KumaHeberu 11:4-40

Ngokukholwa u-Abela wanikela kuNkulunkulu ngomhlatshelo omuhle kunoKayini, athola ngakho ubufakazi bokuthi ulungile, uNkulunkulu uqobo efakaza ngezipho zakhe; nangakho usakhuluma, noma efile. Ngokukholwa u-Enoke wathathwa, ukuze angaboni ukufa, akabe esafunyanwa, ngokuba uNkulunkulu wayemthabathile. Ngokuba engakathathwa ufakazelwe ukuthi wayethokozisa uNkulunkulu; kepha-ke ngaphandle kokukholwa akwenzeki ukumthokozisa; ngokuba ozayo kuNkulunkulu umelwe ukukholwa ukuthi ukhona nokuthi ungumvuzi walabo abamfunayo. Ngokukholwa uNowa exwayisiwe ngezinto ebezingakabonwa, esaba uNkulunkulu, wakha umkhumbi wokusindisa indlu yakhe, okungakho walahla izwe, waba yindlalifa yokulunga okuvela ngokukholwa. Ngokukholwa u-Abrahama walalela ebizwa ukuba aphume aye endaweni abezakuyamukeliswa ibe yifa lakhe; waphuma engazi lapho eya khona. Ngokukholwa waba ngumfokazi ezweni lesithembiso kwangathi ngelezizwe, ehlala ematendeni, beno-Isaka noJakobe, beyizindlalifa kanye naye zaleso sithembiso, ngokuba wayebheke umuzi onezisekelo, omakhi nomenzi wawo nguNkulunkulu. Ngokukholwa naye uSara uqobo wathola amandla okukhulelwa esedlulelwe yisikhathi, ngokuba wathi ukholekile owethembisayo. Ngakho-ke kwavela koyedwa, yena enjengosewafa, abangangezinkanyezi zezulu ngobuningi, bengangesihlabathi esisogwini lolwandle esingenakubalwa. Bonke laba bafa bekholiwe, bengazamukeliswanga izithembiso, kepha bezibonile, bezithakazele zikude, bevumile ukuthi bangabafokazi nezihambi emhlabeni. Ngokuba abasho kanjalo babonakalisa ukuthi bafuna izwe lakubo. Uma kambe bebecabanga ngalelo ababephuma kulo, bebeyakuba nethuba lokubuyela kulo; kepha manje balangazelela elihle kunalelo, okungukuthi elasezulwini. Ngalokho uNkulunkulu akanamahloni ngabo ukuba abizwe ngokuthi uNkulunkulu wabo, ngokuba ubalungisele umuzi. Ngokukholwa u-Abrahama evivinywa wanikela ngo-Isaka, yebo, yena owayamukele izithembiso, wanikela ngozelwe yedwa wakhe, okwathiwa kuye: “Inzalo yakho iyakubizwa ngo-Isaka,” ethi uNkulunkulu unamandla okuvusa nakwabafileyo; ngokulinganisa wabuye wamthola futhi evela khona. Ngokukholwa u-Isaka wabusisa oJakobe no-Esawu ngezinto ebezizakuza. Ngokukholwa uJakobe esezakufa wabusisa leyo naleyo yamadodana kaJosefa, wakhuleka encikile esihlokweni sodondolo lwakhe. Ngokukholwa uJosefa esezakufa wakhuluma ngokuphuma kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli, wayaleza ngamathambo akhe. Ngokukholwa uMose esezelwe wafihlwa ngabazali bakhe izinyanga ezintathu, ngokuba bembona engumntwana omuhle; abawesabanga umyalo wenkosi. Ngokukholwa uMose esekhulile wala ukubizwa ngokuthi indodana yendodakazi kaFaro; kunalokho wakhetha ukuphathwa kabi kanye nabantu bakaNkulunkulu kunokuba athokoze isikhashana esonweni, ethi ukuthukwa ngenxa kaKristu kuyimfuyo enkulu kunengcebo yaseGibithe, ngokuba wayebheke umvuzo. Ngokukholwa washiya iGibithe engesabi ulaka lwenkosi; ngokuba wakhuthazela sengathi uyambona ongabonwayo. Ngokukholwa wamisa iPhasika nokufafaza ngegazi, ukuze umbhubhisi angathinti amazibulo abo. Ngokukholwa badabula uLwandle Olubomvu kungathi kusemhlabathini owomileyo, okwathi abaseGibithe bekulinga lokho, baminza. Ngokukholwa izingange zaseJeriko zawa, sezizungeziwe izinsuku eziyisikhombisa. Ngokukholwa, uRahabi isifebe, akabhubhanga kanye nabangalalelanga, esezamukele izinhloli ngokuthula. Ngisezakuthini futhi na? Isikhathi kambe sizakungishiya, uma ngibalisa ngoGideyoni, noBaraki, noSamsoni, noJefta, noDavide, noSamuweli nabaprofethi, abathi ngokukholwa banqoba imibuso, basebenza ukulunga, bazuza izithembiso, bavimba imilomo yezingonyama, bacima amandla omlilo, baphepha osikweni lwenkemba, baphiwa amandla ebuthakathakeni, baba yiziqhwaga empini, baxosha izimpi zabezizwe. Abesifazane bamukeliswa abafileyo babo bevusiwe; abanye bahlushwa, kabavuma ukukhululwa, ukuze bathole ukuvuka okuhle; abanye balingwa ngokujivazwa nokushaywa, yebo, nokuboshwa nokufakwa etilongweni; bakhandwa ngamatshe, banqunywa ngesaha, balingwa, babulawa ngenkemba, bazulazula bembethe izikhumba zezimvu nezezimbuzi, beswela, behlushwa, bephathwa kabi, izwe elingabafanele bona, behamba emahlane, nasezintabeni, nasemihumeni, nasemigedeni yomhlaba. Labo bonke, befakazelwe ngokukholwa, abazuzanga isithembiso, ngokuba uNkulunkulu wayesibonele okuhle kunalokho, ukuze bangapheleliswa ngaphandle kwethu.