1 Kwaye ngoku, la ngamazwi ka-Amon kubazalwana bakhe, athetheka ngolu hlobo: Bantakwethu nabazalwana bam, qaphelani ndithi kuni, sinesizathu esingakanani na sokugcoba; ukuba sasinako ukucinga xa ^asasiqala ukusuka elizweni laseZarahemla okokuba uThixo ngewayesinike ezinkulu kangaka na iintsikelelo?

2 Kwaye ngoku, ndiyabuza, ziintsikelelo zini na azithobe phezu kwethu? Ningatsho?

3 Qaphelani, ndiza kuniphendulela; kuba abazalwana bethu, amaLeymenayithi, ayesebumnyameni, ewe, nakweyona nzonzobila imnyama, kodwa qaphelani, ^abangaphi na kubo abazise ukuze bakubone ukukhanya okumangalisayo kukaThixo! Kwaye le yintsikelelo ethe yathotywa phezu kwethu, ukuba sithe senziwa ^bizixhobo ezandleni zikaThixo ukuphumeza lo msebenzi mkhulu.

4 Qaphelani, ^aamawaka awo ayagcoba, kwaye aziswe kuso isibaya sikaThixo.

5 Qaphelani, ^aintsimi yayivuthiwe, kwaye nisikelelwe nina, kuba naye naphosa ^birhengqe, naze navuna ngamandlakazi enu, ewe, ebudeni bemini yonke nasebenza, kwaye qaphelani inani ^clezithungu zenu! Kwaye ziya kuqokelelwa koovimba, ukuze zingachithakali.

6 Ewe, aziyi kuwiswa phantsi luqhwithela ngomhla wokugqibela; ewe, zingayi kuchitha-chithwa zizitshingitshane; kodwa xa sukuba sifika ^aisaqhwithi ziya kuqokelelwa kunye endaweni yazo, ukuze isaqhwithi singabinako ukungena kuzo; ewe, zingasayi kuqhutywa na yimimoya endlongo-ndlongo naphina apho utshaba lunqwenela ukuzithwalela khona.

7 Kodwa qaphelani, zisesandleni seNkosi ^ayesivuno, kwaye zezakhe; kwaye uya ^bkuzivusa ngomhla wokugqibela.

8 Malisikelelwe igama likaThixo wethu; masimvumele ^aindumiso, ewe, masilinike ^bumbulelo igama lakhe elingcwele, kuba usebenza ngobulungisa ngonaphakade.

9 Kuba ukuba besingenyukanga saphuma kwilizwe laseZarahemla, aba bazalwana bethu bathandeka ngokwenene, abasithande ngokwenene kangaka, ngebesabhuqwa ^ayintiyo ngokuchasene nathi, ewe, kwaye kanjalo ngebesengabaphambukeli kuThixo.

10 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba akuba uAmon ewathethile la mazwi, umntakwabo uAron wamngxolisa, esithi: Amon ndinoloyiko lokuba uvuyo lwakho lukuthabathekisele ekuzigwagwiseni.

11 Kodwa uAmon wathi kuye: ^aAndizigwagwisi ngokwam ukomelela, nangabulumko bam; kodwa qaphela, ndizele ^bluvuyo, ewe, intliziyo yam iyaphuphuma luvuyo, kwaye ndiya kugcoba kuThixo wam.

12 Ewe, ndiyazi okokuba andinto yanto; ngokokomelela kwam ndibuthathaka; ke ngoko andiyi ^akuzigwagwisa ngokokwam, kodwa ndiya kuzigwagwisa ngoThixo wam, kuba ^bekomeleleni kwakhe ndingazenza zonke izinto; ewe, qaphela, imimangaliso emininzi enamandlakazi siyenzile kweli lizwe, esiya kuthi ngayo silidumise igama lakhe ngonaphakade.

13 Qaphela, mangaphi amawaka abazalwna bethu athe wawakhulula kwiintlungu ^azesihogo; kwaye azisiwe ukuze ^bavume ingoma yothando olukhululayo kwaye oku kungenxa yamandla elizwi lakhe elingaphakathi kuthi, ke ngoko ingaba asinaso isizathu esikhulu sokugcoba?

14 Ewe, sinesizathu sokumdumisa ngonaphakade, kuba unguThixo oseNyangweni, kwaye ubakhulule abazalwana bethu ^akumatyathanga esihogo.

15 Ewe, baberhangqwe bobumnyama banaphakade nentshabalalo; kodwa qaphelani, ubazise ^aekukhanyeni kwakhe kwanaphakade, ewe, kusindiso lwanaphakade; kwaye barhangqwe ngesisa esingenamlinganiselo sothando lwakhe; ewe, kwaye sibe zizixhobo zokusebenza ezandleni zakhe zokwenza lo msebenzi mkhulu nomangalisayo.

16 Ke ngoko, ^amasizingce, ewe siya ^bkuzingca eNkosini; ewe, siya kugcoba, kuba sizele luvuyo; ewe, siya kumdumisa uThixo ngonaphakade. Qaphelani, ngubani ongazingca gqitha eNkosini? Ewe, ngubani ongathetha gqitha ngamandla akhe amakhulu, ^cnangenceba yakhe, nangokuzeka kade umsindo kwakhe ngakubantwana babantu? Qaphelani, ndithi kuni, andinakuchaza nelona suntswana loko ndikuvayo.

17 Ngubani owaye nokucinga ukuba uThixo wethu wayengaba nenceba engaka ngokude asixhwile kwimo yethu eyoyikekayo, ezele sisono, neyobunqambi?

18 Qaphelani, sabheka phambili kwanangoburhalarhume, ngezisongelo ezinamandlakazi ^azokutshabalalisa ibandla lakhe.

19 Owu ke, kungani engazange asithumele kwintshabalalo eyoyikekayo, ewe, kungani engazange aliyeke ikrele lobulungisa bakhe liwele phezu kwethu, kwaye asigwebele kukungabi nathemba kwanaphakade?

20 Owu, mphefumlo wam, uphantse ubengathi, uyanyamalala nje ngokuyicinga. Qaphelani, akazange abusebenzise ubulungisa bakhe phezu kwethu, kodwa ngenceba yakhe engenamda usiwezile kuloo ^amwonyo wokufa nenkxwaleko, ngokude kube selusindisweni lwemiphefumlo yethu.

21 Kwaye ngoku qaphelani, bazalwana bam, nguwuphi na ke ^aumntu wemvelo okhoyo ozaziyo ezi zinto? Ndithi kuni, akukho namnye ^bozaziyo ezi zinto, ngaphandle kwabazohlwayayo.

22 Ewe, lowo ^auguqukayo kwaye asebenzise ^bukholo, aze azise ngaphambili imisebenzi emihle, kwaye athandaze rhoqo engaphezi—kulowo unjalo unikiwe ukuba azi ^cngeemfihlelo zikaThixo; ewe, kulowo unjalo kuya kunikwa ukuba atyhile izinto ezingazange zikhe zityhilwe; ewe, kwaye kuya kunikwa kulowo unjalo ukuba azise amawaka emiphefumlo enguqukweni, nanjengokuba kunikiwe kuthi ukuba sizise aba bazalwana bethu enguqukweni.

23 Ngoku ingaba niyakhumbula, bazalwana bam, okokuba sathi kubazalwana bethu elizweni laseZarahemla, sinyukela kwilizwe likaNifayi, ukuba sishumayele kubo abazalwana bethu, amaLeymenayithi, baza basihleka besigxeka?

24 Kuba bathi kuthi: Nicinga ukuba ningazisa amaLeymenayithi kulwazi lwenyaniso? Nicinga ukuba ningawaqinisekisa amaLeymenayithi ngokungalungi ^akwezithethe zooyise, njengokuba bengabantu ^babantamo zilukhuni benjalo; abantliziyo zabo zivuyiswayo kukuphalazwa kwegazi; abamihla yabo ichithwe kobona bugwenxa bubi; abandlela zabo ibiziindlela zabaphuli-mthetho ukususela ekuqaleni? Ngoku bazalwana bam, niyakhumbula okokuba oku yayikukuthetha kwabo.

25 Kwaye ngaphezu koko baye bathi: Masithabathe izikhali ngokuchasene nabo, ukuze sibatshabalalise buze nobugwenxa babo bungabikho elizweni, hleze basongamele baze basitshabalalise.

26 Kodwa qaphelani, bazalwana bam abathandekayo, sangena entlango singena zinjongo zokubatshabalalisa abazalwana bethu, kodwa ngenjongo yokokuba mhlawumbi singaba nako ukusindisa eminye embalwa yemiphefumlo yabo.

27 Ngoku zakuba iintliziyo zethu zidakumbile, kwaye sasimalunga nokuphendukela emva, qaphelani, iNkosi ^ayasithuthuzela, kwaye yathi: Yiyani phakathi kwabazalwana benu, amaLeymenayithi, kwaye nizinyamezele ^bngomonde ^ciimbandezelo zenu, kwaye ndiya kuninika impumelelo.

28 Kwaye ngoku qaphelani, sizile, kwaye siselizweni lasemzini phakathi kwabo; kwaye sibe nomonde kuzo iintlungu zethu, kwaye siyinyamezele yonke intswelo yezinto eziyimfuneko, ewe, sihambe ukusuka kwindlu ngendlu, sixhomekeke kwiinceba zehlabathi—ingekuko kwiinceba zehlabathi kuphela kodwa nakwiinceba zikaThixo.

29 Kwaye singenile ezindlwini zabo saza sabafundisa kwaye sibafundise nasezitratweni zabo; ewe, kwaye sibafundise naphezu kweenduli zabo; kananjalo singenile nasezitempileni zabo kwaye nasezindlwini zabo zesikhungo saza sabafundisa; kwaye besikhutshelwa ngaphandle, kwaye sihlekwa, kwaye sitshicelwa, kwaye sibethwa ezidleleni; kwaye sixulutywa ngamatye, saza sathatyathwa saza sabotshelelwa ngeentambo ezomeleleyo, kwaye saphoswa entolongweni; kwaye ngamandla nobulumko bukaThixo sihlangulwe kwakhona.

30 Kwaye sinyamezele zonke iintlobo zeembandezelo, kwaye konke oku, ukuze mhlawumbi singaba nokuba yindlela yokusindisa mphefumlo uthile; kwaye sacinga okokuba ^auvuyo lwethu lungazala ukuba mhlawumbi singaba yindlela yokusindisa eminye.

31 Ngoku qaphelani, singajonga phambili kwaye sizibone iziqhamo zokusebenza kwethu; kwaye ingaba zimbalwa? Ndithi kuni, Hayi, ^azininzi; ewe, kwaye singangqina ngokunyaniseka kwabo, ngenxa yothando lwabo kubazalwana babo kananjalo nakuthi.

32 Kuba qaphelani, baxolela ^aukuncama ubomi babo kunokuba bade bathabathe ubomi botshaba lwabo; kwaye ^bbazingcwaba izikhali zabo zemfazwe nzulu emhlabeni, ngenxa yothando lwabo kubazalwana babo.

33 Kwaye ngoku qaphelani ndithi kuni, lukhe lwakho uthando olukhulu kulo lonke ilizwe? Qaphelani, ndithi kuni, Hayi, alubangakho, kwa naphakathi kwamaNifayithi.

34 Kuba qaphelani, babethabatha izikhali ngokuchasene nabazalwana babo; babengaziyekeli ukuba babulawe. Kodwa qaphela bangaphi kwaba abathe babubeka phantsi ubomi babo; kwaye siyazi okokuba baye kuThixo wabo, ngenxa yothando lwabo nokusithiya kwabo isono.

35 Ngoku ingaba asinaso isizathu sokugcoba? Ewe, ndithi kuni, abazange babekho abantu abanesizathu esikhulu kangaka sokugcoba njengathi; ukususela oko ihlabathi laqalayo; ewe, kwaye uvuyo lwam luthabathekile, kwanokude ndizigwagwise ngoThixo wam; kuba unawo onke ^aamandla, bonke ubulumko, kwaye unako konke ukuqonda; ^buqiqa zonke izinto, kwaye ^cusisiqu esinenceba, kwanokude kuse elusindisweni, kwabo baya kuthi baguquke kwaye bakholelwe egameni lakhe.

36 Ngoku ukuba oku kukuzigwagwisa, kwa ngokunjalo ndiya kuzigwagwisa; kuba obu bubomi bam nokukhanya kwam, uvuyo lwam nosindiso lwam, nenkululeko yam kuso isimbonono sanaphakade. Ewe, malisikelelwe igama likaThixo wam, obebakhathalele aba bantu, ^aabalisebe lomthi kaSirayeli, kwaye belilahlekile kwisiqu salo phakathi kwelizwe lasemzini; ewe, ndithi, malisikelelwe igama likaThixo wam, obesikhathalele, ^bababhaduli elizweni lasemzini.

37 Ngoku bazalwana bam, siyabona okokuba uThixo ubakhathalele bonke ^aabantu, nakuliphi na ilizwe abanokuthi babekulo; ewe, uyababala abantu bakhe, kwaye izibilini zemfesane yakhe ziphezu kwawo wonke umhlaba. Ngoku olu luvuyo lwam, nombulelo wam omkhulu; ewe, kwaye ndiya kunikela imibulelo yam kuThixo wam ngonaphakade. Amen.