IzEnzo 7:1-60
7 Kodwa umpristi ophakeme wathi: “Zinjalo yini lezi zinto?”
2 Yena wathi: “Madoda, bafowethu nawobaba, yizwani. UNkulunkulu wenkazimulo+ wabonakala kukhokho wethu u-Abrahama lapho eseMesophothamiya, ngaphambi kokuba ahlale eHarana,+
3 futhi wathi kuye, ‘Phuma ezweni lakini nasezihlotsheni zakho uye ezweni engizokutshengisa lona.’+
4 Khona-ke waphuma ezweni lamaKhaledi wahlala eHarana. Ukusuka lapho, ngemva kokuba uyise esefile,+ uNkulunkulu wabangela ukuba ashintshe indawo yakhe yokuhlala eze kuleli zwe enihlala kulo manje.+
5 Kodwa nokho akamnikanga mpahla eyifa kulo, cha, ngisho nengangonyawo;+ kodwa wathembisa ukumnika lona libe ngelakhe,+ nenzalo yakhe+ ngemva kwakhe, ngesikhathi engakabi namntwana.+
6 Ngaphezu kwalokho, uNkulunkulu wakhuluma ngalokhu, ukuthi inzalo yakhe yayizokuba abafokazi+ kwelinye izwe+ nokuthi abantu babezoyigqilaza futhi bayihluphe iminyaka engamakhulu amane.+
7 UNkulunkulu wathi, ‘Leso sizwe eyoba izigqila zaso ngiyosahlulela,+ futhi ngemva kwalezi zinto iyophuma inikele inkonzo engcwele kimi kule ndawo.’+
8 “Wamnika nesivumelwano sokusoka;+ kanjalo wazala u-Isaka+ futhi wamsoka ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili,+ u-Isaka wazala uJakobe, uJakobe wazala izinhloko zemikhaya eziyishumi nambili.+
9 Izinhloko zemikhaya zaba nomhawu+ ngoJosefa zamthengisa eGibhithe.+ Kodwa uNkulunkulu wayenaye,+
10 futhi wamkhulula kuzo zonke izinsizi zakhe wamnika umusa nokuhlakanipha emehlweni kaFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe. Wambeka ukuba abuse iGibhithe nayo yonke indlu yakhe.+
11 Kodwa indlala yehlela kulo lonke iGibhithe neKhanani, yebo usizi olukhulu; futhi okhokho bethu babengakutholi ukudla.+
12 Kodwa uJakobe wezwa ukuthi kwakukhona ukudla eGibhithe+ wayesethuma okhokho bethu okokuqala.+
13 Kokwesibili abafowabo+ bamazi uJosefa; futhi umndeni wakubo kaJosefa wabonakala kuFaro.+
14 Ngakho uJosefa wathumela wabiza uJakobe uyise nazo zonke izihlobo zakhe kuleyo ndawo,+ imiphefumulo engamashumi ayisikhombisa nanhlanu.+
15 UJakobe wehlela eGibhithe.+ Washona;+ kanjalo nokhokho bethu,+
16 futhi bathuthelwa eShekemi+ babekwa ethuneni+ u-Abrahama ayelithenge ngemali yesiliva kubantwana bakwaHamori eShekemi.+
17 “Njengoba nje sisondela isikhathi sokugcwaliseka kwesithembiso uNkulunkulu ayesimemezele ku-Abrahama, isizwe sakhula futhi sanda ngokuphindiwe eGibhithe,+
18 kwaze kwavela enye inkosi eGibhithe, eyayingamazi uJosefa.+
19 Lena yasebenzisa ubuqili ohlangeni lwakithi,+ yaphoqa obaba ngokungafanele ukuba badele izinsana zabo, ukuze zingaphili.+
20 UMose wazalwa+ ngaleso sikhathi, futhi wayemuhle ngokwaphezulu.+ Wanakekelwa izinyanga ezintathu kubo.
21 Kodwa lapho evezwa, indodakazi kaFaro yamthola futhi yamkhulisa njengendodana yayo.+
22 Ngenxa yalokho uMose wafundiswa kukho konke ukuhlakanipha+ kwabaseGibhithe. Eqinisweni, wayenamandla ngamazwi+ nangezenzo zakhe.
23 “Manje lapho isikhathi sonyaka wakhe wamashumi amane sigcwaliseka, kwafika enhliziyweni yakhe ukuba ahlole abafowabo, abantwana bakwa-Israyeli.+
24 Lapho ebona othile ephathwa kabi, wamvikela futhi waphindiselela lowo owayephathwa kabi ngokubulala owaseGibhithe.+
25 Wayecabanga ukuthi abafowabo bayoqonda ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayebanika insindiso ngesandla sakhe,+ kodwa abazange bakuqonde lokho.
26 Ngosuku olulandelayo wabonakala kubo njengoba babelwa, wazama ukubahlanganisa ngokuthula,+ ethi, ‘Madoda, niyazalana. Kungani niphathana kabi na?’+
27 Kodwa lowo owayephatha kabi umakhelwane wakhe wamkhaphela eceleni, ethi, ‘Ubani okumise umbusi nomahluleli phezu kwethu?+
28 Ingabe ufuna ukungibulala ngendlela obulale ngayo owaseGibhithe izolo?’+
29 Ngenxa yale nkulumo uMose wabaleka futhi waba umfokazi ezweni lakwaMidiyani,+ lapho azala khona amadodana amabili.+
30 “Lapho iminyaka engamashumi amane iphelela, kwabonakala kuye ehlane laseNtabeni iSinayi ingelosi elangabini elivuthayo lesihlahla somunga.+
31 Lapho uMose eyibona wamangala ngalo mbono.+ Kodwa njengoba esondela ukuba ahlole, kwafika izwi likaJehova lithi,
32 ‘NginguNkulunkulu wokhokho benu, uNkulunkulu ka-Abrahama no-Isaka noJakobe.’+ Ebanjwe ukuthuthumela, uMose akazange alokothe aqhubeke ehlola.
33 UJehova wathi kuye, ‘Khumula izimbadada ezinyaweni zakho, ngoba indawo omi kuyo ingumhlabathi ongcwele.+
34 Ngokuqinisekile ngikubonile ukuphathwa kabi kwabantu bami abaseGibhithe,+ ngikuzwile ukububula kwabo+ futhi ngehlele ukubakhulula.+ Manje woza, ngizokuthuma eGibhithe.’+
35 Lo Mose, abamphika, bethi, ‘Ubani okumise umbusi nomahluleli?’+ lo muntu uNkulunkulu wamthuma+ kokubili njengombusi nanjengomkhululi ngesandla sengelosi eyabonakala kuye esihlahleni somunga.
36 Lo muntu wabahola wabakhipha+ ngemva kokwenza izimangaliso nezibonakaliso eGibhithe+ nasoLwandle Olubomvu+ nasehlane iminyaka engamashumi amane.+
37 “Yilo Mose owathi kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli, ‘UNkulunkulu uyonivusela phakathi kwabafowenu umprofethi onjengami.’+
38 Nguye lowo+ owaba phakathi kwebandla+ ehlane ekanye nengelosi+ eyakhuluma kuye eNtabeni iSinayi futhi ekanye nokhokho bethu, futhi wamukela amazwi angcwele+ aphilayo ukuze aninike.
39 Okhokho bethu benqaba ukumlalela, kodwa bamkhaphela eceleni,+ babuyela eGibhithe+ ngezinhliziyo zabo,
40 bethi ku-Aroni, ‘Senzele onkulunkulu ukuba bahambe phambi kwethu. Ngoba lo Mose, owasihola wasikhipha ezweni laseGibhithe, asazi ukuthi kwenzekeni kuye.’+
41 Ngakho ngalezo zinsuku+ benza ithole, banyusela lesi sithombe umhlatshelo futhi baqala ukuzijabulisa ngemisebenzi yezandla zabo.+
42 Ngakho uNkulunkulu waphenduka wabayekela+ ekubeni banikele inkonzo engcwele ebuthweni lasezulwini, njengoba nje kulotshiwe encwadini yabaprofethi ukuthi,+ ‘Akumina enaninikela kuye izisulu nemihlatshelo iminyaka engamashumi amane ehlane, akunjalo nina ndlu ka-Israyeli?+
43 Kodwa namukela itende likaMoloki+ nenkanyezi+ kankulunkulu uRefani, imifanekiso enayenza ukuze niyikhulekele. Ngenxa yalokho ngizonidingisela+ ngaphesheya kweBhabhiloni.’
44 “Okhokho bethu babenetende lobufakazi ehlane, njengoba nje ayala lapho ekhuluma noMose ukuba alenze ngokomklamo ayewubonile.+
45 Okhokho bethu abalizuza ngefa nabo balingenisa noJoshuwa+ ezweni lezizwe,+ uNkulunkulu azidudula phambi kokhokho bethu.+ Lahlala lapha kwaze kwaba izinsuku zikaDavide.
46 Wathola umusa+ emehlweni kaNkulunkulu futhi wacela ilungelo lokulungiselela uNkulunkulu kaJakobe indawo yokuhlala.+
47 Nokho nguSolomoni owamakhela indlu.+
48 Noma kunjalo, oPhezukonke akahlali ezindlini ezenziwe ngezandla;+ njengoba nje umprofethi esho,
49 ‘Izulu liyisihlalo sami sobukhosi,+ umhlaba uyisenabelo sezinyawo zami.+ Luhlobo luni lwendlu eniyongakhela yona? kusho uJehova. Noma, iyiphi indawo engiyophumula kuyo na?+
50 Yisandla sami esenza zonke lezi zinto, akunjalo?’+
51 “Madoda ayizijaka nangasokile ezinhliziyweni+ nasezindlebeni, ngaso sonke isikhathi nimelana nomoya ongcwele; njengoba kwenza okhokho benu, nani nenza kanjalo.+
52 Yimuphi kubaprofethi okhokho benu abangazange bamshushise?+ Yebo, bababulala+ labo abamemezela kusengaphambili ukuza koLungileyo,+ nina eseningabakhapheli+ nababulali bakhe manje,
53 nina enawamukela uMthetho njengoba wawudluliselwa yizingelosi+ kodwa eningawugcinanga.”
54 Nokho, lapho bezwa lezi zinto bahlabeka ezinhliziyweni+ futhi baqala ukumququdela+ amazinyo.
55 Kodwa yena, egcwele umoya ongcwele, wagqolozela ezulwini wabona inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu, noJesu emi ngakwesokunene sikaNkulunkulu,+
56 wathi: “Bhekani! Ngibona amazulu evulekile+ neNdodana yomuntu+ imi ngakwesokunene sikaNkulunkulu.”+
57 Khona-ke bakhamuluka ngalo lonke izwi babeka izandla ezindlebeni zabo,+ bamthelekela kanye kanye.
58 Ngemva kokumkhiphela ngaphandle komuzi,+ baqala ukumjikijela ngamatshe.+ Ofakazi+ babeka izingubo zabo zangaphandle phansi ezinyaweni zensizwa okuthiwa uSawulu.+
59 Baqhubeka bejikijela uStefanu ngamatshe njengoba enxusa ethi: “Nkosi Jesu, yamukela umoya wami.”+
60 Khona-ke, eguqa ngamadolo, wakhamuluka ngezwi elinamandla wathi: “Jehova, ungababaleli lesi sono.”+ Ngemva kokusho lokhu wafa.
