IDutheronomi 4:15-40

“Qaphelani kakhulu, lokhu ningabonanga simo ngalolo lusuku lapho uSimakade ekhuluma nani eHorebhe, ephakathi komlilo. Funa nenze okubi, nizenzele izithombe ezibaziweyo, eziwumfanekiso wowesilisa noma wowesifazane, umfanekiso wesilwane esisemhlabeni, noma wenyoni enamaphiko endiza emkhathini, noma umfanekiso wesilwanyana esinwabuzelayo emhlabeni, noma umfanekiso wenhlanzi esemanzini phansi komhlaba; hleze uphakamisele amehlo akho ezulwini, ubone ilanga, inyanga, izinkanyezi, nalo lonke ibandla lezulu, bese uyengeka, ukhuleke kukho, ukukhonze, lokho uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho akwabele izizwe zonke eziphansi kwezulu. Nokho uSimakade wakuthatha wena, wakukhipha esithandweni sensimbi, iGibhithe, ukuze nibe ngabantu abayifa lakhe njenganamuhla. “USimakade wangithukuthelela ngenxa yenu, wafunga ukuthi angiyukuliwela iJordani nokuthi angiyukungena kulelo lizwe elihle uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho akunika lona, libe yifa lakho. Kepha mina sengizakufa kuleli lizwe, angizukuliwela iJordani, kodwa nina nizoliwela, nilidle leli lizwe elihle. Qaphelani, funa nikhohlwe isivumelwano sikaSimakade uNkulunkulu wenu asenza nani, bese nizenzela izithombe ezibaziweyo ngomfanekiso wento uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho akuyala ngayo. Ngokuba uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho ungumlilo oqothulayo, unguNkulunkulu onomhawu. “Kuyothi lapho sewuzele abantwana, nabo bazala ababo, senihlale isikhathi eside ezweni, bese nona, nenze izithombe ezibaziweyo ngomfanekiso wento ethile, nenze okubi emehlweni kaSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho, nimthukuthelise, ngibiza izulu nomhlaba ukuba kube ngufakazi ngani namuhla, ukuthi niyakuqothulwa niphele masinyane ezweni eniwela iJordani ukuba nilidle. Izinsuku zenu aziyukwanda kulo, niyakuqothulwa nokuqothulwa. USimakade uyakunihlakazela ezizweni, nisale niyingcosana phakathi kwabezizwe, lapho uSimakade eyakunixoshela khona. Lapho niyokhonza onkulunkulu abayimisebenzi yezandla zabantu, onkulunkulu bemithi namatshe, abangaboni, abangezwa, abangadli nabangahogeli. Niyomfuna uSimakade uNkulunkulu wenu nilapho, nimfumane. Niyakumfuna ngenhliziyo yenu yonke nangawo wonke umphefumulo wenu. Ekuhluphekeni kwakho, lapho wehlelwa yizo zonke lezo zinto, uyophendukela kuSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho ngezinsuku zokugcina, ulalele izwi lakhe. USimakade uNkulunkulu wakho unguNkulunkulu onomusa; akayukukushiya, akayukukubhubhisa, futhi akayukusikhohlwa isivumelwano asifunga kokhokho bakho. “Ake ubuze izinsuku ezidlulileyo ezaziphambi kwakho, kusukela osukwini uNkulunkulu adala ngalo abantu emhlabeni, kusukela kolunye uhlangothi lwezulu kuze kufike kolunye, ukuthi kukhona yini okufana nale nto engaka okwake kwenzeka, futhi kukhona yini okwake kwezwakala okufana nakho na? Abantu bake balizwa yini izwi likaNkulunkulu likhuluma livela phakathi emlilweni, njengalokho ulizwile, baphila na? Ukhona yini unkulunkulu owake walinga ukuza azithathele isizwe phakathi kwesinye isizwe ngezilingo, ngezibonakaliso, ngezimangaliso, ngempi, ngesandla esinamandla, ngengalo eyeluliweyo, nangengebhe enkulu njengakho konke uSimakade uNkulunkulu wenu anenzela khona eGibhithe, nizibonela ngawenu, na? “Wena wakuboniswa lokho ukuze wazi ukuthi uSimakade unguNkulunkulu, akekho omunye ngaphandle kwakhe. Esezulwini wakuzwisa izwi lakhe ukuba akufundise; emhlabeni wakubonisa umlilo wakhe omkhulu; wawezwa amazwi akhe evela phakathi komlilo. Ngenxa yokuba ebathanda okhokho bakho, wazikhetha izizukulwane zabo emva kwakho; wakukhipha Yena uqobo eGibhithe ngamandla akhe amakhulu, waxosha izizwe ezinkulu nezinamandla kunawe phambi kwakho, ukuze akungenise, akunike izwe lazo, libe yifa lakho njengoba kunjalo nanamuhla. “Yazi namuhla, ukufake enhliziyweni yakho ukuthi uSimakade unguNkulunkulu ezulwini phezulu nasemhlabeni phansi; akekho omunye. Uyogcina izimiso zakhe nemiyalo yakhe engikuyala ngakho namuhla ukuze kube kuhle kuwe, nakubantwana bakho emva kwakho, ukuze zande izinsuku zakho ezweni uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho akunika lona, kuze kube phakade.”