8. Lapho ngithi komubi: ‘Muntu omubi, uyakufa nokufa,’ bese wungakhulumi ukuba uxwayise omubi ashiye indlela yakhe, lowo muntu omubi uyakufa ngenxa yobubi bakhe, kepha igazi lakhe ngiyakulibiza esandleni sakho.
9. Kepha uma umxwayisa omubi ukuba ashiye indlela yakhe, abuye kuyo, angabuyi kodwa endleleni yakhe, uyakufa ngenxa yobubi bakhe, kepha wena uzikhululile.
10. “Wena ndodana yomuntu, yisho kuyo indlu yakwa-Israyeli, uthi: ‘Nisho kanje, nithi: “Impela iziphambeko zethu nezono zethu ziphezu kwethu, siyonda ngenxa yazo; pho, siyakuphila kanjani na?” ’
11. Yisho kubo, uthi: ‘Kuphila kwami, isho iNkosi uJehova, angithokozi ngokufa komubi, kuphela ngokubuya komubi endleleni yakhe aze aphile. Buyani, buyani ezindleleni zenu ezimbi; niyakufelani nina ndlu yakwa-Israyeli na?’
12. “Kepha wena ndodana yomuntu, yisho kubantwana babantu bakho, uthi: ‘Ukulunga kolungileyo akuyikumophula ngosuku lwesiphambeko sakhe, nobubi-ke bomubi akayikuwa ngabo ngosuku lokubuya kwakhe ebubini bakhe, nolungileyo akanakuphila ngakho ngosuku lokona kwakhe.’
13. Lapho ngisho kolungileyo ukuthi uyakuphila nokuphila, yena abesethemba ekulungeni kwakhe kodwa, enze okubi, akuyikukhunjulwa nesisodwa sezenzo zakhe ezilungileyo, kepha uyakufela kokubi akwenzileyo.
14. Lapho ngithi komubi: ‘Uyakufa nokufa,’ yena abesephenduka kodwa esonweni sakhe, enze okufaneleyo nokulungileyo,
15. yena lo mubi abuyise isibambiso, akhokhe ayekuthathile, ahambe ngezimiso zokuphila, angenzi okubi, uyakuphila nokuphila, angafi.
16. Akayikukhunjulelwa nesisodwa sezono zakhe azenzileyo; wenzile okufaneleyo nokulungileyo; uyakuphila nokuphila.
17. “Kodwa abantwana babantu bakho bathi: ‘Indlela yeNkosi ayilingani.’ Kepha ngeyabo indlela engalingani.
18. Lapho olungileyo ebuya ekulungeni kwakhe, enze okubi, uyakufa ngakho.
19. Nalapho omubi ebuya ebubini bakhe, enze okufaneleyo nokulungileyo, uyakuphila ngakho.
20. Nokho nisho nithi: ‘Indlela yeNkosi ayilingani.’ Ngiyakunahlulela nina ndlu yakwa-Israyeli, kube yilowo nalowo ngendlela yakhe.”
21. Kwathi ngomnyaka weshumi nambili wokuthunjwa kwethu, ngenyanga yeshumi, ngolwesihlanu lwenyanga, kwafika kimi ophunyukileyo eJerusalema, wathi: “Umuzi unqotshiwe.”
22. Isandla sikaJehova sasiphezu kwami kusihlwa, engakafiki ophunyukileyo, kepha wavula umlomo wami engakafiki kimi ekuseni; wavulwa umlomo wami, angabe ngisaba yisimungulu.
23. Izwi likaJehova lafika kimi, lathi:
24. “Ndodana yomuntu, abakhe ezincithakalweni ezweni lakwa-Israyeli basho bathi: ‘U-Abrahama wayemunye, wadla ifa lezwe; kepha thina sibaningi, siphiwe lona libe yifa lethu.’
25. Ngalokho thana kubo: ‘Isho kanje iNkosi uJehova, ithi: Nidla okunegazi, niphakamisa amehlo enu ezithombeni zenu, nichitha igazi. Pho, niyakudla ifa lezwe na?