UDutheronomi 4:1-49
4 “Zwana we Israyeli imilayo lemithetho yokwahlulela engikufundisa yona ukuthi uyigcine ukuze uphile+ njalo ungene ulithathe ilizwe uJehova uNkulunkulu wabokhokho bakho akunika lona.
2 Akumelanga wengezelele lutho elizwini engikunika lona njalo ungakhiphi lutho kulo+ ukuze ugcine imithetho kaJehova uNkulunkulu wakho engikunika yona.
3 “Lizibonele ngawenu lokho uJehova akwenzileyo endabeni kaBhali wasePheyori, uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu watshabalalisa bonke abantu phakathi kwenu abalandela uBhali wasePheyori.+
4 Kodwa lina lonke eliqhubeka libambelele kuJehova uNkulunkulu wenu lilokhu lisaphila lalamuhla.
5 Sengilifundisile imilayo kanye lemithetho yokwahlulela+ njengoba nje uJehova uNkulunkulu wami etshilo kimi, ukuze liyilandele seliselizweni elizalithatha libe ngelenu.
6 Kumele liyilandele ngonanzelelo+ ngoba lokho kuzatshengisa ukuthi lingabantu abahlakaniphileyo+ labazwisisayo+ phambi kwezizwe ezizakuzwa ngayo yonke imilayo le njalo zizakuthi, ‘Isizwe lesi esikhulu yisizwe sabantu abahlakaniphileyo futhi abazwisisayo.’+
7 Kambe yisiphi esinye isizwe esilabonkulunkulu abaseduze kwaso njengoJehova uNkulunkulu wethu ohlala eseduze ngaloba yisiphi isikhathi nxa simbiza?+
8 Yisiphi esinye isizwe esikhulu esilemilayo elungileyo kanye lemithetho yokwahlulela enjengawo wonke uMthetho lo engiwubeka phambi kwenu lamuhla?+
9 “Ngakho nanzelelani njalo liqaphelisise, lingazikhohlwa zonke izinto elizibone ngamehlo enu ukuze zingasuki enhliziyweni zenu kuzo zonke insuku zokuphila kwenu. Kanti njalo kumele lizifundise abantwabenu labazukulu benu.+
10 Ngosuku elama ngalo phambi kukaJehova uNkulunkulu wenu eHorebhi, uJehova wathi kimi, ‘Buthanisa abantu phambi kwami bazokuzwa amazwi ami+ ukuze bafunde ukungesaba+ kuzo zonke insuku zokuphila kwabo njalo benelise lokufundisa abantwababo.’+
11 “Lakanye lasondela phansi kwentaba njalo entabeni kwakulavuka umlilo otshaya khonale emazulwini, kwakumnyama, kulamayezi lomnyama ojiyileyo.+
12 UJehova waseqalisa ukukhuluma lani ephakathi komlilo.+ Lezwa ilizwi kuphela kodwa yena alimbonanga,+ kwakuzwakala ilizwi kuphela.+
13 Wamemezela kini isivumelwano sakhe,+ okutsho iMithetho Elitshumi*+ njalo walikhuthaza ukuthi lisigcine. Ngemva kwalokho wayibhala ematsheni amabili ayizibhebhedu.+
14 Ngalesosikhathi uJehova wangitshela ukuthi ngilifundise imilayo kanye lemithetho yokwahlulela elizayilandela elizweni elizangena kulo ukuze lilithathe libe ngelenu.
15 “Alimbonanga uJehova ngelanga ekhuluma lani ephakathi komlilo eHorebhi, ngakho kumele linanzelele sibili
16 ukuze lingaxhwali beselizenzela loba yisiphi isithombe esibaziweyo esingumfanekiso waloba yini, kungaba ngumfanekiso womuntu wesilisa kumbe owesifazana,+
17 loba umfanekiso waloba yiphi inyamazana esemhlabeni kumbe owaloba yiphi inyoni ephaphayo emkhathini,+
18 loba umfanekiso wesinye nje isinanakazana esihamba emhlabathini kumbe owaloba yiphi inhlanzi esemanzini ngaphansi komhlaba.+
19 Kanti njalo nxa liphakamisela amehlo enu emazulwini beselibona ilanga lenyanga lezinkanyezi, lonke nje ibutho elisemazulwini, lingahugwa ukuthi likhothamele izinto lezi kumbe lizikhonze.+ UJehova uNkulunkulu wenu unike bonke abantu abangaphansi kwamazulu izinto lezi.
20 Kodwa lina uJehova walikhipha eGibhithe, eziko lokuncibilikisa insimbi ukuze libe ngabantu bakhe*+ njengoba kunjalo lamuhla.
21 “UJehova wangizondela ngenxa yenu+ njalo wafunga wathi ngingachaphi uJodani njalo ngingangeni elizweni elihle uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona ukuthi libe lilifa lenu.+
22 Ngakho mina ngizafela lapha angisoze ngichaphe uJodani+ kodwa lina lizachapha lilithathe ilizwe leli elihle.
23 Nanzelelani lingasikhohlwa isivumelwano uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu asenze lani+ njalo lingazenzeli isithombe esibaziweyo, esingumfanekiso waloba yini uJehova uNkulunkulu athe lingayenzi.+
24 Phela uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu ungumlilo otshabalalisayo,+ nguNkulunkulu ofuna umuntu azinikele kuye kuphela.+
25 “Nxa selihlale isikhathi eside elizweni njalo selilabantwana labazukulu beseliqalisa ukuxhwala lenze isithombe esibaziweyo+ saloba yini futhi lenze okubi emehlweni kaJehova uNkulunkulu wenu ukuze limcaphule,+
26 ngithi amazulu lomhlaba akube ngofakazi lamuhla, bokuthi loba sekutheni lizakufa liphele masinyane elizweni elichapha uJodani ukuze liyelithatha libe ngelenu. Alisoze lihlale isikhathi eside kulo kodwa lizabhujiswa liphele nya.+
27 UJehova uzalichithachitha phakathi kwezizwe+ njalo kuzasinda abalutshwana phakathi kwenu+ nxa selisezizweni lezo uJehova azalidudula liye kuzo.
28 Nxa selikhonale lizakhonza onkulunkulu abenziwe ngezigodo lamatshe, umsebenzi wezandla zomuntu,+ onkulunkulu abangenelisiyo ukubona, lokuzwa, lokudla kanye lokuhogela.
29 “Nxa lingamdinga uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu likhonale lizamthola loba sekutheni,+ nxa lizamdinga ngenhliziyo yenu yonke langomphefumulo wenu wonke.+
30 Nxa seliphakathi kobunzima obukhulu njalo izinto zonke lezi sezenzakele kini ngezikhathi ezizayo, lapho-ke lizabuyela kuJehova uNkulunkulu wenu lilalele ilizwi lakhe.+
31 Phela uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu nguNkulunkulu olesihawu.+ Kasoze alitshiye loba alitshabalalise kumbe asikhohlwe isivumelwano asenza labokhokho benu.+
32 “Buzani khathesi ngalokho okwenzakala kudala lingakabi khona, kusukela ngelanga uNkulunkulu adala ngalo umuntu emhlabeni. Dingani lisuka komunye umkhawulo wamazulu lize liyefika komunye umkhawulo wamazulu. Kambe ikhona into enkulu kangaka eyake yenzakala kumbe kwezwakala into enjengale yini?+
33 Bakhona yini abanye abantu abake bezwa ilizwi likaNkulunkulu ekhuluma phakathi komlilo ngendlela lina elalizwa ngayo kodwa laqhubeka liphila?+
34 UNkulunkulu wake wazama yini ukuthatha isizwe phakathi kwesinye isizwe ukuthi sibe ngesakhe esebenzisa izahlulelo, lezibonakaliso, lezimangaliso,+ lempi,+ lesandla esilamandla,+ lengalo eyeluliweyo kanye lezenzo ezesabekayo+ njengalokho uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu akwenze kini eGibhithe likhangele ngawenu?
35 Lina ngokwenu litshengiswe izinto lezi ukuze likwazi ukuthi uJehova nguNkulunkulu weqiniso,+ kakho omunye ngaphandle kwakhe.+
36 Wenza ukuthi lizwe ilizwi lakhe esemazulwini ukuze aliqondise njalo wenza ukuthi libone umlilo wakhe omkhulu emhlabeni futhi lezwa amazwi akhe evela phakathi komlilo.+
37 “Wahamba lani ngesikhathi elikhipha eGibhithe ngamandla akhe amakhulu ngenxa yokuthi wayebathanda okhokho benu njalo wakhetha izizukulwane zabo ezalandela ngemva kwabo.+
38 Ududule izizwe ezinkulu phambi kwenu njalo ezilamandla kulani ukuze alilethe elizweni lazo futhi alinike lona libe lilifa lenu njengoba nje kunjalo lamuhla.+
39 Ngakho-ke yazini lamuhla njalo likugcine enhliziyweni zenu ukuthi uJehova nguNkulunkulu weqiniso phezulu emazulwini lasemhlabeni phansi.+ Kakho omunye.+
40 Kumele ligcine imilayo yakhe lemithetho yakhe engilinika yona lamuhla, ukuze kulihambele kuhle lina labantwabenu abazalandela ngemva kwenu. Lokhu kuzakwenza ukuthi lihlale isikhathi eside elizweni uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona.”+
41 Ngalesosikhathi uMosi wakhetha amadolobho amathathu empumalanga kukaJodani.+
42 Nxa umuntu angabulala omunye ngengozi njalo kungayisikho ukuthi ubemzonda+ kumele abalekele kwelinye lamadolobho lawo ukuze aphile.+
43 Amadolobho la yiBhezeri+ esenkangala endaweni echayileyo, ezakuba ngeyabakoRubheni, leRamothi+ eseGiliyadi ezakuba ngeyabakoGadi kanye leGolani+ eseBhashani ezakuba ngeyabakoManase.+
44 Lo yiwo uMthetho+ uMosi awethula phambi kwabantu bako-Israyeli.
45 Lezi yizo izikhumbuzo lemilayo kanye lemithetho yokwahlulela uMosi ayinika abako-Israyeli ngemva kokuphuma kwabo eGibhithe.+
46 Babesesabelweni esisempumalanga kukaJodani esigodini esikhangelane leBhethi-pheyori,+ elizweni likaSihoni inkosi yama-Amori eyayihlala eHeshibhoni,+ eyanqotshwa nguMosi lama-Israyeli sebephumile eGibhithe.+
47 Kanti njalo bathatha ilizwe lakhe kanye lelizwe lika-Ogi+ inkosi yaseBhashani, amakhosi amabili ama-Amori ayehlala esabelweni esisempumalanga kukaJodani,
48 kusukela e-Aroweri+ esemqolweni wesigodi* se-Arinoni kuze kuyefika entabeni iSiyoni okutsho iHemoni+
49 kanye lomango wonke we-Arabha esabelweni esisempumalanga kukaJodani kuze kuyefika eLwandle lwe-Arabha* phansi le endaweni ezehlileyo zePhisiga.+
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiHebheru, “Amazwi Alitshumi.”
^ Kumbe, “abalilifa lakhe.”
^ Kumbe, “wesihotsha.”
^ Lapha kutshiwo uLwandle Lwesawudo.
