Hebrews 12
1 Seeing, therefore, that there is on every side of us such a throng of witnesses, let us also lay aside everything that hinders us, and the sin that clings about us, and run with patient endurance the race that lies before us,
Ngakho-ke lathi sigonjolozelwe liyezi elikhulu kangaka labafakazi, asilahle konke okusindayo lesono esisithandele lula, asigijime ngokubekezela umjaho esiwumiselweyo,
2 our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfect example of our faith, who, for the joy that lay before him, endured the cross, heedless of its shame, and now “has taken his seat at the right hand” of the throne of God.
sikhangele kuJesu umqalisi lomphelelisi wokholo lwethu, owathi ngenxa yentokozo ayimiselweyo, waqinisela esiphambanweni, edelela ihlazo, wahlala ngakwesokunene sesihlalo sobukhosi sikaNkulunkulu.
3 Weigh well the example of him who had to endure such opposition from “people who were sinning against themselves,” so that you should not grow weary or faint-hearted.
Ngakho mqapheliseni yena owaqinisela kuyo impikisano engaka lezoni emelane laye, ukuze lingadinwa, liphelelwe ngamandla emiphefumulweni yenu.
4 You have not yet, in your struggle with sin, resisted to the death;
Kalikamelani lakho kuze kube segazini lisilwa lesono;
5 and you have forgotten the encouraging words which are addressed to you as God’s children – “My child, think not lightly of the Lord’s discipline, do not despond when he rebukes you;
njalo selikhohliwe inkuthazo, ekhuluma kini njengemadodaneni eyokuthi: Ndodana yami, ungadeleli ukulaya kweNkosi, njalo ungapheli amandla, nxa usolwa yiyo;
6 For it is him whom he loves that he disciplines, and he chastises every child whom he acknowledges.”
ngoba iNkosi iyalaya emthandayo; njalo itshaye ngesiswepu yonke indodana eyemukelayo.
7 It is for your discipline that you have to endure all this. God is dealing with you as his children. For where is there a child whom his father does not discipline?
Uba likhuthazela ekulayweni, uNkulunkulu uyaliphatha njengamadodana; ngoba yiyiphi indodana uyise angayilayiyo?
8 If you are left without that discipline, in which all children share, it shows that you are bastards, and not true children.
Kodwa uba lingelakulaywa, okuthi bonke bangabahlanganyeli bakho, ngakho lingabokufetshwa njalo kalisiwo amadodana.
9 Further, when our earthly fathers disciplined us, we respected them. Should we not, then, much rather yield submission to the Father of souls, and live?
Futhi-ke sasilabo obaba benyama yethu abasilayayo njalo sabahlonipha; pho, kasiyikuzehlisela ngaphansi kukaYise wemimoya kakhulu kulalokho, siphile?
10 Our fathers disciplined us for only a short time and as seemed best to them; but God disciplines us for our true good, to enable us to share his holiness.
Ngoba bona kambe basilaya okwensuku ezinlutshwana, njengokubona kwabo; kodwa yena kube yikusizakala kwethu, ukuze sihlanganyele ubungcwele bakhe.
11 No discipline is pleasant at the time; on the contrary, it is painful. But afterwards its fruit is seen in the peacefulness of a righteous life which is the lot of those who have been trained under it.
Lakho konke ukulaywa okukhona kakubonakali angathi ngokwentokozo, kodwa ngokosizi; emva kwalokho-ke kuyabalethela isithelo sokuthula sokulunga abaqeqetshwa ngakho.
12 Therefore “lift again the down-dropped hands and straighten the weakened knees;
Ngakho qinisani izandla ezibuthakathaka lamadolo axegayo;
13 make straight paths for your feet,” so that the lame limb may not be put out of joint, but rather be cured.
njalo lenzele inyawo zenu indlela eziqondileyo, ukuze okuqhulayo kungenyeli, kodwa kulalokho kusiliswe.
14 Try earnestly to live at peace with everyone, and to attain to that purity without which no one will see the Lord.
Nxwanelani ukuthula labo bonke, lobungcwele, ngaphandle kwalokho kakulamuntu ozayibona iNkosi;
15 Take care that no one fails to use the loving help of God, “that no bitterness is allowed to take root and spring up, and cause trouble,” and so poison the whole community.
liqaphelisa ukuze kungabi khona osilelayo emuseni kaNkulunkulu; kungamili lampande yokubaba ikhathaze, njalo ngayo abanengi bangcoliswe;
16 Take care that no one becomes immoral, or irreligious like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.
kakungabi lamuntu oyisifebe kumbe ongakhonzi uNkulunkulu, njengoEsawu, owathengisa ubuzibulo bakhe ngokudla okukodwa.
17 For you know that even afterwards, when he wished to claim his father’s blessing, he was rejected – for he never found an opportunity to repair his error – though he begged for the blessing with tears.
Ngoba liyazi ukuthi lemva kwalokho, esethanda ukudla ilifa lesibusiso, waliwa; ngoba kayitholanga indawo yokuphenduka, lanxa wayidingisisa ngezinyembezi.
18 It is not to tangible “flaming fire” that you have drawn near, nor to “gloom, and darkness, and storm,
Ngoba kalizanga entabeni engathintwa, lemlilweni ovuthayo, lekufiphaleni, lemnyameni, lesivunguvungwini,
19 and the blast of a trumpet, and an audible voice.” Those who heard that voice entreated that they might hear no more,
lekukhaleni kophondo, lelizwini lamazwi, okwathi labo abezwayo bancenga ukuthi kungabe kusakhulunywa ilizwi kubo;
20 for they could not bear to think of the command – “If even an animal touches the mountain, it is to be stoned to death;”
ngoba babengelakukumela lokho okwalaywayo ukuthi: Ngitsho lenyamazana uba ithinta intaba, izakhandwa ngamatshe, kumbe itshokwe ngomtshoko;
21 and so fearful was the sight that Moses said – “I tremble with fear.”
njalo, kwakusesabeka kangaka lokho okwabonwayo, uMozisi wathi: Ngilovalo, ngiyathuthumela.
22 No, but it is to Mount Zion that you have drawn near, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to countless hosts of angels,
Kodwa lize entabeni iSiyoni, lemzini kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, eJerusalema yasezulwini, lakuzigidi zengilosi ezingelakubalwa,
23 to the festal gathering and assemblage of God’s firstborn whose names are enrolled in heaven, to God the judge of all people, to the spirits of the righteous who have attained perfection,
lemhlanganweni omkhulu lebandleni lamazibulo abhalwe emazulwini, lakuNkulunkulu umahluleli wabo bonke, lakumimoya yabalungileyo abaphelelisiweyo,
24 to Jesus, the intermediary of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that tells of better things than the blood of Abel.
lakuJesu umlamuli wesivumelwano esitsha, legazini lokufafaza elikhuluma izinto ezingcono kulelikaAbela.
25 Beware how you refuse to hear him who is speaking. For, if the Israelites did not escape punishment, when they refused to listen to him who taught them on earth the divine will, far worse will it be for us, if we turn away from him who is teaching us from heaven.
Qaphelani ukuthi lingamali okhulumayo. Ngoba uba bengaphephanga labo abala lowo owakhuluma okuvela kuNkulunkulu emhlabeni, kakhulu kangakanani thina esimfulathelayo lowo okhuluma evela emazulwini;
26 Then his voice shook the earth, but now his declaration is – “Still once more I will cause not only the earth to tremble, but also the heavens.”
olizwi lakhe ngalesosikhathi lanyikinya umhlaba, kodwa khathesi uthembisile, wathi: Ngizaphinda kanye ukunyikinya kungeyisiwo umhlaba wodwa, kodwa lezulu.
27 And those words “still once more” indicate the passing away of all that is shaken – that is, of all created things – in order that only what is unshaken may remain.
Lalokhu ukuthi: Ngizaphinda kanye, kutshengisa ukususwa kwezinto ezinyikinywayo, kungathi ezenziweyo, ukuze kusale izinto ezinganyikinywayo.
28 Therefore, let us, who have received a kingdom that cannot be shaken, be thankful, and so offer acceptable worship to God, with awe and the deepest respect.
Ngakho njengoba sisemukela umbuso ongelakunyikinyekiswa, asibe lomusa esingamkhonza uNkulunkulu ngawo ngokwemukelekayo kanye lokuthobeka lokwesaba uNkulunkulu;
29 For our God is “a consuming fire.”
ngoba-ke uNkulunkulu wethu ungumlilo oqothulayo.
