1 Kwaza ke ngoku kwenzeka okokuba kunyaka weshumi elinesithandathu ukusuka ekuzeni kukaKrestu, uLakhoniyas, irhuluneli yelizwe, wafumana incwadi evela kwinkokeli nomphathi weli qela labaphangi; kwaye la ngamazwi awayebhaliwe, esithi:

2 Lakhoniyas, obekeke kakhulu nerhuluneli eyintloko yelizwe, qaphela, ndikubhalele le ncwadi, kwaye ndikunika udumo olukhulu ngokugqithisileyo ngenxa yokuzinza kwakho, kananjalo ukuzinza kwabantu bakho, ngokugcina oko nicinga ukuba lilungelo lenu nenkululeko; ewe, nime kakuhle, ngokungathi nixhaswe sisandla sothixo, ekukhuseleni inkululeko yenu, nezinto zenu, nelizwe lenu, okanye oko nithi nikubize njalo.

3 Kwaye kukhangeleka kulusizi kum, Lakhoniyas obekeke kakhulu, ukuba ungasisiyatha kangaka kwaye uzingce ngokucinga ukuba ungamelana namadoda amaninzi akhaliphe kangaka akulawulo lwam, ami ngoku ngalo eli lixa exhobile, kwaye alilindele ngexhala elikhulu ilizwi—Hambani nihle nihlasele amaNifayithi kwaye niwatshabalalise.

4 Kwaye mna, ndisazi ngomoya wabo ongena koyiswa, ekubeni ndibavavanyile ethafeni ledabi, kwaye ndisazi ngentiyo yabo engenasiphelo ngakuni ngenxa yokungalungi enikwenzileyo kubo, ke ngoko, ukuba bangehla ngokuchasene nani banganivelela ngentshabalalo epheleleyo.

5 Ke ngoko ndibhale le ncwadi, ndiyitywina ngesam isandla, ndinovelwano ngentlalontle yenu, ngenxa yokuzinza kwenu kuloo nto eniyikholelwa ukuba ilungile, nomoya wenu obalaseleyo kwithafa ledabi.

6 Ke ngoko ndiya kubhalela, ndinqwenela okokuba unganikezela kubo aba bantu bam, izixeko zenu, imihlaba yenu, nezinto zenu, kunokuba banivelele ngekrele nokokuba intshabalalo ibe nokufika phezu kwenu.

7 Okanye ngamanye amazwi, zinikezeleni kuthi, kwaye nizimanye kunye nathi kwaye niziqhelanise kunye nemisebenzi yethu efihlakeleyo, kwaye nibe ngabazalwana bethu ukuze nibe njengathi—ningabi ngamakhoboka ethu, kodwa abazalwana bethu nabalingane kuzo zonke izinto zethu.

8 Kwaye qaphela, ndiyafunga kuni, ukuba niya kukwenza oku, ngesifungo, anisayi kutshatyalaliswa; kodwa ukuba aniyi kukwenza oku, ndiyafunga kuni ngesifungo, okokuba ngenyanga elandelayo ndiya kuyalela okokuba imikhosi yam yehle ngokuchasene nani, kwaye ayisayi kusibamba isandla sayo kwaye ayiyi kusindisa bani, kodwa iya kunibulala, kwaye iya kuliwisa ikrele phezu kwenu kwanokude nibe niya kuba ngabangasekhoyo.

9 Kwaye qaphela, ndinguGidiyanhayi; kwaye ndiyirhuluneli yalo mbutho ufihlakeleyo kaGadiyantoni; umbutho lowo nemisebenzi yawo endiyaziyo ukuba ilungile; kwaye endiyaziyo okokuba yeyomhla wamandulo kwaye yanikezelwa ukuhla ukuza kuthi.

10 Kwaye ndikubhalela le ncwadi, Lakhoniyas, kwaye ndiyathemba okokuba niya kuyinikezela imihlaba yenu nezinto zenu, ngaphandle kokuphalazwa kwegazi, ukuze aba bantu bam babe nokuphinda bawafumane amalungelo abo norhulumente, abakreqela kude kuni ngenxa yenkohlakalo yenu ekubabandezeleni amalungelo abo karhulumente, kwaye ngaphandle kokuba nikwenze oku, ndiya kukuphindezela ukungalungi okwenziwa kubo. NdinguGidiyanhayi.

11 Kwaye ngoku kwenzekile akuba uLakhoniyas efumana le ncwadi wakhwankqiseka ngokugqithisileyo, ngenxa yobugagu bukaGidiyanhayi obanga ulawulo lwelizwe lamaNifayithi, kananjalo nobokusongela abantu nokuphindezela ukungalungi kwabo babengafumananga kungalungi, ngaphandle kokuba ingabo abazenzele okungalunganga ngokukreqela kwabo baphangi bakhohlakeleyo nabamasikizi.

12 Ngoku qaphelani, lo Lakhoniyas, irhuluneli, wayeyindoda enobulungisa, kwaye engena koyikiswa ziimfuno nezisongelo zomphangi; ke ngoko akazange ayiphulaphule incwadi kaGidiyanhayi, irhuluneli yabaphangi, kodwa waye wababangela abantu bakhe ukuba mabakhale eNkosini ukuba bazuze ukomelela ngeli lixa lokuba abaphangi beya kuhla ngokuchasene nabo.

13 Ewe, wathumela isibhengezo phakathi kwabantu bonke, sokuba kumele bahlanganise kunye abafazi babo, nabantwana babo, imihlambi yabo neenkomo zabo nazo zonke izinto zabo, ngaphandle nje kwelizwe labo, ndawonye.

14 Waza wabangela ukuba makwakhiwe iinqaba macala onke abo, kwaye nokomelela kwazo kumele kube kukhulu ngokugqithisileyo. Waza wabangela ukuba imikhosi, yomibini eyamaNifayithi neyamaLeymenayithi, okanye eyabo bonke ababebalelwa phakathi kwamaNifayithi, kumele babekwe njengabalindi macala onke ukuba babalinde, nokuba babalinde kubaphangi imini nobusuku.

15 Ewe, wathi kubo: Njengoko iNkosi iphila, ngaphandle kokuba niyaguquka kubo bonke ubugwenxa benu, kwaye nikhale kuyo iNkosi, aninako nangayiphi indlela ukuhlangulwa niphume ezandleni zabo baphangi bakaGadiyantoni.

16 Kwaye ayebaluleke kakhulu kwaye emangalisa amazwi neziprofetho zikaLakhoniyas kangangokuba aye abangela ukuba uloyiko lubafikele bonke abantu; kwaye bazizama ngamandlakazi abo ukuba benze ngokwamazwi kaLakhoniyas.

17 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba uLakhoniyas onyule abaphathi-mikhosi abaziintloko phezu kwayo yonke imikhosi yamaNifayithi, ukuba bayilawule ngelixa lokuba abaphangi beya kuhla baphume entlango ngokuchasene nabo.

18 Ngoku oyena uyintloko phakathi kwabo bonke abaphathi-mikhosi abaziintloko nomphathi wayo yonke imikhosi yamaNifayithi wonyulwa, kwaye igama lakhe lalinguGidgidonayi.

19 Ngoku yayilisiko phakathi kwawo onke amaNifayithi ukuba azonyulele njengabaphathi babo abaziintloko, (ngaphandle kokuba kwakungamaxesha abo enkohlakalo) loo mntu unomoya wesityhilelo kananjalo owesiprofetho; ke ngoko, lo Gidgidonayi waye engumprofeti onamandlakazi phakathi kwabo, njengoko wayekwinjalo kanjalo umgwebi oyintloko.

20 Ngoku abantu bathi kuye uGidgidonayi: Thandaza eNkosini, kwaye sivumele sinyuke siye ezintabeni kwaye singene nasentlango, ukuze sibe nokubahlasela abaphangi kwaye sibatshabalalisele kweyabo imihlaba.

21 Kodwa uGidgidonayi wathi kubo: INkosi iyala; kuba ukuba siya kunyuka ngokuchasene nabo iNkosi iya kusinikezela ezandleni zabo; ke ngoko siza kuzilungiselela embindini wemihlaba yethu, kwaye siza kuhlanganisa yonke imikhosi yethu kunye, kwaye asiyi kuya ngokuchasene nabo, kodwa siza kulinda bade beze ngokuchasene nathi; ke ngoko njengoko iNkosi iphila, ukuba siya kwenza oku iya kubanikezela ezandleni zethu.

22 Kwaye kwenzekile kunyaka weshumi elinesixhenxe, esiphelweni samva sonyaka, isibhengezo sikaLakhoniyas sasibheke phambili kubo bonke ubuso belizwe, kwaye babewathabathile amahashe abo, neenqwelo zabo zokulwa, neenkomo zabo, nayo yonke impahla yabo emfutshane, nemihlambi yabo yeenkomo, neenkozo zabo, nazo zonke izinto abanazo, kwaye baye bamatshela phambili ngamawaka nangamashumi amawaka, bade bonke baba babheke phambili kwindawo leyo eyayonyulwe ukuze bazihlanganise kunye, ukuzikhusela ngokuchasene neentshaba zabo.

23 Kwaye ilizwe elalonyuliwe yayililizwe laseZarahemla, nelizwe elaye liphakathi kwelizwe iZarahemla nelizwe iNdyebo, ewe, ukuya kumda owawuphakathi kwelizwe iNdyebo nelizwe iNkangala.

24 Kwaye kwakukho amawaka amaninzi kakhulu abantu ababebizwa ngokuba ngamaNifayithi, abaye bahlanganisana kunye kweli lizwe. Ngoku uLakhoniyas waye wabangela ukuba bazihlanganise kunye kulo ilizwe elingasemazantsi, ngenxa yesiqalekiso esingqongqo esasiphezu kwelizwe elingasemantla.

25 Kwaye baye bazinqabisa ngokuchasene neentshaba zabo; baze bahlala kwilizwe elinye, baye beyimbumba enye, baza bawoyika amazwi awayethethwe nguLakhoniyas, kangangokuba baye baguquka kuzo zonke izono zabo; kwaye baye banyusela imithandazo yabo kuyo iNkosi uThixo wabo, ukuba ize ibahlangule ngelixa lokokuba iintshaba zabo zinokuhla ngokuchasene nabo ukuba zilwe idabi.

26 Kwaye babelusizi ngokugqithisileyo ngenxa yeentshaba zabo. Kwaye uGidgidonayi waye wababangela ukuba mabenze izikhali zemfazwe zalo lonke udidi, nokokuba mabomelele ngezikrweqe, kwaye nangamakhaka, kwaye nangamakhaka amancinane angqukuva, ngokohlobo lomyalelo wakhe.