1 Isivumelwano sakuqala sasilezimiso zokukhonza kanye lendawo engcwele yasemhlabeni. 2 Kwakhiwa ithabanikeli. Ekamelweni lalo lakuqala kwakuloluthi lwesibane, letafula kanye lesinkwa esingcwelisiweyo; lokhu kwakubizwa ngokuthi yiNdawo eNgcwele. 3 Ngemva kwekhetheni lesibili kwakulekamelo elalithiwa yiNdawo eNgcwelengcwele, 4 eyayile-alithare lokutshisela impepha elalihuqwe ngegolide kanye lomtshokotsho wesivumelwano owawuhuqwe ngegolide. Umtshokotsho wakhona wawulembizanyana yemana, lentonga ka-Aroni eyahlumayo kanye lezibhebhedu zamatshe esivumelwano. 5 Phezu komtshokotsho kwakulamakherubhi eNkazimulo enze ithunzi phezu kwendawo yomhlatshelo. Kodwa khathesi asingeke silandise okugcweleyo ngalezozinto.

6 Kwathi konke sekulungisiwe kanje, abaphristi bangena njalonjalo ekamelweni langaphandle ukuba benze inkonzo yabo. 7 Kodwa umphristi omkhulu nguye kuphela owayengena ekamelweni langaphakathi kanye ngomnyaka, njalo kungeke kwenzeke engelagazi alinikelela yena kanye lezono abantu abazenza bengazi. 8 UMoya oNgcwele wayetshengisa ngalokho ukuthi indlela eya eNdaweni eNgcwelengcwele yayingabonakaliswa nxa ithabanikeli lakuqala lilokhu likhona. 9 Lokhu kungumfanekiso walesisikhathi, okubonakalisa ukuthi izipho lemihlatshelo okwakunikelwa kwakunganelisi ukuhlambulula izazela zabakhonzayo. 10 Kuyindaba yokudla lokunatha kuphela kanye lemikhuba eyehlukeneyo yokugeza imilayo yangaphandle komzimba esebenza kuze kufike isikhathi sezimiso ezintsha.

11 Kwathi lapho uKhristu esefikile njengomphristi omkhulu wezinto ezinhle esezikhona, wadabula phakathi kwethabanikeli elikhulu elipheleleyo elingenziwanga ngabantu, okuyikuthi, kalisingxenye yale indalo. 12 Kangenanga ngokusebenzisa igazi lembuzi loba elamathole; kodwa wangena kanye kuphela eNdaweni eNgcwelengcwele ngegazi lakhe, esethole ukuhlengwa okulaphakade. 13 Igazi lembuzi lelenkunzi lemilotha yamathokazi okufafazwa ebantwini abangahlambulukanga ngokomkhuba kuyabangcwelisa ukuba babe ngabahlambulukileyo ngaphandle. 14 Pho igazi likaKhristu, owazinikela engelasici kuNkulunkulu ngomoya olaphakade, lizazihlambulula kakhulu okungakanani izazela zethu emisebenzini edonsela ekufeni, ukuze sikhonze uNkulunkulu ophilayo!

15 Ngenxa yalokhu uKhristu ungumeli wesivumelwano esitsha ukuze kuthi labo ababiziweyo bathole ilifa elingapheliyo elathenjiswayo njengoba sewafa njengenhlawulo ukuba abakhulule ezonweni abazenzayo esivumelwaneni sakuqala.

16 Mayelana lentando yokwaba ilifa, kuyadingakala ukuba kufakazwe ukufa kwalowo owakwenzayo, 17 ngoba intando yokwaba ilifa isebenza kuphela lapho kukhona ofileyo; kayisebenzi nxa lowo owayenzayo elokhu esaphila. 18 Yikho-nje lesivumelwano sakuqala kasifezwanga kungekho gazi. 19 Kwathi uMosi esememezele imilayo yonke yomthetho ebantwini bonke, wathatha igazi lamathole lelempongo ndawonye lamanzi, lewulu ebomvu kanye lezingatsha zehisophi, wachela umqulu kanye labantu bonke. 20 Wathi, “Leli ligazi lesivumelwano uNkulunkulu alaye ukuba lisigcine.”* 9.20 U-Eksodasi 24.8 21 Ngendlela efanayo wachela ithabanikeli ngegazi kanye lezinto zonke ezisetshenziswayo emikhosini yalo. 22 Ngempela umthetho uphose ufune ukuba izinto zonke zihlanjululwe ngegazi, njalo kungekho kuchithwa kwegazi akukho ukuthethelela.

23 Ngakho kwakufanele ukuba imifanekiso yezinto zasezulwini zihlanjululwe ngemihlatshelo le kodwa izinto zasezulwini uqobo kube ngemihlatshelo engcono kulale. 24 Ngoba uKhristu kangenanga endaweni engcwele eyenziwa ngabantu eyayingumfanekiso waleyo eqotho kuphela; yena wangena ezulwini uqobo, ukuba asimele phambi kukaNkulunkulu. 25 Kangenanga ezulwini ukuba azinikele njalonjalo, njengomphristi omkhulu engena eNdaweni eNgcwelengcwele minyaka yonke legazi elingayisilo lakhe. 26 Ngakho uKhristu wayezahlupheka kanengi kusukela ekudalweni komhlaba. Kodwa khathesi usebonakale kanye kuphela ekupheleni kwezikhathi ukuba asuse isono ngomhlatshelo onguye. 27 Njengalokhu umuntu wamiselwa ukufa kanye, kuthi emva kwalokho abhekane lokwahlulelwa, 28 ngokunjalo uKhristu wanikelwa kanye ukuba asuse izono zabantu abanengi; njalo uzabonakala okwesibili, hatshi ukuthwala isono, kodwa ukuletha ukusindiswa kulabo abamlindeleyo.