Joel (1/3)  

1. Ilizwi le Nkosi lafika kuJoweli. indodana kaPethuweli, lisithi:
2. Zwanini lokhu, lina badala, libeke indlebe lonke abakhileyo elizweni. Kwake kwenzeka okunje ensukwini zenu lensukwini zaboyihlo yini?
3. Kutsheleni abantwana benu, labantwana benu bakutshele abantwana babo, labantwana babo bakutshele esinye isizukulwana esibalandelayo.
4. Okutshiywe yintothoviyane kwadliwa yisikhonyane; okutshiywe yisikhonyane kwadliwa liqhwagi; lokutshiywe liqhwagi kwadliwa yinswabanda.
5. Phaphamani, lina zidakwa, likhale inyembezi; lilani lonke, lina banathi bewayini, lililele iwayini elitsha, ngoba liqunyiwe lisuke emlonyeni wenu.
6. Ngoba isizwe sihlasele ilizwe lami, silamandla, kasilakubalwa, Amazinyo aso anjengawesilwane, silamazinyo amakhulu njengesiIwane esisikazi.
7. Siqedile amavini ami, sakhwixula izihlahla zami zemikhiwa, sazebula amaxolo azo. sawaphosela phansi, ingatsha zaso zaba mhlophe qhwa.
8. Lilani njengentombi emsulwa egqoke ilembu lesaka, ililela umyeni wobutsha bayo.
9. Umnikelo wokudla lowokunathwayo uqunyiwe wasuka endlini ye Nkosi. Izikhonzi ze Nkosi, abapristi, ziyakhala.
10. Amasimu aphelile, umhlabathi uyakhala, ngoba amabele aphelile, lewayini elitsha kalisekho, lamafutha ayancipha.
11. Danani, lina balimi bomhlabathi, likhale, lina baphathi bezivini, ngenxa yengqoloyi lebhali*; ngoba isivuno semasimini siphelile.
12. Ivini liyabuna, lomkhiwa wome, ipomegranati*, lesihlahla selala, lomkhuna, zonke izihlahla zeganga sezomile, lentokozo iphelile ebantwini.
13. Gqokani izembatho zokulila, likhale, lina bapristi, lilani, lina zikhonzi zaselathini. Ngenani, lilale emalenjini amasaka bonke ubusuku, lina zikhonzi zikaNkulunkulu wami. Ngoba umnikelo wokudla lomnikelo wokunathwayo igodliwe ukunikelwa endlini kaNkulunkulu wenu.
14. Zilani ukudla, lenze umhlangano onzulu lina badala, buthanisani bonke abakhileyo elizweni, endlini ye Nkosi uNkulunkulu wenu, likhuleke kuyo.
15. Maye ngalolosuku! Ngoba usuku lwe Nkosi luseduze, luzafika njengokuchitheka okulethwa nguSomandla.
16. Ukudla kakuqunywanga phambi kwamehlo ethu yini? Lokuthaba lentokozo kakuphelanga yini endlini kaNkulunkulu?
17. Inhlanyelo iyabola ngaphansi kwamagade; indlu zamabele kazilalutho, leziphala zidilikile, ngoba amabele kawakho.
18. Yeka ukukhala kwezifuyo! Imihlambi yenkomo ididekile ngoba kayilalo idlelo; lemihlambi yezimvu ihluphekile.
19. Ngiyakhala kuwe, Nkosi, ngoba umlilo utshisile amadlelo, lamalangabi atshisa zonke izihlahla zeganga.
20. Lenyamazana zeganga ziyakhala kuwe, ngoba imifula yamanzi itshile, lomlilo utshisile amadlelo eganga.

      Joel (1/3)