IDutheronomi 7:1-26

“Kuyothi lapho uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho ekungenisa ezweni oya kulo ukuba ulidle, axoshe izizwe eziningi phambi kwakho, amaHithi, amaGirigashi, ama-Amori, amaKhanani, amaPherizi, amaHivi, namaJebusi; izizwe eziyisikhombisa ezinkulu nezinamandla kunawe, nalapho uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho ezinikela phambi kwakho ukuba uzinqobe, uyozibhubhisa uziqede nya, awuyukwenza isivumelwano nazo, ungabi namusa kuzo. Ungaganiselani nazo, ungayiniki indodana yakhe indodakazi yakho, ungathatheli indodana yakho indodakazi yakhe, ngokuba uyakuphambukisa indodana yakho ekungilandeleni bese ikhonza abanye onkulunkulu; intukuthelo kaSimakade ikuvuthele, akubhubhise masinyane. Niyokwenza kanje kubo: niyakudiliza ama-althare abo, niphihlize izinsika zabo, ninqume o-Ashera babo, nishise ngomlilo izithombe zabo ezibaziweyo. Ngokuba uyisizwe esingcwele kuSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho. USimakade uNkulunkulu wakho ukukhethile ukuba ube yisizwe esiyifa lakhe phezu kwezizwe zonke ezisebusweni bomhlaba. “USimakade akanithandanga nje kuphela, akanikhethanga kunezinye izizwe ngoba nibaningi; naniyingcosana kunezizwe zonke. Kepha kwaba ngenxa yokuba uSimakade enithanda, nangokuba wayegcina isifungo ayesenze nokhokho benu. USimakade unikhiphe ngesandla esinamandla, wanihlenga endlini yobugqila nasesandleni sikaFaro, inkosi yaseGibhithe. Yazi-ke ukuthi uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho unguNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu othembekileyo, ogcina isivumelwano somusa kwabamthandayo abagcina imiyalo yakhe kuze kube sezizukulwaneni eziyinkulungwane, ophindiselayo kwabamzondayo, ababhubhise; akayukulibala kulowo omzondayo, uyakuphindisela kuye. Ngalokho-ke uyakugcina imiyalo, izimiso, nezehlulelo engikuyala ngakho namuhla, ukuba ukwenze. “Kuyothi uma nilalela lezi zehlulelo, nizigcina, nizenza, uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho uyakusigcina isivumelwano asenza nawe nomusa afunga ngawo kokhokho bakho. Uyakukuthanda, akubusise, akwandise, abusise nesithelo sesibeletho sakho, isithelo somhlabathi wakho, okusanhlamvu kwakho, iwayini lakho, amafutha akho, inzalo yezinkomo zakho, nezimvu zakho zande ezweni afunga ngalo kokhokho bakho ukukunika lona. Uyakubusiswa ngaphezu kwezizwe zonke, akuyukuba bikho phakathi kwenu owesilisa ongenanzalo nowesifazane oyinyumba, naphakathi kwemfuyo yenu. USimakade uyakususa kuwe zonke izifo, akayukubeka kuwe izifo zaseGibhithe ezimbi ozaziyo, kodwa uyozehlisela phezu kwabo bonke abakuzondayo. Uyakuziqeda nya zonke izizwe uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho ayakuzinikela kuwe; iso lakho aliyukuzihawukela, awuyukubakhonza onkulunkulu bazo, ngokuba lokho kuyakuba lugibe kuwe. “Uma uyakuthi enhliziyweni yakho: ‘Lezi zizwe ziningi kunami; ngingazixosha kanjani, na?’ ungazesabi, kodwa khumbula lokho uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho akwenza kuFaro nakulo lonke iGibhithe: izilingo ezinkulu azibonayo amehlo akho, izibonakaliso, izimangaliso, isandla esinamandla nengalo eyeluliweyo, uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho akukhipha ngakho. USimakade uNkulunkulu wakho uyokwenza kanjalo kuzo zonke izizwe ozesabayo. USimakade uNkulunkulu wakho uyothumela iminyovu phakathi kwazo, kuthi bonke abaseleyo nabazithukusileyo babhubhe baphele phambi kwakho. Ngalokho-ke ungazesabi, ngokuba uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho, uNkulunkulu omkhulu nowesabekayo, uphakathi kwakho. USimakade uNkulunkulu wakho uyozixosha lezi zizwe phambi kwakho kancane kancane; awuyukwazi ukuziqeda masinyane, funa izilwane zasendle zande zibe ziningi kunani. USimakade uNkulunkulu wakho uyakuzinikela kuwe, uyakuzifaka ingebhe, zidideke, zize zibhujiswe. Amakhosi azo uyowanikela esandleni sakho, wena uyoliqeda nya igama lawo phansi kwezulu; akukho muntu oyoma phambi kwakho, uze uqede ukuzibhubhisa. Uyozishisa ngomlilo izithombe ezibaziweyo zonkulunkulu bazo; ungalifisi isiliva noma igolide elikuzo, awuyukuzithathela lona, funa libe wugibe kuwe, ngokuba lokho kuyanengeka kuSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho. Awuyukungenisa into eyisinengiso endlini yakho, funa nawe umiselwe ukubhujiswa njengayo; uyakuyenyanya nokuyenyanya, unengwe nokunengwa yiyo, ngokuba iyinto yokubhujiswa.”