Hamba ‘Endleleni Yobuqotho’

UMPROFETHI U-ISAYA wathi: “Kuyomhambela kahle olungileyo, ngoba bayodla zona kanye izithelo zezenzo zabo.” U-Isaya wathi futhi: “Indlela yolungileyo iwubuqotho.” (Isaya 3:10; 26:7; NW) Ngokusobala, ukuze izenzo zethu ziveze izithelo ezinhle, kumelwe senze okulungileyo emehlweni kaNkulunkulu.

Nokho, singahamba kanjani endleleni yobuqotho? Yiziphi izibusiso esingazilindela ngokwenza kanjalo? Futhi abanye bangazuza kanjani ngokuvumelana kwethu nezindinganiso zikaNkulunkulu zokulunga? Esahlukweni 10 sencwadi yeBhayibheli yezAga, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli wasendulo uSolomoni inikeza izimpendulo zale mibuzo njengoba iveza umehluko phakathi kwabalungile nababi. Ekwenzeni kanjalo, isebenzisa igama elithi ‘olungileyo’ noma ‘abalungileyo’ izikhathi ezingu-13. Ezingu-9 zalezi zindawo zisemavesini 15 kuya ku-32. Ngakho-ke, ukuhlola izAga 10:15-31 kuzosikhuthaza.a

Bambelela Uqinise Esiyalweni

USolomoni ubonisa ukubaluleka kokulunga. Uthi: “Imfuyo yesicebi ingumuzi waso onamandla; incithakalo yabampofu ingubumpofu babo. Umsebenzi wolungileyo ungowokuphila; inzuzo yababi ingeyokona.”—IzAga 10:15, 16.

Ingcebo ingaba yisivikelo ezintweni ezingalindelekile ekuphileni, njengoba nje nomuzi onamandla unikeza ukulondeka ngezinga elithile kwabahlala kuwo. Futhi ubumpofu bungabangela umonakalo lapho kuba nezenzakalo ezingalindelekile. (UmShumayeli 7:12) Nokho, kungenzeka nokuthi le nkosi ehlakaniphile ibhekisela engozini ehilela kokubili ingcebo nobumpofu. Isicebi singase sithambekele ekuthembeleni ngokuphelele engcebweni yaso, sicabange ukuthi izinto zaso eziyigugu ‘zinjengogange oluphakemeyo.’ (IzAga 18:11) Futhi umuntu ompofu angase abe nombono oyiphutha wokuthi ubumpofu bakhe benza ikusasa lakhe lingabi nathemba. Ngenxa yalokho, bobabili bayahluleka ukuzenzela igama elihle noNkulunkulu.

Ngakolunye uhlangothi, noma ngabe umuntu olungileyo unezinto ezibonakalayo eziningi noma ezimbalwa, izenzo zakhe zobuqotho ziholela ekuphileni. Kanjani? Wanelisekile ngalokho anakho. Akavumeli isimo sakhe sezimali siphazamise ukuma kwakhe okuhle noNkulunkulu. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ucebile noma umpofu, inkambo yokuphila komuntu olungileyo imlethela injabulo manje nethemba lokuphila okuphakade esikhathini esizayo. (Jobe 42:10-13) Omubi akazuzi ngisho noma ethola ingcebo. Kunokuba abonge ngokuba kwayo yisivikelo futhi aphile ngokuvumelana nentando kaNkulunkulu, usebenzisa ingcebo yakhe ukuze athuthukise ukuphila kwesono.

Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli iyaqhubeka: “Onaka ukulaywa usendleleni yokuphila, kepha owenqaba ukusolwa uyaduka.” (IzAga 10:17) Esinye isazi seBhayibheli sisikisela ukuthi leli vesi lingaqondakala ngezindlela ezimbili. Eyokuqala kungaba ukuthi umuntu ozithoba ekuyalweni futhi aphishekele ukulunga usendleleni yokuphila, kanti owenqaba ukusolwa uyaduka aphume kuleyo ndlela. Leli vesi lingasho futhi ukuthi “lowo olalela ukuyalwa ubonisa [abanye] indlela yokuphila [ngoba isibonelo sakhe esihle siyabazuzisa], kodwa noma ubani ongakunaki ukulungiswa udukisa abanye.” (IzAga 10:17, New International Version) Noma ngabe yikuphi, yeka indlela okubaluleke ngayo ukuba sibambelele siqinise ekuyalweni, singakwenqabi ukusolwa!

Yiba Nothando Esikhundleni Senzondo

Ngokulandelayo uSolomoni unikeza isaga esinezingxenye ezimbili, ingxenye yesibili igcizelela eyokuqala. Uthi: “Ofihla inzondo unezindebe zamanga.” (IzAga 10:18) Uma umuntu ezonda omunye enhliziyweni yakhe kodwa ekufihla ngamazwi amnandi noma ngokumthopha, uyakhohlisa—“unezindebe zamanga.” Kulokhu, inkosi ehlakaniphileyo iyanezela: “Ophumisa inhlebo uyisiwula.” (IzAga 10:18) Kunokuyifihla inzondo yabo, abanye abantu bammangalela ngamanga lowo abamzondayo noma basakaze izinkulumo ezimehlisayo. Lokhu kuwubuwula ngoba leyo nhlebo ayikushintshi lokho lowo muntu ayikho. Futhi isilaleli esiqondayo siyoyibona inhloso embi yomnyundeli futhi siphelelwe yinhlonipho ngaye. Ngakho lowo osakaza inhlebo uzilimaza yena.

Inkambo yokulunga iwukungakhohlisi futhi unganyundeli. UNkulunkulu watshela ama-Israyeli: “Ungazondi umfowenu enhliziyweni yakho.” (Levitikusi 19:17) Futhi uJesu weluleka izilaleli zakhe: “Qhubekani nithanda [ngisho] izitha zenu futhi nithandazela labo abanishushisayo; ukuze nizibonakalise ningamadodana kaYihlo osemazulwini.” (Mathewu 5:44, 45) Yeka ukuthi kungcono kangakanani ukugcwalisa izinhliziyo zethu ngothando kunenzondo!

‘Bamba Umlomo’

Igcizelela isidingo sokulawula ulimi, inkosi ehlakaniphileyo ithi: “Lapho amazwi emaningi khona, akuphuthi ukuphambeka; obamba umlomo wakhe uhlakaniphile.”—IzAga 10:19.

“Isiwula siyandisa amazwi.” (UmShumayeli 10:14) Umlomo waso “uphafuza ubuwula.” (IzAga 15:2) Lokhu akusho ukuthi wonke umuntu othanda ukukhuluma uyisiwula. Kodwa yeka ukuthi kulula kanjani ukuba umuntu okhuluma kakhulu abe umzila wokusakaza inhlebo elimazayo noma inzwabethi! Ukonakala kwedumela, imizwa elimele, ukungahoshelani umoya ngisho nokulimazana ngokomzimba ngokuvamile kubangelwa yinkulumo yobuwula. “Lapho amazwi emaningi khona, isono ngeke singabi khona.” (IzAga 10:19, An American Translation) Ngaphezu kwalokho, kuyacasula ukuba kanye nomuntu ohlale enento ayishoyo ngayo yonke into. Kwangathi singangandi ngomlomo.

Ngaphezu kokumane agweme amanga, obamba umlomo wakhe wenza ngokuhlakanipha. Uyacabanga ngaphambi kokuba akhulume. Eshukunyiswa uthando ngezindlela zikaJehova nesifiso esiqotho sokusiza omunye umuntu, uyacabanga ngomphumela wamazwi akhe kwabanye. Inkulumo yakhe eyothando neyomusa. Uyazindla ngokuthi angakwenza kanjani akushoyo kukhange futhi kusize. Amazwi akhe ‘anjengama-apula asezitsheni zesiliva’—anobuciko futhi ahloniphekile ngazo zonke izikhathi.—IzAga 25:11.

“Ziyondla Abaningi”

USolomoni uqhubeka athi: “Ulimi lolungileyo luyisiliva elikhethekileyo; ingqondo yababi iyinto encane.” (IzAga 10:20) Okushiwo abalungileyo kumsulwa—njengesiliva lekhethelo, elicwengekileyo, elingenawo amanyela. Ngokuqinisekile, lokhu kunjalo ngezinceku zikaJehova njengoba zabelana nabanye ulwazi lweZwi likaNkulunkulu olusindisa ukuphila. UMfundisi wazo Omkhulu, uJehova uNkulunkulu, uye wazifundisa futhi ‘wazinika ulimi lwabafundi, ukuba zikwazi ukuvuselela oyethileyo ngamazwi.’ (Isaya 30:20; 50:4) Ngempela, ulimi lwazo lunjengesiliva lekhethelo njengoba zikhuluma iqiniso leBhayibheli. Yeka ukuthi amazwi azo ayigugu kakhulu kangakanani kwabanhliziyo ziqotho kunezinhloso zomubi! Masizimisele ukukhuluma ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu nangemisebenzi kaNkulunkulu emangalisayo.

Olungileyo uyisibusiso kwabamzungezile. USolomoni uqhubeka athi: “Izindebe zolungileyo ziyondla abaningi, kepha iziwula ziyafa ngokuswela ingqondo.”—IzAga 10:21.

‘Olungileyo ubondla kanjani abaningi’? Igama lesiHeberu elisetshenziswe lapha linikeza umqondo ‘wokwalusa.’ Linomqondo wokuqondisa kanye nokondla, njengoba nje umalusi wasendulo ayenakekela izimvu zakhe. (1 Samuweli 16:11; IHubo 23:1-3; IsiHlabelelo seziHlabelelo 1:7) Umuntu olungileyo uqondisa noma aholele abanye endleleni yokulunga, inkulumo yakhe yondle abamlalele. Ngenxa yalokho, baphila ukuphila okujabulisa nokwanelisa kakhudlwana, futhi bangathola ngisho nokuphila okuphakade.

Nokho, kuthiwani ngesiwula? Njengoba siswele ingqondo, sibonisa ukungabi nesisusa esihle noma ukungakhathazeki ngemiphumela yenkambo yaso. Umuntu onjalo uzenzela umathanda nje, akanandaba nemiphumela. Ngakho, ubhekana nemiphumela emibi ngenxa yezenzo zakhe. Lapho olungileyo egcina abanye bephila, umuntu oswele ingqondo akakwazi nokuzigcina yena ephila.

Kugweme Ukuziphatha Okuxekethile

Ubuntu bomuntu ngokuvamile bubonakala ngalokho akuthandayo nangakuthandi. Iphawula ngalokhu, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli ithi: “Koyisiphukuphuku ukuziphatha okuxekethile kunjengomdlalo, kodwa ukuhlakanipha kungokomuntu onokuqonda.”—IzAga 10:23, NW.

Abanye babheka ukuziphatha okuxekethile njengomdlalo, bakwenzela ‘ukuzijabulisa’ nje. Abantu abanjalo abakushayi mkhuba ukuthi wonke umuntu kumelwe alandise kuNkulunkulu, futhi ababunaki ngamabomu ububi benkambo yabo. (Roma 14:12) Ukucabanga kwabo kusonteka kuze kube sezingeni lapho bezitshela ukuthi uNkulunkulu akakuboni okubi abakwenzayo. Ngezenzo zabo, kunjengokungathi bathi: “Akakho uNkulunkulu.” (IHubo 14:1-3; Isaya 29:15, 16) Yeka ukuthi kuwubuwula kanjani!

Ngakolunye uhlangothi, umuntu onokuqonda uyaqaphela ukuthi ukuziphatha okuxekethile akuwona umdlalo. Uyazi ukuthi kuyamcasula uNkulunkulu futhi kungalimaza ubuhlobo bomuntu noNkulunkulu. Ukuziphatha okunjalo kuwubuwula ngoba kuqeda ukuzihlonipha komuntu, kuchithe imishado, kulimaze kokubili ingqondo nomzimba futhi kuholele ekulahlekelweni yingokomoya. Kuwukuhlakanipha ukuba sikugweme ukuziphatha okuxekethile futhi sihlakulele uthando lokuhlakanipha njengodadewethu esimkhonzile.—IzAga 7:4.

Yakhela Esisekelweni Esiyiso

Ebonisa ukubaluleka kokwakhela ukuphila kwakho esisekelweni esifanele, uSolomoni uthi: “Akwesabayo omubi kuyamehlela, nabakufisayo abalungileyo bayakuphiwa. Lapho sidlula isivunguvungu, akasekho omubi, kepha olungileyo uyisisekelo esingunaphakade.”—IzAga 10:24, 25.

Omubi angase abangele ukwesaba okukhulu kwabanye. Nokho, ekugcineni lokho akwesabayo kuyamfikela. Njengoba engenaso isisekelo sezimiso zokulunga, unjengesakhiwo esintengantengayo esiwayo esivunguvungwini esinamandla. Lapho ethola ukucindezeleka uyadikibala. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, olungileyo unjengomuntu owenza ngokuvumelana namazwi kaJesu. ‘Uyindoda enokuqonda, eyakha indlu yayo phezu kwedwala.’ “Lase liyithela imvula,” kusho uJesu “kwafika izikhukhula kwavunguza nemimoya yayishaya leyondlu, kodwa ayizange ibhidlike, ngoba yayisekelwe phezu kwedwala.” (Mathewu 7:24, 25) Umuntu onjalo ugxilile—ukucabanga nezenzo zakhe kusekelwe ngokuqinile ezimisweni zokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu.

Ngaphambi kokuqhubeka iqhathanisa ababi nabalungileyo, inkosi ehlakaniphile inikeza isixwayiso esibekwe ngamafuphi kodwa esibalulekile. Ithi: “Njengoviniga emazinyweni nomusi emehlweni, linjalo ivila kwabalithumileyo.” (IzAga 10:26) Uviniga awumnandi emazinyweni. I-acetic acid ekuwona imuncu emlonyeni futhi ingenza amazinyo azwele. Umusi wenza amehlo ahlabe futhi ababe. Ngokufanayo, noma ubani oqasha ivila noma olisebenzisa njengommeleli wakhe uyohlupheka nakanjani futhi alahlekelwe.

“Indlela KaJehova Iyinqaba”

Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli iyaqhubeka: “Ukumesaba uJehova kuyandisa izinsuku, kepha iminyaka yababi iyancishiswa. Ithemba labalungileyo liyakuba yintokozo, kepha abakwethembayo ababi kuyakubhubha.”—IzAga 10:27, 28.

Olungileyo uqondiswa ukwesaba kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu futhi azame ukujabulisa uJehova ngemicabango yakhe, amazwi nezenzo. UNkulunkulu uyamnakekela, afeze nezifiso zakhe zokulunga. Nokho, omubi uphila ukuphila kokungamhloniphi uNkulunkulu. Ngezinye izikhathi kungase kubonakale sengathi amathemba akhe ayagcwaliseka kodwa kube ngokwesikhashana, ngoba izinsuku zakhe ngokuvamile zinqanyulwa ubudlova noma ukugula okubangelwa yindlela yakhe yokuphila. Ngosuku lokufa kwakhe wonke amathemba akhe ayanyamalala.—IzAga 11:7.

USolomoni uthi: “Indlela kaJehova iyinqaba kopheleleyo, kepha incithakalo ikubenzi bokona.” (IzAga 10:29) Amazwi athi indlela kaJehova lapha awabhekisele endleleni yokuphila okufanele sihambe ngayo, kodwa asho indlela kaNkulunkulu yokusebenzelana nesintu. UMose wathi: “Uyidwala, umsebenzi wakhe uphelele, ngokuba zonke izindlela zakhe zingukulunga.” (Duteronomi 32:4) Izindlela zokulunga zikaNkulunkulu zisho ukulondeka kwabalungileyo nencithakalo kwababi.

Yeka inqaba uJehova aba yiyo kubantu bakhe! “Olungileyo akayikunyakaziswa kuze kube phakade, kepha ababi abayikuhlala ezweni. Umlomo wolungileyo uyathela ukuhlakanipha, kepha ulimi oluphambeneyo luyakunqunywa. Izindebe zolungileyo ziyakwazi okuhle, kepha umlomo wababi okuphambeneyo.”—IzAga 10:30-32.

Ngokuqinisekile, abalungileyo kubahambela kahle futhi bayabusiswa ngenxa yokuhamba endleleni yobuqotho. Ngempela, “isibusiso sikaJehova siyacebisa; akenezeli usizi kuso.” (IzAga 10:22) Ngakho-ke, kwangathi singaqikelela njalo ukuthi senza ngokuvumelana nezimiso zokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu. Masibambe nomlomo wethu, sisebenzise ulimi lwethu ukuze sondle abanye ngeqiniso elinika ukuphila leZwi likaNkulunkulu sibaqondise endleleni yokulunga.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 26]

Ulimi lungaba ‘njengesiliva elikhethekileyo’