ISambulo 9:1-21

Ingelosi yesihlanu yayisibetha icilongo; ngase ngibona inkanyezi ivela ezulwini, iwela emhlabeni, yanikwa isihluthulelo somgodi wakwalasha. Yavula umgodi wakwalasha; kwaphuma isikhatha sentuthu kungathi intuthu iphuma eziko elikhulu, kwafiphazwa ilanga nomkhathi ngentuthu eyayiphuma emgodini. Kwaphuma isikhonyane entuthwini, saqonda emhlabeni, sanikwa amandla afana nalawo anikwa ofezela bomhlaba. Satshelwa ukuba singalokothi sone utshani bomhlaba, noma yini eluhlaza, noma nje isihlahla esisodwa, kuphela labo bantu abangenalo uphawu lukaNkulunkulu emabunzini abo. Sanikwa ukuba singababulali, kodwa sibahluphe izinyanga ezinhlanu. Ukuhlushwa kwabo kwakufana nobuhlungu bokulunywa ngufezela. Ngaleyo mihla abantu bayakukufuna ukufa, kodwa bangakufumani; futhi bayakukufisa ukufa, kepha ukufa kubabalekele. Isikhonyane sasifana namahhashi aboshelelwe ukuya empini, emakhanda aso kukhona okufana nemiqhele enjengegolide, ubuso baso bufana nobuso babantu. Sasinezinwele ezinjengezinwele zabesifazane, amazinyo aso efana nawezingonyama. Sasinezivikelo zezifuba ezinjengezivikelo ezenziwe ngensimbi, umsindo wamaphiko aso wawufana nomdumo wezinqola zamahhashi amaningi egijima eqonde empini. Sasinemisila efana nofezela, inezindonsi; nasemisileni yaso kukhona amandla aso okulimaza abantu izinyanga ezinhlanu. Sinenkosi esibusayo, ingelosi yakwalasha, igama layo ngesiHebheru kungu-Abhadoni, kodwa ngesiGriki ingu-Apholiyoni. UMaye wokuqala usudlulile, kodwa kuseza oMaye ababili emva kwalokho. Ingelosi yesithupha yayisibetha icilongo; ngezwa izwi livela ezimpondweni ezine ze-althare legolide eliphambi kukaNkulunkulu, lithi kuyo ingelosi yesithupha ephethe icilongo: “Thukulula izingelosi ezine eziboshwe ngasemfuleni omkhulu iYufrathe.” Izingelosi ezine ezazilungiselwe ihora, usuku, inyanga, nonyaka, zakhululwa ukuba zibulale okwesithathu kwabantu. Ngezwa ukuthi inani lamabutho ayegibele amahhashi lalingaphindwa kabili, liyizi-10 000 eziphindwe kazi-10 000. Khona manjalo ngabona embonweni amahhashi nabawagibele befake izivikelo zezifuba, zibomvu njengomlilo nezehiyakinte nezesibabule. Amakhanda amahhashi ayenjengamakhanda amabhubesi, ekhafula umlilo emilonyeni yawo, umusi nesibabule. Ngalezo zinhlupheko ezintathu kwabulawa okwesithathu kwabantu, ngomlilo, ngentuthu, nangesibabule okwakukhafulwa yimilomo yawo. Ngokuba amandla amahhashi ayesemilonyeni nasemisileni yawo, lokhu imisila yawo yayinjengezinyoka, inamakhanda elimaza ngawo. Kepha abanye abantu abangabulawanga ngalezo zinhlupheko abaphendukanga emisebenzini yezandla zabo, ukuba bangakhuleki kuwo amadimoni, nakuzo izithombe zegolide, ezesiliva, ezethusi, ezamatshe, ezemithi, ezingaboni, ezingezwa, nezingahambi. Abaphendukanga futhi ekubulaleni, ekuthakatheni, ebufebeni, nasekwebeni kwabo.