UDutheronomi 26

1 “Nxa usungenile elizweni uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho akunika lona njengelifa njalo usulithethe wahlala kulo

2 thatha ezinye zezithelo zakuqala zazo, zonke izilimo zomhlabathi welizwe uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho akunika lona uzifake esitsheni. Uhambe uye endaweni leyo uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho azayikhetha njengendawo yokuhlala yeBizo lakhe

3 uthi kumphristi osesikhundleni ngalesosikhathi, ‘Ngiyamemezela lamuhla kuThixo uNkulunkulu wakho ukuthi sengifikile elizweni uThixo afunga kubokhokho bethu ukuthi uzasinika lona.’

4 Umphristi uzakwamukela isitsha esisezandleni zakho asibeke phansi phambi kwe-alithari likaThixo uNkulunkulu wakho.

5 Ngakho uzakutsho phambi kukaThixo uNkulunkulu wakho uthi: ‘Ubaba wayeluzulani lomʼAramu, wehla waya eGibhithe elabantu abalutshwana bafika bahlala khona baze baba yisizwe esikhulu kakhulu, esilamandla njalo esilabantu abanengi kakhulu.

6 Kodwa amaGibhithe asiphatha ngochuku, asihlupha, asisebenzisa nzima.

7 Ngakho sakhala kuThixo, uNkulunkulu wabokhokho bethu, uThixo walizwa ilizwi lethu njalo wabona lokuhlupheka kwethu, ukutshikatshika kwethu kanye lokuncindezelwa kwethu.

8 Ngenxa yalokho uThixo wasikhupha elizweni laseGibhithe ngesandla esilamandla langengalo eyeluliweyo, ngezenzo ezesabekayo langezibonakaliso kanye lezimangaliso.

9 Wasiletha kulindawo njalo wasinika lelilizwe, ilizwe eligeleza uchago loluju;

10 khathesi sengiletha izithelo zakuqala zomhlabathi lowo, Oh Thixo, onginike wona.’ Uzabeka isitsha phambi kukaThixo uNkulunkulu wakho umkhothamele.

11 Ngakho wena labaLevi kanye labezizweni abahlala phakathi kwenu lizathokoza ezintweni zonke ezinhle uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho akunike zona wena kanye labendlu yakho.

12 Kuzakuthi lapho usuqedile ukwahlukanisa okwetshumi kwaso sonke isivuno sakho ngomnyaka wesithathu, okungumnyaka wokwetshumi, wena uzakunika umLevi, owezizweni, intandane kanye lomfelokazi, ukuze badle basuthe emadolobheni akho.

13 Tshono futhi kuThixo uNkulunkulu wakho uthi: ‘Sengikhuphile isabelo esingcwele endlini yami ngasinika umLevi, owezizweni, intandane lomfelokazi, njengokulaya kwakho. Kangeqanga imilayo yakho kumbe ukukhohlwa eminye yayo.

14 Angizange ngidle lutho lwesabelo esingcwele ngesikhathi sokulila, kumbe ukususa okunye kwakho ngesikhathi ngingongcolileyo, loba ukunikela ingxenye yakho kwabafileyo. Ngikulalele Thixo Nkulunkulu wami; ngenzile konke ongilaye khona.

15 Khangela phansi usezulwini, indawo yakho yokuhlala engcwele, ubusise abantu bakho bako-Israyeli kanye lelizwe osinike lona njengesithembiso owasenza ngesifungo kubokhokho bethu, ilizwe eligeleza uchago loluju.’”

16 “UThixo uNkulunkulu wakho uyakulaya lamuhla ukuba ulandele izimiso kanye lemithetho le; uyigcine ngonanzelelo olukhulu ngenhliziyo yakho yonke kanye langomphefumulo wakho wonke.

17 Lamuhla usuvume obala ukuthi uThixo unguNkulunkulu wakho lokuthi uzahamba ezindleleni zakhe, ukuthi uzagcina izimiso zakhe, imilayo, lemithetho yakhe, lokuthi uzamlalela.

18 Futhi uThixo ukuvumile lamuhla ukuthi lina lingabantu bakhe, liyisabelo sakhe esiligugu njengokuthembisa kwakhe njalo kumele ligcine yonke imilayo yakhe.

19 Umemezele ukuthi uzaliphakamisa ngodumo, ngokwaziwa langenhlonipho phezu kwezizwe zonke azidalayo lokuthi lizakuba ngabantu abangcwele kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu njengokuthembisa kwakhe.”