IZenzo
7 Kodwa umbingeleli omkhulu wathi: “Zinjalo na ezi zinto?” 2 Wathi: “Madoda, bazalwana noobawo, yivani. UTHIXO wozuko+ wabonakala kukhokho wethu uAbraham ngoxa wayeseMesopotamiya, ngaphambi kokuba ahlale kwaHaran,+ 3 yaye wathi kuye, ‘Phuma kulo ilizwe lakowenu nakwizalamane zakho uze kwilizwe endiya kukubonisa lona.’+ 4 Ngoko waphuma kwilizwe lamaKhaledi waza wahlala kwaHaran. Yaye ukusuka apho, emva kokufa kukayise,+ uThixo wambangela ukuba indawo yakhe yokuhlala ayitshintshele kweli lizwe nihlala kulo ngoku.+ 5 Ukanti akamnikanga nayiphi na into njengelifa kulo, hayi, nendawana le engangonyawo;+ kodwa wathembisa ukumnika lona libe lelakhe,+ aze emva kwakhe alinike imbewu yakhe,+ ngoxa wayengekabi namntwana.+ 6 Ngaphezu koko, uThixo wathetha ngokusingisele koku, okokuba imbewu yakhe yayiya kuba ngabaphambukeli+ kwilizwe lasemzini+ yaye abantu babeya kuyikhobokisa baze bayixhwalekise kangangeminyaka engamakhulu amane.+ 7 ‘Yaye olo hlanga iya kuba ngamakhoboka alo ndiya kulugweba,’+ watsho uThixo, ‘kwaye emva kwezi zinto iya kuphuma inikele inkonzo engcwele kum kule ndawo.’+
8 “Wakwamnika nomnqophiso wolwaluko;+ yaye ngaloo ndlela wazala uIsake+ waza wamalusa ngosuku lwesibhozo,+ noIsake waba ngokaYakobi, noYakobi waba ngoweentloko-ntsapho ezilishumi elinesibini.+ 9 Yaye iintloko-ntsapho zamkhweletela+ uYosefu zaza zamthengisa eYiputa.+ Kodwa uThixo wayenaye,+ 10 wamhlangula kuzo zonke iimbandezelo zakhe waza wamnika ubabalo nobulumko emehlweni kaFaro ukumkani waseYiputa. Kwaye wammisa ukuba alawule iYiputa nendlu yakhe iphela.+ 11 Kodwa iYiputa neKanan iphela zafikelwa yindlala, imbandezelo enkulu; yaye ookhokho bethu babengafumani nasiphi na isixhaso.+ 12 Kodwa uYakobi weva ukuba kukho izinto ezityiwayo eYiputa+ yaye wathumela ookhokho bethu isihlandlo sokuqala.+ 13 Ebudeni besihlandlo sesibini uYosefu wenziwa waziwa ngabantakwabo;+ yaye umnombo wentsapho yakuloYosefu wabonakaliswa kuFaro.+ 14 Ngoko uYosefu wathumela waza wabiza uYakobi uyise nazo zonke izalamane zakhe kuloo ndawo,+ inani lemiphefumlo engamashumi asixhenxe anesihlanu.+ 15 UYakobi wehla waya eYiputa.+ Yaye wasweleka;+ ngokunjalo nookhokho bethu,+ 16 kwaye bafuduselwa kwaShekem+ baza babekwa kwingcwaba+ uAbraham awayelithenge ngexabiso lemali yesilivere koonyana bakaHamore kwaShekem.+
17 “Kanye njengoko lalisondela ixesha lokuzaliseka kwesithembiso uThixo awayesivakalise ekuhleni kuAbraham, abantu bakhula baza banda eYiputa,+ 18 kwada kwavela omnye ukumkani eYiputa, owayengazi ngoYosefu.+ 19 Yena wasebenzisa ubuqotha-qikili ngokunxamnye nesizwe sethu+ waza wanyanzelisa kakubi oobawo ukuba bazilahle iintsana zabo, ukuze zingagcinwa ziphila.+ 20 Ngalo lona elo xesha kwazalwa uMoses,+ yaye wayemhle ngokobuthixo.+ Kwaye wancanciswa iinyanga zantathu kwikhaya likayise. 21 Kodwa wathi akulahlwa, intombi kaFaro yamchola yaza yamkhulisa njengonyana wayo.+ 22 Ngenxa yoko uMoses wafundiswa bonke ubulumko+ bamaYiputa. Enyanisweni, wayenamandla ngamazwi+ nezenzo zakhe.
23 “Ke kaloku kwakuzaliseka ixesha lonyaka wakhe wamashumi amane, kwafika entliziyweni yakhe ukuya kuvelela abazalwana bakhe, oonyana bakaSirayeli.+ 24 Yaye akubona uthile ephathwa ngokungekho sikweni, wamkhusela waza waphumeza impindezelo ngenxa yalowo wayephathwa kakubi ngokumxabela umYiputa.+ 25 Wayeba yena abazalwana bakhe babeya kucacelwa kukuba uThixo wayebanika usindiso ngesandla sakhe,+ kodwa bona abacacelwanga koko. 26 Yaye ngemini elandelayo wabonakala kubo njengoko babesilwa, waza walinga ukubamanyanisa kwakhona ngoxolo,+ esithi, ‘Madoda, ningabazalwana. Kutheni niphathana ngokungekho sikweni nje?’+ 27 Kodwa lowo wayephatha ummelwane wakhe ngokungekho sikweni wamtyhalela kude, esithi, ‘Umiselwe ngubani na ukuba ube ngumlawuli nomgwebi phezu kwethu?+ 28 Akufuni kundibulala nam ngendlela efanayo nobulele ngayo umYiputa izolo, andibi kunjalo?’+ 29 Wasaba uMoses ngale ntetho waza waba ngumphambukeli kwilizwe lakwaMidiyan,+ apho wazala oonyana ababini.+
30 “Yaye kwakuzaliseka iminyaka engamashumi amane, kwabonakala kuye kwintlango yeNtaba yeSinayi ingelosi kwidangatye lomlilo kwityholo elinameva.+ 31 Ke kaloku xa uMoses wabona oko wamangaliswa ngulo mbono.+ Kodwa njengoko wayesondela esiza kuhlola, kwafika ilizwi likaYehova, lisithi, 32 ‘NdinguTHIXO wookhokho bakho, uTHIXO ka-Abraham nokaIsake nokaYakobi.’+ Engcangcazela, uMoses akazange abe nabuganga bokuhlola ngokubhekele phaya. 33 UYehova wathi kuye, ‘Khulula iimbadada ezinyaweni zakho, kuba le ndawo umi kuyo ngumhlaba ongcwele.+ 34 Ngokuqinisekileyo ndikubonile ukuphathwa kakubi kwabantu bam abaseYiputa,+ kwaye ndikuvile ukugcuma+ kwabo ndaza ndehla ukuze ndibahlangule.+ Yiza ke, ndikuthume eYiputa.’+ 35 Lo Moses, abamkhanyelayo, besithi, ‘Umiselwe ngubani na ukuba ube ngumlawuli nomgwebi?’+ yena uThixo wamthuma+ kokubini njengomlawuli nomhlanguli ngesandla sengelosi eyabonakala kuye kwityholo elinameva. 36 Yena wabakhokelela ngaphandle+ emva kokwenza imihlola nemiqondiso eYiputa+ nakuLwandle Olubomvu+ nasentlango kangangeminyaka engamashumi amane.+
37 “Lo ngulo Moses wathi koonyana bakaSirayeli, ‘UThixo uya kunivelisela phakathi kwabazalwana benu umprofeti onjengam.’+ 38 Nguye lowo+ waba phakathi kwebandla+ entlango kunye nengelosi+ eyathetha kuye eNtabeni yeSinayi kunye nookhokho bethu, yaye wamkela izibhengezo ezingcwele+ eziphilayo ukuze azinike nina. 39 Ookhokho bethu bala ukumthobela, kodwa bamtyhalela bucala+ baza ezintliziyweni zabo babuyela eYiputa,+ 40 besithi kuAron, ‘Senzele oothixo bokuhamba phambi kwethu. Kuba lo Moses, wasikhuphayo ezweni laseYiputa, asazi ukuba kwenzeke ntoni kuye.’+ 41 Ngoko benza ithole ngaloo mihla+ yaye banyusa umbingelelo kwisithixo baza baziyolisa ngemisebenzi yezandla zabo.+ 42 Ngoko uThixo wajika waza wabayekela+ ukuba banikele inkonzo engcwele kumkhosi wezulu, kanye njengoko kubhaliwe encwadini yabaprofeti kwathiwa,+ ‘Naningawanikeli kum amaxhoba nemibingelelo entlango kangangeminyaka engamashumi amane, andibi kunjalo, ndlu kaSirayeli?+ 43 Kodwa nathabatha intente kaMolokhi+ nenkwenkwezi+ kathixo uRefan, imifanekiso enayenzayo ukuze niyinqule. Ngenxa yoko ndiza kunigxothela+ ngaphaya kweBhabhiloni.’
44 “Ookhokho bethu babenayo intente yobungqina entlango, kanye njengoko wabanika imiyalelo xa wayethetha kuMoses ukuba ayenze ngokomfanekiselo awayewubonile.+ 45 Yaye nookhokho bethu abalandelayo bayizisa noYoshuwa+ kwilizwe elalileleentlanga,+ ezo uThixo wazityhalela ngaphandle zemka phambi kookhokho bethu.+ Yahlala apha kwada kwayimihla kaDavide. 46 Wakholeka+ emehlweni kaThixo waza wacela ilungelo lokulungiselela+ uTHIXO kaYakobi indawo yokuhlala. 47 USolomon wamakhela indlu.+ 48 Noko ke, Oyena Uphakamileyo akahlali kwizindlu ezenziwe ngezandla;+ kanye njengoko umprofeti esitsho, 49 ‘Izulu liyitrone yam,+ nomhlaba usisihlalo seenyawo zam.+ Luhlobo luni na lwendlu eniya kundakhela yona? utsho uYehova. Okanye yiyiphi na indawo yokuphumla kwam?+ 50 Isandla sam sazenza zonke ezi zinto, akunjalo?’+
51 “Bantundini baneenkani nabangalukileyo ngeentliziyo+ neendlebe, nisoloko niwuxhathisa umoya oyingcwele; kanye njengoko ookhokho benu benjenjalo, nani nenjenjalo.+ 52 Nguwuphi na kubaprofeti abangazange bamtshutshise ookhokho benu?+ Ewe, bababulala+ abo benza isaziso kwangaphambili ngokuza kwaLowo ulilungisa,+ eniye nangabangcatshi nababulali bakhe ngoku,+ 53 nina enamkela uMthetho njengoko wawudluliselwa ziingelosi+ kodwa anawugcina.”
54 Ngoko, ekuveni ezi zinto baziva bexhelekile ezintliziyweni+ zabo baza bamtshixizela+ amazinyo. 55 Kodwa, ezele ngumoya oyingcwele, wondela ezulwini waza walubona uzuko lukaThixo noYesu emi ngasekunene kukaThixo,+ 56 yaye wathi: “Khangelani! Ndiwabona amazulu evulekile+ noNyana womntu+ emi ngasekunene kukaThixo.”+ 57 Ngako oko badanduluka ngelizwi eliphezulu, babeka izandla zabo ezindlebeni zabo+ baza bagxalathelana kuye ngamxhelo mnye. 58 Yaye emva kokumphosela ngaphandle kwesixeko+ bamgibisela ngamatye.+ Kwaye amangqina+ abeka izambatho zawo zangaphezulu ezinyaweni zomfana obizwa ngokuba nguSawule.+ 59 Yaye baqhubeka bemgibisela ngamatye uStefano njengoko wayebongoza esithi: “Nkosi Yesu, wamkele umoya wam.”+ 60 Wandula ke, eguqa ngamadolo, wadanduluka ngelizwi elinamandla wathi: “Yehova, musa ukusibalela kubo esi sono.”+ Yaye emva kokutsho oku walala ekufeni.