14 Empeleni banjengemabibi etinhlanga layakusha onkhe ngemlilo, bangeke batisindzise kwabona kulamandla elilangabi. Lapha kute emalahle ekufutfumeta umuntfu, kute nemlilo longawotsa.
Ngako-ke ema-Israyeli asakateka nalo lonkhe live laseGibhithe afunana netjani.
Kukhanya kwa-Israyeli kuyawuba ngumlilo, Longcwele wakhe abe lilangabi. Ngelilanga linye uyawuvutsa, udle emanyeva akhe netitfwetfwe takhe.
Lutawucetuka tincetu njengeludziwo loluphihlitwe ngelunya, kangangekutsi emkhatsini wetincetu talo ungeke sewutfole ngisho neludzengelo lwekubutsa emalahle etiko, nome nje lwekukhelela emanti emgodzini.”
Toni taseSiyoni tiyatfutfumela, kutfutfumela kubabambile labangamesabi Nkulunkulu: “Ngubani emkhatsini wetfu longahlala nemlilo locotfulako? Ngubani emkhatsini wetfu longahlala nekuvutsa kwaphakadze?”
Batsi basengakahlanyelwa, basengakatjalwa nekutjalwa, basengakasimi ngisho nasemhlabatsini, bese uyabaphuphutsa, babune, kutsi umoya losiwunguwungwane ubaphephule, ubalahle khashane njengemakhoba.
Ngubani lochukulute lomunye kutsi esuke emphumalanga, wambitela ekulungeni kutsi ahlangabetane nekuncoba kuso sonkhe sinyatselo? Tive utinikela kuye, atfobise emakhosi embikwakhe. Ngenkemba yakhe uyabagucula babe lutfuli, nangebutjoki bakhe uyabaphephula njengemakhoba.
Incenye yaleso sigodvo usibasa emlilweni, alungise kudla kwakhe kulowo mlilo; wosa inyama yakhe kuwo, ayidle, esutse. Uphindze otse kuwo, atsi: “Inhhi! Sengifutfumele; ngibona umlilo.”
Ngako-ke, njengobe lulwimi lwemlilo lukhotsa tibi, nanjengobe tjani lobomile bushona phansi, nabushiswa ngemalangabi, kanjalo timphandze tabo tiyawubola, netimbali tabo tiphephuke njengelutfuli; ngobe bawalile umtsetfo waSimakadze longuSomandla, bedzelela livi laLongcwele waka-Israyeli.
Emabutfo aseBhabhulona aseyekele kulwa, asahleti nje etinqabeni tawo. Emandla awo asaphelile, asanjengebafati. Tindzawo tayo tekuhlala setilunyekwe ngemlilo; imicabo yemasango ayo seyephuliwe.
Ematubuko avinjiwe, imihlanga ishiswe ngemlilo, emasotja atfutfumela.”
Naku lokushiwo nguSimakadze longuSomandla, utsi: “Lubondza lolulicinsi lwaseBhabhulona luyakwendlaleka phansi, nemasango ayo laphakeme alunyekwe ngemlilo, bantfu batikhatsate ngelite, umshikashika wetive ungemafutsa nje ekubasela emalangabi.”
Ngiyawubhekisa buso bami ngakubo ngimelane nabo. Nome baphumile emlilweni, noko lomlilo usetawubacedza. Ngesikhatsi ngibhekisa buso bami ngakubo ngimelana nabo, niyawukwati-ke kutsi mine nginguSimakadze.
Ngemsindvo waso lofanana netincola temphi sigalaja ticongo tetintsaba; sisasamba njengemlilo nawushisa tibi, sihleleke njengemphi lenemandla levivela kuhlasela.
Umndeni wakaJakobe uyawuba ngumlilo, umndeni wakaJosefa ube lilangabi. Umndeni waka-Esawu uyawuba tibi, bayakuwokhela ngemlilo bawushise uze uphele. Kuyawubate insali emndenini waka-Esawu. Mine, Simakadze, sengishito.”
Bayawugigeleka bona emanyeveni, nasekudzakweni liwayini labo. Bayawushwabudzeleka njengemahlanga lomisiwe.
“Impela lilanga liyeta; liyawushisa njengemlilo lowesabekako nalohhumako. Bonkhe labatigcabhako bangangihloniphi nalabenta lokubi bayawuba tinhlanga, lelo langa lelitako liyawubalumekela ngemlilo,” kusho Simakadze longuSomandla. “Kute imphandze nome ligala leliyawusala kubo.
Ningabesabi lababulala umtimba kodvwa babe bangeke bawubulale umphefumulo; lokungenani, mesabeni Yena, lokwati kubulala umtimba nemphefumulo kokubili esihogweni.
Ngobe kuyawumsita ngani umuntfu kutfola live lonkhe, kepha alahlekelwe ngumphefumulo wakhe? Ingabe angakhiphani umuntfu kuhlenga umphefumulo wakhe?
Kwase kusuka ingilosi lenemandla yatsatsa inguzanguza yelitje lelingangelekusila, yalijikijela elwandle, ikhuluma itsi: “Iyakwentiwa njalo-ke neBhabhulona, lidolobha lelikhulu, iyawujikijelwa phansi ngemandla lamakhulu, ilahlwe, ingaphindzi ibonakale.