Deu 4 | NdeIBE | STEP | Zwana-ke khathesi, O Israyeli, izimiso lemithetho engizalifundisa yona. Ilandeleni ukuze liphile njalo libe lakho ukuyalithatha lelolizwe uJehova waboyihlo, alinika lona.

Deuteronomy 4

Abako-Israyeli balaywa ukugcina imithetho

1 Zwana-ke khathesi, O Israyeli, izimiso lemithetho engizalifundisa yona. Ilandeleni ukuze liphile njalo libe lakho ukuyalithatha lelolizwe uJehova waboyihlo, alinika lona.

2 Lingengezeleli kulokho engililaya khona njalo lingasusi loba yikuphi kwakhona, kodwa gcinani imilayo kaJehova wenu engilinika yona.

3 Lazibonela ngawenu amehlo okwenziwa nguJehova eBhali Phewori. UJehova wenu wabatshabalalisa bonke ababekhonza uBhali wePhewori, 4 kodwa lina lonke elabambelela kuJehova uNkulunkulu wenu lilokhu lisaphila lalamuhla lokhu.

5 Liyabona sengalifundisa izimiso lemithetho uJehova wami angilaya ngazo, ukuze liyigcine elizweni elingena kulo ukuba lilithathe.

6 Lizigcine ngonanzelelo ngoba lokhu kuzaveza obala ukuhlakanipha lokuzwisisa kwenu ezizweni ezizakuzwa ngalezizimiso njalo zitsho zithi, “Ngeqiniso lesisizwe esilodumo yisizwe sabantu abahlakaniphileyo njalo abazwisisayo.” 7 Yisiphi esinye isizwe esilodumo esilabonkulunkulu baso ababaseduze laso njengoJehova uNkulunkulu wethu oba lathi nxa sikhuleka kuye? 8 Yisiphi esinye isizwe esilezimiso eziqondileyo lemithetho enjengale imithetho engiyethula phambi kwenu lamuhla na?

9 Kodwa linanzelele, liqaphelisise ukuze lingakhohlwa izinto elizibonileyo loba zilibaleke ezinhliziyweni zenu ekuphileni kwenu konke. Fundisani abantwabenu ngalezizinto njalo labo babofundisa abantwababo labantwana babantwana. 10 Khumbulani usuku elema ngalo phambi kukaJehova uNkulunkulu wenu eHorebi, lapho athi khona kimi, “Buthanisa abantu ukuze bezwe amazwi ami ukuze bakwazi ukungiphakamisa nxa belokhu besahlala elizweni njalo bafundise abantwababo.”

11 Lasondela lema ngaphansi kwentaba ilavuka amalangabi eqonga phezulu, kulamayezi amnyama lomnyama owesabekayo. 12 Ngakho uJehova wakhuluma lani ephakathi komlilo. Lezwa umdumo welizwi kodwa alizange libone lutho; kwaba yilizwi lodwa nje. 13 Wakhupha ilizwi lokubuyisana, imiLayo eLitshumi, waselilaya ukuba liyilandele njalo wayiloba ezibhebhedwini zamatshe ezimbili.

14 Kungalesosikhathi lapho uJehova angiqondisa ukuba ngilifundise izimiso lemilayo okuzamele liyilandele ekuchapheni kwenu uJodani lisiya elizweni elizalithumba libe ngelenu.

Izithombe Azivunyelwa

15 Akulalutho loba yisimo bani elasibonayo mhla uJehova ekhuluma lani eHorebi ephakathi kwelangabi lomlilo. Kunjalonje kumele lizinanzelele okuqinileyo, 16 ukuze lingaxhwali libe selizenzela isithombe, loba umfanekiso olesimo bani, loba ngesilesimo sesilisa loba esesifazane, 17 loba yiphi inyamazana emhlabeni loba inyoni endizayo emkhathini,

18 loba yisiphi isinanakazana esihuquzelayo emhlabathini loba yinhlanzi ngaphansi kwamanzi. 19 Njalo nxa likhangela phezulu esibhakabhakeni libona ilanga, inyanga kanye lezinkanyezi – zonke ezihlobise zacecisa isibhakabhaka – lingayengeki lizikhothamele beselikhonza izinto uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu azibekela izizwe zonke ngaphansi kwezulu.

20 Kodwa-ke lina, uJehova walithatha walenyula eziko lokuncibilikisa insimbi, walikhipha eGibhithe, ukuze libe ngabantu belifa lakhe, njengoba linje lamuhla.

21 UJehova wangithukuthelela ngenxa yenu, wafunga waphelela wathi angiyikuchapha uJodani ngingene elizweni uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona ukuba libe yilifa lenu. 22 Mina ngizafela kulelilizwe; angiyikuchapha uJodani, kodwa lina seliseduze ukuba lichaphe liyelithumba lelolizwe elihle.

23 Nanzelelani ukuthi lingalibali isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu wenu asenza lani; lingazenzeli isithombe loba singesesimo bani salokho uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu akwalileyo.

24 Ngoba uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu ungumlilo ohangulayo, uNkulunkulu olobukhwele.

25 Ngemuva kokuba selike laba labantwana, labantwana babantwana njalo selihlale ezweni okwesikhathi eside – lingasuka libe selixhwala beselizenzela loba yisiphi isithombe, lisenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova uNkulunkulu wenu limthukuthelisa, 26 ngibiza izulu lomhlaba ukuthi libe ngufakazi wami ukuze libhujiswe masinyazana lingangeni elizweni elizachapha uJodani ukuze lilithumbe. Aliyikuhlala kulo isikhathi eside kodwa iqiniso yikuthi lizatshabalaliswa. 27 UJehova uzalihlakaza ezizweni, njalo abalutshwana benu yibo abazasinda ezizweni uJehova azalifuqela khona.

28 Khonale lizakhonza onkulunkulu ababunjwe ngabantu ngezigodo langamatshe, abangeke babone loba bezwe loba badle loba bezwe ukunuka. 29 Kodwa nxa likhonale lingadinga uJehova wenu, lizamfumana nxa limdinga ngezinhliziyo zenu ezipheleleleyo langomphefumulo wenu wonke. 30 Nxa selisesizini zonke lezizinto sezilehlela, lapho-ke ngezinsuku ezizayo lizabuyela kuJehova wenu limlalele. 31 Phela uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu unguJehova olomusa; kayikulidela loba alibhubhise loba alibale isivumelwano sakhe asenza labokhokho benu, leso asiqinisa kubo ngesifungo.

UJehova unguNkulunkulu

32 Buzani khathesi ngezinsuku ezedlulayo, kudala lingakabi khona, kusukela ngosuku uJehova adala ngalo umuntu emhlabeni; buzani kusukela ngapha kwamazulu kusiya ngale kwamazulu. Kambe kukhona yini okukhulu kangaka okwedlula lokhu osekuke kwenzakala loba kwezwakala na? 33 Sikhona na esinye isizwe esake sezwa uJehova ekhuluma ephakathi kwelangabi lomlilo, njengalokhu eselikuzwile, saphila na? 34 Kukhona na unkulunkulu oseke wazama ukuzithathela esinye isizwe phakathi kwesinye, ngokuhlola, ngemilingo yezibonakaliso, lezimangaliso, lezimpi, ngesandla esilamandla langokwelula ingalo, loba izenzo ezinkulu ezesabekayo, njengakho konke uJehova wenu alenzela khona eGibhithe lizibonela ngamehlo enu?

35 Lakutshengiswa konke lokhu ukuze lazi ukuthi uJehova unguNkulunkulu; ngaphandle kwakhe kakho omunye futhi. 36 Esemazulwini wakwenza ukuthi lilizwe ilizwi lakhe ukuze libe lobuntu. Emhlabeni walitshengisa amalangabi omlilo akhe omkhulu, njalo lawezwa amazwi akhe ephuma emlilweni. 37 Ngenxa yokuthi wabathanda okhokho benu wakhetha izizukulwane zabo ezalandela ngemva kwabo, walikhipha eGibhithe ngoBukhona bakhe kanye langamandla akhe amakhulu, 38 ukuxotsha zonke izizwe phambi kwenu, izizwe ezilamandla kulezenu lokulingenisa elizweni lazo ukuze aliphe lona libe yilifa lenu, njengoba kunjalo lamuhla.

39 Yamukelani njalo likugcine ezinhliziyweni zenu lamuhla ukuthi uJehova unguNkulunkulu ezulwini phezulu lasemhlabeni phansi. Kakho omunye. 40 Gcinani izimiso zakhe lemilayo yakhe, engilinika yona lamuhla, ukuze kulihambele kahle lina kanye labantwabenu lokuthi liphile isikhathi eside elizweni eliliphiwa nguJehova uNkulunkulu wenu lize libe ngelenu kokuphela.

Amadolobho Okuphephela

41 Ngakho uMosi wasekhetha amadolobho amathathu empumalanga yeJodani, 42 ukuze kuthi wonke oyabe ebulele omunye abalekele khona nxa eyabe ebulele umakhelwane kungekho mona kube yingozi. Wayengabalekela kwelinye lala amadolobho ukuze aphephise impilo yakhe. 43 Amadolobho lawo kwakuyila: iBhezeri emagcekeni asenkangala, lingelabakoRubheni; iRamothi eGileyadi, lingelabakoGadi; kanye lelaseGolani eBhashani lona lingelabakoManase.

Ukwethulwa koMthetho

44 Lo ngumthetho owethulwa nguMosi kwabako-Israyeli. 45 Lezi kwakuyizilinganiso, izimiso lemithetho eyethulwa nguMosi kubo ekuphumeni kwabo eGibhithe 46 njalo babesesigodini esiseduzane leBhethi-Phewori empumalanga yeJodani elizweni likaSihoni inkosi yama-Amori, yena owabusa eHeshibhoni njalo wehlulwa nguMosi labako-Israyeli bephuma eGibhithe. 47 Bathatha ilizwe lakhe kanye lelizwe lika-Ogi inkosi yaseBhashani, amakhosi ama-Amori womabili empumalanga yeJodani. 48 Ilizwe leli lalisuka e-Aroweri emaphethelweni eziNdonga zase-Anoni kusiya eNtabeni yaseSiyoni (khona kuyi Hemoni),

49 kuhlanganisa layo yonke i-Arabha empumalanga yeJodani kuze kuyefika eLwandle lwe-Arabha, ngaphansi komehlo wasePhisiga.