1 Manje mina, Jakobe, ngikhuluma kini futhi, bafowethu abathandekayo, mayelana naleligatsha elilungileyo engikhulume ngalo.

2 Ngokuba bhekani, izethembiso esizitholile ziyizethembiso ngokwasenyameni; ngalokho-ke, njengokuba kukhonjisiwe kimi ukuthi abaningi babantwana bethu bayobhubha enyameni ngenxa yokungakholwa, nokho, uNkulunkulu uyokuba nomusa kwabaningi; futhi abantwana bethu bayobuyiswa, ukuze beze kukho lokho okuyobanika ulwazi lweqiniso ngoMkhululi wabo.

3 Ngalokho-ke, njengokuba ngishilo kini, kufanele ukuthi uKristu—ngokuba ngobusuku bayizolo ingelosi ikhulumile kimi ukuthi leli kuyokuba yigama lakhe—uyofika phakathi kwamaJuda, phakathi kwalabo abayinxenye yomhlaba enobubi obukhulu; futhi bayombethela—ngokuba ngalendlela kudingekile kuNkulunkulu wethu, futhi akukho nasinye esinye isizwe emhlabeni esiyobethela uNkulunkulu waso.

4 Ngokuba uma izibonakaliso ezinkulu zenzeka phakathi kwezinye izizwe ziyophenduka, futhi zazi ukuthi unguNkulunkulu wazo.

5 Kepha ngenxa yobuphristi-mbumbulu kanye nobubi obukhulu, abaseJerusalema bayoqinisa izintamo zabo ngokumelene naye, kangangoba uyobethelwa.

6 Ngalokho-ke, ngenxa yobubi babo, izimbubhiso, indlala, umashaya-bhuqe wezifo, kanye nokuchitheka kwegazi kuyoza kubo; futhi labo abangeyikubhujiswa bayohlakazwa phakathi kwazo zonke izizwe.

7 Kepha bheka, isho kanje iNkosi uNkulunkulu: Uma usuku lufika lapho beyokholwa kimi, ukuthi nginguKristu, uma sekunjalo ngavumelana noyise ukuthi bayobuyiselwa enyameni, emhlabeni, kuwo amazwe angamafa abo.

8 Futhi kuyokwenzeka ukuthi bayoqoqwa kukho ukuhlakazeka kwabo kwesikhathi eside, kuzo iziqhingi zolwandle, kanye nakuwo amagumbi amane omhlaba; futhi izizwe zabeZizwe ziyoba zinkulu emehlweni ami, kusho uNkulunkulu, ekubathwaleni baye emazweni abo angamafa abo.

9 Yebo, amakhosi abeZizwe ayokuba ngoyise abondlayo, futhi nezindlovukazi zabo ziyokuba ngonina abancelisayo kubo; ngalokho-ke, izethembiso zeNkosi zinkulu kubo abeZizwe, ngokuba ikukhulumile lokhu, futhi ngubani ongakuphikisa na?

10 Kepha bheka, lelizwe, kusho uNkulunkulu, liyokuba yizwe eliyifa lakho, futhi abeZizwe bayobusiswa kulelizwe.

11 Futhi lelizwe liyokuba yizwe lenkululeko kubo abeZizwe, futhi akuyikuba-bikho makhosi kulelizwe, ayokhuliswa kubo abeZizwe.

12 Futhi ngiyoliqinisa lelizwe ngokumelene nazo zonke ezinye izizwe.

13 Futhi lowo olwa neSiyoni uyoshabalala, kusho uNkulunkulu.

14 Ngokuba lowo oyokhulisa inkosi ngokuphikisana nami uyoshabalala, ngokuba mina, Nkosi, inkosi yezulu, ngiyokuba yinkosi yabo, futhi ngiyokuba ngukukhanya kubo ingunaphakade, labo abezwa amazwi ami.

15 Ngalokho-ke, ngalesi sizathu, ukuze izivumelwano zami zigcwaliseke engazenza kubo abantwana babantu, ukuthi ngiyozenza kubo ngesikhathi besesenyameni, kufanele ngibhubhise imisebenzi efihlakeleyo yobumnyama, kanye neyababulali, kanye neyezinengiso.

16 Ngalokho-ke, lowo olwa neSiyoni, iJuda kanye noweZizwe, oboshiwe kanye nokhululekile, owesilisa kanye nowesifazane, uyoshabalala; ngokuba yibo labo abayisifebe somhlaba wonke; ngokuba labo okungesibo abami bamelene nami kusho uNkulunkulu wethu.

17 Ngokuba ngiyozigcwalisa izethembiso zami engazenza kubo abantwana babantu, zokuthi ngiyozenza kubo ngesikhathi besesenyameni—

18 Ngalokho-ke, bafowethu abathandekayo, usho kanje uNkulunkulu wethu: ngiyoyihlupha inzalo yakho ngesandla sabeZizwe; nokho, ngiyozithambisa izinhliziyo zabeZizwe, ukuze babe njengoyise kuyo; ngalokho-ke, abeZizwe bayobusiswa futhi babalwe nendlu ka-Israyeli.

19 Ngalokho-ke, ngiyolingcwelisa lelizwe kuyo inzalo yakho, kanye nalabo abayobalwa nenzalo yakho, ingunaphakade, kube yizwe eliyifa labo; ngokuba liyizwe elikhethiweyo, kusho uNkulunkulu kimi, ngaphezu kwawo wonke amanye amazwe, ngalokho-ke ngiyokwenza bonke abantu abahlala kulo ukuthi bangikhonze, kusho uNkulunkulu.

20 Manje, bafowethu abathandekayo, ngokubona ukuthi uNkulunkulu wethu onomusa usinikile ulwazi olukhulu kakhulu mayelana nalezi zinto, masimkhumbule, futhi sibeke eceleni izono zethu, singawalengisi amakhanda ethu, ngokuba asilahlwanga; nokho, sibalekisiwe sakhishwa ezweni eliyifa lethu; kepha siholelwe ezweni elingcono, ngokuba iNkosi yenze ulwandle lwaba yindlela yethu, futhi siphezu kwesiqhingi solwandle.

21 Kepha zinkulu izethembiso zeNkosi kulabo abaseziqhingini zolwandle; ngalokho-ke njengoba kuthiwa yiziqhingi, kufanele ukuthi kukhona ezingaphezulu kwalesi, futhi nazo ngokunjalo zigcwaliswe ngabafowethu.

22 Ngokuba bhekani, iNkosi uNkulunkulu ibaholele kude izikhathi ngezikhathi indlu ka-Israyeli, ngokwentando nangokwesifiso sayo. Manje bhekani, iNkosi iyabakhumbula bonke labo abahleshuliwe, ngalokho-ke iyasikhumbula sonke nathi.

23 Ngalokho-ke, thokozani ezinhliziyweni zenu, futhi nikhumbule ukuthi nikhululekile ukuzenzela ngokwenu—ukukhetha indlela yokufa okuphakade noma indlela yokuphila okuphakade.

24 Ngalokho-ke, bafowethu abathandekayo, buyisanani nentando kaNkulunkulu, futhi hhayi nentando kadeveli kanye neyenyama; nikhumbule, emva kokuthi senibuyisene noNkulunkulu, ukuthi kukuso futhi kungaso isihawu sikaNkulunkulu kuphela ukuthi niyasindisiwa.

25 Ngalokho-ke, sengathi uNkulunkulu anganivusa ekufeni ngamandla ovuko, futhi ngokunjalo nakukho ukufa okuphakade ngamandla enhlawulo, ukuze namukelwe embusweni ophakade kaNkulunkulu, ukuze nimdumise ngesihawu sikaNkulunkulu. Amen.