UDutheronomi 18
1 “Abaphristi abangabaLevi ngempela, isizwana sonke sabaLevi kabangabi lesabelo loba ilifa ndawonye labako-Israyeli. Bazaphila ngemihlatshelo yokudla enikelwa kuThixo, ngoba leli yilo ilifa labo.
Abapristi, amaLevi, isizwe sonke sakoLevi, kasiyikuba lesabelo lelifa kanye loIsrayeli; bazakudla iminikelo yeNkosi eyenziwe ngomlilo, lelifa layo.
2 Abayikuba lelifa phakathi kwabafowabo; uThixo uyilifa labo, njengokuthembisa kwakhe.
Ngakho kabayikuba lelifa phakathi kwabafowabo; iNkosi iyilifa labo, njengokukhuluma kwayo kibo.
3 Le yiyo ingxenye yabaphristi ezavela emihlatshelweni yabantu eyenkunzi loba eyemvu: umkhono, inhloko kanye lezangaphakathi.
Lalokhu kuzakuba lilungelo labapristi elivela ebantwini, kulabo abahlaba umhlatshelo, loba inkabi loba imvu; njalo bazanika umpristi umkhono lemihlathi yomibili lolusu.
4 Kufanele libaphe izithelo zakuqala zamabele enu, iwayini elitsha lamafutha, uboya bakuqala ekugundweni kwezimvu zenu,
Okokuqala kwamabele akho, yewayini lakho elitsha, leyamafutha akho, lengqabutho yoboya bezimvu zakho, uzamupha yona.
5 ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ubakhethile bona kanye lezizukulwane zabo phakathi kwazo zonke izizwana zenu ukuze kube yibo abazakwenza umsebenzi wokukhonza ebizweni likaThixo ngezikhathi zonke.
Ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho imkhethile kuzo zonke izizwe zakho, ukuthi eme akhonze ebizweni leNkosi, yena lamadodana akhe, zonke izinsuku.
6 Nxa umLevi angasuka kwelinye lamadolobho enu loba kungaphi kwelabako-Israyeli lapho abehlala khona, abeseziletha ngokuzimisela endaweni ezakhethwa nguThixo,
Uba-ke umLevi esiza evela loba kukuliphi lamasango akho kuIsrayeli wonke lapho ahlala khona njengowezizwe, eze ngesifiso sonke somphefumulo wakhe endaweni iNkosi ezayikhetha,
7 angenza umsebenzi wokukhonza ebizweni likaThixo uNkulunkulu wakhe njengabo bonke abafowabo abangabaLevi abasebenzela khonapho phambi kukaThixo.
khona ezakhonza ebizweni leNkosi uNkulunkulu wakhe njengabo bonke abafowabo amaLevi, emiyo khona phambi kweNkosi.
8 Uzakwabelana labanye bakhe ngokulinganayo kulokho abakuzuzayo, lanxa yena esezuze imali ekuthengisweni kwempahla yakwabo.”
Azakudla izabelo ezilinganayo, ngaphandle kwezinto zakhe ezathengiswayo zaboyise.
9 “Lapho selingena elizweni uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu alinika lona, lingabozifundisa ukulingisa izenzo ezinengekayo zezinye izizwe khonale.
Lapho usufikile elizweni iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekunika lona, ungafundi ukwenza ngokwezinengiso zalezozizwe.
10 Akungabi lamuntu phakathi kwenu ozakwenza umhlatshelo ngendodana yakhe loba indodakazi yakhe ngomlilo, kangabi ovumisayo loba ochasisa ngemibono, ochasisa imilingo njalo oyenza okuphathelane lobuthakathi,
Kakuyikutholakala phakathi kwakho owenza indodana yakhe lendodakazi yakhe idabule emlilweni, owenza ukuvumisa, ochasisa ngemibono, lowenza imilingo, lomthakathi,
11 ophosayo, loba isanuse loba isangoma loba obuza kwabafileyo.
lophosayo, lolamadlozi, lolumbayo, lobuza kwabafileyo.
12 Loba ngubani owenza lezizinto uyisinengiso kuThixo, kanti njalo ngenxa yezenzo lezi ezinengekayo uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu azazixotsha phambi kwenu lezizizwe.
Ngoba wonke owenza lezizinto uyisinengiso eNkosini. Langenxa yalezizinengiso iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho iyabaxotsha elifeni phambi kwakho.
13 Kumele libemsulwa phambi kukaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.”
Uzakuba ngopheleleyo eNkosini uNkulunkulu wakho.
14 “Izizwe elizazithathela ilizwe zilalela okwalabo abathakathayo labavumisayo. Kodwa lina, uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu kalivumeli ukukwenza lokho.
Ngoba izizwe lezi, ozakudla ilifa lazo, zalalela abachasisa ngemibono labavumisi; kodwa wena, iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho kayikuvumelanga okunjalo.
15 UThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uzalivusela umphrofethi phakathi kwabafowenu njengami. Libomlalela.
INkosi uNkulunkulu wakho izakuvusela uMprofethi ophuma phakathi kwakho kubafowenu onjengami; yena limlalele.
16 Lokhu yikho elakucela kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu eHorebhi mhla wosuku lokuhlangana lapho elathi, ‘Asingalizwa ilizwi likaThixo uNkulunkulu wethu njalo singaboni umlilo omkhulu futhi, ngoba singafa.’
Njengakho konke owakucelayo eNkosini uNkulunkulu wakho eHorebe ngosuku lokuhlangana, usithi: Kangingaphindi ngilizwe ilizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu wami, ngingabe ngisawubona lumlilo omkhulu, ukuze ngingafi.
17 UThixo wathi kimi: ‘Lokho abakutshoyo kuhle.
INkosi yasisithi kimi: Benze kuhle kwabakukhulumileyo.
18 Ngizabavezela umphrofethi onjengawe phakathi kwabafowabo; ngizamfunza amazwi ami, yena nguye ozabatshela konke engizamlaya ngakho.
Ngizabavusela uMprofethi ophuma phakathi kwabafowabo onjengawe; ngizabeka amazwi ami emlonyeni wakhe, njalo akhulume kibo konke engizamlaya khona.
19 Nxa loba ngubani ongayikulalela amazwi ami azakhulunywa ngumphrofethi ngebizo lami, mina ngokwami yimi engizamelana laye.
Kuzakuthi-ke loba ngubani ongayikulalela amazwi ami azawakhuluma ebizweni lami, ngizakubuza kuye.
20 Kodwa-ke umphrofethi ozenza okhuluma amazwi ami wona kungesiwo engimlaye ngawo ukuba awatsho, loba umphrofethi okhuluma ngebizo labanye onkulunkulu, kumele abulawe.’
Kodwa umprofethi oziqhenya ekhuluma ilizwi ebizweni lami engingamlayanga ukulikhuluma, loba ekhuluma ebizweni labanye onkulunkulu, lowomprofethi uzakufa.
21 Lingazitshela lokhu lithi, ‘Singakwazi njani ukuthi lelilizwi kaliveli kuThixo na?’
Njalo uba usithi enhliziyweni yakho: Sizakwazi njani ilizwi iNkosi engalikhulumanga?
22 Nxa lokho okumenyezelwa ngumphrofethi ngebizo likaThixo kungenzakali loba kungagcwaliseki, lokho kuyilizwi eliyabe lingaveli kuThixo. Lowo mphrofethi uyabe ekhuluma ize. Lingamesabi.”
Lapho umprofethi ekhuluma ebizweni leNkosi, uba leyonto ingenzeki kumbe ingafiki, lelo yilizwi iNkosi engalikhulumanga; umprofethi ulikhulume ngokuziqhenya; ungamesabi.
