1Lapho-ke ngiyabuza ngithi: Kanti uNkulunkulu wabalahla yini abantu bakhe? Hatshi akunjalo! Mina uqobo ngingumʼIsrayeli inzalo ka-Abhrahama, owesizwana sikaBhenjamini.
2UNkulunkulu kabalahlanga abantu bakhe abazi kuqala. Kalikwazi yini ukuthi uMbhalo uthini esahlukwaneni ngo-Elija, ukuthi wakhalaza njani kuNkulunkulu esola u-Israyeli esithi:
3“Nkosi, bababulele abaphrofethi bakho, badiliza lama-alithare akho; yimi ngedwa engiseleyo, njalo bafuna ukungibulala?”11.3 1 Amakhosi 19.10, 14
4Impendulo kaNkulunkulu kuye yathini na? Yathi, “Ngizigodlele mina ngokwami abazinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa abangamkhothamelanga uBhali.”11.4 1 Amakhosi 19.18
5Ngakho futhi, ngalesisikhathi kulensalela ezakhethwa ngomusa.
6Njalo nxa kungomusa, ngakho akuseyikho ngemisebenzi; nxa kwakunjalo, umusa wawungeke ube usaba ngumusa.
7Pho-ke? Lokho u-Israyeli akufuna ngokuzimisela kakuzuzanga, kodwa abakhethiweyo bakuthola. Abanye baba lukhuni,
8njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi:
9Njalo uDavida uthi:
10Sengathi amehlo abo angafiphala ukuze bangaboni,
11Ngiyabuza njalo ngithi: Kambe bangabe bakhubeka bawa okungangokuthi kakuselakuphepha na? Akunjalo! Kodwa ngenxa yesiphambeko sabo, ukusindiswa sekufikile kwabeZizwe ukuba kwenze u-Israyeli abe lomona.
12Kodwa nxa isiphambeko sabo sisitsho inotho emhlabeni, lencithakalo yabo isitsho inotho kwabeZizwe, inkulu kangakanani inotho elethwa yikuphelela kwabo!
13Ngikhuluma lani lina abeZizwe. Njengoba ngingumpostoli wabezizwe, ngikhulisa inkonzo yami
14ngethemba lokuthi mhlawumbe ngingavusa umona ebantwini bakithi ngisilise abanye babo.
15Ngoba nxa ukulahlwa kwabo kuyikubuyisana komhlaba, ukwamukelwa kwabo kuzakuba yini na ngaphandle kokuphila okuvela kwabafileyo?
16Nxa ingxenye yenhlama enikelwe njengezithelo zakuqala ingcwele, injalo yonke enye; nxa impande zingcwele, zinjalo lezingatsha.
17Nxa ezinye ingatsha zephulwe, njalo wena, lanxa ulihlumela lomʼoliva weganga, usuxhunyelelwe phakathi kwezinye njalo usuhlanganyela emhluzini okhulisayo ovela empandeni zomʼoliva,
18ungazincomi ngalezongatsha. Nxa ukwenza, cabanga ngalokhu: Impande kakusuwe oyithwalayo, kodwa impande yiyo ekuthweleyo.
19Lapho-ke lina lizakuthi, “Ingatsha zephulwa ukuze mina ngixhunyelelwe.”
20Yebo. Kodwa zephulwa ngenxa yokungakholwa, kodwa lina limi ngokukholwa. Lingazikhukhumezi, kodwa yesabani.
21Ngoba nxa uNkulunkulu engaziyekelanga ingatsha zemvelo, lani kasoze aliyekele.
22Ngakho cabangani ngesisa njalo lobulukhuni bukaNkulunkulu: ubulukhuni kulabo abawayo, kodwa isisa kini, nxa liqhubeka esiseni sakhe. Kungenjalo, lani lizaqunywa.
23Njalo nxa bengaphikeleli ngokungakholwa, bazaxhunyelelwa, ngoba uNkulunkulu uyenelisa ukubaxhumelela futhi.
24Phezu kwalokho, nxa laliqunywe esihlahleni somʼoliva weganga ngemvelo, kwathi ngokuphambene lemvelo laxhunyelelwa esihlahleni se-oliva esilinywayo, pho kuzakuba lula kakhulu okunjani kulezi, ingatsha zemvelo, ukuba zixhunyelelwe esihlahleni sazo se-oliva.
25Bazalwane, kangifuni ukuthi lingaze lazi ngale imfihlakalo, ukuze lingazikhukhumezi: U-Israyeli useyibonile ingxenye yokuba lukhuni inani elipheleleyo labeZizwe lize lingene.
26Ngokunjalo u-Israyeli wonke uzasindiswa, njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi:
27Lesi yisivumelwano sami labo
28Mayelana levangeli, bayizitha ngenxa yenu; kodwa mayelana lokukhetha, bayathandwa ngenxa yabokhokho,
29ngoba izipho zikaNkulunkulu lokubiza kwakhe akuguquleki.
30Njengoba lina elake ladelela uNkulunkulu khathesi selamukele umusa ngenxa yokudelela kwabo,
31ngokunjalo labo, ngenxa yomusa kaNkulunkulu kini, kabasalaleli ukuze labo khathesi bamukele umusa.
32Ngoba uNkulunkulu ubophele abantu bonke ekudeleleni ukuze abe lomusa kubo bonke.
33Yeka ukuzika kwenotho yenhlakanipho kanye lokwazi kukaNkulunkulu!
34“Ngubani owake wayazi ingqondo yeNkosi na?
35“Ngubani owake wanika uNkulunkulu
36Ngoba izinto zonke zivela kuye langaye njalo futhi zikuye.