1 Kwaye ngoku kwenzekile emva kokuba iminyaka ethile idlule, kwafika indoda phakathi kwabantu bakaNifayi, egama layo lalinguSheremi.

2 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba yaqalisa ukushumayela phakathi kwabantu, kwaye ibhengeza kubo okokuba akuyi kubakho Krestu. Yaza yashumayela izinto ezininzi ezinyhwalazayo ebantwini; kwaye oku yakwenza ukuze ibe nokusingela phantsi imfundiso kaKrestu.

3 Kwaye yasebenza ngenkuthalo ukuze ibe nokuzilahlekisa iintliziyo zabantu, kangangokuba yaye yazilahlekisa iintliziyo ezininzi; yaza yona kuba isazi okokuba mna, Yakobi, ndinokholo kuKrestu oya kuthi eze, yalizama kakhulu ithuba lokokuba ibe nokuza kum.

4 Kwaye yayifundile, ukuze ibe nolwazi olufezekileyo ngolwimi lwabantu; ngako oko, yayekusebenzisa kakhulu ukunyhwalaza, namandla angakumbi obuciko, ngokwamandla omtyholi.

5 Kwaye yaye inethemba lokokuba iza kundigungqisa elukholweni, nangona izityhilelo zininzi nezinto ezininzi endazibonayo malunga nezi zinto; kuba ngenene ndazibona iingelosi, kwaye zandilungiselela. Kwaye kanjalo, ndandilivile izwi leNkosi lithetha nam ngqo ngelizwi, amaxesha ngamaxesha; ngako oko, ndandingenakho ukugungqiswa.

6 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba yeza kum, kwaye ngolu hlobo yaye yathetha nam, isithi: Mzalwana uYakobi, ndilizame kakhulu ithuba lokokuba ndibe nokuthetha nawe; kuba ndivile kwaye kanjalo ndiyazi okokuba uyahamba-hamba kakhulu, ushumayela oko ukubiza ngokuba yivangeli, okanye imfundiso kaKrestu.

7 Kwaye ubakhohlisile abaninzi besi sizwe kangangokuba bayigqwethile indlela eyiyo kaThixo, kwaye abawugcina umthetho kaMoses oyindlela eyiyo; kwaye uguqulela umthetho kaMoses ekunquleni umntu othi uya kuza kumakhulu amaninzi eminyaka ezayo. Kwaye ngoku qaphela, mna, Sheremi, ndiyavakalisa kuwe okokuba oku kukunyelisa; kuba akakho umntu owaziyo ngezi zinto; kuba akanako ukuxela ngezinto ezisezayo. Kwaye ngolu hlobo uSheremi waphikisana nam.

8 Kodwa qaphelani, iNkosi uThixo yawuthululela uMoya wayo emphefumlweni wam, kangangokuba ndaye ndamoyisa ngokupheleleyo kuwo onke amazwi akhe.

9 Kwaye ndathi kuye: Uyamkhanyela na uKrestu oya kuza? Waza wathi: Ukuba kuya kubakho uKrestu, andingemkhanyeli; kodwa ndiyazi okokuba akukho Krestu, engazange abekho, engasayi kuze abekho.

10 Ndaza ndathi kuye: Ingaba uyazikholelwa na izibhalo? Waza wathi, Ewe.

11 Ndaza ndathi kuye: Ke akuziqondi; kuba ngokwenene zingqina ngoKrestu. Qaphela, ndithi kuwe okokuba akukho namnye kubaprofeti ababhalileyo, kwa nabaprofethileyo, ngaphandle kokuba bathethe ngokunxulumene nalo Krestu.

12 Kwaye akuphelelanga apha—kubonakalisiwe kum, kuba ndivile ndaza ndabona; kananjalo kubonakalisiwe kum ngamandla oMoya oyiNgcwele; ngako oko, ndiyazi okokuba ukuba akunakubakho ntlawulelo yenziwayo lonke uluntu lumele lulahleke.

13 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba wathi kum: Ndibonise umqondiso ngala mandla oMoya oyiNgcwele, kuwo owazi kangaka.

14 Ndaza ndathi kuye: Ndiyintoni na mna ukuba ndingamlinga uThixo ukuba akubonise umqondiso kwinto leyo oyaziyo ukuba iyinyani? Kodwa uyikhanyele, ngenxa yokokuba ungokamtyholi. Nangona kunjalo, makungabi ngokwentando yam; kodwa ukuba uThixo uya kukubetha, oko makube ngumqondiso kuwe wokokuba unamandla kunye ezulwini nasemhlabeni; kananjalo, kuba uKrestu uya kuza. Kwaye intando yakho, Owu Nkosi, mayenzeke, kwaye ingabi yeyam.

15 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba ndakuba mna, Yakobi, ndiwathethile la mazwi, amandla eNkosi afika phezu kwakhe, kangangokude awe emhlabeni. Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba waye wondliwa kangangesithuba seentsuku ezininzi.

16 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba wathi kubo abantu: Hlanganisanani kunye ngengomso, kuba ndiza kufa; ngako oko, ndinqwenela ukuthetha nabo abantu ngaphambi kokuba ndife.

17 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba ngengomso isihlwele siye sahlanganisana kunye; waza wathetha ngokucacileyo naso waza wazijika izinto abebafundise zona, waza wamvuma uKrestu, namandla oMoya oyiNgcwele, nokulungiselela kweengelosi.

18 Kwaye wathetha ngokucacileyo kubo, okokuba waye elahlekiswe ngamandla kamtyholi. Kwaye wathetha ngesihogo, nangephakade, nangesohlwayo sanaphakade.

19 Waza wathi: Ndinoloyiko hleze kuthi kanti ndenze esona sono singaxolelekiyo, kuba ndimxokisile uThixo; kuba ndikhanyele uKrestu, ndaza ndathi ndiyazikholelwa izibhalo; kwaye ngokwenene zingqina ngaye. Kwaye ngenxa yokokuba ndixoke ngolo hlobo kuThixo ndinoloyiko olukhulu hleze imo yam ibe yeyoyikekayo; kodwa ndiyavuma kuThixo.

20 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba akuba ewathethile la mazwi akazange abenakuthetha okunye, waza waphuma umoya.

21 Saza sakuba isihlwele sibonile okokuba uyazithetha ezi zinto njengokuba wayeza kuphuma umphefumlo, saye sakhwankqiswa ngokugqithisileyo; kangangokuba amandla kaThixo ehla phezu kwaso, saza soyisakala ngokude siwe emhlabeni.

22 Ngoku, oku kwandivuyisa mna, Yakobi, kuba ndandikucelile kuBawo wam owaye esemazulwini; kuba wayesivile isikhalo sam waza wawuphendula umthandazo wam.

23 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba uxolo nothando lukaThixo lwaye lwabuyiselwa kwakhona phakathi kwabantu; baza baziphengulula izibhalo, baza abaphinda baweve amazwi ale ndoda ikhohlakeleyo.

24 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba amacebo amaninzi aye ayilwa okokuba kubuyiselwe kwaye kuvuselelwe amaLeymenayithi kulwazi lwenyaniso; kodwa konke oko kwaba lilize, kuba babevuyiswa ziimfazwe nophalalogazi, kwaye babe nentiyo engunaphakade kuthi, bazalwana babo. Kwaye babezama ngokomelela kwezikhali zabo ukuba basitshabalalise ngawo onke amaxesha.

25 Ngako oko, abantu bakaNifayi baye bazikhusela kubo ngezikhali zabo, kwaye nangako konke ukomelela kwabo, bethembele kuThixo neliwa losindiso lwabo; ngako oko, baba okwakaloku nje, ngaboyisi beentshaba zabo.

26 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba mna, Yakobi, ndaqalisa ukuguga; yaza imbali yesi sizwe ekubeni igcinwe kwamanye amacwecwe kaNifayi, ngako oko, ndiyayigqibezela le mbali, ndivakalisa okokuba ndibhale ngokolona lulungileyo ulwazi lwam, ndigqibezele ngokuthi ixesha lidlule kunye nathi, kananjalo nobomi bethu budlule bangathi kuthi bebunjengephupha, ekubeni thina sisisizwe esingamalolo nesindilisekileyo, esingababhaduli, esikhutshelwe ngaphandle kweYerusalem, esizalelwe enkxwalekweni, kwintlango, kwaye sithiyiwe ngabantakwethu, into leyo eyenza iimfazwe neembambano; ngako oko, saye sabuphila ubude bobomi bethu elusizini.

27 Kwaye mna, Yakobi, ndabona okokuba kufuneka kwakamsinya ndehlele ezantsi engcwabeni lam; ngako oko, ndathi kunyana wam uEnoshe: Thabatha la macwecwe. Ndaza ndamxelela izinto awaye ndiyalele ngazo umntakwethu uNifayi, waza wathembisa ukuthobela iziyalo. Kwaye ndiyapheza ukubhala kwam phezu kwala macwecwe, ukubhala oko ebe kukuncinane; kwaye umfundi ndiyambulisa, asale kakuhle, ndinethemba lokokuba abaninzi babazalwana bam bangawafunda amazwi am. Bazalwana, salani kakuhle.