1, 2. Kuyini esikutshelwa liBhayibhili okungatholakali kwezinye indawo?

UZWA njani nxa umngane wakho angakupha isipho ungasilindelanga? Uyathaba izihlathi zize zixotshane lendlebe njalo ubonge ungaqedi.

² IBhayibhili liyisipho esivela kuNkulunkulu. Ungaze udinge ubhudule, ulwazi oluseBhayibhili ngeke uluthole kweyinye indawo. Ngokwesibonelo, lisitshela ngokuthi uNkulunkulu wadala izulu, umhlaba kanye labantu. Lilezeluleko ezingasisiza silungise inhlupho esingabe silazo. Liyasifundisa ngokuthi uNkulunkulu uzayigcwalisa njani injongo yakhe yokwenza umhlaba ube muhle. IBhayibhili liyisipho esingcono kulazo zonke sibili.

3. Kuyini ozakunanzelela eBhayibhilini ngesikhathi ulifunda?

³ Ngesikhathi ufunda iBhayibhili uzananzelela ukuthi uNkulunkulu ufuna ube ngumngane wakhe. UNkulunkulu uzakuba ngumngane wakho oseduze nxa ungafunda okunengi ngaye.

4. IBhayibhili litholakala kangakanani emhlabeni?

⁴ IBhayibhili selitholakala ngezindimi ezedlula 2 800 njalo sekwadindwa amanengi kakhulu. Ngeviki kudindwa amaBhayibhili angaphezu kwemiliyoni. Phose wonke umuntu ulalo iBhayibhili ngolimi lomdabuko wakhe. Ungaze udinge njani kawusoze ulithole ibhuku elinjengeBhayibhili.

5. Kungani sisithi iBhayibhili livela kuNkulunkulu?

 ⁵ IBhayibhili ‘laphefumulelwa nguNkulunkulu.’ (Bala u-2 Thimothi 3:16) Kodwa abanye bangazibuza bathi: ‘Kungani kuthiwa iBhayibhili livela kuNkulunkulu lona labhalwa ngabantu?’ IBhayibhili lithi: ‘Abantu bakhuluma kuvela kuNkulunkulu beholwa ngumoya ongcwele.’ (2 UPhetro 1:21) Lokhu kufanana xathu lalokho okungenziwa ngugogo ocela umzukulu ukuthi ambhalele incwadi. Singathi ngekabani incwadi leyo? Ayisiyo yomzukulu kodwa ngekagogo. Ngendlela efananayo, uNkulunkulu nguye uMlobi weBhayibhili. Abantu ababhala iBhayibhili babetshelwa nguye okumele bakubhale. IBhayibhili ‘lilizwi likaNkulunkulu’  sibili.​—1 Thesalonika 2:13; khangela amabala asekucineni 2.

6, 7. Kuyini okwenza sithi iBhayibhili kaliziphikisi?

⁶ Kwathatha iminyaka edlula 1 600 ukuthi iBhayibhili liphele ukubhalwa. Abalobi balo baphila ngezikhathi ezitshiyeneyo. Abanye babefundile kodwa abanye babengafundanga kangako. Ngokwesibonelo omunye wayengudokotela abanye bengabalimi, abagoli benhlanzi, abelusi, abaphrofethi, abahluleli lamakhosi. Akulandawo lapho iBhayibhili eliziphikisa khona lanxa labhalwa ngabalobi abatshiyeneyo. *

⁷ Izahluko zokuqala zeBhayibhili zikhuluma ngokuthi inhlupho zaqalisa njani, ikanti izahluko zokucina zikhuluma ngokuthi uNkulunkulu uzaziqeda njani futhi enze umhlaba ube lipharadayisi. IBhayibhili likhuluma ngembali ehlanganisa izinkulungwane zeminyaka njalo litshengisa ukuthi ilizwi likaNkulunkulu kaliweli phansi.

8. Yiziphi izibonelo ezitshengisa ukuthi iBhayibhili liqondile nxa likhuluma ngesayensi?

⁸ IBhayibhili kalibhalelwanga ukufundisa abantu isayensi kodwa nxa likhuluma ngayo kalihlanhlathi. Cabanga ngalokho okusebhukwini likaLevi. Likhuluma ngalokho okwakumele kwenziwe ngama-Israyeli ukuze anciphise ukumemetheka kwemikhuhlane. Lokhu kwabhalwa ngesikhathi abantu bengazi lutho ngamagciwane abangela imikhuhlane. IBhayibhili lifundisa  lokuthi akulalutho olubambe umhlaba, ulenga emoyeni. (UJobe 26:7) Kanti futhi lakhuluma ngokuthi umhlaba uyisigombolozi lanxa abantu babe lemibono etshiyeneyo njalo engaqondanga mayelana lokuma komhlaba. (U-Isaya 40:22) Lokhu kayisikho yini esingakulindela ebhukwini elivela kuNkulunkulu?

9. Ukuthembeka kwabalobi beBhayibhili kusitshengisani?

⁹ IBhayibhili litshaya ekhaleni nxa likhuluma ngezembali. Kodwa amabhuku amanengi akhuluma ngezembali kawanjalo ngoba abalobi bawo babesenga lezimithiyo. Ngokwesibonelo babengabhali ngokunqotshwa kwabo empini. Kodwa abalobi beBhayibhili babethembekile ngoba baloba ngokunqotshwa kwabo. Babebhala langamaphutha abo. Ngokwesibonelo, ebhukwini lamaNani uMosi wabhala ngephutha lakhe elikhulu elenza ukuthi uNkulunkulu amjezise. (AmaNani 20:2-12) Ukuthembeka lokhu kwenza kucace bha ukuthi iBhayibhili livela kuNkulunkulu njalo singalithemba.

10. Kuyini okwenza siqiniseke ukuthi izeluleko zeBhayibhili zingasisiza lamuhla?

¹⁰ IBhayibhili ‘laphefumulelwa nguNkulunkulu njalo lilosizo ekufundiseni, lokukhuza lokufundisa ngokulunga.’ (2 KuThimothi 3:16) Lanamuhla izeluleko eziseBhayibhilini ziyasinceda. UJehova uyazi mhlophe imizwa kanye lemicabango yethu ngenxa yokuthi nguye owasidalayo. UJehova ufuna sithokoze njalo uyakwazi okusilungeleyo lokungasilungelanga.

11, 12. (a) UJesu wakhuluma ngani kuMathewu izahluko 5, 6 lo-7? (b) Kuyini okunye esingakufunda eBhayibhilini?

¹¹ UJesu wakhuluma amazwi alesisindo atholakala kuMathewu izahluko 5, 6 lo-7. Izahluko lezi zikhuluma  ngalokho okusisiza ukuthi sithokoze, indlela yokuhlalisana kuhle labanye, indlela yokukhuleka kanye lokuthi singathandi imali. Amazwi la alokhu esinceda lamuhla lanxa eseleminyaka engu-2 000 abhalwa.

¹² Ezinye izeluleko ezitholakala eBhayibhilini ziphathelane lezemuli kanye lokukhuthala emsebenzini. Izeluleko lezi zingakunceda kungelani lokuthi ungubani, uhlala ngaphi njalo ulenhlupho ezinjani.​—Bala u-Isaya 48:17.

13. U-Isaya waphrofethani ngeBhabhiloni?

¹³ Iziphrofetho ezinengi eziseBhayibhilini sezagcwaliseka. Ngokwesibonelo u-Isaya waphrofetha ukuthi idolobho leBhabhiloni lalizanqotshwa. (U-Isaya 13:19) Wahluba indlubu ekhasini, ecacisa ukuthi idolobho lelo lizabhujiswa njani. Idolobho leli lalilamasango amakhulu njalo ligonjolozelwe ngumfula. Kodwa u-Isaya wayevele watsho ukuthi umfula uzabohliswa njalo lamasango azatshiywa ekhamisile. Watsho lokuthi abahlaselayo bazangena edolobheni bengazange balwe. U-Isaya wamqamba ngebizo uKhurosi ukuthi nguye owayezanqoba iBhabhiloni.​—Bala u-Isaya 44:27–45:2; khangela amabala asekucineni 3.

14, 15. Isiphrofetho sika-Isaya sagcwaliseka njani?

¹⁴ Ngemva kweminyaka engu-200 u-Isaya ebhale isiphrofetho sakhe, kwatheleka ibutho lizohlasela iBhabhiloni. Ibutho leli lalikhokhelwa nguKhurosi inkosi yasePhesiya njengoba nje isiphrofetho sasitshilo. Konke kwasekumi ngomumo ukuthi isiphrofetho sigcwaliseke.

 ¹⁵ Abantu beBhabhiloni babeledili ngobusuku lobo. Babecabanga ukuthi bavikelekile njengoba babephakathi kwemiduli emide etshaya khonale njalo begonjolozelwe ngumfula. UKhurosi lebutho lakhe babohlisa umfula ngokugebha umgelo wokuphambula amanzi. Umfula wetsha okokuthi amasotsha asePhesiya ayesesenelisa  ukuwuchapha. Amabutho la ayezangena njani edolobheni njengoba ayesethe ngqwa lenkalakatha zemiduli? Angena lula ngoba amasango ayethe gengelezi!

16. (a) U-Isaya wathi iBhabhiloni lalizaphetha ngani? (b) Sikwazi njani ukuthi isiphrofetho sika-Isaya sagcwaliseka?

¹⁶ U-Isaya waphrofetha ukuthi iBhabhiloni yayizakuba lunxiwa. Wathi: “Akuyikuhlalwa kulo futhi loba kwakhiwe kulo kuzo zonke izizukulwane.” (U-Isaya 13:20) Lokhu kwagcwaliseka ngoba lapho okwakuleBhabhiloni khona sekungamanxiwa kuphela. Indawo leyo iseduze leBaghdad elizweni le-Iraq. Eqinisweni uJehova wathanyela iBhabhiloni “ngomthanyelo wencithakalo.”—U-Isaya 14:22, 23.

17. Kungani siqiniseka ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzazigcwalisa izithembiso zakhe?

¹⁷ IBhayibhili lileziphrofetho ezinengi esezagcwalisekayo. Lokhu kwenza sibe leqiniso lokuthi ezinye eziphathelane lekusasa zizagcwaliseka. Sileqiniso lokuthi uJehova kasoze asibambise ilitshe kodwa uzasigcwalisa  isithembiso sokuthi umhlaba ube lipharadayisi. (Bala amaNani 23:19.) Asithandabuzi ukuthi sizakuthola ‘ukuphila okulaphakade, okwathenjiswa nguNkulunkulu, ongaqambi manga.’—KuThithusi 1:2. *

18. UPhawuli wathini ‘ngelizwi likaNkulunkulu’?

¹⁸ Sesibonile ukuthi kalikho elinye ibhuku elinjengeBhayibhili. Kaliziphikisi njalo litshaya ekhaleni nxa likhuluma ngesayensi langembali. Lilezeluleko ezinhle kanye leziphrofetho ezinengi esezigcwalisekile. Kodwa iBhayibhili limumethe okunengi kulalokhu. Umphostoli uPhawuli wabhala wathi: “Ilizwi likaNkulunkulu liyaphila njalo liyasebenza.” Kutshoni lokho?—Bala uHebheru 4:12.

19, 20. (a) IBhayibhili lingakusiza njani ukuthi uzihlole? (b) Ungatshengisa njani ukuthi uyabonga ngesipho esiliBhayibhili?

¹⁹ IBhayibhili lingakuntshintsha ukuphila kwakho. Lingakusiza ukuthi uzihlole. Ngokwesibonelo, ungacabanga ukuthi uyamthanda uNkulunkulu. Kodwa lokho akwenelanga ngoba kumele wenze okutshiwo liBhayibhili ukuze utshengise ukuthi uyamthanda.

²⁰ IBhayibhili livela kuNkulunkulu sibili futhi ufuna ulibale, ulitaditshe njalo ungalithontisi. Ungadli usesulela phansi njengenkukhu kodwa litaditshe iBhayibhili ukuze utshengise ukuthi uyabonga. Ungenza njalo uzayizwisisa injongo kaNkulunkulu. Esahlukweni esilandelayo sizafunda okunengi ngenjongo leyo.