Sow Righteousness

¹U-Israyeli wayengumvini owenabileyo, ngokobuningi bezithelo zakhe wandisa ama-altare akhe; ngokobuhle bezwe lakhe wenza izinsuku ezinhle.

²Inhliziyo yabo yayahlukene; uyakuwaphula ama-altare abo, achithe izinsika zabo.

³Yebo, manje bayakuthi: “Asinankosi, ngokuba asimesabanga uJehova; kepha inkosi ingasenzelani na?”

⁴Bakhuluma amazwi nje, befunga amanga, benza isivumelwano; bese kumila ukwahlulela njengenhlungunyembe emiseleni yamasimu.

⁵Abakhileyo eSamariya bayakuba novalo ngenxa yamathole aseBeti Aveni, ngokuba abantu balo bayakulila ngawo, abapristi bezithombe bakhale ngawo ngenxa yodumo lwawo ukuthi lumukile kuwo.

⁶Iyakuyiswa e-Asiriya ibe yisipho kuyo inkosi uJarebi; u-Efrayimi uyakwamukela ihlazo, u-Israyeli ajabhe ngeziluleko zakhe.

⁷Inyamalele inkosi yaseSamariya njengebazelo ebusweni bamanzi.

⁸Izindawo eziphakemeyo zase-Aveni, isono sakwa-Israyeli, ziyakuchithwa; ameva namakhakhasi ayakukhuphukela ema-altare abo; bayakuthi kuzo izintaba: “Sisibekeleni,” nakuwo amagquma: “Welani phezu kwethu.”

⁹“Kwasezinsukwini zaseGibeya wonile, Israyeli; bema khona; impi nabo abobubi ayiyikubafica eGibeya na?

¹⁰Lapho ngithanda, ngiyabajezisa; abantu babahlanganyele ekubabopheleni ebubini obubili.

¹¹U-Efrayimi uyisithole esifundisiweyo, esithanda ukubhula amabele; kepha mina ngiyekile intamo yaso enhle; sengiyakumbophela u-Efrayimi, uJuda alime, uJakobe azidubele.

¹²Zihlwanyeleleni ngokulunga, niyakuvuna ngomusa; qathani umqatho wenu; sekuyisikhathi sokumfuna uJehova, aze afike, anise ukulunga phezu kwenu.

¹³Nilime ububi, navuna okubi; nidlile izithelo zamanga, ngokuba nethemba endleleni yenu nakubo ubuningi bamaqhawe enu.

¹⁴Kuyakuvela ukuxokozela phakathi kwabantu bakho, zichithwe zonke izinqaba zakho, njengalokho uShalimani achitha iBeti Aribeli ngosuku lokulwa, unina echotshozwa phezu kwabantwana.

¹⁵Kanjalo iBethele liyakwenza kini ngenxa yobubi benu obukhulu; ekuseni inkosi yakwa-Israyeli iyakunqunywa nokunqunywa.