1 Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi: 2 “Ndodana yomuntu, melana leJerusalema ngezenzo zalo ezinengayo 3 uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi kulo iJerusalema: Umdabuko wenu kanye lozalo ngokwaselizweni lamaKhenani; uyihlo wayengumʼAmori unyoko engumHithi. 4 Ngosuku owazalwa ngalo ufokothi lwakho kaluqunywanga, njalo kawugeziswanga ngamanzi ukuba uhlambuluke, kumbe uhlikihlwe ngetswayi loba ugoqelwe ngamalembu. 5 Kakho owaba lozwelo kuwe loba owaba lesihawu ukuba akwenzele okunye kwalezizinto. Kodwa waphoselwa etshatshalazini leganga, ngoba ngosuku owazalwa ngalo weyiswa.

6 Kwathi lapho ngidlula eduze ngakubona uqhatshaqhatsha phakathi kwegazi lakho, njalo kwathi ulele phakathi khonapho kwegazi lakho ngathi kuwe, “Phila!” 7 Ngakukhulisa njengesihlahla seganga. Wakhula waqina waba yilitshe eliligugu elihle kakhulu kulawo wonke. Waphuhla lenwele zakho zakhula, wena owawunqunu uze.

8 Muva ngadlula eduze futhi, kwathi lapho sengikukhangele ngabona ukuthi wawusukhulile okwanela uthando, ngelulela isembatho sami phezu kwakho ngavala ubunqunu bakho. Ngakufungela ngesifungo sami esiqinisekileyo, ngenza isivumelwano lawe, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi, njalo waba ngowami.

9 Ngakugezisa ngamanzi, ngagezisa legazi kuwe, ngasengikugcoba ngamafutha. 10 Ngakugqokisa isigqoko esicecisiweyo ngakufaka amanyathelo esikhumba. Ngakugqokisa ilineni elihle ngakwembesa izembatho ezidulayo. 11 Ngakuhlobisa ngamatshe aligugu: Ngafaka amasongo ezingalweni zakho kanye lomgaxo entanyeni yakho, 12 ngasengifaka lesongo empumulweni yakho, lamacici ezindlebeni zakho kanye lomqhele omuhle ekhanda lakho. 13 Waceciswa kanjalo ngegolide langesiliva; izigqoko zakho zazenziwe ngelineni elihle langamalembu adulayo kanye lamalembu acecisiweyo. Waba muhle kakhulu waze wakhuphuka waba yindlovukazi. 14 Udumo lwakho lwagcwala phakathi kwezizwe ngenxa yobuhle bakho, ngoba ubucwazicwazi engangikuphe bona benza ubuhle bakho baphelela, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.

15 Kodwa wena wathemba ubuhle bakho wasebenzisa lodumo lwakho ekubeni yisifebe. Wachithela umusa wakho emuntwini wonke odlulayo kwathi ubuhle bakho baba ngobakhe. 16 Wathatha ezinye zezembatho zakho wenza ubucwazicwazi bezindawo eziphakemeyo, lapho owaqhubekela khona ngobuwule bakho. Izinto ezinje akumelanga zenzakale, loba zike zivele zenzeke. 17 Njalo wathatha leziceciso ezinhle zamatshe aligugu engakupha zona, iziceciso ezenziwa ngegolide lami lesiliva, wazenzela izithombe ezinduna wawula lazo. 18 Wathatha lezigqoko zakho ezicecisiweyo ukuba wembese izithombe, wanikela amafutha ami lempepha phambi kwazo. 19 Lokudla engakupha khona, ifulawa ecolekileyo, amafutha e-oliva kanye loluju engakupha khona ukuba udle, wakunikela phambi kwazo njengempepha elephunga elimnandi. Lokhu yikho okwenzakalayo, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.

20 Wathatha futhi amadodana akho kanye lamadodakazi owangizalela wona wawanikela njengokudla ezithombeni. Ubufebe bakho babunganelanga na? 21 Wabulala abantwabami wabanikela ezithombeni. 22 Phakathi kwazo zonke izenzo zakho ezinengayo kanye lobufebe bakho kawuzikhumbulanga insuku zebutsheni bakho, lapho wawunqunu njalo uze, uqhatshaqhatsha phakathi kwegazi lakho.

23 Maye! Maye kuwe, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi. Phezu kobubi bakho bonke, 24 wazakhela indunduma wenza lezindawo zokukhonzela ezidephileyo ezinkundleni zonke. 25 Ekuqaliseni kwemigwaqo yonke wakha izindawo zakho zokukhonzela ezidephileyo wonakalisa ubuhle bakho, wanikela umzimba wakho ngokuxabanisa okukhulu kuloba ngubani odlulayo. 26 Wenza ubufebe lamaGibhithe, omakhelwane bakho abalesigweba, wangithukuthelisa ngokuba ngubuyazonke kwakho okukhulu. 27 Ngakho ngelula isandla sami ukuba ngimelane lawe nganciphisa ilizwe lakho; ngakunikela ekuphangeni kwezitha zakho, amadodakazi amaFilistiya, ethuswa yikuziphatha kwakho kobuxhwali! 28 Wenza ubuwule lama-Asiriya futhi, ngoba wawungasuthiseki; njalo langasemva kwalokho wawulokhu ungakholwanga. 29 Ngakho wandisa ukuxubanisa kwakho ukuba kungenise leBhabhiloni, ilizwe labathengisi, kodwa langalokhu kawusuthisekanga.

30 Yeka ubuthakathaka bakho enhliziyweni, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi, lapho usenza zonke lezizinto, usenza njengesifebe esingelanhloni! 31 Lapho usakha amadundulu akho ekuqaliseni kwemigwaqo yonke usenza lezindawo zakho zokukhonzela ezidephileyo ezinkundleni zonke, wawunganjengesifebe, ngoba wala imbadalo ngokweyisa okukhulu.

32 Wena mfazi oyisifebe! Uthanda izihambi kulomkakho. 33 Izifebe zonke zamukela imbadalo, kodwa zonke izithandwa zakho uzinika izipho, uzithenga ukuba zize kuwe zivela ezindaweni zonke zilanda ubufebe bakho. 34 Ngakho ukufeba kwakho kwehlukile kokwabanye; kakho okudingayo ukuba afebe lawe. Wena wehlukile, ngoba uyabhadala kodwa awubhadalwa.

35 Ngakho-ke, wena sifebe, zwana ilizwi likaThixo! 36 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Njengoba wachitha inotho yakho waveza lobunqunu bakho ebufebeni bakho lezithandwa zakho, njalo ngenxa yazo zonke izithombe zakho ezinengayo, langenxa yokuthi wazipha igazi labantwana bakho, 37 ngakho-ke ngizaziqoqa zonke izithandwa zakho, owawuthokoza lazo, lezo owawuzithanda kanye lalezo owawuzizonda. Ngizaziqoqa ukuba zimelane lawe zivela ezindaweni zonke ngikunqunule phambi kwazo, njalo zizabubona bonke ubunqunu bakho. 38 Ngizakunika isigwebo sokujeziswa kwabesifazane abafebayo njalo abachitha igazi; ngizakwehlisela phezu kwakho impindiselo yegazi yolaka lwami kanye lentukuthelo yobukhwele. 39 Emva kwalokho ngizakunikela kuzithandwa zakho, zizabhidliza amadundulu akho zidilize lezindawo zakho zokukhonzela ezidephileyo. Zizakuhlubula izigqoko zakho zithathe lemiceciso yakho yamatshe aligugu zikutshiye unqunu njalo uze. 40 Zizaletha ixuku elizamelana lawe, elizakutshaya ngamatshe, likuqumaqume ube yiziqa ngezinkemba zalo. 41 Bazatshisa izindlu zakho zilobe, bakujezise phambi kwabesifazane abanengi. Ngizabuqeda ubuwule bakho, njalo kawusayikuzibhadala futhi izithandwa zakho. 42 Lapho-ke ulaka lwami kuwe luzadeda, lokuthukuthela kwami kobukhwele kuzasuka kuwe; ngizaphola ngingabe ngisathukuthela futhi.

43 Ngenxa yokuthi insuku zobutsha bakho kawuzikhumbulanga kodwa wangithukuthelisa ngezinto zonke lezi, ngeqiniso lokhu okwenzileyo ngizakwehlisela phezu kwekhanda lakho, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi. Kanje kawenzanga isigwebo kuzozonke lezizenzo zakho ezinengayo na?

44 Bonke abatsho izaga bazasitsho isaga lesi ngawe esithi: “Indodakazi ifuna unina.” 45 Wena uyindodakazi kanyoko sibili, owayeseyisa umkakhe kanye labantwana bakhe; njalo ngeqiniso ungudade wabodadewenu, abeyisa omkabo labantwana babo. Unyoko wayengumHithi uyihlo engumʼAmori. 46 Udadewenu omdala wayenguSamariya, owayehlala ngasenyakatho kwakho labantwana bakhe; njalo udadewenu omncane owayehlala ngaseningizimu kwakho lamadodakazi akhe nguSodoma. 47 Kawuhambanga ezindleleni zabo nje kuphela njalo walingisa lezenzo zabo ezinengayo, kodwa kuzozonke izindlela zakho wena waphanga waxhwala kakhulu kulabo. 48 Ngeqiniso elinjengoba ngikhona, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi, udadewenu uSodoma lamadodakazi akhe kazange akwenze okwenziwa nguwe lamadodakazi akho.

49 Isono sikadadewenu uSodoma sasiyilesi: Yena lamadodakazi akhe babezigqaja, badla bedlulisa njalo bengakhathali; kababasizanga abayanga labaswelayo. 50 Babezazisa njalo besenza izinto eziyangisayo phambi kwami. Ngakho ngabasusa njengoba ubonile. 51 USamariya kenzanga ingxenye yezono wena osuzenzile. Wenze izinto ezinengekayo kulabo, wenza odadewenu bangathi balungile ngenxa yezinto zonke lezi ozenzileyo. 52 Lithwale ihlazo lakho, ngoba usunike isizatho esilungileyo ngabodadewenu. Ngoba izono zakho zazizimbi kakhulu kulezabo, bakhanya belunge kakhulu kulawe. Ngakho, woba lenhloni uthwale ihlazo lakho, ngoba wenze odadewenu bakhanya belungile.

53 Kodwa-ke, ngizayibuyisela inhlanhla yeSodoma lamadodakazi ayo kanye leyeSamariya lamadodakazi ayo, lenhlanhla yakho kanye labo, 54 ukuze uthwale ihlazo lakho njalo ube lenhloni ngokubaduduza. 55 Njalo odadewenu, iSodoma lamadodakazi alo kanye leSamariya lamadodakazi alo, bazabuyela kulokho ababeyikho kuqala. 56 Udadewenu, uSodoma wawungeke umutsho ngezinsuku zokuzigqaja kwakho, 57 ububi bakho bungakavezwa. Lanxa kunjalo, khathesi usuhlekwa ngamadodakazi ase-Edomi labo bonke omakhelwane bayo kanye lamadodakazi amaFilistiya, bonke labo abakuhanqileyo abakweyisayo. 58 Uzathwala umvuzo wesagweba sakho kanye lezenzo zakho ezinengayo kutsho uThixo.

59 Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo Wobukhosi: Ngizakuphatha njengalokhu okukufaneleyo, ngoba udelele isifungo sami ngokwephula isivumelwano. 60 Kodwa ngizasikhumbula isivumelwano engasenza lawe ensukwini zobutsha bakho, njalo ngizakwenza isivumelwano esingapheliyo lawe. 61 Lapho-ke uzazikhumbula izindlela zakho ube lenhloni lapho ususamukela odadewenu, labo abadala kulawe kanye lalabo abancane. Ngizakunika bona njengamadodakazi, kodwa hatshi ngenxa yesivumelwano sami lawe. 62 Ngakho ngizamisa isivumelwano sami lawe njalo uzakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo. 63 Ngakho, lapho sengikwenzela inhlawulelo yakho konke okwenzileyo, uzakhumbula ube lenhloni ungawuvuli futhi umlomo wakho ngenxa yokuthotshiswa kwakho, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.’ ”