KumaHeberu 11:1-40

Kepha ukukholwa kungukuqiniseka ngezinto ezithenjwayo, kungukuqiniseka ngezinto ezingabonwayo. Ngoba abadala bafakazelwa ngakho. Ngokukholwa siyaqonda ukuthi izwe ladatshulwa ngezwi likaNkulunkulu, ukuze okubonwayo kakuvelanga kokubonwayo. Ngokukholwa u-Abela wanikela kuNkulunkulu ngomhlatshelo omuhle kunokaKayini, afumana ngakho ubufakazi bokuthi ulungile, uNkulunkulu efakaza ngezipho zakhe; Ngokukholwa u-Enoke wasuswa, ukuze angaboni ukufa; akafunyanwanga, ngokuba uNkulunkulu wayemthathile; Kepha ngaphandle kokukholwa akwenzeki ukumthokozisa, ngokuba ozayo kuNkulunkulu umelwe ukukholwa ukuthi ukhona nokuthi ungumvuzi walabo abamfunayo. Ngokukholwa uNowa, exwayisiwe nguNkulunkulu ngezinto ebezingakabonwa, ngokwesaba wakha umkhumbi wokusindisa indlu yakhe; ngalo walahla umhlaba, waba yindlalifa yokulunga okungokukholwa. Ngokukholwa u-Abrahama walalela ebizwa ukuba aphume, aye endaweni abezakuyamukeliswa ibe yifa; waphuma engazi lapho eya khona. Ngokholo wagogobala elizweni lesithembiso njengowezizwe, ehlala emathenteni kanye loIsaka loJakobe, ababeyizindlalifa kanye laye zalesosithembiso; Ngokuba wayebheke umuzi onezisekelo, omakhi nomenzi wawo nguNkulunkulu. Ngokukholwa naye uSara uqobo wathola amandla okukhulelwa, esedlulelwe yisikhathi, wabeletha, ngokuba wathi ukholekile owethembisileyo. Ngakho-ke kwazalwa ngoyedwa, yena engofileyo, abangangezinkanyezi zezulu ngobuningi, nangangesihlabathi esisogwini lolwandle esingenakubalwa. Bonke laba bafela ekukholweni, bengazamukelanga izithembiso, kodwa bazibona zikude, bakholiswa ngazo, bavuma ukuthi bangabafokazi nezihambi emhlabeni. Ngokuba abasho izinto ezinjalo babonakalisa ukuthi bafuna izwe. Futhi ngempela, uma babekhumbula izwe ababephuma kulo, babeyoba nethuba lokubuyela emuva. Kepha manje bafuna izwe elingcono, okungukuthi elasezulwini; ngalokho uNkulunkulu akanamahloni ukubizwa ngokuthi unguNkulunkulu wabo, ngokuba ubalungisele umuzi. Ngokukholwa u-Abrahama evivinywa wanikela ngo-Isaka, yena owayamukele izithembiso wanikela ngendodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa. Okwathiwa ngaye: NgoIsaka inzalo yakho iyakubizwa; Ethi uNkulunkulu unamandla okumvusa nakwabafileyo; lapho laye wamamukela khona ngomfanekiso. Ngokukholwa u-Isaka wabusisa oJakobe no-Esawu ngezinto ezizayo. Ngokukholwa uJakobe esezakufa wabusisa amadodana kaJosefa omabili; wakhuleka encika esihlokweni sodondolo lwakhe. Ngokholo uJosefa esefile wakhuluma ngokuphuma kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli; walaya ngamathambo akhe. Ngokukholwa uMose esezelwe wafihlwa ngabazali bakhe izinyanga ezintathu, ngokuba bambona engumntwana omuhle; futhi abawesabanga umyalo wenkosi. Ngokukholwa uMose esekhulile wala ukubizwa ngokuthi indodana yendodakazi kaFaro; wakhetha ukuphathwa kabi kanye nabantu bakaNkulunkulu kunokuba athokoze isikhashana esonweni; wathi ukuthukwa kukaKristu kuyingcebo enkulu kunengcebo yaseGibithe, ngokuba wayebheke umvuzo. Ngokukholwa washiya iGibithe, engesabi ulaka lwenkosi, ngokuba waqinisela sengathi uyambona ongabonwayo. Ngokukholwa wenza iPhasika nokufafazwa kwegazi, ukuze obhubhisa amazibulo angawathinti. Ngokukholwa badabula uLwandle Olubomvu kungathi kusemhlabathini owomileyo; Ngokukholwa izingange zaseJeriko zawa, sezizungeziwe izinsuku eziyisikhombisa. Ngokukholwa uRahabi isifebe akabhubhanga kanye nabangakholwanga, esamukele izinhloli ngokuthula. Ngisezakuthini futhi? ngoba isikhathi singaphela ngilandisa ngoGidiyoni, loBharaki, loSamsoni, loJefitha; ekaDavide, noSamuweli, neyabaprofethi; abathi ngokholo banqoba imibuso, benza ukulunga, bazuza izithembiso, bavala imilomo yezingonyama; bacima amandla omlilo, baphunyuka obukhali benkemba, baqiniswa ebuthakathakeni, baba ngamaqhawe ekulweni, baxosha amabutho abezizwe. Abesifazane bemukela abafileyo babo bevusiwe; abanye bahlushwa, kabavuma ukukhululwa; ukuze bathole ukuvuka okungcono kakhulu; Abanye balingwa ngokuhlekwa ngonya nangokubhaxabulwa, yebo, nangezibopho nokuboshwa; bakhandwa ngamatshe, banqunyulwa phakathi, balingwa, babulawa ngenkemba, bazulazula bembethe izikhumba zezimvu nezikhumba zezimbuzi; beswele, behlupheka, behlutshwa; (umhlaba wawungabafanele) bazulazula ezingwadule, nasezintabeni, nasemihumeni, nasemihumeni yomhlaba. Labo bonke laba, befakazelwe ngokholo, kabazemukelanga isithembiso; UNkulunkulu esesimisele okuthile okungcono kakhulu, ukuze bona bangapheleliswa ngaphandle kwethu.