1 Kwafika ilizwi likaYehova kum, lisithi,
2 Uyintoni na kuni lo mzekeliso, nizekelisa ngawo emhlabeni wakwaSirayeli, nisithi, ooyise badle iidiliya ezimuncu, kwaba buthelezi amazinyo oonyana?
3 Ndihleli nje, itsho iNkosi uYehova ukuthi, anisayi kuba sazekelisa ngalo mzekeliso kwaSirayeli.
4 Yabonani, yonke imiphefumlo yeyam; umphefumlo woyise unjengomphefumlo wonyana, yeyam yomibini; umphefumlo owonayo, kuya kufa wona.
5 Umntu xa athe waba lilungisa, wenza ngokwesiko nangobulungisa;
6 akadlela ezintabeni, amehlo akhe akawaphakamisela kwizigodo zendlu yakwaSirayeli; umfazi wommelwane wakhe akamenza inqambi, akasondela kumfazi enomzi;
7 akamxinzelela phantsi umntu, wasibuyisa isibambiso sokuboleka kwakhe, akaxhakamfula; wamnika olambileyo isonka sakhe, wamgubungela oze ngengubo;
8 akanikela imali ukuba adle abanye ngayo, akathabatha nzala yamboleko; wasibuyisa isandla sakhe ekugqwetheni, wenza ngokwesiko nangenyaniso phakathi kobani nobani;
9 wahamba ngemimiselo yam, wagcina amasiko am, ukuba enze ngenyaniso: ulilungisa, inene uya kuphila; itsho iNkosi uYehova.
10 Ke ethe wazala unyana osisigwinta, ophalaza igazi, owenza nokuba inye kwezo zinto,
11 ke yena ezo nto zonke engazenzanga, unyana kananjalo odlela ezintabeni, omenza inqambi umfazi wommelwane wakhe;
12 oluxinzelela phantsi usizana nehlwempu, oxhakamfulayo, ongasibuyisiyo isibambiso; owaphakamisela kwizigodo amehlo akhe, owenza amasikizi;
13 onikela imali ukuba adle abanye ngayo, othabatha inzala yemboleko: wophila na ke loo nyana? Akayi kuphila; wenze onke la masikizi; uya kubulawa afe; igazi lakhe liya kuba phezu kwakhe.
14 Yabonani ke, ethe yena lo wazala unyana, othe wazibona zonke izono zikayise azenzayo, abone ke, angenjenjalo;
15 angadleli ezintabeni, amehlo akhe angawaphakamiseli kwizigodo zendlu kaSirayeli, umfazi wommelwane wakhe angamenzi inqambi;
16 angamxinzeleli phantsi umntu, angabambisi ngesibambiso, angaxhakamfuli; isonka sakhe asinike olambileyo, amgubungele oze ngengubo;
17 abuyise isandla sakhe kolusizana; angadli abanye ngemali, angathabathi nzala yamboleko, wenza ngokwamasiko am, uhamba ngemimiselo yam: lowo unyana akayi kufa ngobugwenxa bukayise; inene uya kuphila.
18 Uyise yena, ngokokuba ecudisile kakubi, exhakamfula umzalwana, wenza okungalungileyo phakathi kwabantu bakowabo, yabonani, uya kufa ngobugwenxa bakhe.
19 Ukanti nithi ke, Kungathuba lini na ukuba unyana angabuthwali ubugwenxa bukavise? Unyana kaloku wenze ngokwesiko nangobulungisa; uyigcinile yonke imimiselo yam, wayenza; inene, uya kuphila.
20 Umphefumlo owonayo, kuya kufa wona wodwa. Unyana akayi kuthwala ubugwenxa bukayise, noyise akayi kubuthwala ubugwenxa bonyana; ubulungisa belungisa buya kuba phezu kwalo, nokungendawo kongendawo kuya kuba phezu kwakhe.
21 Ongendawo ke, xa athe wabuya ezonweni zakhe zonke azenzileyo, wayigcina yonke imimiselo yam, wenza ngokwesiko nangobulungisa, inene, uya kuphila; akayi kufa.
22 Zonke izikreqo zakhe azenzileyo aziyi kukhunjulelwa kuye; ngobulungisa bakhe abenzileyo, uya kuphila.
23 Kumnandi na kanene kum ukufa kongendawo? Itsho iNkosi uYehova. Okumnandi kum asikuko na ukuthi abuye ezindleleni zakhe, aphile?
24 Khona ekubuyeni kwelungisa ebulungiseni balo, lenza ngobugqwetha, ngokwamasikizi awenzileyo ongendawo, lophila na lona? Yonke imisebenzi yalo yobulungisa elayenzayo ayiyi kukhunjulwa; ngenxa yobumenemene balo elimeneze ngabo, nangenxa yezono zalo elone ngazo: ngenxa yezo zinto liya kufa.
25 Ukanti nithi ke, Indlela yeNkosi ayilungelelene. Khanive, ndlu kaSirayeli; indlela yam ayilungelelene, yini na? Asizezenu na iindlela ezingalungeleleneyo?
26 Xa lithe ilungisa labuya ebulungiseni balo, lenza ngobugqwetha, lofa ngezo zinto; lofa ngobugqwetha balo elibenzileyo.
27 Xa athe ongendawo wabuya kokungendawo kwakhe akwenzileyo, wenza ngokwesiko nangobulungisa, yena uya kuwusindisa umphefumlo wakhe.
28 Ekubeni ebonile, wabuya ezikreqweni zakhe zonke azenzileyo, uya kuphila; akayi kufa.
29 Ukanti ithi ke indlu kaSirayeli, Indlela yeNkosi ayilungelelene. Iindlela zam azilungelelene na, ndlu kaSirayeli? Asizezenu na iindlela ezingalungeleleneyo?
30 Ngako oko ndiya kunigweba elowo ngokwendlela yakhe, ndlu kaSirayeli; itsho iNkosi uYehova. Buyani, nizibuyise ezikreqweni zenu zonke, bungabi sisikhubekiso ubugwenxa kuni.
31 Lahlani zonke izikreqo zenu enikreqe ngazo, nizenzele intliziyo entsha nomoya omtsha. Yini na ukuba nife, ndlu kaSirayeli?
32 Ngokuba akumnandi kum ukufa kofayo; itsho iNkosi uYehova. Zibuyiseni ke niphile.