Isahluko 16
AmaNifayi lawo akholelwayo kuSamuweli ayabhaptizwa nguNifayi—USamuweli akanako ukubulawa ngeentolo namatye amaNifayithi angaguqukiyo—Abanye bayaziqaqadekisa iintliziyo zabo, baze abanye babone iingelosi—Abangakholwayo bathi kukungabinangqiqo ukukholelwa kuKrestu nokuza Kwakhe eYerusalem. Malunga 6–1 P.K.
1 Kwaye ngoku, kwenzekile okokuba babebaninzi abathi bawaphulaphula amazwi kaSamuweli, umLeymenayithi, awathi wawathetha phezu kweendonga zesixeko. Kwaye ngobuninzi babo abathi bakholelwa kumazwi akhe babheka phambili baza bakhangela uNifayi; kwaye bakuba beze ngaphambili kwaye bemfumene baye bazivuma izono zabo kuye kwaye abazikhanyela, benqwenela ukuba babe nokubhaptizelwa eNkosini.
2 Kodwa ngobuninzi babo ababengakholwa kumazwi kaSamuweli baba nomsindo ngakuye; bamxuluba ngamatye ephezu kodonga, kananjalo nabaninzi bamdubula ngeentolo njengokuba wayemi phezu kodonga; kodwa uMoya weNkosi wawunaye, kangangokuba babengenako ukumchana ngamatye abo nangazo iintolo zabo.
3 Ngoku bakubona ukuba abanako ukumchana, kwabakho abaninzi ngakumbi abakholelwayo kumazwi akhe, kangangokuba bemka baya kuNifayi ukuya kubhaptizwa.
4 Kuba qaphelani, uNifayi wayebhaptiza, kwaye eprofetha, kwaye eshumayela, ekhwaza inguquko ebantwini, ebonisa imiqondiso nemimangaliso, esenza aimimangaliso phakathi kwabantu, ukuze babenokwazi okokuba uKrestu kufuneka bezile kamsinyane—
5 Ebaxelela ngezinto ekufuneka zizile kwakamsinyane, ukuze babe nokwazi kwaye bakhumbule ngelixa lokufika kwazo okokuba zazazisiwe kubo kwangaphambili, ngenjongo yokokuba babe nokukholelwa; ke ngoko kangangobuninzi babo abakholelwayo kumazwi kaSamuweli babheka phambili kuye ukuba babhaptizwe, kuba babesiza beguquka kwaye bezivuma izono zabo.
6 Kodwa inxalenye engakumbi yabo babengakholelwa kumazwi kaSamuweli; ke ngoko, bakuba bebona okokuba abanako ukumchana ngamatye abo nangeentolo zabo, bakhala kubaphathi-mikhosi babo besithi: Thabathani lo mfo nimbophelele, kuba qaphelani unomtyholi; kwaye ngenxa yamandla kamtyholi okuye asinako ukumchana ngamatye neentolo zethu; ke ngoko mthabatheni kwaye nimbophelele, kwaye nimsuse apha.
7 Kwaye kuthe xa bebheka phambili ukuya kumbamba, qaphelani, waye waziphosa phantsi esuka eludongeni, waze wasaba waphuma emihlabeni yabo, ewe, kwanakulo ilizwe lakhe, waza waqalisa ukushumayela nokuprofetha phakathi kwabantu bakhe.
8 Kwaye qaphelani, akuzange kuphinde kuviwe ngaye phakathi kwamaNifayithi; kwaye yayinjalo ke imicimbi yabantu.
9 Waza njalo waphela owamashumi asibhozo anesithandathu unyaka wolawulo lwabagwebi phezu kwabantu bakaNifayi.
10 Kwaye njalo waphela kanjalo owamashumi asibhozo anesixhenxe unyaka wolawulo lwabagwebi, inxalenye engakumbi yabantu ihleli ekratshini layo nenkohlakalo, kwaye iqaqobana labambalwa lihamba lilumke ngakumbi phambi koThixo.
11 Kwaye zazinjalo iimeko kanjalo kowamashumi asibhozo anesibhozo unyaka wolawulo lwabagwebi.
12 Kwaye kwakukho umahluko nje omncinane ezindabeni kwiimeko zabantu, ngaphandle kokuba abantu baqalisa ukuqaqadeka ngakumbi ngobugwenxa, kwaye benza izinto ezininzi ngakumbi ezichasene nemiyalelo kaThixo, kowamashumi asibhozo anesithoba unyaka wolawulo lwabagwebi.
13 Kodwa kwenzekile kowamashumi asithoba unyaka wolawulo lwabagwebi, kwabakho aimiqondiso emikhulu enikwa abantu, nemimangaliso; aza amazwi abaprofeti baqalisa ukuzaliseka.
14 Kwaye aiingelosi zaye zabonakala ebantwini, kumadoda azizilumko, zaye zavakaliswa kubo iindaba ezilungileyo zovuyo olukhulu; njalo ke, kulo nyaka izibhalo zaqalisa ukuzaliseka.
15 Nangona kunjalo, abantu baqalisa ukuziqaqadekisa iintliziyo zabo, bonke ngaphandle kwaloo nxalenye yaye yakholwa ngakumbi, phakathi kwamaNifayithi kanjalo nabamaLeymenayithi, baye baqalisa ukuxhomekeka emandleni abo kwaye anakubulumko babo, besithi:
16 Ezinye izinto banokuba bazithelekelele kakuhle, phakathi kwezininzi kangako; kodwa qaphelani, siyazi okokuba yonke le misebenzi mikhulu nemangalisayo kuthethwe ngayo, ayinako ukwenzeka.
17 Baza baqalisa ukuqondisisana bephikisana phakathi kwabo, besithi:
18 aAkukho ngqiqo yokokuba umntu ofana noKrestu uya kuza; ukuba kunjalo, kwaye unguNyana kaThixo, uYise wamazulu nowomhlaba, njengoko kuthethiwe, kungani engayi kuzibonakalisa kuthi nakwabo baya kubaseYerusalem?
19 Ewe, kutheni engayi kuzibonakalisa kweli lizwe nakulo ilizwe laseYerusalem?
20 Kodwa qaphelani, siyazi okokuba esi asisithethe esikhohlakeleyo, esinikezelwe kuthi ukwehla ukusuka kuthi ngoobawo, ukusibangela ukuba sikholelwe kwinto ethile enkulu emangalisayo eza kwenzeka, kodwa hayi phakathi kwethu, kodwa kwilizwe elikude, ilizwe esingalaziyo; ke ngoko banokusigcina ekungazini, kuba asinako bukungqina ngamehlo ethu okokuba ziyinyaniso.
21 Kwaye baya kwenza njalo, ngokusebenzisa amaqhinga nobugcisa obufihlakeleyo balowo ungumtyholi, benze imfihlakalo enkulu esingenako ukuyiqonda, eya kusigcina phantsi sibe sizizicaka kumazwi abo, kananjalo nezicaka zabo, kuba sixhomekeke kubo ukuba basifundise ilizwi; kwaye njalo baya kusigcina ekungazini, ukuba sizinikela kubo, yonke imihla yobomi bethu.
22 Kwaye zininzi nezinye izinto ezithe zacingwa ngabantu ezintliziyweni zabo, izezobuyatha anezingento; baye babekhathazeke kakhulu, kuba uSathana waye wabavuselela ukuba benze ubugwenxa ngamaxesha onke; ewe, waye wahamba etyala amarhe neengxabano phezu kwabo bonke ubuso belizwe, ukuze abe nokuziqaqadekisa iintliziyo zabantu ngokuchasene naloo nto ilungileyo kwaye nangokuchasene naloo nto iya kuza.
23 Kwaye nangona benemiqondiso nemimangaliso eyenziwayo phakathi kwabantu beNkosi, nemiqondiso emininzi abayenzayo, uSathana waye wabambelela ngamandla ezintliziyweni zabantu phezu kobuso bonke belizwe.
24 Waza njalo waphela owamashumi alithoba unyaka wolawulo lwabagwebi phezu kwabantu bakaNifayi.
25 Yaza njalo yaphela incwadi kaHilamani, ngokwengxelo kaHilaman noonyana bakhe.