Khanibek' iindlebe, mazulu, ndithethe;
khawuthi cwaka, mhlab', uphulaphule.
Imfundiso yam iza kuchaphaza njengemvula,
itshone njengombeth' emhlabeni,
amazwi am awe njengomkhumezelo phezu kohlaza,
abe njengomvimbi phezu kotyani.
Kaloku ndiza kulibhengez' igama *likaNdikhoyo;
ke nina bubabazeni ubukhulu bukaThixo wethu.

YiNgxondorha emsebenz' ufezekileyo;
iindlela zakhe bubulungisa bodwa;
uThixo othembekileyo enyanisekile,
yena lilungisa elingenakumbi.
Kambe ke nina nigwenxa,
ngoko ke ngenxa yokubhatyaza kwenu
aniselulo usapho lwakhe,
sizukulwanandini sigoso sinxaxhileyo!
Ngani ukuba nimphathe kanj' uNdikhoyo,
zidengendini zabantu ezingaqiqiyo?
Kaloku yena nguYihlo noMdali wenu;
nguye owanenzayo waza wanibonelela.

Khanibuzise niqonde ngezamandulo;
khaniphande nive ngezizukulwana ezadlulayo.
Amanyange wona aya kunibalisela;
amadod' amakhulu aya kunichubela.
Xenikweni uPhezukonke wazabela ilifa izizwe;
yena wabahlula-hlula oonyana babantu,
waza izizwe wazimisela imida yazo
ngokobungakanani boonyana bakaSirayeli.
Ke yona inxaxheba kaNdikhoyo luhlanga lwakhe.
Ewe, uYakobi sisabelo sakhe.

Wambhaqa kwimpengempenge yentlango,
kwinkangala egxwala amarhamncwa,
waza wamchola, wampelesa,
wamkhusel' okokhozo lweliso lakhe,
njengokhozi lukhusela amantshontsho alo,
lundanda luwathwale ngaloo maphiko alo,
xa luwakhupha endlwini yalo.
Ewe, uNdikhoyo wamkhokela yedwa
kungekho *thixo ungomnye umncedisayo.

Wamqabelisa imimango enyukayo,
wayixhamla imveliso yelizwe;
watya ubusi emaweni,
waza umnquma wavelisa elulwalweni.
Iimazi zeenkomo nezeebhokhwe yayiziintsengwanekazi;
oozinkomo, zibhokhwe, neegusha yayingamateke-teke,
nditsho oku kweenkomo zaseBhashan.
Ingqolowa ingachum' iliphupha;
asisathethi ke ngediliya naloo wayini ingayiwayo.

Kambe ke uYeshurun suka wahlutha wada wakhabalaza;
ewe, wakhula wakhukhumala wada waxhathisa.
Waza ke wamfulathela uThixo adalwe nguye,
wayibukula eyona Ngxondorha imsindisayo.
Wamkhweletisa ngokunqula izithixo;
wamxhokonxa ngemikhwa emanyumnyezi.
Suka waxhelel' iindimoni ezingengoThixo;
izithixo awayengazazi ngaphambili,
izinto ezingazange zinqulwe nangamanyange.
Akayikhathalelanga eyona Ngxondorha aphuma kuyo;
suka wamlibala uThixo azelwe nguye.

Waza ke yena uNdikhoyo wakruquka,
exhokonkxwa ngoonyana neentombi zakhe nje.
Wathi: “Ubuso bam ndiza kubufihla,
ndibone ukuba loba yintoni ikamva labo;
kuba basisizukulwana esigwenxa,
abantwana abangathembekanga.
Ngezi zithixo bayandikhweletisa;
ngale mifanekiso bayandixhokonxa.
Nam ke ndobakhweletisa ngohlanga olungebantu bam;
ndobaxhokonxa ngohlanga olungenangqondo.
Kaloku umsindo wam uvutha njengomlilo,
udangazela kuye kuthi gaa kwelabafileyo;
utshisa umhlaba nemveliso yawo,
ude ulenye neziseko zeentaba.

“Ndobahlisela ngemfumba yezibetho,
iintolo zam ndizifohlele phezu kwabo.
Baya kuthi shuu yindlala nephango,
bacikidwe ngubhubhani nezifo-yifo,
amarhamncwa abaqwenge
ngezo ngxavula zawo,
bathi nca bubuhlungu bezirhubuluzayo.
Ezindleleni ikrele lishiy' izigede,
nasemagumbini bankwantye barhwaqele.
Abafana neentombi itshoba lilal' umbethe;
iintsana neengwevu nazo zithi dwe.
Ngendibatshabalalise kwathi tu,
ababi sakhunjulwa naluluntu,
nto nje kuthi qath' iintshaba zabo,
hleze zigcolode zide zizincome,
zithi namhla zibuye noloyiso,
ukanti ikwandim obathe vithe-vithe.”

Kwezo ntshaba umqondo tu;
kwabo bantu ingqondo ti!
Ukuba nje bebelumkile ngebeyazi le nto,
beliqonda nekamva labo.
Iwaka lingaze loyiswe ngumntu omnye;
ishumi lamawaka libalek' ababini,
ukanti abaphoxwanga yiNgxondorha yabo,
mhlawumbi bayekelwe nguNdikhoyo?
Ingxondorha yezinye izizwe ayifani neyethu,
nkqu neentshaba zethu ziyayiqonda loo nto.
Kuba isidiliya sazo sesaseSodom;
ngumdiliya wamasimi aseGomora.
Idiliya yazo inetyhefu,
izikhinkci zayo ziyakrakra.
Eyazo iwayini bubuhlungu benyoka;
ngengcwangu nqwa nobuhlungu bephimpi.

“Kambe ke isiphelo sazo ndisasibambile;
ndisasivalele koovimba bam.
Ke yona impindezelo nokubuyekeza kokwam;
ngokuhamba kwexesha zode zityibilike.
Imini yazo isemnyango;
izingqi zentshabalalo ziza zikhawulezile.”

Kaloku uNdikhoyo wobavelela abantu bakhe,
avelane nazo izicaka zakhe,
akuba eqonda ukuba baphelelwe,
kungasekho mahluko phakathi kwenkosi nesicaka.
Wosuka ke athi: “Baphi ke abo thixo benu?
Iye ngaphi kaloku ingxondorha yenu?
Abo batye amanqatha amadini enu,
baza basela neminikelo yewayini,
mabeze kuninceda kaloku;
mabavele kaloku, banikhusele.

“Niyabona ke, ndim, ewe ndim ndedwa uThixo;
akukho thixo wumbi ngaphandle kwam.
Ndiyabulala, ndidlisa ubomi;
ndiyenzakalisa, ndiyanyanga futhi;
tu ohlangulayo esandleni sam.
NdinguThixo ophilayo nje
inene ndiyafunga, ndithi:
‘Ndiza kulilol’ ikrele lam elidangazelayo;
ndihlasele kutsho kuvele ubulungisa.
Ke zona iintshaba zam ndozohlwaya,
abandithiyileyo ndibaphindezele.
Iintolo zam ziza kuxhaph' igazi;
ikrele lam liza kudl' enyameni;
nditsho igazi labaxatyelweyo nabathinjwa,
nkqu negazi leentloko ezinesihlwitha zeentshaba.”

Hoyina, zizwe, dumisani ngenxa yabantu bakaNdikhoyo!
Kalok' uyalibuyekeza igazi lezicaka zakhe.
Zidliwe yimpindezelo iintshaba zakhe;
kambe ke uyazicamagushela izono zabantu bakhe nelizwe lakhe.

Ke kaloku uMosis noYoshuwa unyana kaNune bawucengceleza wonke lo mbongo, khon' ukuze amaSirayeli awuve.

Akuba ke egqibile uMosis ukuwathetha la mazwi kumaSirayeli wathi kuwo: “Wathatheleni ingqalelo onke la mazwi endiwabhekise kuni namhlanje. Ze niwayalele abantwana benu, khon' ukuze bafunde ukuyithobela ngenyameko yonke imfundiso yalo mthetho. Kaloku le mfundiso ayikuko ukulavuza nje, koko bubomi kuni. Ngoko ke yithobeleni niyenze, khon' ukuze nibe nokuma ixesha elide kwelo lizwe niya kulo phesheya kweJordan.”
Kwangaloo mini uNdikhoyo wathetha noMosis, wathi: “Yiya kwiintaba zeAbharim kwelaseMowabhi malunga neJeriko. Nyuka intaba iNebho, ulibheke elo lizwe laseKanana ndiza kuwangenisa kulo amaSirayeli. Wena ke uya kufela apho entabeni njengomkhuluwa wakho uAron owafela kwintaba iHori. Kaloku nina nobabini naningathembekanga kum phakathi kwamaSirayeli. Ewe, ngokuya naniseMeribha ngakwidolophu iKadeshe kwintlango iZin nasithoba isidima sam phambi kwamaSirayeli. Ke wena elo lizwe uya kulibuka ukude; soze uye kungena kwelo lizwe ndilinika amaSirayeli.”

Phulaphula i UHLAZIYO-MNQOPHISO 32