UHezekeli 33:21-33

Kwathi ngomnyaka weshumi nambili wokuthunjwa kwethu, ngenyanga yeshumi, ngolwesihlanu lwenyanga, kwafika kimi ophunyukileyo eJerusalema, wathi: “Umuzi unqotshiwe.” Isandla sikaJehova sasiphezu kwami kusihlwa, engakafiki ophunyukileyo, kepha wavula umlomo wami engakafiki kimi ekuseni; wavulwa umlomo wami, angabe ngisaba yisimungulu. Izwi likaJehova lafika kimi, lathi: “Ndodana yomuntu, abakhe ezincithakalweni ezweni lakwa-Israyeli basho bathi: ‘U-Abrahama wayemunye, wadla ifa lezwe; kepha thina sibaningi, siphiwe lona libe yifa lethu.’ Ngalokho thana kubo: ‘Isho kanje iNkosi uJehova, ithi: Nidla okunegazi, niphakamisa amehlo enu ezithombeni zenu, nichitha igazi. Pho, niyakudla ifa lezwe na? Niyethemba enkembeni yenu, nenza izinengiso, ningcolisa, kube yilowo nalowo umkamakhelwane wakhe. Pho, niyakudla ifa lezwe na?’ “Uyakusho kanje kubo, uthi: ‘Isho kanje iNkosi uJehova, ithi: Kuphila kwami, abasezincithakalweni, ngempela, bayakuwa ngenkemba, nosendle ngiyakumnika izilwane ukuba adliwe, nabasezinqabeni nasemihumeni bayakufa ngesifo. Ngiyakwenza izwe libe yincithakalo nokuyize, kuphele ukuzidla kwamandla alo; izintaba zakwa-Israyeli ziyakuchithwa ukuze kungabikho odlulayo. Bayakwazi ukuthi nginguJehova, lapho ngenzile izwe libe yincithakalo nokuyize ngenxa yazo zonke izinengiso zabo abazenzileyo.’ “Wena-ke, ndodana yomuntu, abantwana babantu bakho bakhuluma ngawe ngasezindongeni naseminyango yezindlu, basho omunye komunye, omunye kumfowabo, bathi: ‘Woza uzwe ukuthi yizwi lini eliphuma kuJehova.’ Bafika kuwe njengokufika kwabantu, bahlala phambi kwakho njengabantu bami, bezwa amazwi akho, abawenzi kodwa, ngokuba ngomlomo wabo babonakalisa uthando olukhulu, kepha inhliziyo yabo ilandela inzuzo yabo. Bheka, uyisihlabelelo esithandekayo sonephimbo elimnandi kubo, obetha kahle ngogubhu, ngokuba bezwa amazwi akho, abawenzi kodwa. “Lapho lokhu kufika – bheka, kuyeza! – bayakwazi ukuthi kwakukhona umprofethi phakathi kwabo.”