UDutheronomi 9

1 “Zwana, We Israyeli. Khathesi ususiyachapha iJodani ukuze ungene uyethathela izizwe ezinkulu ezilamandla kulawe, ezilamadolobho amakhulu alemiduli etshaya emkhathini.

Hear O Israel! thou art passing, to-day, over the Jordan, to go in to dispossess nations, greater and stronger than thou, —cities great and fortified into the heavens;

2 Abantu bakhona balamandla njalo bade, ngama-Anakhi. Liyakwazi konke ngabo njalo selike layizwa indumela yabo yokuthi: ‘Ngubani ongamelana lama-Anakhi?’

a people great and tall, the sons of Anakim, —whom, thou, knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the sons of Anak?

3 Kodwa qinisekani lamuhla ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu nguye ozachapha phambi kwenu njengomlilo otshisa ubhuqe. UThixo uzababhubhisa; uzabanyathela phambi kwenu. Lizabaxotsha libabhubhise masinyane, njengokuthembisa kukaThixo.

So then, thou must consider to-day, that Yahweh thy God, he it is that is passing over before thee as a consuming fire, he, will destroy them, and, he, will cause them to bow down before thee, —so shalt thou dispossess them, and destroy them speedily, as Yahweh hath spoken unto thee.

4 Ngemva kokuba uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu esebanqobile phambi kwenu, lingabozikhohlisa lisithi, ‘UThixo ungilethe lapha ukuba ngilithathe libe ngelami lelilizwe ngenxa yokulunga kwami.’ Akunjalo, kungenxa yezono zalezizizwe okuzakwenza ukuthi uThixo azisuse phambi kwakho.

Do not speak in thy heart, when Yahweh thy God casteth them out from before thee saying, For mine own righteousness, hath Yahweh brought me in, to possess this land, —whereas it is for the lawlessness of these nations, that, Yahweh, is dispossessing them from before thee.

5 Akusikho ukuthi kungenxa yokulunga kwakho loba ukuziphatha ngobuntu bakho okuzakwenza ungene kulelolizwe ulithathe; kodwa kungenxa yezono zalezozizwe, uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho uzazixotsha phambi kwakho lezizizwe ukuze kugcwaliseke isifungo uThixo wakho asenza kuboyihlo, u-Abhrahama, u-Isaka kanye loJakhobe.

Not for thine own righteousness, nor for the uprightness of thine own heart, art thou going in to possess their land, —but for the lawlessness of these nations, is, Yahweh thy God driving them out from before thee, and that he may establish the word which Yahweh sware unto thy fathers, unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob.

6 Zwisisa manje, ukuthi akungenxa yokulunga kwakho ukuthi uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho ukunika lelilizwe ukuba libe ngelakho, ngoba lina simo senu lingontamozilukhuni.”

So then, thou must consider that, not for thine own righteousness, is Yahweh thy God giving unto thee this good land to possess it, —for a stiff-necked people, thou art.

7 “Khumbulani lokhu njalo lingakhohlwa ukuthi lamthukuthelisa njani uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu enkangala waze wazonda. Kusukela ngosuku elasuka ngalo eGibhithe lize lizofika lapha, belilokhu lihlamukela uThixo.

Remember—do not forget, how thou didst provoke Yahweh thy God, in the desert, —yea from the day when thou camest forth out of the and of Egypt until ye entered as far as this place, have ye been quarrelling, with Yahweh.

8 EHorebhi lavusa ulaka lukaThixo ngalokho wazonda okokuthi wayezalibhubhisa.

Even in Horeb, ye provoked Yahweh to wrath, —so that Yahweh showed himself angry with you to destroy you.

9 Kwathi ekukhweleni kwami intaba ngisiyakwamukela izibhebhedu zamatshe, izibhebhedu zesivumelwano uThixo asenza lani, ngahlala entabeni okwensuku ezingamatshumi amane lobusuku obungamatshumi amane; angidlanga sinkwa njalo angizange nginathe amanzi.

When I went up into the mountain to receive the tables of stone—the tables of the covenant, which Yahweh had solemnised with you, then abode I in the mountain forty days and forty nights, food, did I not, eat, and water, did I not drink.

10 UThixo wanginika izibhebhedu zamatshe ezimbili okwakulotshwe kuzo ngomunwe kaNkulunkulu. Kulezizibhebhedu kwakulotshwe yonke imilayo eyayethulwe nguThixo kini phezu kwentaba ephakathi komlilo, ngosuku lombuthano.

Then did Yahweh deliver unto me the two tables of stone, written with the finger of God, —and [there was] upon them, according to all the words which Yahweh had spoken with you in the mountain out of the midst of the fire in the day of the convocation.

11 Ekupheleni kwensuku ezingamatshumi amane njalo lobusuku obungamatshumi amane, uThixo wangipha izibhebhedu zamatshe ezimbili, izibhebhedu zesivumelwano.

So then it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that Yahweh gave unto me the two tables of stone the tables of the covenant.

12 UThixo wangitshela wathi, ‘Suka lapha wehle ngokuphangisa, ngoba abantu bakho owabakhupha eGibhithe sebexhwalile. Sebephambukile masinyane kulokho engangibalaye ngakho njalo sebezibumbele isithombe.’

Then said Yahweh unto me—Up! get down quickly out of this mountain, for thy people whom thou hast brought forth out of Egypt, have broken faith, —they have turned aside quickly, out of the way which I commanded them, —they have made them a molten image.

13 UThixo wathi kimi, ‘Sengibabonile lababantu, njalo bangontamozilukhuni ngeqiniso!

And Yahweh spake unto me saying, —I have looked on this people, and lo! a stiff-necked people, it is.

14 Ngiyekela ukuze ngibabhubhise njalo ngesule amabizo abo ngaphansi kwamazulu. Njalo ngizakwenza ube yisizwe esilamandla futhi esikhulu kulesabo.’

Let me alone, that I may destroy them, and wipe out their name from under the heavens, —and make thee into a nation stronger and more in number than they.

15 Ngasengiphenduka ngehla entabeni yona ivutha ilangabi lomlilo. Kanti njalo izibhebhedu zombili zesivumelwano zazisezandleni zami.

So I turned, and came down out of the mountain, now the mountain was burning with fire, —and the two tables of the covenant were upon my two hands.

16 Ngathi ngiyakhangela ngabona ukuthi lonile phambi kukaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu; laselizibumbele isithombe esibunjwe ngesimo sethole. Laseliphambukile masinyane lasuka endleleni uThixo ayelilaye ngayo.

Then looked I, and lo! ye had sinned against Yahweh your God, ye had made you a molten calf, —ye had turned aside quickly, out of the way which Yahweh had commanded you.

17 Ngalokho ngathatha izibhebhedu zombili ezazisezandleni zami ngazisakazela phansi, zaphahlazeka zaba yizicucu phambi kwenu.

So I seized the two tables, and cast them from off my two hands, —and brake them in pieces before your eyes.

18 Kanti-ke njalo ngazilahla ngawa phambi kukaThixo okwensuku ezingamatshumi amane njalo lobusuku obungamatshumi amane; angidlanga sinkwa njalo angizange nginathe amanzi, ngenxa yezono zonke elaselizidalile, lisenza okubi emehlweni kaThixo njalo lamthukuthelisa waze wazonda.

Then lay I prostrate before Yahweh as at the first, forty days and forty nights, food, did I not eat, and water, did I not drink, —because of all your sin which ye had sinned, in doing the thing that was wicked, in the eyes of Yahweh. to provoke him to anger.

19 Ngesaba intukuthelo lolaka lukaThixo, ngoba wayezonde kangangokuba wayengalibhubhisa. Kodwa-ke futhi uThixo wangilalela.

For I shrank with fear from the face of the anger and the hot displeasure, wherewith Yahweh was provoked against you to destroy you, —but Yahweh hearkened unto me, even at that time.

20 UThixo wamthukuthelela u-Aroni kangangokuba wayengamtshabalalisa, kodwa-ke ngalesosikhathi laye u-Aroni ngamkhulekela.

And with Aaron, did Yahweh show himself exceedingly angry, to destroy him, —so I prostrated myself, even in behalf of Aaron at that time.

21 Ngabuye ngathatha into yokona kwenu, ithole leli elalilibumbile, ngalitshisa emlilweni. Ngasengilichoboza njalo ngalichola laba yimpuphu ecoleke njengothuli ngaluhaza esifuleni esigeleza entabeni.

And your sin which ye had made even the calf, took I and burned it up with fire, and pounded it very small, until it was fine as dust, —then cast I the dust thereof into the torrent that descended out of the mountain.

22 Laphinda njalo lamthukuthelisa uThixo eThabhera, laseMasa kanye laseKhibhrothi Hathava.

Also, at Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibroth-hataavah, a cause of provocation, became ye unto Yahweh.

23 Kanti uThixo wathi elisusa eKhadeshi Bhaneya, wathi, ‘Qhubekani njalo liyethatha ilizwe engilinike lona.’ Kodwa lahlamukela umlayo kaThixo uNkulunkulu wenu. Alizange limethembe loba ukumlalela.

Also when Yahweh sent you out of Kadesh-barnea saying, Go up and possess the land which I have given unto you then quarreled ye with the bidding of Yahweh your God, and trusted him not, neither hearkened unto his voice.

24 Belivele limhlamukela uThixo kusukela ngiqalisa ukulazi.

Ye have been quarrelling, with Yahweh, —from the day that I first knew you.

25 Ngazilahla ngawa phambi kukaThixo okwensuku ezingamatshumi amane kanye lobusuku obungamatshumi amane ngoba uThixo wayethe uzalibhubhisa.

Thus, then lay I prostrate before Yahweh, the forty days and the forty nights that I did lie prostrate, —because Yahweh spake of destroying you.

26 Ngakhuleka njalo kuThixo ngathi, ‘Oh! Thixo Wobukhosi, ungabhubhisi abantu bakho, ilifa lakho owalihlenga ngamandla akho amakhulu wabakhipha eGibhithe ngesandla sakho esilamandla.

Therefore I prostrated myself unto Yahweh and said, My Lord Yahweh! Do not destroy thy people even thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed in thy greatness, —which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt with a firm hand.

27 Khumbula izinceku zakho u-Abhrahama, u-Isaka kanye loJakhobe. Xola ebuqholweni balababantu, ebubini lasezonweni zabo.

Have remembrance of thy servants, of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob, —do not regard the obduracy of this people, or their lawlessness or their sin:

28 Nxa kungenjalo ilizwe owasisusa kilo lizakuthi, “Ngoba uThixo wehluleka ukubangenisa elizweni ayebathembise lona, njalo langenxa yokuthi wayebazonda, wabakhupha ukuze bayefela enkangala.”

lest the land out of which thou hast brought us forth say, Because Yahweh was not able to bring them into the land of which he had spoken to them, —and because he hated them, took he them forth to put them to death in the desert.

29 Kodwa ngabantu bakho, abayilifa lakho owalikhupha ngamandla akho amakhulu langengalo yakho eyeluliweyo.’”

Yet, they, are thy people and thine inheritance, —whom thou hast brought forth with thy great strength, and with thy stretched-out arm.