1Isiprofetho ngeDamaseku. “IDamaseku liyakususwa, lingabe lisaba ngumuzi, libe yinxiwa nencithakalo
2eshiyiwe kuze kube phakade, neyakuba ngeyemihlambi ebuthisa khona, ingesatshiswa muntu.
3Inqaba iyakuphela kwa-Efrayimi, nombuso eDamaseku, nensali e-Aramu, kube njengodumo lwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli,” usho uJehova Sebawoti.
4“Kuyakuthi ngalolo suku udumo luka Jakobe lube buthakathaka, kuzace ukukhuluphala kwenyama yakhe.
5Kuyakuba njengomvuni ovuna amabele asemi nengalo yakhe evuna izikhwebu, kube njengokukha izikhwebu esiGodini samaRefa.
6Kepha umkhothozo uyakusala khona njengokushaywa kweminqumo: izithelo ezimbili noma ezintathu enhlokweni phezulu, ezine noma eziyisihlanu emagatsheni omuthi,” usho uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.
7Ngalolo suku abantu bayakumbheka uMenzi wabo, namehlo abo ayakumbuka oNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
8Abayikubheka ama-altare abo, umsebenzi wezandla zabo, bangabuki okwenziwe yiminwe yabo, o-Ashera* nama-altare empepho.
9Ngalolo suku imizi yabo enamandla iyakuba njengezindawo ezishiyiweyo zasehlathini nezaseziqongweni zezintaba abazishiya phambi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli zibe yincithakalo.
10Ngokuba ukhohliwe uNkulunkulu wokusindiswa kwakho, awukhumbulanga idwala lamandla akho; ngalokho noma utshala izithombo ezimnandi, uhlwanyele amahlumela angaziwayo,
11ngosuku lokutshala kwakho, lapho ubiyela, nangokusa kokuhlwanyela kwakho, lapho wenza ukuba kuqhakaze, ukuvuna kuyakubaleka ngosuku losizi nolobuhlungu obungenakupholiswa.
12Wo kukho ukuhlokoma kwezizwe eziningi ezihlokoma njengokuhlokoma kwezilwandle, nomsindo wokuxokozela kwabezizwe abaxokozela njengokuxokozela kwamanzi amaningi.
13Izizwe ziyaxokozela njengokuxokozela kwamanzi amaningi, kodwa uyakuzisola, zibalekele kude, zixoshwe njengamakhoba asezintabeni phambi komoya, nothuli olushwilayo phambi kwesiphepho.
14Ngesikhathi sokuhlwa, bheka, yingebhe; kungakasi azisekho. Yilesi esiyisabelo sabasiphangayo, nenkatho yabasamukayo.