AbaJuda bafuna ukulunga ngemisebenzi yomthetho kungengokukholwa, noma ivangeli lishunyayelwe kubo
1Bazalwane, ukulangazela kwenhliziyo yami nokunxusa kwami kuNkulunkulu ngabo kungukuba basindiswe. 2Ngokuba ngiyabafakazela ukuthi bashisekela uNkulunkulu kodwa kungengokuqonda; 3ngokuba bengakwazi ukulunga kukaNkulunkulu, befuna ukumisa okwabo, abakuthobelanga ukulunga kukaNkulunkulu. 4Ngokuba isiphetho somthetho nguKristu, kube ngukulunga kubo bonke abakholwayo. 5Ngokuba uMose uloba ukuthi umuntu owenza ukulunga okuvela emthethweni uyakuphila ngakho. 6Kepha ukulunga okuvela ngokukholwa kusho kuthi: “Ungasho enhliziyweni yakho ukuthi: ‘Ngubani ozakwenyukela ezulwini na?’ okungukuthi ukwehlisa uKristu, 7nokuba: ‘Ngubani ozakwehlela kwalasha na?’ ” okungukuthi ukukhuphula uKristu kwabafileyo. 8Kepha kuthini na? Izwi liseduze nawe, emlonyeni wakho nasenhliziyweni yakho, okungukuthi izwi lokukholwa esilishumayelayo. 9Ngokuba uma uvuma ngomlomo wakho ukuthi uJesu uyiNkosi, ukholwa enhliziyweni yakho ukuthi uNkulunkulu wamvusa kwabafileyo, uyakusindiswa; 10ngokuba umuntu ukholwa ngenhliziyo kube ngukulunga, ngomlomo uyavuma kube ngukusindiswa. 11Ngokuba umbhalo uthi: “Lowo okholwayo akayikujabhiswa.” 12Ngokuba akukho mahluko phakathi komJuda nomGreki, lokhu yena uyiNkosi yabo bonke, ubacebele bonke abakhuleka kuye, 13ngokuba “bonke abayakukhuleka egameni leNkosi bayakusindiswa.”
14Kepha bayakukhuleka kanjani kuye abangakholwanga nguye na? Bayakukholwa kanjani abangezwanga ngaye na? Bayakuzwa kanjani, kungekho oshumayelayo na? 15Bayakushumayela kanjani, uma bengathunywa na? Njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi:
“Yeka, zinhle izinyawo
zabashumayela izindaba ezinhle.”
16Kodwa abalilalelanga bonke ivangeli. Ngokuba u-Isaya uthi: “Nkosi, ngubani owakholwa ngesikuzwileyo na?” 17Ngalokho-ke ukukholwa kuvela ngokuzwa, ukuzwa kuvela ngezwi likaKristu. 18Kepha ngithi: Abezwanga yini na? Yebo, impela:
“Izwi labo liphumele emhlabeni wonke,
nokusho kwabo kuye
nasemikhawulweni yelakhiweyo.”
19Kepha ngithi: U-Israyeli wayengaqondi na? Kuqala, uMose uthi:
“Mina ngiyakunivusela umhawu ngabangesiso isizwe,
nginithukuthelise ngesizwe esingenangqondo.”
20Kepha u-Isaya unesibindi sokuthi:
“Ngafunyanwa yilabo abangangifunanga,
ngabonakala kulabo abangangibuzanga.”
21Kodwa ngo-Israyeli uthi:
“Usuku lonke ngelulela izandla zami
kuso isizwe esingalaleliyo nesiphikayo.”
