< UDutheronomi 12 >
1 “Lezi yizo izimiso lemilayo okumele likugcine ngonanzelelo elizweni uThixo uNkulunkulu wabokhokho benu alinika lona ukuba libe ngelenu nxa lilokhu lisahlala kulelolizwe.
2 Dilizani ngokupheleleyo zonke izindawo izizwe elizinqobayo ezazikhonzela onkulunkulu bazo khona, ezintabeni eziphakemeyo lasemaqaqeni kanye langaphansi kwezihlahla ezinabileyo.
3 Dilizani ama-alithare ezizwe, libhidlize amatshe abawakhonzayo litshise izinsika zika-Ashera emlilweni, dilizelani phansi izithombe zabo lihle lichithe licitshe amabizo abo kulezondawo.
4 Lingalandeli izindlela zabo zokukhonza uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.
5 Kodwa lizadinga indawo uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu azayikhetha phakathi kwazo zonke izizwana zenu, ukuze abeke iBizo lakhe lapho, ahlale khona. Kumele liye kuleyondawo;
6 khonapho lilethe iminikelo yenu yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo, lokwetshumi kwenu lezipho zenu eziqakathekileyo, lokho elifunge ukukunikela kanye leminikelo yenu yokuzithandela, amazibulo emihlambi yenu yenkomo leyezimvu.
7 Khonapho, phambi kukaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, lina kanye labantwabenu lizakudla njalo lijabule ngakho konke elike labeka izandla zenu kukho, ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ulibusisile.
8 Lingabokwenza njengalokhu esikwenza lamuhla, ngamunye esenza njengokuthanda kwakhe,
9 ngoba alikangeni endaweni yokuphumula kanye lelifeni uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona.
10 Kodwa lizachapha uJodani liyekwakha lihlale elizweni uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona ukuba libe yilifa lenu, njalo uzaliphumuza ezitheni zenu elakhelene lazo ukuze lihlale livikelekile.
11 Okumayelana lendawo uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu azayikhetha ibe likhaya leBizo lakhe, kulapho elizaletha konke engililaya ngakho: iminikelo yenu yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo, okwetshumi kwenu lezipho zenu eziqakathekileyo, kanye lazozonke impahla elikhethe ukufunga ngazo kuThixo.
12 Khona lapho lijabule phambi kukaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, lina, amadodana lamadodakazi enu, izinceku lezincekukazi zenu, kanye labaLevi abavela emadolobheni enu, abangelasabelo loba ilifa abaliphiwayo libe ngelabo.
13 Limukani linganikeleli iminikelo yenu yokutshiswa ingqe kungaphi elithanda khona.
14 Nikelelani kuphela endaweni uThixo azayikhetha phakathi kwezizwana zenu kuthi selilapho linanzelele konke engililaya ngakho.
15 Ngalokho-ke, selilakho ukuhlaba izifuyo zenu lizibulale njengalokhu okwenziwayo emadolobheni enu njalo lidle yonke leyonyama elifisa ukuyidla, kungani lithaka loba imbabala, kusiya ngesibusiso leso lowo lalowo ayabe ebusiswe ngaso nguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu. Bonke labangahlanzekanga labahlanzekileyo ngokomkhuba bavunyelwe ukuyidla.
16 Kodwa lingadli igazi lazo; lilahleni kungathi lichitha amanzi phansi.
17 Lingakudli emadolobheni enu okwetshumi kwamabele enu kanye lokwewayini elitsha lamafutha, loba amazibulo emihlambi yezifuyo zenu, lakho konke eselifunge lathembisa ukuba lizanikela ngakho, leminikelo yenu yokuzithandela loba izipho eziqakathekileyo.
18 Kodwa kumele likudle phambi kukaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu endaweni ezakhethwa nguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, lina, amadodana lamadodakazi enu, izinceku lezincekukazi zenu, kanye labaLevi abavela emadolobheni enu, lina labo lizajabula phambi kukaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ngakho konke elikuphatha ngezandla zenu.
19 Linanzelele lingalibali beselikhohlwa abaLevi nxa lilokhu lisahlala elizweni lenu.
20 Nxa uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu eseqhelisile ilizwe lenu njengokulethembisa kwakhe, libe seliloyisa ukudla inyama lithi, ‘Ngifisa ukudla inyama,’ kulapho elizakudla khona lize lifike lapho elithanda khona.
21 Nxa indawo leyo lapho uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu akhetha ukubeka iBizo lakhe ikhatshana kakhulu lani, lingahlaba emihlambini yezifuyo leyezimvu njengokuyiphiwa kwenu nguThixo, njengoba ngililayile, kuthi emadolobheni enu lizidle lezozifuyo njengokuthanda kwenu.
22 Lidle kungathi lidla ithaka lembabala. Bonke abangahlanzekanga ngokomkhuba labahlanzekileyo bangadla.
23 Kodwa linanzelele lingadli igazi, ngoba igazi yiyo impilo ngakho akufanelanga ukuthi lidle impilo lenyama.
24 Lingabokudla igazi; lichitheleni emhlabathini kungathi lilahla amanzi.
25 Lingadli, ukuze kulihambele kuhle lina kanye labantwabenu abezayo, ngoba lizabe lenze okuhle emehlweni kaThixo.
26 Kodwa thathani lokho okugcotshiweyo lalokho elifunge ukukunikela lisuke liye endaweni ezakhethwa nguThixo.
27 Lethani iminikelo yenu yokutshiswa e-alithareni likaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, konke inyama kanye legazi. Igazi leminikelo yenu lilichithele phansi kwe-alithari likaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu, kodwa lingadla inyama yakhona.
28 Linanzelele lilandele iziqondiso zonke engilinika zona, ukuze kulihambele kuhle lina kanye labantwabenu abezayo ngemva kwenu, ngoba lizabe lenze okuhle njalo kulungile emehlweni kaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.
29 UThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uzazichitha phambi kwenu zonke izizwe okufanele lizihlasele libe selizemuka okungokwazo. Kodwa nxa selizinqobile lazichitha selihlezi elizweni lazo,
30 njalo nxa sezichithiwe phambi kwenu, liqaphele lingahugeki ngokubuza ngabonkulunkulu bazo lisithi, ‘Kanti zona lezizizwe zibakhonza njani onkulunkulu bazo? Lathi sizakwenza okufananayo.’
31 Lingabokhonza uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ngendlela abakhonza ngayo, ngoba ekukhonzeni kwabo onkulunkulu babo, benza konke okunengisayo okungasoze kwamukeleke kuThixo. Baya baze batshise amadodana lamadodakazi abo emlilweni bethi bayanikela kubonkulunkulu babo.
32 Nanzelelani ukuthi lenza lokho engililaya ngakho, lingengezeleli loba liphungule kulokho.”