< UDutheronomi 7 >
1 Lapho iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho isikungenisa elizweni oya kulo ukudla ilifa lalo, ixotshe izizwe ezinengi phambi kwakho, amaHethi lamaGirigashi lamaAmori lamaKhanani lamaPerizi lamaHivi lamaJebusi, izizwe eziyisikhombisa ezinkulu lezilamandla kulawe,
2 lapho iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho izinikela phambi kwakho, uzazitshaya, uzitshabalalise lokuzitshabalilisa. Ungenzi isivumelwano lazo, ungabi lasihawu kuzo.
3 Ungathathani lazo, unganiki indodakazi yakho kundodana yakhe, njalo indodakazi yakhe ungayithatheli indodana yakho.
4 Ngoba izaphambula indodana yakho ekungilandeleni, ukuze bakhonze abanye onkulunkulu; ngakho ulaka lweNkosi luzalivuthela, lukubhubhise masinyane.
5 Kodwa-ke lizakwenza njalo kuzo; lizadiliza amalathi azo, liphahlaze insika zazo eziyizithombe, ligamule izixuku zabo, litshise ngomlilo izithombe zazo ezibaziweyo.
6 Ngoba uyisizwe esingcwele eNkosini uNkulunkulu wakho; iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ikukhethile ukuthi ube yisizwe sayo kanye, kuzo zonke izizwe ezisebusweni bomhlaba.
7 INkosi kayehliselanga uthando lwayo phezu kwenu, kumbe ilikhethe, ngenxa yokuthi lalibanengi kulaziphi izizwe; ngoba lalibalutshwana kulazo zonke izizwe;
8 kodwa kungenxa yokuthi iNkosi yalithanda, langenxa yokuthi yayizagcina isifungo eyasifunga kuboyihlo, iNkosi yalikhupha ngesandla esilamandla, yakuhlenga endlini yobugqili, esandleni sikaFaro inkosi yeGibhithe.
9 Ngakho yazi ukuthi iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho inguNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu othembekileyo, ogcina isivumelwano lomusa kubo abamthandayo labagcina imilayo yakhe, kuze kube sezizukulwaneni eziyinkulungwane,
10 lophindisela abamzondayo ebusweni babo, ukubabhubhisa. Kayikuphuza komzondayo, uzamphindisela ebusweni bakhe.
11 Ngakho uzagcina imilayo lezimiso lezahlulelo engikulaya zona lamuhla ukuzenza.
12 Kuzakuthi ngoba lisizwa lezizahlulelo, lizigcine, lizenze, iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho izakugcinela isivumelwano lomusa eyakufungela oyihlo.
13 Njalo izakuthanda, ikubusise, ikwandise. Futhi izabusisa isithelo sesizalo sakho, lesithelo selizwe lakho, amabele akho, lewayini lakho elitsha, lamafutha akho, umqegu wenkomo zakho, lemihlambi yezimvu zakho, elizweni alifungela oyihlo ukukunika lona.
14 Uzabusiswa kulazo zonke izizwe; kakuyikuba khona phakathi kwakho owesilisa ongazaliyo lowesifazana oyinyumba, loba phakathi kwezifuyo zakho.
15 LeNkosi izasusa kuwe wonke umkhuhlane; kayiyikukwehlisela lasinye sezifo ezimbi zeGibhithe ozaziyo, kodwa izazehlisela phezu kwabo bonke abakuzondayo.
16 Njalo uzabaqothula bonke abantu ezabanikela kuwe iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho; ilihlo lakho lingabazweli, ungakhonzi onkulunkulu babo, ngoba lokhu kuzakuba ngumjibila kuwe.
17 Nxa uzakuthi enhliziyweni yakho: Izizwe lezi zinengi kulami; ngingazixotsha njani elifeni lazo?
18 Ungazesabi, khumbula kuhle lokho iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho eyakwenza kuFaro lakuGibhithe lonke,
19 izilingo ezinkulu ilihlo lakho elazibonayo, lezibonakaliso, lezimangaliso, lesandla esilamandla, lengalo eyeluliweyo, iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho eyakukhupha ngakho. INkosi uNkulunkulu wakho izakwenza njalo kuzo zonke izizwe ozesabayo.
20 Futhi-ke iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho izathumela olonyovu phakathi kwazo, zize zibhujiswe eziseleyo lezicatshele ubuso bakho.
21 Kaliyikutshaywa luvalo ngazo, ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho iphakathi kwakho, uNkulunkulu omkhulu lowesabekayo.
22 INkosi uNkulunkulu wakho izazingcothula lezizizwe phambi kwakho kancinyane kancinyane; ungeziqede masinyane, hlezi izilo zeganga zikwandele.
23 Kodwa iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho izazinikela phambi kwakho, iziphazamise ngokuphazamiseka okukhulu, zize zichithwe.
24 Izanikela ezandleni zakho amakhosi azo, njalo uzacitsha ibizo lawo lisuke ngaphansi kwamazulu; kakulamuntu ozakuma phambi kwakho uze uzibhubhise.
25 Izithombe ezibaziweyo zabonkulunkulu bazo lizazitshisa ngomlilo. Ungafisi isiliva legolide elikuzo, ungazithatheli lona, hlezi ubanjwe emjibileni ngalo, ngoba liyisinengiso eNkosini uNkulunkulu wakho.
26 Njalo ungasingenisi isinengiso endlini yakho, hlezi ube yinto eqalekisiweyo njengaso; usenyanye lokusenyanya, unengwe lokunengwa yiso, ngoba siyinto eqalekisiweyo.