Judith
8:1 Ngaleso sikhathi uJudith, owayeyindodakazi kaMerari, wezwa ngakho.
indodana ka-Ok, indodana kaJosefa, indodana ka-Oseli, indodana ka-Elicia, the
indodana ka-Ananiya, indodana kaGideyoni, indodana kaRafayimi, indodana
ka-Acitho indodana ka-Elihu indodana ka-Eliyabe indodana kaNathanayeli indodana
kaSamayeli indodana kaSalasadali indodana ka-Israyeli.
8:2 Futhi uManase wayeyindodana yakhe, wesizwe sakhe kanye nezihlobo, owafela ezweni
ukuvunwa kwebhali.
8:3 Ngoba njengoba emi engamele labo ababebopha izithungu ensimini, the
ukushisa kwehlela phezu kwekhanda lakhe, wawela embhedeni wakhe, wafela emzini wase
Bethulia: bammbela koyise endle phakathi
Dothaim and Balamo.
8:4 Ngakho uJudith wayengumfelokazi endlini yakhe iminyaka emithathu nezinyanga ezine.
8:5 Wazenzela itende phezu kwendlu yakhe, wembatha indwangu yamasaka
okhalweni lwakhe futhi wagqoka izingubo zomfelokazi wakhe.
8:6 Futhi wazila ukudla zonke izinsuku zobufelokazi bakhe, ngaphandle kobusuku bobusuku
amasabatha, namasabatha, nobusuku bokuthwasa kwenyanga, nokwethwasa
izinyanga nemikhosi nezinsuku ezimisiwe zendlu yakwa-Israyeli.
8:7 Naye wayemuhle ebusweni, futhi emuhle kakhulu ukubukwa
umyeni wakhe uManase wayemshiyile igolide, nesiliva, nezinceku kanye
izincekukazi, nezinkomo, namasimu; wahlala phezu kwazo.
8:8 Futhi kwakungekho noyedwa owayekhulume kabi kuye; njengoba wayemesaba uNkulunkulu kakhulu.
8:9 Kwathi esezwile amazwi amabi abantu bemelene lombusi.
ukuthi baquleka ngenxa yokuntuleka kwamanzi; ngoba uJudith wayewezwile wonke amazwi
ukuthi u-Uziya wayekhulume kubo, nokuthi wayefungile ukubakhulula
umuzi kuma-Asiriya emva kwezinsuku eziyisihlanu;
8:10 Khona-ke wathumela umlindi wakhe, owayephethe uhulumeni zonke izinto
ayenayo, ukubiza u-Oziya, noKhabrisi, noKarimi, abadala bezizwe
idolobha.
" 8:11 Futhi beza kuye, futhi wathi kubo: "Ngizweni, O nina
babusi bakhileyo eBethuliya ngenxa yamazwi enu eninawo
okukhulunywa phambi kwabantu namuhla akulungile, kuthinta lesi sifungo
enawenza nawasho phakathi kukaNkulunkulu nani, enathembisa ukukwenza
nikelani umuzi ezitheni zethu, ngaphandle kokuthi ngalezi zinsuku iNkosi ingaphenduka
ukukusiza.
8:12 Manje ningobani nina eniye nalinga uNkulunkulu namuhla, futhi ume esikhundleni
UNkulunkulu phakathi kwabantwana babantu?
8:13 Manje zama iNkosi uSomandla, kodwa ngeke wazi lutho.
8:14 Ngoba awukwazi ukuthola ukujula kwenhliziyo yomuntu, futhi awukwazi
qondani izinto azicabangayo; pho ningamphenya kanjani uNkulunkulu na?
owenza zonke lezi zinto, futhi wazi ingqondo yakhe, noma ukuqonda eyakhe
inhloso? Cha, bazalwane bami, ningamthukuthelisi uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu.
8:15 Ngoba uma engeke asisize phakathi nalezi zinsuku ezinhlanu, unamandla
asivikele lapho ethanda, ngisho nsuku zonke, noma asibhubhise phambi kwethu
izitha.
8:16 Ungabophi amasu eNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, ngoba uNkulunkulu akanjengomuntu.
ukuze asongelwe; futhi akanjengendodana yomuntu ukuthi yena
kufanele kuguquke.
8:17 Ngakho ake silindele insindiso yakhe, futhi sibize kuye ukuze asize
thina, futhi uyakuzwa izwi lethu, uma kumnandi kuye.
8:18 Ngoba akekho owavela esikhathini sethu, futhi akekho manje kulezi zinsuku
noma isizwe, noma umndeni, noma abantu, noma umuzi phakathi kwethu, abakhonza
onkulunkulu abenziwe ngezandla njengakuqala.
8:19 Ngenxa yalokho okhokho bethu banikelwa enkembeni, futhi ngenxa a
baphange, saba nokuwa okukhulu phambi kwezitha zethu.
8:20 Kodwa thina abamazi omunye unkulunkulu, ngakho sithemba ukuthi ngeke adelele
thina, nanoma yisiphi isizwe sakithi.
8:21 Ngoba uma sithathwe kanjalo, lonke iJudiya liyolala incithakalo, kanye nendlu yethu engcwele
izophangwa; futhi uyakubiza inhlamba yayo kithi
umlomo.
8:22 Futhi ukubulawa abafowethu, futhi ukuthunjwa kwezwe, futhi
incithakalo yefa lethu, iyakuphendulela phezu kwamakhanda ethu phakathi kwezizwe
abezizwe, loba ngaphi esizakuba yizigqili; futhi siyakuba yicala
nehlazo kubo bonke abasidlayo.
8:23 Ngoba ubugqila bethu ngeke iqondiswe umusa, kodwa iNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu
lizakwenza libe yihlazo.
8:24 Ngakho-ke, bazalwane, masibe yisibonelo kubazalwane bethu.
ngokuba izinhliziyo zabo zithembele kithi, nendlu engcwele, nendlu;
ne-altare lihlezi phezu kwethu.
8:25 Ngaphezu kwalokho, masimbonge uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu, osivivinyayo, yebo
njengoba wenza okhokho bethu.
8:26 Khumbula lokho akwenza ku-Abrahama, futhi wazama kanjani u-Isaka, futhi yini
kwenzeka kuJakobe eMesophothamiya yase-Aramu, lapho eluse izimvu
uLabani umfowabo kanina.
8:27 Ngoba akazange asivivinye emlilweni, njengoba nje enza kubo, ngoba
ehlola izinhliziyo zabo, futhi akaphindiselanga kithi;
uJehova uyakubashaya abasondela kuye ukubayala.
" 8:28 Khona-ke U-Oziya wathi kuye: "Konke okukhulumileyo, wena ukukhulumile
inhliziyo enhle, akakho ongaphikisa amazwi akho.
8:29 Ngoba lolu akulona usuku lokuqala lapho ukuhlakanipha kwakho kwabonakaliswa; kodwa kusuka
ukuqala kwezinsuku zakho bonke abantu bayakwazi ukuqonda kwakho;
ngoba umumo wenhliziyo yakho muhle.
8:30 Kodwa abantu babesomile kakhulu, futhi basiphoqa ukuba senze kubo njengoba nje nathi
sikhulumile, futhi ukuletha isifungo phezu kwethu, okuyinto thina ngeke
ikhefu.
8:31 Ngakho manje sikhulekele, ngoba wena ungowesifazane ohlonipha uNkulunkulu, futhi
INkosi izosinika imvula egcwalisa imithombo yethu, futhi ngeke siphinde siphele amandla.
8:32 Khona-ke uJudith wathi kubo: "Yizwani kimi, futhi ngizokwenza into ezokwenza
hamba kuzo zonke izizukulwane kubantwana besizwe sakithi.
8:33 Niyokuma ngalobu busuku esangweni, futhi mina ngizophuma neyami
wesifazane olindile: futhi phakathi nezinsuku othembise ngazo ukukhulula
idolobho lezitha zethu iNkosi izahambela uIsrayeli ngesandla sami.
8:34 Kodwa ningabuzi ngesenzo sami, ngoba mina ngeke ukumemezela kini, kuze kube
izinto engizenzayo zipheleliswe.
8:35 Khona-ke u-Oziya nezikhulu bathi kuye: "Hamba ngokuthula, futhi iNkosi uJehova
ube phambi kwakho, uziphindisele ezitheni zethu.
8:36 Base bebuya etendeni, baya ezindlini zabo.