1, 2. UBhalami weluka liphi icebo?

UMGOLI wenhlanzi uya lapho akwazi khona ukuthi ziyadlela. Ufika afake amawemusi ewukeni abeseyiphosela emanzini. Ngemva kokulinda kancane udonsa iwuka yakhe isilenhlanzi ayifunayo.

² Umzekeliso lo uyasinceda sizwisise ukuthi uSathane angabamba abantu ngendlela efananayo. Ngesikhathi ama-Israyeli esezafika eLizweni Lesithembiso afika ahlala emagcekeni akoMowabi. Inkosi yaseMowabi yathembisa uBhalami ukuthi nxa wayengawaqalekisa wayezamnika imali enengi kakhulu. Kodwa uBhalami weluka icebo elenza uJehova wacina engasawamukeli ama-Israyeli. Wasebenzisa abesifazana bakoMowabi ukuthi benze ama-Israyeli aziphathe kubi kwezemacansini.​—AmaNani 22:1-7; 31:15, 16; ISambulo 2:14.

3. Lasebenza yini icebo likaBhalami?

³ Icebo likaBhalami lasebenza sibili ngoba izinkulungwane zamadoda ako-Israyeli zaqala ukufeba “labafazi  bamaMowabi.” Baqalisa lokukhonza onkulunkulu bamanga okugoqela unkulunkulu wezemacansini uBhali wasePhewori. Ngenxa yalokho ama-Israyeli angu-24 000 afa esesemngceleni weLizwe Lesithembiso.​—AmaNani 25:1-9.

4. Kungani ama-Israyeli aziphatha kubi kwezemacansini?

⁴ Kuyini okwenza ama-Israyeli amanengi kangaka awela esilingweni? Ngoba ayefuna ukusuthisa izifiso zawo zemacansini. Ama-Israyeli kwakumele athembeke kuJehova ngenxa yokuthi wayewakhulule ebugqilini eGibhithe, wawanakekela ngesikhathi esenkangala aze ayafika emngceleni weLizwe Lesithembiso. (KumaHebheru 3:12) Aziphatha kubi kwezemacansini lanxa uJehova wayewenzele konke lokhu. Umphostoli uPhawuli wathi: “Akumelanga senze ukuxhwala kobufebe njengokwenziwa ngabanye babo—njalo ngosuku olulodwa kwafa ababo abayizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili lantathu.”​—1 KwabaseKhorinte 10:8.

5, 6. Sifundani kulokho okwenzakala ngesikhathi ama-Israyeli esemagcekeni akoMowabi?

⁵ Sisesimeni esinjengesama-Israyeli ngoba umhlaba omutsha ususeduze. (1 KwabaseKhorinte 10:11) Abantu bomhlaba lo bahlanyiswa ngezemacansini ukwedlula amaMowabi. Nxa singananzeleli singacina sesinjengabo. Iqiniso yikuthi uSathane usebenzisa ukuziphatha kubi kwezemacansini ukuze abambe abantu abanengi.​—AmaNani 25:6, 14; 2 KwabaseKhorinte 2:11; UJuda 4.

⁶ Zibuze, ‘Ngibona angani ukuzijabulisa okwesikhatshana kumnandi ukwedlula ukuthola  ukuphila okuphakade emhlabeni omutsha yini?’ Kumele sizimisele ukulalela umlayo kaJehova othi: “Balekelani ukuxhwala kobufebe.”​—1 KwabaseKhorinte 6:18.

7, 8. Kuyini ukuxhwala kobufebe? Kuletha yiphi impumela?

⁷ Lamuhla abantu abanengi abaselanhloni futhi imithetho kaNkulunkulu ephathelane lezemacansini bayephula ngabomo. Nxa iBhayibhili likhuluma ‘ngokuxhwala kobufebe’ liyabe likhuluma ngabantu abaya emacansini bengatshadanga bonke. Lokhu kugoqela ubutabane, ukuya emacansini lenyamazana, ukumumuza izitho zensitha zomunye umuntu, ukuya emacansini usebenzisa isitho sokuya ngaphandle kanye lokuphulula izitho zensitha zomuntu ongatshadanga laye.​—Khangela Amabala Asekucineni 23.

⁸ IBhayibhili lisitshela ukuthi umuntu oziphatha kubi kwezemecansini kumele asuswe ebandleni. (1 KwabaseKhorinte 6:9; ISambulo 22:15) Umuntu oziphatha kubi kwezemacansini ucina engasela sithunzi futhi engasathenjwa. Ukuxhwala kobufebe kuthela umuntu emanyaleni njalo kwenza abe lomzwangedwa olecala. Kanti njalo kubangela izinhlupho emtshadweni, imikhuhlane, ukuzithwala kumbe ukufa. (Bala uGalathiya 6:7, 8.) Nxa umuntu angacabangisisa ngempumela yokuziphatha kubi kwezemacansini kasoze akwenze. Kodwa okwenza abantu abanengi baziphathe kubi kwezemacansini yikuthi bayabe befuna ukugcwalisa izifiso zabo. Ake  sixoxe ngokunye okwenza abantu baziphathe kubi kwezemacansini.

9. Kungani iphonografi iyingozi?

⁹ Lamuhla ezinye izinto zokuzilibazisa zilemifanekiso yabantu abanqunu kumbe abasemacansini. Lokhu kugoqela amabhuku, umculo, inhlelo ze-TV kanye le-inthanethi. Amavidiyo loba imifanekiso enjalo iyingozi kakhulu ngoba ingenza umuntu athande ezemacansini ngendlela edlulise amalawulo njalo abe lezifiso ezimbi. Loba kunjalo abantu abakunanzeleli lokhu. Iphonografi yenza umuntu abe lezinhlupho lalowo atshade laye, abe lomkhuba wokutshaya ibhonyaponya, kumbe acine esedivosa.​—KwabaseRoma 1:24-27; Kwabase-Efesu 4:19; khangela Amabala Asekucineni 24.

10. UJakhobe 1:14, 15 usinceda njani ukuthi sixwaye izifiso ezimbi zemacansini?

¹⁰ UJakhobe 1:14, 15 usinceda sibone ukuthi isifiso esibi sezemacansini singaqalisa njani. Uthi: “Lowo lalowo ulingwa yinkanuko yakhe embi, lapho edonselwa kude ehugwa. Ngakho nxa inkanuko isiyemule izala isono; njalo isono lapho sesikhulile okugcweleyo, sizala ukufa.” Yikho nxa ungafikelwa yimicabango emibi, kumele uyixotshe masinyane. Okunye okungakusiza yikungabukeli imifanekiso ezakwenza ucabange ngezemacansini. Kanti njalo ungaqali ukuvumela izifiso ezimbi ngoba zingacina sezikukhulela.​—Bala uMathewu 5:29, 30.

11. UJehova usincedisa njani ukuthi silwisane lemicabango emibi?

 ¹¹ UJehova usazi ngcono ukwedlula indlela esizazi ngayo. Uyakwazi ukuthi singazinqoba izifiso ezimbi lanxa silesono. Uthi: “Ngakho kubulaleni konke okungokwemvelo yenu yasemhlabeni: ukuxhwala kobufebe, ukungcola, inkanuko, izifiso ezimbi kanye lobuhwaba, okuyikukhonza izithombe.” (KwabaseKholose 3:5) Akulula ukwenza lokhu kodwa uJehova uyasibekezelela futhi uyasincedisa. (IHubo 68:19) Omunye umzalwane wake waba lomkhuba wokubukela iphonografi lowokutshaya ibhonyaponya. Ayefunda labo babesithi lezo yizinto ezijayelekileyo emuntwini osakhulayo. Kodwa yena wananzelela ukuthi imikhuba leyo yayiwulimaza umzwangedwa wakhe futhi waqalisa ukuziphatha kubi kwezemacansini.  Wabona ukuthi kwakumele ayitshiye imikhuba leyo futhi uJehova wamncedisa ukuthi enze njalo. Nxa lawe ulwisana lemicabango emibi cela uJehova akunike ‘amandla amakhulukazi’ ukuze wenelise ukugcina imicabango yakho ihlanzekile.​—2 KwabaseKhorinte 4:7; 1 KwabaseKhorinte 9:27.

12. Kungani kumele ‘ugcine inhliziyo’ yakho?

¹² USolomoni wathi: “Phezu kwakho konke, gcina inhliziyo yakho, ngoba ingumthombo wokuphila kwakho.” (IZaga 4:23) Nxa ivesi le ikhuluma ngenhliziyo iyabe isitsho lokho esiyikho ngaphakathi. Izinto esizibonayo zingaphambanisa lokho esiyikho ngaphakathi yikho uJobe wathi: “Ngasenza isivumelwano lamehlo ami ukuthi angakhangeli intombi ayihawukele.” (UJobe 31:1) Lathi kumele sinanzelele esikucabangayo lalokho esikubukelayo. Kumele sibe njengomhubi owathi: “Phendula amehlo ami asuke ezintweni ezingesulutho.”​—IHubo 119:37.

13. UDina wakhetha abangane abanjani?

¹³ Abangane bethu bangabangela ukuthi senze okuhle loba okubi. Yikho nxa ungakhetha abangane abalalela uJehova bazakuncedisa ukuthi wenze njalo. (IZaga 13:20; bala u-1 Khorinte 15:33.) Okwenzakala kuDina kuyasinceda sizwisise ukuqakatheka kokukhetha kuhle abangane. Wayeyindodakazi kaJakhobe njalo wakhula ekhonza uJehova. Wayeziphethe kuhle kodwa wajayelana lamankazana aseKhenani ayengamkhonzi uJehova. AmaKhenani ayetshiyene kakhulu lama-Israyeli ngoba wona ayeziphatha  kubi kwezemacansini. (ULevi 18:6-25) Ngelinye ilanga uDina wathi evakatshele abangane bakhe abangamaKhenani wabonwa lijaha elalingamkhonzi uJehova. Ijaha leli kwakuthiwa nguShekemu njalo ‘lalihlonitshwa kakhulu’ emzini kayise.​—UGenesisi 34:18, 19.

14. Kuyini okwenzakala kuDina?

¹⁴ UShekemu wamthatha uDina “wenza ubudlova kuye” futhi wayengaboni cala ngalokho ayekwenzile. (Bala uGenesisi 34:1-4.) Isenzo lesi saletha impumela emibi kuDina lasemulini yangakibo.​—UGenesisi 34:7, 25-31; KwabaseGalathiya 6:7, 8.

15, 16. Kuyini okungasinceda ukuthi sihlakaniphe?

¹⁵ Akumelanga sifunde ngendlela ebuhlungu njengoDina ukuthi izimiso zikaJehova zokuziphatha zinceda thina. IBhayibhili lithi: “Ohamba lezihlakaniphi uyahlakanipha, kodwa othandana leziwula uwela engozini.” (IZaga 13:20) Kumele uzimisele ukulandela “zonke izindlela ezinhle” ukuze ungazitheli emanyaleni.​—IZaga 2:6-9; IHubo 1:1-3.

¹⁶ Okungasinceda ukuthi sihlakaniphe yikutaditsha iLizwi likaNkulunkulu, ukuthandaza singakenzi izinqumo kanye lokulandela lokho esikutshelwa yinceku ethembekileyo lehlakaniphileyo. (UMathewu 24:45; UJakhobe 1:5) Inhliziyo yenza sibe lesifiso sokwenza izinto ezimbi. (UJeremiya 17:9) Uzakwenzani nxa omunye angakuxwayisa ngesimo esingenza uziphathe kubi kwezemacansini? Uzazonda yini kumbe uzasamukela leso sixwayiso?​—2 AmaKhosi 22:18, 19.

17. Nika isibonelo esitshengisa indlela isixwayiso esingasinceda ngayo.

 ¹⁷ Ake sithi kulodadewethu osebenzayo njalo lapho asebenza khona kulendoda ezidlisa satshanyana kuye. Ayimkhonzi uJehova, kodwa ikhanya ilungile futhi ilomusa. Omunye udade uyababona bebonke abesemxwayisa udadewethu lo ngezingozi ezingabakhona. Uzakwenzani udadewethu? Uzasilalela yini isixwayiso leso kumbe hatshi? Angabe emthanda sibili uJehova futhi efisa ukwenza okuhle. Kodwa singathi ‘ubalekela ukuxhwala kobufebe’ yini nxa angajayelana kakhulu lendoda le kumbe uyabe ‘ethemba inhliziyo yakhe?’​—IZaga 22:3; 28:26; UMathewu 6:13; 26:41.

18, 19. Kungani uJosefa wala ukulala lomkaPhothifa?

¹⁸ Ngesikhathi uJosefa eyisigqili eGibhithe, umkaPhothifa wayehlala efuna ukulala laye. Kodwa uJosefa kazange avume ngoba wayesazi ukuthi kwakungaqondanga. Okunye okwenza uJosefa wala yikuthi wayemthanda uJehova futhi efuna ukumthokozisa. Kodwa wayengeke atshiye umsebenzi ngoba wayeyisigqili. Ngelinye ilanga umkaPhothifa wazama ukubamba uJosefa ngamandla ukuthi alale laye kodwa “wabaleka waphuma endlini.”​—Bala uGenesisi 39:7-12.

¹⁹ Ngabe uJosefa wayehlala ecabanga ngezemacansini kumbe ngomkaPhothifa wayezacina elele laye. Kodwa kazange akwenze lokho ngoba wayebuqakathekisa ubuhlobo bakhe loNkulunkulu. Wathi kumkaPhothifa: “Inkosi yami kayingalisi lutho ngaphandle kwakho, ngoba wena ungumkayo. Pho ngingayenza kanjani into embi kanje ngenze isono kuNkulunkulu na?”​—UGenesisi 39:8, 9.

20. UJehova wezwa njani ngalokho okwenziwa nguJosefa?

²⁰ UJosefa wahlala ethembekile lanxa wayekhatshana langakibo futhi uJehova wambusisa ngenxa yalokho. (UGenesisi 41:39-49) UJehova wathokoza ngokuthembeka kukaJosefa. (IZaga 27:11) Kungaba nzima ukuxwaya ezemacansini kodwa kumele uhlale ukhumbula amazwi la athi: “Akuthi bonke abamthandayo, uJehova, bazonde okubi, ngoba uyazilinda izimpilo zabathembekileyo bakhe abakhulule esandleni sababi.”​—IHubo 97:10.

21. Umzalwane othile wamlingisela njani uJosefa?

 ²¹ Lamuhla izikhonzi zikaJehova ziphila ngendlela etshengisa ukuthi ‘zizonda okubi futhi zithanda okuhle.’ (U-Amosi 5:15) Ungenelisa ukuhlala uthembekile kuJehova kungelani lokuthi uleminyaka emingaki. Omunye umzalwane wake walingwa ngesikhathi esesikolo. Unkazana ayefunda laye wamthembisa ukuthi wayezalala laye nxa engamncedisa emhlolisweni. Wenzani umzalwane lo? Wenza njengoJosefa. Wala ukulala laye futhi wahlala ethembekile kuJehova. Ukuziphatha kubi kwezemacansini kungakhanya angani kuletha “injabulo” kodwa iqiniso yikuthi kwenza umuntu ahlale ezisola. (KumaHebheru 11:25) Ukulalela uJehova kwenza sihlale sithokoza.​—IZaga 10:22.

22, 23. UJehova usinceda njani nxa senze isono esikhulu?

²² USathane uzaqhubeka esebenzisa ukuziphatha kubi kwezemacansini ukuthi abambe abantu. Kunzima ukulwisana lesilingo lesi ngoba sonke siyake sibe lemicabango emibi. (KwabaseRoma 7:21-25) UJehova uyakuzwisisa lokhu ngoba uyakwazi ukuthi “siluthuli.” (IHubo 103:14) Kodwa nxa umuntu angaziphatha kubi kwezemacansini abesephenduka ngenhliziyo yonke, uJehova ‘uyamthethelela.’​—IHubo 86:5; UJakhobe 5:16; bala iZaga 28:13.

²³ UJehova usinike “izipho ebantwini” okutsho abadala. (Kwabase-Efesu 4:8, 12; UJakhobe 5:14, 15) Abadala bayasinceda ukuthi silungise ubuhlobo bethu loJehova.​—IZaga 15:32.

24, 25. Ukusebenzisa imithetho kaJehova kungasinceda njani ukuthi singaziphathi kubi kwezemacansini?

²⁴ Kumele sizwisise indlela imithetho kaJehova esinceda ngayo ukuze senelise ukwenza izinqumo ezinhle. Akumelanga sibe njengejaha okukhulunywa ngalo kuZaga 7:6-23. Ijaha leli lacina liziphethe kubi kwezemacansini ngenxa yokuthi lehluleka ukusebenzisa ingqondo. Ukusebenzisa ingqondo kutsho ukuzwisisa imithetho kaJehova besesisenza lokho ekutshoyo. Lokhu kuqakathekile ngoba iBhayibhili lithi: “Lowo ozuze ukuhlakanipha uthanda umphefumulo wakhe; lowo ogogosa ukuzwisisa uyaphumelela.”​—IZaga 19:8.

²⁵ Uyakukholwa yini ukuthi izimiso zikaNkulunkulu ziyasinceda lokuthi ukuzilandela kuzakwenza uthokoze? (IHubo 19:7-10; U-Isaya 48:17, 18) Ukucabanga ngakho konke uJehova akwenzele khona kuzakwenza ungakuthandabuzi lokho. IBhayibhili lithi: “Nambithani libone ukuthi uJehova ulungile.” (IHubo 34:8) Ungenza njalo uzamthanda kakhulu uNkulunkulu. Thanda lokho uJehova akuthandayo futhi uzonde lokho akuzondayo. Hlala ucabanga izinto ezinhle, ezilungileyo lezihlambulukileyo. (KwabaseFiliphi 4:8, 9) Imithetho kaJehova izasinceda nxa singenza njengoJosefa.​—U-Isaya 64:8.

26. Sizaxoxa ngani ezihlokweni ezilandelayo?

²⁶ UJehova ufuna ukukholise ukuphila kungelani lokuthi utshadile kumbe awutshadanga. Ezahlukweni ezimbili ezilandelayo sizaxoxa ngalokho ongakwenza ukuze uthokoze lalowo otshade laye.