ISambulo 18:1-24
18 Ngemva kwalokho ngabona enye ingilosi eyayilamandla amakhulu isehla ivela ezulwini, futhi umhlaba wakhanyiswa yinkazimulo yayo.
2 Yamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu isithi: “Isiwile! IBhabhiloni Enkulu isiwile, njalo isibe yindawo yokuhlala yamadimoni lendawo lapho okucatsha khona yonke imimoya engcolileyo* lazo zonke izinyoni ezingcolileyo lezizondwayo!
3 Phela izizwe zonke sezidakiwe ngenxa yewayini lenkanuko* yokuziphatha kwayo kubi kwezemacansini,* futhi isiziphathe kubi kwezemacansini lamakhosi omhlaba njalo abathengisi* bomhlaba sebenothile ngenxa yamandla enotho yayo eyihuquluza ingelanhloni.”
4 Ngasengisizwa elinye ilizwi livela ezulwini lisithi: “Phumani kuyo bantu bami nxa lingafuni ukuhlanganyela layo ezonweni zayo futhi lingafuni ukwamukela ezinye zezinhlupho zayo,
5 ngoba izono zayo sezibe yinqwaba zaze zafika ezulwini njalo uNkulunkulu usezikhumbulile izenzo zayo ezingalunganga.*
6 Yiphatheni ngendlela ebiphatha ngayo abanye, liyibuyisele seziphindwe kabili izinto ezenzileyo; enkomitshini ebihlanganisela khona okunathwayo, yihlanganiseleni sekuphindwe kabili.
7 Yihlukuluzeni futhi liyenze ilile kuze kufike ebangeni ebizikhazimulisa ngayo ilenotho enengi futhi ingelanhloni ngakho, ngoba iqhubeka isithi enhliziyweni yayo: ‘Ngihlezi sandlovukazi, kangisimfelokazi njalo kangisoze ngilile loba sekutheni.’
8 Yikho okuzakwenza ukuthi yehlelwe zinhlupho ngelanga elilodwa, ukufa lokulila kanye lendlala, futhi izatshiswa ngomlilo iphele du, ngoba uJehova uNkulunkulu oyahluleleyo ulamandla.
9 “Amakhosi omhlaba ayekade eziphatha kubi kwezemacansini* efeba layo njalo ephila ngenotho yayo eyayiyihuquluza ingelanhloni, azakhala futhi azazitshaya ezifubeni eyililela lapho ebona intuthu yokutsha kwayo.
10 Azamela khatshana ngoba esesaba ukuhlukuluzwa kwayo, athi: ‘Maye, maye, wena dolobho elikhulu, Bhabhiloni, wena dolobho eliqinileyo, ngoba ukwahlulelwa kwakho kufike ngehola elilodwa nje!’
11 “Labathengisi bomhlaba bayakhala, bayayililela ngoba zonke impahla abazithengisayo sezizaswela ongazithenga,
12 lalo lonke igolide, lesiliva, lamatshe aligugu, lamaphareli, lelineni yohlonzi, lelembu elibubende,* lelembu lesilikhi, lelembu elibomvu gebhu kanye lakho konke okwenziwe ngogodo olunukelelayo; lazo zonke izinto ezenziwe ngophondo lwendlovu, langezigodo ezidulayo, langekhopha,* langensimbi, langamatshe amibalabala,
13 lesinamoni, lezilimo ezilephunga elimnandi ezivela e-Indiya, lempepha, lamafutha anukelelayo, lempepha emhlophe, lewayini, lamafutha om-oliva, lefulawa ecolekileyo, lengqoloyi, lenkomo, lezimvu, lamabhiza, lezinqola, lezigqili kanye lempilo zabantu.*
14 Zonke izithelo ezivuthiweyo owawuzifisa* sezikutshiyile njalo zonke izibiliboco lezinto zakho ezinhle kakhulu sezinyamalele futhi ngeke ziphinde zitholakale.
15 “Abathengisi ababethengisa izinto lezi, abanotha ngenxa yayo, bazamela khatshana besesaba ukuhlukuluzwa kwayo futhi bazakhala balile
16 besithi: ‘Maye, maye kulo idolobho elikhulu eligqoke ilineni yohlonzi lokububende* kanye lokubomvu gebhu, elicece ngezinto ezinengi ezidulayo ezegolide langamatshe aligugu lamaphareli,
17 ngoba ngehola elilodwa nje inotho enengi kangaka isitshabalalisiwe!’
“Zonke izinduna zemikhumbi lalabo abahlala behamba elwandle, labagwedli bemikhumbi kanye labo bonke abaphila ngokusebenza elwandle bamela khatshana,
18 bamemeza bekhangele intuthu yokutsha kwalo, bathi: ‘Kambe yiliphi idolobho elinjengedolobho leli elikhulu?’
19 Bazithela ngothuli emakhanda abo bamemeza bekhala futhi belila besithi: ‘Maye, maye kulo idolobho elikhulu elanothisa bonke ababelemikhumbi elwandle ngenotho yalo, ngoba ngehola elilodwa nje selitshabalalisiwe!’
20 “Thokozani ngalokho okuyehleleyo lina elisezulwini, lani abangcwele, labaphostoli kanye labaphrofethi, ngoba uNkulunkulu uyahlulele ngenxa yenu!”
21 Ingilosi elamandla yaphakamisa ilitshe elinjengelitshe lokuchola elikhulu, yaliphosela elwandle isithi: “Ledolobho elikhulu laseBhabhiloni lizaphoselwa phansi masinyane, njalo kalisoze liphinde litholakale.
22 Kawusoze uphinde uzwakale kuwe futhi umsindo wabahlabeleli abahlabela betshaya amahabhu, lowabanye abahlabeleli, lowabatshaya imiqangala* kanye lamacilongo. Akusoze kutholakale kuwe ingcitshi yomsebenzi eyenza loba yini futhi akusoze kuphinde kuzwakale umsindo welitshe lokuchola.
23 Kasikho isibane esizaphinda sikhanyise kuwe, njalo kalikho ilizwi lomyeni lelomlobokazi elizazwakala kuwe futhi, ngoba abathengisi bakho yibo ababeyizikhulu zomhlaba, njalo zonke izizwe zadukiswa yizenzo zakho zokusebenzelana lemimoya.
24 Kwatholakala kulo igazi labaphrofethi lelabangcwele, lelabo bonke ababuleweyo emhlabeni.”
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kungahunyutshwa langokuthi, “wonke umoya wokuphefumula; wonke amazwi aphefumulelweyo.”
^ Kumbe, “lentukuthelo.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, por·neiʹa. Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Kumbe, “abathengisi abahambahambayo.”
^ Kumbe, “amacala ayo.”
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ NgesiNgisi, “purple.”
^ Kumbe, “langethusi.”
^ Kumbe, “lemiphefumulo yabantu.”
^ Kumbe, “ezazifiswa ngumphefumulo wakho.”
^ NgesiNgisi, “purple.”
^ Kumbe, “amafluthu.”
