IzEnzo Zabapostoli

7 Kodwana umphristi ophakemeko wathi: “Zinjalo na izintwezi?” 2 UStefani waphendula wathi: “Madoda, bafowethu nabobaba, lalelani. UZimu wephazimulo wabonakala kukhokho wethu u-Abrahama nakaseMesopotamiya, ngaphambi kobana ayokuhlala eHarana,+ 3 wathi kuye: ‘Phuma enarheni yekhenu neenhlobeni zakho, uye enarheni engizakutjengisa yona.’+ 4 Yeke waphuma enarheni yamaKhaledi wayokuhlala eHarana. Ngemva kokuhlongakala kwakayise,+ uZimu wamfudusela enarheni esenihlala kiyo le.+ 5 Kodwana akhenge amnikele ilifa kiyo, akhenge amnikele ngitjho nelingene bona abeke inyawo* lakhe kiyo; wamthembisa ukumnikela yona bona ibe ngeyakhe, ngemva kwakhe ayinikele iinzukulwana zakhe,*+ nanyana bekangakabi nomntwana. 6 UZimu wamtjela ukuthi iinzukulwana zakho zizokuba babantu abavela kwenye inarha begodu abantu balapho bazozigqilaza, bazitlhagise iminyaka ema-400.+ 7 UZimu wathi, ‘Isitjhaba iinzukulwana zakho ezizokuba ziingqila zaso ngizosahlulela+ begodu ngemva kwalokhu zizokuphuma zingilotjhe endaweni le.’+

8 “Wamnikela nesivumelwano sokusoka,+ waba nguyise ka-Isaka,+ wamsoka ngelanga lobunane,+ u-Isaka waba nguyise kaJakopo,* uJakopo waba nguyise weenhloko zemindeni ezili-12. 9 Iinhloko zemindenezo zamonakalela uJosefa,+ zamthengisa eGibhide.+ Kodwana uZimu bekanaye,+ 10 wamsindisa kikho koke ukutshwenyeka kwakhe, wamnikela umusa nokuhlakanipha phambi kwakaFaro ikosi yeGibhide. UFaro wambeka bona abuse iGibhide nomzakhe woke.+ 11 Kodwana kwaba nendlala eGibhide neKanana, isizi elikhulu, abokhokho bethu bebangakghoni ukufumana ukudla.+ 12 Kodwana uJakopo wezwa ukuthi kunokudla eGibhide, wathumela abokhokho bethu kokuthoma.+ 13 Nasele babuyela ihlandla lesibili, uJosefa wazazisa kubafowabo begodu umndeni kaJosefa waziwa nguFaro.+ 14 Yeke uJosefa wathumela umlayezo wokobana kubizwe uyise uJakopo nazo zoke iinhlobo zakhe ezisendaweni leyo,+ bekubabantu abama-75 sebaboke.+ 15 UJakopo wehlela eGibhide,+ wafela khona,+ nabokhokho bethu bafela khona.+ 16 Bathwalwa basiwa eTjhekemu, balaliswa ethuneni u-Abrahama alithenga ngemali yesiliva emadodaneni kaHamori eTjhekemu.+

17 “Njengombana bekutjhidela isikhathi sokobana kuzaliseke isithembiso uZimu asibikezela ku-Abrahama, abantu bakwa-Israyeli banda ngokubuyelelweko eGibhide, 18 bekwaba kulapho kuvela enye ikosi eGibhide ebeyingamazi uJosefa.+ 19 Yona yasebenzisa ubuqili esitjhabeni sekhethu begodu yakatelela abobaba ukuthi balahle amasanabo ukuze angaphili.+ 20 Emihleni leyo kwabelethwa uMosi begodu bekamuhle emehlweni kaZimu. Watlhogonyelwa* emzini kayise+ iinyanga ezintathu. 21 Kodwana kuthe lokha nakalahlwako,*+ indodakazi kaFaro yamthatha yamkhulisa njengendodanayo.+ 22 Nje-ke uMosi wafundiswa koke ukuhlakanipha kweGibhide. Eqinisweni bekanamandla emezwinakhe nezenzweni.+

23 “Kuthe nasekaneminyaka ema-40, waqunta* ukuyokuvakatjhela* abafowabo, abantwana bakwa-Israyeli.+ 24 Lokha nakabona omunye wabo aphathwa kumbi, wamvikela begodu wambuyiselela ngokubulala umGibhide obekamphatha kumbi. 25 Bekacabanga bona abafowabo bazokuzwisisa ukuthi uZimu uyabasindisa ngesandla sakhe, kodwana akhenge bazwisise. 26 Ngelanga elilandelako wavela kibo njengombana balwa, walinga ukubalamula ngokuthula, athi: ‘Madoda, nibantwana bomuntu. Kubayini niphathana kumbi?’ 27 Kodwana lo obekaphatha umakhelwanakhe kumbi wamsunduzela eqadi, wathi: ‘Ngubani okubeke bona ube mbusi nomahluleli phezu kwethu? 28 Kghani ufuna ukungibulala njengombana ubulele umGibhide izolo?’ 29 Nakezwa lokhu, uMosi wabaleka wayokuhlala njengomuntu ovela kwenye inarha enarheni yakwaMidiyani, lapho aba khona nguyise wamadodana amabili.+

30 “Ngemva kweminyaka ema-40, kweza ingilozi kuye emmangweni weNtaba yeSinayi elangabini lomuthi wameva ovuthako.+ 31 UMosi nakayibonako, warareka. Kodwana njengombana atjhidela bona ahlolisise, kwezwakala ilizwi lakaJehova* lithi: 32 ‘NginguZimu wabokhokho bakho, uZimu ka-Abrahama, ka-Isaka nokaJakopo.’+ UMosi wathoma ukuhlengezela begodu akhenge asafuna ukuyokuhlolisisa ukuya phambili. 33 UJehova* wathi kuye: ‘Hlubula amapatlagwanakho ngombana indawo ojame kiyo le icwengile. 34 Kwamambala ngikubonile ukugandeleleka kwabantu bami abaseGibhide, ngikuzwile nokububula kwabo,+ nje-ke ngehlile bona ngizobasindisa. Yewize ngizokuthuma eGibhide.’ 35 Yena uMosi loyo abamlandulako, bathi: ‘Ngubani okubeke bona ube mbusi nomahluleli?’+ Nguye uZimu amthume+ njengombusi nomtjhaphululi ngengilozi eyabonakala kuye emthini wameva. 36 Indoda le yabakhupha,+ yenza iimangaliso neembonakaliso+ eGibhide neLwandle eliBomvu+ nemmangweni iminyaka ema-40.+

37 “Lo nguMosi owathi ebantwaneni bakwa-Israyeli: ‘UZimu uzonivusela umphorofidi onjengami hlangana nabafowenu.’+ 38 Lo nguye obekahlangana nebandla emmangweni, nengilozi+ eyakhuluma naye+ eNtabeni yeSinayi begodu nguye owakhuluma nabokhokho bethu, wafumana imiyalo ecwengileko nephilako bona asinikele yona.+ 39 Abokhokho bethu akhenge bamlalele, bamsunduzela eqadi+ begodu eenhliziyweni zabo bafuna ukubuyela eGibhide,+ 40 bathi ku-Aroni: ‘Senzela abozimu bona basikhambele phambili. Ngombana asazi bona kwenzekeni ngoMosi lo owasikhupha eGibhide.’+ 41 Emihleni leyo benza ikonyana baletha nemihlatjelo esithombeni bazithabisa ngemisebenzi yezandla zabo.+ 42 Ngalokho uZimu wabafulathela wabanikela bona balotjhe ibutho lezulwini,+ njengombana kutloliwe encwadini yabaPhorofidi ukuthi: ‘Beningayenzeli mina iminikelo nemihlatjelo enayenza emmangweni iminyaka ema-40, kghani akusinjalo ndlu ka-Israyeli? 43 Kodwana naphakamisa itende kaMoloki+ nekwekwezi kasingazimu uRefani, iinthombe enazenzako bona nizilotjhe. Ngalokho ngizonithumela ekuthunjweni ngale kweBhabhiloni.’+

44 “Abokhokho bethu bebanetende lobufakazi emmangweni, njengombana uZimu anikela imiyalo lokha nakakhuluma noMosi bona alenze ngokuvumelana nendlela alibone ngayo.+ 45 Abokhokho bethu balamukela balingenisa banoJotjhuwa enarheni yeentjhaba,+ lezo uZimu aziqotha phambi kwabokhokho bethu.+ Lahlala khona bekwaba semihleni kaDavida. 46 Wafumana umusa kuZimu, wabawa nelungelo lokulungiselela uZimu kaJakopo indawo yokuhlala.+ 47 Kodwana kwaba nguSolomoni owamakhela indlu.+ 48 Nanyana kunjalo, oPhezukoke akahlali ngeendlini ezenziwe ngezandla,+ njengombana kwatjho umphorofidi wathi: 49 ‘UJehova* uthi izulu lisihlalo sami sobukhosi,+ nephasi lisinabelo seenyawo zami.+ Alo-ke yindlu bani enizangakhela yona? Namkha iphi indawami yokuphumula? 50 Sisandla sami esenze koke lokhu, kghani akusinjalo?’+

51 “Madoda anekani nangakasoki eenhliziyweni neendlebeni, nihlala niphikisa ummoya ocwengileko; njengombana kwenza abokhokho benu, nani nenza njalo.+ 52 Ngimuphi umphorofidi abokhokho benu abangakhenge bamhlunguphaze?+ Bababulala labo ababikezela ukuza kolungileko,+ loyo nina esenibe bathengisi nababulali bakhe,+ 53 nina enamukela umThetho owadluliselwa kini ngeengilozi+ kodwana akhenge niwulalele.”

54 Nabezwa izintwezi, bahlabeka* eenhliziyweni zabo bathoma ukumququdela amazinyo. 55 Kodwana azele ummoya ocwengileko, waqala ezulwini wabona iphazimulo kaZimu nekaJesu ajame ngesandleni sokudla sakaZimu,+ 56 wathi: “Qalani! Ngibona izulu livulekile neNdodana yomuntu+ ijame ngesandleni sokudla sakaZimu.”+ 57 Khonokho barhuwelela khulu, bavala iindlebe zabo ngezandla, bagijimela kuye boke kanyekanye. 58 Bamlahlela ngaphandle kwedorobho, ngemva kwalokho bamkghadlha ngamatje.+ Abofakazi+ babeka izambatho zabo zangaphandle eenyaweni zesokana ekuthiwa nguSawula.+ 59 Njengombana bamkghadlha ngamatje, uStefani wenza nasi isibawo: “Kosi Jesu, yamukela ummoyami.” 60 Nje-ke waguqa ngamadolo, warhuwelela ngelizwi elinamandla wathi: “Jehova,* ungabajezisi ngesonwesi.”+ Ngemva kokutjho lokho, wahlongakala.*