1 Kwaye ngoku, kwenzekile okokuba emva kokuba ukumkani uMozaya efumene uxolo rhoqo kangangeminyaka emithathu, waye wanqwenela ukuba abe nolwazi ngokunxulumene nabantu ababeye kuhlala kwilizwe lamaLihayi-Nifayi, okanye isixeko samaLihayi-Nifayi; kuba abantu bakhe bebengeva nto ngabo ukususela ngelixa abalishiyayo ilizwe laseZarahemla; ke ngoko, babemdinile ngokusoloko bemkhathaza.

2 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba ukumkani uMozaya waxhinela ukuba amadoda alishumi elinesithandathu abo awomeleleyo abe nokunyuka aye kwilizwe lamaLihayi-Nifayi, ukuya kubuzisa ngokunxulumene nabazalwana babo.

3 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba ngengomso baqalisa ukwenyuka, banaye phakathi kwabo omnye onguAmon, yena eyindoda eyomeleleyo kwaye enamandlakazi, kwaye eyinzalelwana yaseZarahemla; kwaye waye eyinkokeli yabo kanjalo.

4 Kwaye ngoku, babengayazi indlela ababemele ukuhamba ngayo entlango ukunyukela kwilizwe lamaLihayi-Nifayi; ke ngoko babhadula iintsuku ezininzi entlango, kangangokuba babhadula iintsuku ezingamashumi amane.

5 Kwaye emva kokuba bebhadule iintsuku ezingamashumi amane bafika endulini, esemantla elizwe laseShayilom, baza apho bagxumeka iintente zabo.

6 Kwaye uAmon wathabatha abathathu kubazalwana bakhe, kwaye amagama abo aye engoo Amalekayi, Helem, noHem, kwaye behla baya kulo ilizwe likaNifayi.

7 Kwaye qaphelani, baye bahlangana nokumkani wabantu ababekulo ilizwe likaNifayi, kwaye nelizwe likaShayilom; kwaye baye barhangqwa ngabalindi bakakumkani, baza bathatyathwa, baza babotshelelwa, baza bafakwa entolongweni.

8 Kwaye kwenzekile xa babesentolongweni iintsuku ezimbini baya baziswa phambi kokumkani kwakhona, kwaye amakhamandela abo aye akhululwa; baza bema phambi kokumkani, baza bavunyelwa, okanye ngenye indlela bayalelwa, ukuba baphendule imibuzo awaye eza kuyibuza kubo.

9 Kwaye wathi kubo: Qaphelani, mna ndinguLimhayi, unyana kaNowa, owaye engunyana kaZenif, owenyukayo waphuma kulo ilizwe laseZarahemla ukuza kufumana njengelifa eli lizwe, elaye lililizwe looyise, owayenziwe ukumkani ngelizwi labantu.

10 Kwaye ngoku, ndinqwenela ukwazi imbangi yokuba ningabi naloyiko lokusondela kuzo iindonga zesixeko, xa mna, ngokwam, ndandinabalindi bam ngaphandle kwesango?

11 Kwaye ngoku, kungesi sizathu ukuba ndinivumele ukuba nisindiswe, ukuze ndibe nokuqonda kuni, okanye ndinge ndenza ukuba abalindi bam banibulale. Nivumelekile ke ukuba nithethe.

12 Kwaye ngoku, uAmon akubona ukuba uvumelekile ukuba athethe, waya phambili waza waqubuda phambi kokumkani; kwaye ephakamile kwakhona wathi: Owu kumkani, ndinombulelo omkhulu phambi koThixo ngalo mhla wokuba ndisaphila, kwaye ndivumelekile ukuba ndithethe; kwaye ndiza kuzama ukuba ndithethe ngokungenaloyiko;

13 Kuba ndiqinisekile okokuba ukuba ubundazile unge ungandiyekelanga ukuba ndifakwe la makhamandela. Kuba ndinguAmon, kwaye ndiyinzalelwana yaseZarahemla, kwaye ndinyukile ndaphuma kulo ilizwe laseZarahemla ukuza kuqonda ngokunxulumene nabazalwana bethu, awathi uZenif wabazisa benyuka baphuma kulo ilizwe.

14 Kwaye ngoku, kwenzekile okokuba emva kokuba uLimhayi ewavile amazwi ka-Amon, waba novuyo olugqithisileyo, waza wathi: Ngoku, ndiyazi ngokuqinisekileyo okokuba abazalwana bam ababekulo ilizwe laseZarahemla basaphila. Kwaye ngoku, ndiza kugcoba; kwaye ngengomso ndiya kwenza ukuba abantu bam bagcobe kanjalo.

15 Kuba qaphelani, sisebukhobokeni kumaLeymenayithi, kwaye siyarhafiswa ngeerhafu ezibuhlungu ukuba singazithwala. Kwaye ngoku, qaphelani, abazalwana bethu baza kusikhulula siphume ebukhobokeni, okanye siphume ezandleni zamaLeymenayithi, kwaye siya kuba ngamakhoboka abo; kuba kulungile ukuba sibe ngamakhoboka kumaNifayithi kunokuba sihlawule irhafu kukumkani wamaLeymenayithi.

16 Kwaye ngoku, ukumkani uLimhayi wayalela abalindi bakhe ukuba bangabe baphinde bambophelele uAmon okanye abazalwana bakhe, kodwa nangenxa yokuba kwakufuneka baye entabeni eyaye isemantla ayo iShayilom, kwaye babazise abazalwana babo esixekweni, ukuze ngaloo ndlela babe nokufumana ukutya, kwaye basele, kwaye baziphumze ebunzimeni bohambo lwabo; kuba babenyamezele izinto ezininzi; babenyamezele indlala, unxano, nokudinwa.

17 Kwaye ngoku, kwenzekile ngengomso ukuba ukumkani uLimhayi wathumela isibhengezo phakathi kwabantu bakhe, ukuze ngaso babe nokuhlanganisana kunye etempileni, ukuze beve amazwi awayeza kuwathetha kubo.

18 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba bakuba behlanganisene kunye waye wathetha nabo ngolu hlobo, esithi: Owu nina, bantu bam, ziphakamiseni iintloko zenu kwaye nithuthuzeleke; kuba qaphelani, ilixa selikufuphi, okanye alimgama mde, lokuba singayi kube siphinde sibe phantsi kwempatho yeentshaba zethu, nangona sineenzima ezininzi, ebe zililize; kodwa ndinethemba lokokuba kusekho inzima eya kusebenza ekufuneka siyenzile.

19 Ke ngoko, ziphakamiseni iintloko zenu, kwaye nigcobe, kwaye nibeke ithemba lenu kuThixo, kuloo Thixo owaye enguThixo ka-Abraham, noIsake, noYakobi; kananjalo, loo Thixo owazisa abantwana bakaSirayeli ebakhupha kulo ilizwe laseYiputa, kwaye wenza ukuba babe nokuhamba banqumle uLwandle oluBomvu emhlabeni owomileyo, kwaye wabondla ngemana ukuze bangabi nakufa entlango; kwaye nezinye izinto ezininzi awabenzela zona.

20 Kwaye kwakhona, kwayena looThixo wabazisa oobawo bethu ebakhupha kulo ilizwe laseYerusalem, kwaye ubagcinile kwaye wabalondoloza abantu bakhe kwade kwaba ngoku; kwaye qaphelani, kungenxa yobugwenxa namasikizi ethu ukuba asizise ebukhobokeni.

21 Kwaye nina nonke ningamangqina ngalo mhla, ukuba uZenif, owaye enziwe ukumkani phezu kwaba bantu, yena ke wabe ekungxamele ngokungaphezulu ukulifumana njengelifa ilizwe looyise bakhe, ke ngoko elahlekiswe ngobuqhinga nobuqhetseba bukakumkani uLeymeni, owathi ekubeni engena kwisivumelwano nokumkani uZenif, kwaye ekubeni enikezele ezandleni zakhe ngolawulo oluyinxenye yelizwe, okanye kwanaso isixeko samaLihayi-Nifayi, nesixeko saseShayilom; nomhlaba orhangqileyo—

22 Kwaye konke oku wakwenza, ngesizathu esisodwa sokuzisa aba bantu phantsi okwempatho yakhe okanye ebukhobokeni. Kwaye qaphelani, thina ngalo eli lixa sihlawula irhafu kuye ukumkani wamaLeymenayithi, isixa esi sisiqingatha sombona wethu, nerhasi yethu, kwaye nazo zonke iinkozo zethu zazo zonke iindidi, nesiqingatha sengeniso yempahla emfutshane yethu nemihlambi neenkomo zethu; kwa nesiqingatha sako konke okwethu okanye esinako asinyanzelisa ukumkani wamaLeymenayithi ukuba simnike kona okanye ubomi bethu.

23 Kwaye ngoku, ingaba oku akubuhlungwanga na ukukunyamezela? Kwaye oku akuyiyo na imbandezelo yethu, enkulu? Ngoku qaphelani, ukuba sikhulu kwesizathu sokuba sibe lusizi.

24 Ewe, ndithi kuni, zikhulu izizathu esinazo zokuba sibe lusizi; kuba qaphelani bangaphi na abazalwana bethu ababuleweyo, negazi labo liphalalele ilize, kwaye konke kungenxa yobugwenxa.

25 Kuba ukuba aba bantu babengawelanga ekoneni iNkosi inge ingasiyekelanga ukuba obububi bukhulu buze phezu kwabo. Kodwa qaphelani, babengawaphulaphuli amazwi akhe; kodwa kwasuka kwavuka iimbambano phakathi kwabo, kangangokuba bade baphalaza igazi ngaphakathi kwabo.

26 Kwaye bambulele umprofeti weNkosi; ewe, indoda enyuliweyo kaThixo, eyabaxelela ngenkohlakalo namasikizi abo, kwaye waprofetha nangezinto ezininzi ezisezayo, ewe, kwa nokuza kukaKrestu.

27 Kwaye ngenxa yokokuba wathi kubo uKrestu waye enguThixo, uYise wazo zonke izinto, kwaye wathi uya kuthabathela kuye imfano yomntu, kwaye iya kuba yimfano enjengaleyo umntu wadalwa ngayo ekuqalekeni; okanye ngamanye amazwi, wathi umntu wadalwa ngemfano kaThixo, kwaye nokokuba uThixo uya kuhla eze phakathi kwabantwana babantu, kwaye athabathele kuye umzimba wenyama negazi, kwaye aye phambili phezu kobuso bomhlaba—

28 Kwaye ngoku, ngenxa yokuba wathetha oku, baye bambulala; kwaye zininzi nezinye izinto abazenzayo ezabazisela ingqumbo kaThixo phezu kwabo. Ke ngoko, ngubani omangaliswayo ukuba babe sebukhobokeni, nokokuba babethwa ngeembandezelo ezibuhlungu?

29 Kuba qaphelani, iNkosi ithe: Andiyi kubanika ncedo abantu bam ngomhla wokona kwabo; kodwa ndiya kuzibiyela iindlela zabo ukuze bangaphumeleli; nezenzo zabo ziya kuba njengesikhubekiso phambi kwabo.

30 Kwaye kwakhona, uthi: Ukuba abantu bam baya kuhlwayela ubunyhuku-nyhuku baya kuvuna umququ wabo esaqhwithini; kwaye isiphumo soko yityhefu.

31 Kwaye kwakhona uthi: Ukuba abantu bam baya kuhlwayela ubunyhuku-nyhuku baya kuvuna umoya wasempuma, ozisa intshabalalo ekhawulezileyo.

32 Kwaye ngoku, qaphelani, isithembiso seNkosi sizalisekile, kwaye niyabethwa kwaye nibandezeleka.

33 Kodwa ukuba niya kuguqukela eNkosini ngenjongo epheleleyo yentliziyo, kwaye nibeke ithemba lenu kuyo, kwaye nimsebenzele ngenkuthalo yonke yengqondo, ukuba niya kwenza oku, uya kunikhupha, ngokwentando yakhe nolonwabo, niphume ebukhobokeni.