na?”
10Ngiyakuphakamisela izintaba ukukhala nokulila,
namadlelo asehlane ukulilisela,
ngokuba ashisiwe kungekho muntu odlula kuwo,
kungezwakali ukukhonya kwezinkomo;
izinyoni zezulu nezilwane zibalekile, zahamba.
11“Ngiyakulenza iJerusalema libe yizinqwaba
nekhaya lamakhanka,
ngenze imizi yakwaJuda incithakalo,
lapho kungahlali muntu khona.”
12Ngubani umuntu ohlakaniphileyo ongakuqonda lokhu, okhulumile kuye umlomo kaJehova, akumemezele, na? Izwe lichithelweni, lasha njengehlane, kungekho odabulayo, na?
13UJehova wathi: “Ngokuba bewushiyile umthetho wami engawubeka phambi kwabo, bengalilalelanga izwi lami, bengahambanga ngalo, 14kepha belandela inkani yezinhliziyo zabo nawoBali abakufundiswa ngoyise.” 15Ngalokho usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: “Bheka, ngiyakubanika laba bantu ukuba badle umhlonyane, baphuze amanzi enyongo. 16Ngiyakubahlakazela ezizweni abangazazanga bona nawoyise, ngithume emva kwabo inkemba, ngize ngibaqede.”
17Usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uthi:
“Qaphelani, nibize abesifazane besililo
ukuba bafike,
nithumele kwabesifazane abahlakaniphileyo
ukuba bafike,
18basheshe basikhihlele isililo,
ukuze amehlo ethu amululeke izinyembezi,
nezinkophe zethu ziphophoze amanzi.
19Ngokuba izwi lokukhala lizwakala
livela eSiyoni, lithi:
‘Yeka ukuphangwa kwethu!
Sijabhile kakhulu, ngokuba silishiyile izwe,
ngokuba badilizile izindlu zethu.’ ”
20Yebo, zwanini izwi likaJehova
nina besifazane,
izindlebe zenu zilamukele izwi lomlomo wakhe,
nifundise amadodakazi enu ukukhala,
kube yilowo nalowo umakhelwane wakhe ukulila.
21Ngokuba ukufa kwenyukele emafasiteleni ethu,
kungene ezindlini zethu zamakhosi
ukunquma abantwana ezitaladini,
nezinsizwa ezigcawini.
22Khuluma! “Usho kanje uJehova, uthi:
“ ‘Izidumbu zabantu ziyakuwa njengomquba endle,
nanjengesithonto emva komvuni,
kungekho okubuthayo.’ ”
23Usho kanje uJehova, uthi:
“Ohlakaniphileyo makangazibongi
ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe,
neqhawe malingazibongi
ngobuqhawe balo,
nocebileyo makangazibongi
ngengcebo yakhe,
24kepha ozibongayo makazibonge
ngalokhu ukuthi uyangiqonda,
angazi ukuthi nginguJehova
owenza umusa nokwahlulela nokulunga emhlabeni,
ngokuba ngiyathokoza ngokunjalo,” usho uJehova.
25“Bheka, izinsuku ziyeza,” usho uJehova, “lapho ngiyakuhambela bonke abasokileyo ekungasokini kwabo, 26iGibithe, noJuda, no-Edomi, nabantwana bakwa-Amoni, noMowabi, nabo bonke abadilingiwe emaceleni amakhanda abo abakhe ehlane, ngokuba zonke izizwe azisokile, nendlu yonke yakwa-Israyeli ayisokile enhliziyweni.”
