2 Maccabees
7:1 Futhi kwenzeka, ukuthi izelamani eziyisikhombisa nonina bathathwa.
futhi ephoqelelwe yinkosi ngokumelene nomthetho ukunambitha inyama yengulube, futhi
bahlushwa ngeziswebhu neziswebhu.
7:2 Kodwa omunye kwabakhulume kuqala washo kanje, "Uya kucelani noma?"
ufunda kithi? sikulungele ukufa, kunokweqa imithetho ye
obaba bethu.
7:3 Khona-ke inkosi, ngokuthukuthela, yayala ukuba kwenziwe amapani namapani
kushisa:
7:4 Kwathi masinyane evutha, wayala ukuba kunqunywe ulimi lwakhe
owakhuluma kuqala, wanquma izitho zomzimba wakhe, zonke ezinye
yabafowabo nonina bebukele.
7:5 Manje lapho ekhubazekile kanjalo ezithweni zakhe zonke, wamyala ukuba abe
kodwa esaphila ukuba alethwe emlilweni, athoswe epanini;
umhwamuko wepani wawungowendawo enhle ehlakaziwe, banxusa omunye
omunye nonina ukufa ngokobudoda, esho kanje.
7:6 INkosi uNkulunkulu uyasibheka, futhi eqinisweni unenduduzo kithi, njengoMose
engomeni yakhe, eyafakaza ebusweni babo, wamemezela, wathi: Futhi yena
uyakududuzwa ngezinceku zakhe.
7:7 Ngakho lapho owokuqala efile ngemva kwalesi sibalo, baletha owesibili ukuze
bamenze inhlekisa, lapho sebekhumule isikhumba sakhe
nekhanda nezinwele, zambuza zathi: Uyakudla yini ungakabikho
ukujeziswa kuwo wonke amalunga omzimba wakho?
7:8 Kodwa waphendula ngolimi lwakhe, wathi: "Cha
wathola ukuhlushwa okulandelayo ngokulandelana, njengoba kwenza owokuqala.
7:9 Futhi lapho ehefuzela ekugcineni, wathi, "Wena njengokungathi ulaka usithathe
kulokhu kuphila kwamanje, kepha iNkosi yezwe iyakusivusa;
abafela imithetho yakhe, kube ngukuphila okuphakade.
7:10 Ngemva kwakhe kwaba inhlekisa owesithathu, futhi lapho icelwa.
wakhipha ulimi lwakhe, futhi lokho ngokushesha, ephakamisa izandla zakhe
ngokobudoda.
7:11 Wathi ngesibindi: Lezi nganginazo zivela ezulwini; futhi ngemithetho yakhe I
badelele; futhi kuye ngethemba ukuthi ngizaphinda ngizamukele.
7:12 Kangangoba inkosi kanye nalabo ababenaye bamangala
isibindi sensizwa, ngenxa yalokho akazange abheke izinhlungu.
7:13 Manje lapho lo muntu efile futhi, bahlupha futhi mangled yesine
ngendlela efanayo.
7:14 Ngakho lapho eselungele ukufa, washo kanje, "Kuhle ukubulawa
ngabantu, sibheke ithemba kuNkulunkulu lokuvuswa nguye;
wena, kawuyikuba lokuvuka ekuphileni.
7:15 Ngasemuva baletha neyesihlanu, futhi bamhlenga.
7:16 Khona-ke wabheka enkosini, futhi wathi: "Wena unamandla phezu kwabantu
uyakonakala, wenza okuthandayo; nokho ningacabangi ukuthi okwethu
isizwe silahliwe nguNkulunkulu;
7:17 Kodwa hlalani isikhashana, futhi nibone amandla akhe amakhulu, kanjani uyokuhlupha
lenzalo yakho.
7:18 Emva kwakhe baletha owesithupha, owayezakufa, wathi: Yiba
singakhohliswanga ngaphandle kwesizathu, ngokuba sihlupheka ngalezo zinto ngenxa yethu;
sonile kuNkulunkulu wethu, ngakho izimangaliso zenziwa kuye
thina.
7:19 Kodwa ungacabangi wena, obamba isandla sokulwa noNkulunkulu, ukuthi wena
uyophunyuka ungajeziswa.
7:20 Kodwa unina wayeyisimangaliso ngaphezu kwakho konke, futhi ufanele ukudunyiswa
inkumbulo, ngokuba lapho ebona amadodana akhe ayisikhombisa ebulewe endaweni eyodwa
ngosuku, wakuthwala ngesibindi, ngenxa yethemba ayenalo
eNkosini.
7:21 Yebo, wabakhuthaza ngamunye wabo ngolimi lwakhe siqu, egcwele
imimoya enesibindi; futhi evusa imicabango yakhe yowesifazane nomuntu wesilisa
esiswini, wathi kubo.
7:22 Angazi ukuthi wangena kanjani esibelethweni sami, ngoba angizange ngikunike umoya
noma ukuphila, futhi akumina owenza izitho zalowo nalowo kini;
7:23 Kodwa ngokungangabazeki uMdali wezwe, owakha isizukulwane
umuntu, futhi wathola isiqalo sakho konke, futhi intando yakhe siqu
isihawu sininika ukuphefumula nokuphila futhi, njengalokhu ningabheki okwenu manje
ngenxa yemithetho yakhe.
7:24 Manje u-Antiochus, ecabanga ukuthi udelelekile, futhi esola ukuthi a
inkulumo eyinhlamba, lapho omncane esaphila, ayizange kuphela
wamkhuthaza ngamazwi, kodwa futhi wamqinisekisa ngezifungo ukuthi uzokwenza
ungumuntu ocebile nojabulayo, uma engafulathela imithetho yakhe
obaba; nokuthi futhi wayezomthatha abe umngane wakhe, futhi amethembe
ngezindaba.
7:25 Kodwa lapho insizwa engafuni ukumlalela, inkosi
wabiza unina, wamyala ukuba ayeluleke insizwa
ukusindisa impilo yakhe.
7:26 Futhi lapho esemkhuze ngamazwi amaningi, wamthembisa ukuthi ngeke
angaluleka indodana yakhe.
7:27 Kodwa yena wakhuleka kuye, wahleka umashiqela ononya ngokudelela.
wakhuluma ngolimi lwakubo ngale ndlela; O ndodana yami, hawukela
mina owakuzala izinyanga eziyisishiyagalolunye esiswini sami, ngakunika lezi ezintathu
iminyaka, wakondla, wakukhuphula kwaze kwaba kulesi sikhathi, futhi
wabekezelela izinkinga zemfundo.
7:28 Ngiyakuncenga, ndodana yami, bheka izulu nomhlaba, futhi konke lokho
ekuwo, niqonde ukuthi uNkulunkulu wabenza ngezinto ezingekho; futhi
kanjalo nesintu senziwa ngokufanayo.
7:29 Ungamesabi lo mhlukumezi, kodwa, ngokuba ufanele abafowenu, thatha
ukufa ukuze ngibuye ngikwemukele ngomusa kanye nabafowenu.
7:30 Esakhuluma lawo mazwi, insizwa yathi: "Bani Lindani."
wena ngoba? angiyikulalela umyalo wenkosi, kepha ngiyakulalela izwi likaJehova
umyalo womthetho owanikezwa okhokho bethu ngoMose.
7:31 Futhi wena, oye waba umsunguli wabo bonke ububi ngokumelene namaHebheru.
kayikuphunyuka ezandleni zikaNkulunkulu.
7:32 Ngoba sihlupheka ngenxa yezono zethu.
7:33 Futhi nakuba iNkosi ephilayo isithukuthelele isikhashana ngenxa yethu
ukujeziswa nokulaywa, kepha uyakubuye abuyisane neyakhe
izinceku.
7:34 Kodwa wena, O muntu ongamhloniphi uNkulunkulu, futhi bonke abanye ababi kakhulu, ungaphakamisi
ungaphakamisi isandla sakho ngaphandle kwesizathu, ungazikhukhumezi ngethemba elingaqinisekileyo
ngokumelene nezinceku zikaNkulunkulu.
7:35 Ngoba awukakaphunyuki ekwahluleleni kukaNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke, obonayo
zonke izinto.
7:36 Ngoba abazalwane bethu, manje baye bahlushwa ubuhlungu obufushane, bafile ngaphansi
Isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu sokuphila okuphakade: kodwa wena, ngokwahlulelwa kuka
Nkulunkulu, uyakwamukela isijeziso esifanele ngokuzidla kwakho.
7:37 Kodwa mina, njengabazalwane bami, nginikela ngomzimba wami nokuphila ngenxa yemithetho yethu
obaba, benxusa uNkulunkulu ukuba asihawukele masinyane
isizwe; lokuthi uvume ngezinhlupheko langezinhlupho ukuthi yena
yedwa onguNkulunkulu;
7:38 Futhi ukuthi kimi nabafowethu ulaka lukaSomandla,
ngokufanele okulethwa esizweni sakithi, kungase kuphele.
7:39 Than inkosi ngokufutheka, wamnikeza okubi kakhulu kunabo bonke abanye, futhi
wakuthatha kabuhlungu ukuthi uklolodelwe.
7:40 Ngakho lo muntu wafa engenasici, futhi wabeka ithemba lakhe lonke eNkosini.
7:41 Ekugcineni ngemva kwamadodana unina.
7:42 Ake kwanele manje ukukhuluma mayelana nemikhosi yezithixo.
kanye nokuhlukunyezwa okwedlulele.