UDutheronomi 7:1-26
7 “Nxa uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu eselilethe elizweni eselizangena kulo lilithathe ukuthi libe ngelenu,+ uzadudula izizwe ezilabantu abanengi phambi kwenu,+ amaHithi, lamaGirigashi, lama-Amori,+ lamaKhenani, lamaPherizi, lamaHivi kanye lamaJebusi.+ Izizwe eziyisikhombisa ezilabantu abanengi futhi ezilamandla kulani.+
2 UJehova uNkulunkulu wenu uzazinikela kini njalo lizazinqoba.+ Loba sekutheni kumele lizitshabalalise. Akumelanga lenze izivumelwano+ lazo kumbe libe lesihawu kuzo.+
3 Lingendiselani lazo izizwe lezi. Lingendiseli amadodakazi enu emadodaneni azo kumbe lithathele amadodana enu abafazi phakathi kwamadodakazi azo,+
4 ngoba azakwenza amadodana enu aphambuke, ayekele ukungilandela ayekhonza abanye onkulunkulu.+ Lapho-ke ulaka lukaJehova luzavutha phezu kwenu ahle alitshabalalise masinyane.+
5 “Kodwa nanku okumele likwenze kuzo: Dilizani ama-alithare azo, liphahlaze insika zazo ezingcwele,+ ligamule lezithombe zika-Ashera*+ njalo litshise lezithombe zazo ezibaziweyo.+
6 Phela lina liyisizwe esingcwele kuJehova uNkulunkulu wenu njalo uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu ulikhethile phakathi kwazo zonke izizwe ezisemhlabeni ukuthi libe ngabantu bakhe, impahla yakhe eqakathekileyo.*+
7 “Ayisikho ukuthi uJehova walihawukela njalo walikhetha ngenxa yokuthi laliyisizwe esilabantu abanengi ukwedlula zonke ezinye izizwe.+ Phela lina lalivele liyisizwe esincane kulazo zonke.+
8 Kodwa kungenxa yokuthi uJehova walithanda njalo wayefuna ukugcwalisa isifungo asenza kubokhokho benu,+ yikho uJehova walikhipha ngesandla esilamandla ukuze alikhulule elizweni lobugqili,+ emandleni kaFaro,* inkosi yaseGibhithe.
9 Likwazi mhlophe ukuthi uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu nguNkulunkulu weqiniso, uNkulunkulu othembekileyo ogcina isivumelwano sakhe njalo ohlala elothando oluqotho kuze kufike kuzizukulwane eziyinkulungwane zalabo abamthandayo, abagcina imithetho yakhe.+
10 Kodwa labo abamzondayo uzabajezisa yena ngokwakhe, ababhubhise.+ Ngeke aphuze ukujezisa labo abamzondayo, yena ngokwakhe uzaphindisela kubo.
11 Ngakho wobani leqiniso lokuthi liyayigcina imithetho lemilayo kanye lemithetho yokwahlulela engilinika yona lamuhla ukuthi liyilandele.
12 “Nxa lingaqhubeka lilalela njalo ligcina imithetho le yokwahlulela futhi liyilandela, uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu uzasigcina isivumelwano sakhe njalo abe lothando oluqotho kini njengoba nje wafunga kubokhokho benu.
13 Uzalithanda alibusise futhi alenze libe banengi. Uzalibusisa sibili libe labantwana abanengi,+ abusise lesivuno somhlabathi wenu, lamabele enu, lewayini lenu elitsha, lamafutha enu,+ lamathole emihlambi yenkomo zenu lemvana zemihlambi yezimvu zenu, elizweni afunga ngalo kubokhokho benu ukuthi uzalinika lona.+
14 Lizakuba yisizwe esibusisiweyo ukwedlula zonke izizwe,+ kakho owesilisa loba owesifazana ongasoze abe labantwana phakathi kwenu futhi asikho isifuyo senu esingasoze sizale.+
15 UJehova uzasusa konke ukugula kini njalo kasoze alehlisele loba yiphi imikhuhlane emibi elaliyibona eGibhithe.+ Kodwa uzayithumela kubo bonke abalizondayo.
16 Kumele litshabalalise zonke izizwe uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu azinikela kini.+ Akumelanga lizizwele izizwe lezo+ njalo lingakhonzi onkulunkulu bazo+ ngoba lokho kuzakuba ngumjibila kini.+
17 “Nxa lingathi enhliziyweni zenu, ‘Izizwe lezi zinengi kulathi. Kambe singenelisa yini ukuzidudula?’+
18 Akumelanga lizesabe.+ Kumele likhumbule lokho uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu akwenza kuFaro lakulo lonke elaseGibhithe,+
19 lazibonela ngawenu izahlulelo ezinkulu, lezibonakaliso, lezimangaliso,+ lesandla esilamandla kanye lengalo eyeluliweyo okwasetshenziswa nguJehova uNkulunkulu wenu ukuze alikhiphe khona.+ Yikho kanye uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu azakwenza kuzo zonke izizwe elizesabayo.+
20 UJehova uNkulunkulu wenu uzakwenza abantu bazo baphele amandla* baze batshabalale bonke abaseleyo+ kanye lalabo akade belicatshele.
21 Lingatshaywa luvalo ngenxa yabo ngoba uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu ulani,+ uNkulunkulu omkhulu futhi owesabekayo.+
22 “Loba sekutheni uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu uzazidudula kancane kancane izizwe lezi phambi kwenu.+ Alisoze livunyelwe ukuzidudula ziphele masinyane ukuze inyamazana zeganga zingagcwali besezilikhulela.
23 UJehova uNkulunkulu wenu uzazinikela kini njalo uzazitshaya azibhuqe zize ziphele nya.+
24 Uzanikela amakhosi azo esandleni senu+ njalo lizacitsha amabizo awo ngaphansi kwamazulu.+ Kakho loyedwa ozamisana lani+ lize lizitshabalalise ziphele nya!+
25 Kumele litshise izithombe ezibunjiweyo zabonkulunkulu bazo.+ Lingahawukeli isiliva kumbe igolide elikuzo futhi lingalithathi libe ngelenu+ ukuze lingabi ngumjibila kini ngoba izinto lezi ziyenyanyeka kuJehova uNkulunkulu wenu.+
26 Akumelanga lilethe into eyenyanyekayo ezindlini zenu ukuze lani lingatshabalaliswa njengayo. Kumele liyenyanye njalo ibe ngenengekayo kakhulu kini ngoba iyinto enikelwe ukuthi itshabalaliswe.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Kumbe, “inotho yakhe eligugu.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “esandleni sikaFaro.”
^ Ezinye inguqulo zithi, “batatazele; besabe.”
