1“Manje-ke nanku owenu umlayo, lina baphristi.
2Nxa lingalaleli, njalo nxa lingalungisi inhliziyo zenu ukuhlonipha ibizo lami,” kutsho uThixo* uSomandla, “ngizaletha isiqalekiso phezu kwenu, njalo ngiziqalekise izibusiso zenu. Yebo, kuvele nje sengiziqalekisile ngoba kalizimiselanga ezinhliziyweni zenu ukungesaba.
3Ngenxa yenu ngizabakhalimela abantwabenu; ngizalihuqa ebusweni ngomswane wemihlatshelo yemikhosi yenu lithathwe linjalo lisiya ekuthunjweni.
4Ngalokho lizakwazi ukuthi ngilithumele lesi isixwayiso ukuze isivumelwano sami loLevi siqhubeke,” kutsho uThixo* uSomandla.
5“Isivumelwano sami wayelaso, isivumelwano sokuphila lokuthula, izinto engamupha zona; lokhu kwakuswela inhlonipho, lakanje wangihlonipha walesaba ibizo lami.
6Imfundiso eqotho yayisemlonyeni wakhe njalo kakufunyanwanga lutho oluyinkohliso ezindebeni zakhe. Wahamba lami ngokuthula langobuqotho, waphendula abanengi ababesesonweni.
7Ngoba izindebe zomphristi kumele zilonde ulwazi, abantu badinge kuye ukufundiswa ngoba uyisithunywa sikaThixo* uSomandla.
8Kodwa seliphambukile endleleni, kwathi njalo ngokufundisa kwenu lenza abanengi bakhubeka; lisephule isivumelwano loLevi,” kutsho uThixo* uSomandla.
9“Ngakho sengenze ukuthi leyiswe njalo liyangiswe phambi kwabantu bonke, ngoba kalilandelanga izindlela zami kodwa latshengisa ukubandlulula ekusebenziseni umthetho.”
10KasilaBaba munye thina sonke na? Kasidalwanga nguNkulunkulu munye na? Pho singcoliselani isivumelwano sabokhokho bethu na ngokungathembani thina ngokwethu?
11UJuda ukhohlisile. Kwenziwe amanyala ko-Israyeli laseJerusalema: uJuda useyitshaphazile indlu engcwele uThixo* ayithandayo, ngokutshada lendodakazi kankulunkulu wabezizwe.
12Leyondoda ekwenzayo lokho, lokuba ingubani, sengathi uThixo* angayisusa emathenteni kaJakhobe lanxa iletha iminikelo kuThixo* uSomandla.
13Enye into eliyenzayo nansi: Ligcwalisa i-alithari likaThixo* ngezinyembezi. Liyakhala libubula ngoba kasayinanzi iminikelo yenu, njalo kasayamukeli ngokuthokoza ezandleni zenu.
14Liyabuza lithi, “Kungani na?” Kungenxa yokuthi uThixo* umi njengomfakazi phakathi kwakho lomfazi wobutsha bakho, ngoba umkhohlisile yena eyingxenye yakho, umfazi wesivumelwano sakho somtshado.
15UThixo* kabenzanga baba munye na? Enyameni lemphefumulweni bangabakhe. Kungani bemunye? Ngoba wayedinga inzalo ekholwayo kuNkulunkulu. Ngakho ziqaphele emphefumulweni wakho, ungaze wamkhohlisa umfazi wobutsha bakho.
16“Ngiyakuzonda ukuchitha umtshado,” kutsho uThixo*, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uqhubeka esithi, “njalo ngiyayizonda indoda evala ngolaka kumkayo umkayo njengalokhu izivala ngesivunulo,” kutsho uThixo* uSomandla.