IZenzo 7:1-60

Umphristi omkhulu wayesethi: “Ngabe impela lokhu kunjalo yini na?” Yena wathi: “Madoda, bazalwane, nani bobaba, lalelani. UNkulunkulu wenkazimulo wabonakala kukhokho wethu u-Abhrahama eseMesophothamiya, engakathutheli eHarana, wathi kuye: ‘Phuma ezweni lakini nasezihlotsheni zakho, uye ezweni engizakukhombisa lona.’ “Waphuma ezweni lamaKhaledi, wayokwakha eHarana. Emva kokufa kukayise, uNkulunkulu wamsusa lapho, wamhlalisa kuleli lizwe enakhe kulo nina manje. Kepha akamnikanga ifa kulo, ngisho nesiqinti esingangonyawo, kodwa wethembisa ukuthi uzakumnika lona libe ngelakhe nenzalo yakhe, emva kwakhe, engakabi namntwana. UNkulunkulu wakhuluma kanje, wathi: ‘Ulibo lwakhe luzakuba ngumfokazi ezweni lezizwe; bayakulugqilaza, baluphathe kabi iminyaka engama-400. Kepha leso sizwe abayakuba yizigqila zaso; ngiyakusehlulela,’ kusho uNkulunkulu, ‘emveni kwalokho bayakuphuma, bangikhonze kule ndawo.’ “Wayesemnika isivumelwano sokusoka. Waba kanjalo-ke nguyise ka-Isaka, wamsoka ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili. U-Isaka wazala uJakobe, uJakobe wazala okhokho abali-12. “Okhokho baba nomhawu ngoJosefa, base bethengisa ngaye eGibhithe, kodwa uNkulunkulu wayenaye. Wamkhulula kuzo zonke izinhlupheko ezamehlelayo, wamupha umusa nokuhlakanipha phambi kukaFaro, iNkosi yaseGibhithe. UFaro wambeka ukuba abe ngumbusi eGibhithe nakuyo yonke indlu yakhe. “Kepha kwafika indlala kulo lonke iGibhithe naseKhanani, nokuhlupheka okukhulu; okhokho kabakutholanga ukudla. Kuthe uJakobe esezwile ukuthi kukhona ukudla eGibhithe, wayesethumela okhokho okokuqala. Kwathi sebebuyela okwesibili, uJosefa waziveza kubafowabo, uFaro wayesaziswa ngomndeni kaJosefa. UJosefa wathumela, walanda uyise uJakobe nabo bonke abakubo, abantu abangama-75. UJakobe wehlela eGibhithe; wafela khona, yena nawokhokho. Babuyiswa eShekhemu, babekwa ethuneni u-Abhrahama ayelithenge ngenani lesiliva kumadodana kaHamori eShekhemu. “Kwathi sesisondele isikhathi sesithembiso uNkulunkulu asethembisa ku-Abhrahama, base banda ngokuphindiwe eGibhithe, kwaze kwabusa enye inkosi eGibhithe eyayingamazi uJosefa. Yona yasiphatha ngobuqili isizwe sakithi, yabahlukumeza okhokho ngokubaphoqa ukuba balahle izingane zabo zingaphili. “Ngaleso sikhathi kwazalwa uMose; wayethandeka kuNkulunkulu. Wondliwa endlini yakwabo izinyanga ezintathu. Eselahliwe, watholwa yindodakazi kaFaro, yazikhulisela yena, waba yindodana yayo. UMose wafundiswa konke ukuhlakanipha kwabaseGibhithe, waba namandla ngamazwi nangemisebenzi yakhe. “Kuthe eseneminyaka engama-40 yobudala, kwafika enhliziyweni yakhe ukuba akayobona abantu bakubo, abantwana bakwa-Israyeli. Kuthe ebona umuntu ephathwa kabi, wamvikela, wamphindiselela ocindezelweyo, wambulala owaseGibhithe. Wayenethemba lokuthi abafowabo bayakuqonda ukuthi uNkulunkulu ubalethela inkululeko ngesandla sakhe, kodwa abakuqondanga lokho. Ngakusasa wafica abakubo belwa, wazama ukubalamula, ukuze babuyisane, wathi: ‘Madoda, nina ningabandawonye, pho kungani nilimazana na?’ “Kepha lowo owayelimaza owakubo wamhlohloloza, wathi: ‘Ngubani okubeke ukuba ngumbusi nomehluleli phezu kwethu na? Usufuna ukungibulala nami njengokuba ubulele umGibhithe izolo na?’ “UMose ezwa lokho, wabaleka, wayokuba ngumfokazi kwaMidiyani, lapho afika wazala khona amadodana amabili. “Kuthe sekwedlule iminyaka engama-40, kwabonakala kuye esehlane elingasentabeni iSinayi, ingelosi iselangabini lomlilo esihlahleni. UMose ewubona lowo mbono wamangala. Kwathi esondela ukuba abhekisise, wezwa izwi leNkosi lithi: ‘NginguNkulunkulu woyihlo, uNkulunkulu ka-Abhrahama noka-Isaka nokaJakobe.’ “UMose wathuthumela, akaba nasibindi sokubhekisisa. “INkosi yayisithi kuye: ‘Khumula izimbadada ezinyaweni zakho, ngokuba indawo omi kuyo ingumhlabathi ongcwele. Ngibonile nokukubona ukuhlushwa kwesizwe sami esiseGibhithe, ngizwile ukububula kwaso; sengehlile ukuba ngibakhiphe. Woza khona manje, ukuze ngikuthumele eGibhithe.’ “UMose lowo abamalayo bethi: ‘Ubekwe ngubani ukuba ube ngumbusi nomehluleli na?’ nguyena kanye uNkulunkulu amthuma ngesandla sengelosi eyabonakala kuye esihlahleni, ukuba abe ngumbusi nomhlengi wabo. Nguye lo owabakhipha eGibhithe enzile izimangaliso nezibonakaliso, nasoLwandle Olubomvu, nasehlane iminyaka engama-40. “Nguye lo Mose owathi kwabakwa-Israyeli: ‘UNkulunkulu uyakunivusela umphrofethi onjengami kubafowenu.’ “Nguye lowo owayesebandleni ehlane nengelosi eyakhuluma naye entabeni iSinayi kanye nokhokho, nowemukela amazwi okuphila ukuze aninike wona. “Kepha okhokho abavumanga ukumlalela, kodwa bamsunduzela eceleni, babuyela emuva eGibhithe ngezinhliziyo zabo, bathi ku-Aroni: ‘Senzele onkulunkulu abazakuhamba phambi kwethu, ngokuba uMose lo owasikhipha eGibhithe, asazi ukuthi wehlelwe yini.’ “Benza ithole ngaleyo mihla, bethula umhlatshelo esithombeni, bathokoza emsebenzini wezandla zabo. Kepha uNkulunkulu wabafulathela, wabanikela ukuba bakhonze ibandla lezulu, njengokuba kulotshiwe encwadini yabaphrofethi, ukuthi: “ ‘Nanginika yini imihlatshelo neminikelo iminyaka engamashumi amane nisehlane, nina ndlu ka-Israyeli na? Qha, nathatha ithende likaMolokhi nenkanyezi kankulunkulu uRemfani, imifanekiso enayenza ukuba nikhuleke kuyo. Ngiyakunidingisela ngale kweBhabhiloni.’ “Okhokho bethu babenethende lobufakazi ehlane njengalokhu kwakuyale uNkulunkulu ngoMose ukuba alenze ngomfanekiso ayemkhobise wona. Okhokho bethu noJoshuwa balemukela, balingenisa ezweni labezizwe azixosha phambi kobaba, kwaze kwaba semihleni kaDavide, owafumana umusa phambi kukaNkulunkulu, wacela ukwenzela uNkulunkulu kaJakobe idokodo. Kepha uSolomoni wamakhela uNkulunkulu indlu. “Kepha oPhezukonke akahlali ezindlini ezakhiwe ngezandla, njengokuba esho umphrofethi, ethi: “ ‘Izulu liyisihlalo sami sobukhosi, umhlaba uyisenabelo sezinyawo zami; luhlobo luni lwendlu oyakungakhela lona’, kusho iNkosi. ‘Iyiphi indawo yami yokuphumula na? Akusona yini isandla sami esenze konke lokhu na?’ “Nina bontamolukhuni, abangasokile ezinhliziyweni nasezindlebeni, nimelana njalo noMoya oNgcwele, nani nifuze okhokho benu. Yimuphi kubaphrofethi ongahlushwanga ngokhokho benu na? Bababulala ababememezela phambilini ukuza koLungileyo, nani manje seningabakhapheli nababulali bakhe. Nina enemukela umthetho ngokuyala kwezingelosi, kodwa anawugcina.” Bekuzwa lokho, bahlabeka ezinhliziyweni, bamgedlela amazinyo. Kepha yena, egcwele uMoya oNgcwele, wagqolozela ezulwini, wabona inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu, noJesu emi ngakwesokunene sikaNkulunkulu, wathi: “Bheka, ngibona izulu livuliwe, neNdodana yomuntu imi ngakwesokunene sikaNkulunkulu.” Base bekhamuluka ngezwi elikhulu, bavala izindlebe, bamthelekela kanyekanye, bamkhiphela ngaphandle komuzi, bamkhanda ngamatshe. Ofakazi babeka izingubo zabo ngasezinyaweni zensizwa ogama layo kuthiwa nguSawula. UStefani bamkhanda ngamatshe, yena ekhuleka, ethi: “Nkosi uJesu, yemukela umoya wami.” Wayeseguqa phansi, wamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, wathi: “Nkosi, ungababaleli lesi sono.” Esekushilo lokho walala ubuthongo.