Incwadi YeBhayibhile 36—Zefaniya

Umbhali: NguZefaniya

Indawo Eyabhalelwa Kuyo: KwelakwaYuda

Ukugqitywa Kokubhalwa Kwayo: Ngaphambi kowama-648 B.C.E.

 1. (a) Kutheni le nto isigidimi sikaZefaniya sasifanelekile kwixesha lakhe? (b) Intsingiselo yegama lakhe yayiyifanelekela njani loo meko?

EKUQALENI kolawulo lukaKumkani uYosiya wakwaYuda (ngowama-659-629 B.C.E.), ngexesha laxa ukunqula uBhahali kwakuyeyona nto iphambili naxa “ababingeleli abangengabo” babekhokela kolu nqulo lungacocekanga, kumele ukuba abantu baseYerusalem bothuswa sisigidimi esasivakaliswa ngumprofeti uZefaniya. Nangona kunokwenzeka ukuba wayengowenzala kaKumkani uHezekiya wendlu yobukhosi bakwaYuda, uZefaniya wayezigxeka ngokupheleleyo iimeko zolo hlanga. (Zef. 1:1, 4) Isigidimi sakhe sasisesentshabalalo. Abantu bakaThixo babengathobeli, ibe yayinguYehova kuphela owayenokubabuyisela kunqulo olunyulu aze abasikelele ukuze babe ‘negama, badunyiswe phakathi kwezizwe zonke zehlabathi.’ (3:20) UZefaniya wabonisa ukuba kuphela kwakunokuba ngokungenelela kukaThixo awayenokuthi ubani ‘asitheliswe ngemini yomsindo kaYehova.’ (2:⁠3) Hayi indlela elifaneleke ngayo igama lakhe elithi Tsephan·yahʹ (ngesiHebhere), elithetha ukuthi “UYehova Usithelisile (Unqabisile)”!

 2. Imigudu kaZefaniya yaba nayo njani imiphumo emihle, kodwa kutheni yaba yeyokwexeshana nje kuphela?

² Imigudu kaZefaniya yaba nemiphumo emihle. UKumkani uYosiya, owahlala etroneni eneminyaka esibhozo ubudala, wathi ngonyaka we-12 wolawulo lwakhe waqala “wawahlambulula amaYuda neYerusalem.” Walubhangisa unqulo lobuxoki, wayihlaziya “indlu kaYehova,” waza wayisungula kwakhona iPasika. (2 Kron., isahl. 34, 35) Noko ke, iinguqulelo ezenziwa nguKumkani uYosiya zaba zezokwexeshana kuphela, kuba walandelwa ngabathathu koonyana bakhe nomnye kubazukulwana bakhe, abathi bonke abo benza ‘okubi phambi koYehova.’ (2 Kron. 36:1-12) Konke oku kwazalisekisa amazwi kaZefaniya athi: “Ndibavelele abathetheli, noonyana bokumkani, nabo . . . bazalisa indlu yenkosi yabo ngogonyamelo nenkohliso.”—Zef. 1:8, 9.

 3. Kuphi kwaye kunini awathi uZefaniya waprofeta, ibe sisiphi isigidimi esintlu-mbini esiqulethwe kwincwadi yakhe?

³ Ngokusuka koku kungasentla kuyabonakala ukuba ‘ilizwi likaYehova lafika kuZefaniya’ kwixesha elithile ngaphambi kowama-648 B.C.E., kunyaka we-12 kaYosiya. Indinyana yokuqala ayimphawuli nje kuphela njengalowo uthetha ekwaYuda kodwa ukuyazi kwakhe ngokuneenkcukacha imimandla namasiko aseYerusalem kungqina ukuba wayehlala kwaYuda. Isigidimi esiqulethwe kule ncwadi sintlu-mbini, ekubeni sisesisongelayo nesithuthuzelayo. Ubukhulu becala, salatha kwimini kaYehova, imini eyoyikekayo esondeleyo, kodwa kwangaxeshanye, sixela kwangaphambili ukuba uYehova uya kubuyisela abantu abathobekileyo abaya “kuzimela egameni likaYehova.”—1:1, 7-18; 3:12.

 4. Yintoni engqina ukuba incwadi kaZefaniya iyinyaniso kwaye iphefumlelwe nguThixo?

⁴ Ubunyaniso bale ncwadi yesiprofeto abunakufane nje buphikiswe ngokuphumelelayo. IYerusalem yatshatyalaliswa ngowama-607 B.C.E., ngaphezu kweminyaka engama-40 emva kokuba uZefaniya ekuxele kwangaphambili oko. Akuphelele nje ekubeni sinenkcazelo yembali yehlabathi engako oku kodwa iBhayibhile ngokwayo iqulethe ubungqina obuphuma kuyo bokuba oku kwenzeka kanye njengoko uZefaniya wayeprofetile. Kungekudala emva kokutshatyalaliswa kweYerusalem, uYeremiya wabhala incwadi yeZililo, echaza izinto ezimanyumnyezi awayezibonile, ngoxa ezo zinto zazisacace gca engqondweni yakhe. Ukuthelekiswa kweendinyana eziliqela kungqina ukuba ngokwenene isigidimi sikaZefaniya “siphefumlelwe nguThixo.” UZefaniya ulumkisa ngemfuneko yokuguquka “kungekanifikeli ukuvutha komsindo kaYehova,” ngoxa uYeremiya ebhekisela kwinto esele yenzekile xa esithi “UYehova, ukuphalazile ukuvutha komsindo wakhe.” (Zef. 2:2; IZili. 4:11) UZefaniya uxela kwangaphambili ukuba uYehova uya “kubabandezela abantu, bahambe ngokweemfama . . . liphalazwe igazi labo njengothuli.” (Zef. 1:17) UYeremiya uthetha ngako oku njengento esele ifeziwe: “Baphamzela beziimfama ezitratweni, bedyobhekile ligazi.”—IZili. 4:14; kwakhona thelekisa uZefaniya 1:13—IZililo 5:2; Zefaniya 2:8, 10—IZililo 1:9, 16 nesesi-3:61.

 5. Imbali ibonisa njani ukuba isiprofeto sikaZefaniya sazaliseka ngokuchanileyo?

⁵ Ngokukwanjalo imbali inikela ingxelo yokutshatyalaliswa kweentlanga ezingabahedeni, amaMowabhi nama-Amon kwaneAsiriya, kuquka idolophu yayo elikomkhulu iNineve, kanye njengokuba uZefaniya wayexele kwangaphambili phantsi kolwalathiso lukaThixo. Kwananjengokuba umprofeti uNahum wayeyixele kwangaphambili intshabalalo yeNineve (Nah. 1:1; 2:10), wenza njalo noZefaniya evakalisa ukuba uYehova ‘wayeya kuyenza ibe linxuwa iNineve, ayenze umqwebedu onjengentlango.’ (Zef. 2:13) Le ntshabalalo yenzeka ngokupheleleyo kangangokuba malunga neminyaka engama-200 kamva, umbhali-mbali uHerodotus wabhala ngeTigris ‘njengomlambo ekwakufudula kumi ngasentla kwawo iNineve.’a Malunga nowe-150 C.E. umbhali ongumGrike uLucian wabhala ukuba “kungokunje akunakutsho nokuba yakha yakho.”b IThe New Westminster Dictionary of the Bible (1970), iphepha 669, ithi imikhosi eyayihlasela “ubukhulu becala yancedwa kukuzalisa ngequbuliso kweTigris, eyathi yakhukulisa inxalenye enkulu yodonga lwesixeko yaza yayishiya loo ndawo isesichengeni. . . . Yaphanziswa ngokupheleleyo kangangokuba kumaxesha amaGrike nawamaRoma iNineve yayiphantse ibe yindawo yasentsomini. Kanti ngalo lonke eli xesha inxalenye yesi sixeko igqumeleleke phantsi kweendulana ekucingelwa ukuba zezenkunkuma.” Kwiphepha lama-627 lo mqulu ubonisa ukuba elakwaMowabhi nalo latshatyalaliswa njengoko kwakuprofetiwe: “UNebhukadenetsare wawoyisa amaMowabhi.” Kwakhona okaJosephus unikela ingxelo ngokoyiswa kuka-Amon.c Ekugqibeleni amaMowabhi nama-Amon akazange aphinde abekho njengabantu.

 6. Ngoko, kutheni kufanelekile nje ukuyigqala incwadi kaZefaniya njengenxalenye yemibhalo engcwele yeBhayibhile?

⁶ AmaYuda ebesoloko eyigqala ngokufanelekileyo incwadi kaZefaniya njengenxalenye yemibhalo engcwele yeZibhalo eziphefumlelweyo. Iziprofeto zayo ezivakaliswe egameni likaYehova ziye zazaliseka ngokuphawulekayo, nto leyo ephumela ekuthethelelweni kukaYehova.

OKUQULETHWE YEKAZEFANIYA

 7. Iya kuthetha ntoni imini enkulu kaYehova kwiintshaba zakhe?

⁷ Imini kaYehova isondele (1:1-18). Le ncwadi iqalisa ngesigidimi sentshabalalo. “Ndiya kususa ndiyisuse into yonke ehlabathini; utsho uYehova.” (1:2) Akukho nto iya kusinda, umntu okanye isilwanyana. Abanquli bakaBhahali, ababingeleli abangengabo, abaqubuda kumkhosi wezulu phezu kwezindlu, abo badibanisa ukunqula uYehova kunye nokunqula ukumkani wabo uMalekom, abo babuyela umva kuYehova nabo bangabanga namdla ekumfuneni—bonke bamele batshayelwe bangabikho. Umprofeti uyalela oku: “Yithini tu ebusweni beNkosi uYehova; ngokuba isondele imini kaYehova.” (1:7) UYehova ulungiselele umbingelelo. Abathetheli, abanogonyamelo, abakhohlisi nabanentliziyo embi—bonke baya kuvelelwa. Ubuncwane babo nezinto abanazo ziya kupheliswa zithi tu. Imini enkulu kaYehova isondele! “Yimini yokuphuphuma komsindo, yimini yembandezelo nocutheko, yimini yentshabalala yakwantshabalala, yimini yobumnyama nesithokothoko, yimini yamafu, namafu amnyama.” Igazi labo bamonayo uYehova liya kuphalazwa njengothuli. “Nesilivere yabo negolide yabo ayisayi kuba nako ukubahlangula ngemini yokuphuphuma komsindo kaYehova.” Umlilo wekhwele lakhe uya kuwutshayela wonke umhlaba.—1:15, 18.

 8. (a) Inokufunyanwa njani inkuselo? (b) Ngabaphi ooyeha abavakaliswa ngokunxamnye neentlanga?

⁸ Ukufuna uYehova; ukutshatyalaliswa kweentlanga (2:1-15). Ngaphambi kokuba loo mini idlule njengomququ, abalulamileyo ‘mabafune uYehova, bafune ubulungisa, bafune ululamo,’ ibe mhlawumbi baya ‘kusitheliswa ngemini yomsindo kaYehova.’ (2:3) Amazwi kaYehova ayaqhubeka, evakalisa uyeha ngelizwe lamaFilisti, eliza kuthi kamva libe “licandelo lamasalela endlu yakwaYuda.” Abemi abanekratshi bakwaMowabhi nabakwa-Amon baya kuphanziswa njengabaseSodom nabaseGomora “ngokuba bengcikivile, bazikholisa kubantu bakaYehova wemikhosi.” Oothixo babo baya kutshabalala nabo. (2:7, 10) Kwakhona ‘ikrele’ likaYehova liya kubulala amaKushi. Kuthekani ngeAsiriya, nekomkhulu layo eliyiNineve, ukusa kumntla? Iya kuba yintlango engumqwebedu nendawo yokuhlala izilwanyana zasendle, ewe, iya kuba “linxuwa,” ukuze ‘bonke abadlulayo kuyo benze umsondlo’ bemangalisiwe.—2:12, 15.

 9. (a) Kutheni kuvakaliswa uyeha kwiYerusalem, ibe sisiphi isigwebo asiwisayo uYehova kwiintlanga? (b) Ngawaphi amazwi ovuyo esiphela ngawo esi siprofeto?

⁹ IYerusalem enemvukelo iyakhalinyelwa; intsalela ethobekileyo iyasikelelwa (3:1-20). Kwakhona, kuvakaliswa uyeha kwiYerusalem, isixeko esineenkani nesixinzelela phantsi! Abathetheli bayo, “iingonyama ezibharhulayo,” nabaprofeti bayo, “amadoda anginizayo,” abakholosanga ngoThixo wayo, uYehova. Uya kubabizela ematyaleni. Ngaba abemi bayo baya kumoyika uYehova baze balwamkele uqeqesho? Hayi, kuba ‘bayonakalisa ngeentlondi zabo zonke.’ (3:3, 4, 7) Kusisigwebo sikaYehova ukuhlanganisa iintlanga aze azithululele bonke ubushushu bomsindo wakhe, yaye wonke umhlaba uya kutshatyalaliswa ngumlilo wekhwele lakhe. Kodwa, kukho isithembiso esimangalisayo! UYehova uya “kuziguqulela izizwe intetho enyulu, ukuze zinqule igama likaYehova zonke ziphela, zimkhonze ngaxhatha linye.” (3:9) Abo baziphakamisayo ngenxa yekratshi baya kushenxiswa, ibe intsalela ethobekileyo eyenza ubulungisa iya kuzimela ngegama likaYehova. Ukumemelela, imihlali, imigcobo nemivuyo ziya kuvakala eZiyon, kuba uYehova uKumkani wakwaSirayeli uphakathi kwabo. Eli asiloxesha lakoyika okanye lakutyhafa kuba uYehova uya kubasindisa abenze bagcobe eluthandweni naseluvuyweni lwakhe. “Ngokuba ndiya kunenza nibe negama, nidunyiswe phakathi kwezizwe zonke zehlabathi, ekukubuyiseni kwam ukuthinjwa kwenu phakathi kwamehlo enu; utsho uYehova.”—3:20.

ISIZATHU SOKUBA IBE YINGENELO

10. Isiprofeto sikaZefaniya sazisa yiphi ingenelo ngemihla kaKumkani uYosiya?

¹⁰ Ukumkani uYosiya yena wasithobela isigidimi esilumkisayo sikaZefaniya waza wangenelwa kakhulu kuso. Waqalisa iphulo elikhulu lokuhlaziya unqulo. Kwakhona oku kwabangela ukuba kufunyanwe incwadi yoMthetho, eyayilahlekile xa indlu kaYehova yayilinxuwa. UYosiya wasikwa yimfesane akuva imiphumo yokungathobeli awayifundelwa kule ncwadi, eyathi yangqinela ngokwamazwi awathethwa lelinye ingqina elinguMoses, oko uZefaniya wayesoloko ekuprofeta. Ngoku uYosiya wayezithoba kuThixo, nto leyo eyaphumela ekubeni uYehova amthembise ngokuba intshabalalo exelwe kwangaphambili yayingayi kufika ngomhla wakhe. (Dut., isahl. 28-30; 2 Kum. 22:8-20) Elo lizwe lalisindisiwe kwintlekele! Kodwa oko kwaba kokwethutyana, kuba oonyana bakaYosiya basilela ukulandela umzekelo omhle awayewumisele. Noko ke, ukuliphulaphula kukaYosiya nabantu bakhe “ilizwi likaYehova elafika kuZefaniya” kwangqineka kuyingenelo enkulu ngokwenene.—Zef. 1:1.

11. (a) Okuqulethwe kuZefaniya kudibana njani neNtshumayelo yaseNtabeni nencwadi kaPawulos eya kumaHebhere ngokuphathelele ukunikela isiluleko esifanelekileyo? (b) Kutheni le nto uZefaniya esithi “mhlawumbi nositheliswa”?

¹¹ KwiNtshumayelo yakhe edumileyo yaseNtabeni, uKristu Yesu, oyena mprofeti mkhulu kaThixo, wamxhasa uZefaniya njengomprofeti wokwenyaniso kaThixo ngokuthetha amazwi afana ncam nesiluleko sikaZefaniya esikwisahluko 2, indinyana 3 esithi: “Funani uYehova, nonke balulamileyo belizwe . . . Funani ubulungisa, funani ululamo.” Isiluleko sikaYesu yayisesi: “Funani ke tanci ubukumkani bukaThixo nobulungisa bakhe.” (Mat. 6:33) Abo bafuna kuqala uBukumkani bukaThixo bamele balumkele ukungakhathali awalumkisa ngako uZefaniya xa wayethetha ‘ngababuya umva kuYehova, nabangamfunanga uYehova, abangamquqelanga’ nabo ‘batshoyo ukuthi ezintliziyweni zabo, uYehova akayi kwenza kulungileyo akayi kwenza nakubi.’ (Zef. 1:6, 12) Kwincwadi yakhe eya kumaHebhere, ngokukwanjalo uPawulos uthetha ngemini yomgwebo ezayo aze alumkise ngokuhlehlela emva. Wongezelela ngokuthi: “Ke thina asingabahlehla baye entshabalalweni; singabokholo olusa ekuzuzeni umphefumlo.” (Heb. 10:30, 37-39) Xa umprofeti esithi: “Mhlawumbi nositheliswa ngemini yomsindo kaYehova,” akabhekisi kwabo bangenamonde okanye abangenaluxabiso kodwa ubhekisa kwabafuna uYehova ngokululama nangokunyaniseka benokholo. Kutheni kusithiwa “mhlawumbi”? Kungokuba ukusindiswa ekugqibeleni kuxhomekeke kwikhondo lomntu ngamnye. (Mat. 24:13) Kwakhona oku kusisikhumbuzo sokuba asinakulindela ukuba uThixo uya kufane nje asenzele inceba. Isiprofeto sikaZefaniya sikwenza kucace gca ukubafikela kwayo ngequbuliso loo mini abo bangayilindelanga.—Zef. 2:3; 1:14, 15; 3:8.

12. Sisiphi isizinzi sokuba nenkalipho asinikelayo uZefaniya kwabo ‘bafuna uYehova’?

¹² Ngoko, esi sisigidimi esixela kwangaphambili ukutshatyalaliswa kwabo bamonayo uYehova kodwa esinikela amathemba aqaqambileyo eentsikelelo kwabo bathi baguquke baze ‘bafune uYehova.’ Aba baguqukayo banokuba nenkalipho, kuba, uZefaniya uthi, “ukumkani wakwaSirayeli, uYehova, uphakathi kwakho.” Eli asiloxesha lokuba iZiyon yoyike okanye ityhafe ize ingasebenzi. Lixesha lokuba ikholose ngoYehova. “Ligorha elisindisayo; unemihlali ngawe, enovuyo; uthe cwaka eluthandweni lwakhe, ugcoba ngawe ememelela.” Kwakhona banoyolo abo ‘bafuna tanci ubukumkani bakhe,’ belindele ukukhuselwa ngokunothando nguye nokufumana intsikelelo yakhe engunaphakade!—3:15-17.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]