KumaHebheru 7:1-28
7 UMelikhizedekhi lo owayeyinkosi yaseSalema futhi engumphristi kaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke, wahlangabeza u-Abrahama evela nqoba amakhosi, wasembusisa.
2 U-Abrahama wamnika* okwetshumi kwakho konke. Okokuqala, ibizo lakhe lihunyutshwa ngokuthi “iNkosi Yokulunga,” njalo uyinkosi yaseSalema, okutsho ukuthi, “iNkosi Yokuthula.”
3 Wayengelababa, engelamama njalo usendo lwakhe kalwaziwa kanye lelanga azalwa ngalo lalelo afa ngalo. Kodwa wenziwa waba njengeNdodana kaNkulunkulu, yikho engumphristi kuze kube nini lanini.
4 Liyabona-ke ukuthi wayemkhulu kangakanani umuntu lo owaphiwa yinhloko yemuli u-Abrahama okwetshumi okwakuvela ezintweni ezinhle kakhulu ayezithole empini.
5 UMthetho uyatsho sibili ukuthi abangamadodana kaLevi, abamukela umsebenzi wokuba ngabaphristi, balaywa ukuthi baqoqe okwetshumi ebantwini, kulabo abangabafowabo, lanxa beyizizukulwane zika-Abrahama.*
6 Kodwa umuntu lo owayengasiwosendo lwabo wathatha okwetshumi ku-Abrahama njalo wabusisa lowo owayelezithembiso.
7 Ngeke kuphikwe ukuthi omncane ubusiswa ngomkhulu.
8 Kwelinye icele, ngabantu abafayo abamukela okwetshumi, kodwa kwelinye, kwamukelwa ngulowo okufakazwa ngaye ukuthi uyaphila.
9 Kungatshiwo lokuthi loLevi okwamukelayo okwetshumi wabhadala okwetshumi ngo-Abrahama,
10 ngoba ngesikhathi lo ehlangabezwa nguMelikhizedekhi, uLevi wayeseseyisizukulwane sakhe esingakazalwa.
11 Manje nxa kuyikuthi ubuphristi bamaLevi (njengoba babukhona eMthethweni owanikwa abantu), babungenza umuntu abe ngopheleleyo, kwakungadingakala yini ukuthi kube lomunye umphristi, ongumphristi ngendlela kaMelikhizedekhi hatshi eka-Aroni?
12 Phela njengoba ubuphristi sebuntshintshwa, kufanele loMthetho untshintshwe,
13 ngoba umuntu okukhulunywa izinto lezi ngaye wayevela kwesinye isizwana futhi kulesosizwana kakho owake wasebenza e-alithareni.
14 Kuyacaca ukuthi iNkosi yethu ivela koJuda, kodwa uMosi kazange atsho lutho ngokuthi kwakuzaba labaphristi abavela kulesosizwana.
15 Lokhu kucaca kakhulu nxa sekusiba lomunye umphristi onjengoMelikhizedekhi,
16 oba ngumphristi ngenxa yamandla okuphila okungatshabalaliyo, hatshi ngenxa yalokho okufunwa ngumthetho okusekelwe kusendo lwabantu,
17 ngoba kwafakazwa ngaye kwathiwa: “Wena ungumphristi kuze kube nini lanini ngendlela kaMelikhizedekhi.”
18 Ngakho umlayo wakuqala ubekwa eceleni ngoba ubuthakathaka futhi kawuncedi.
19 UMthetho kawuzange wenze ukuthi kube lolutho olupheleleyo, kodwa ukusungulwa kwethemba elingcono kwakwenza lokho, lelo esisondela ngalo kuNkulunkulu.
20 Lokho akuzange kwenziwe kungelasifungo esenziweyo,
21 (ngoba phela kulabantu ababa ngabaphristi kungenziwanga isifungo, kodwa lo yena usebe ngumphristi ngesifungo esiphathelane laye esenziwa nguLowo owathi: “UJehova usefungile njalo kasoze antshintshe ingqondo yakhe,* ‘Wena ungumphristi kuze kube nini lanini’”),
22 yikho uJesu esebe yisiqinisekiso sesivumelwano esingcono.
23 Phezu kwalokho, abanengi kwasekumele babe ngabaphristi belandelana ngoba ukufa kwakubavimbela ukuthi baqhubeke bengabaphristi,
24 kodwa ngenxa yokuthi yena uqhubeka ephila kokuphela, ubuphristi bakhe kabutshiyelwana.
25 Yikho uyenelisa ukubasindisa ngokupheleleyo labo abasondela kuNkulunkulu ngaye ngoba uqhubeka ephila ebancengela kuye.
26 Kufanele sibili ukuthi sibe lomphristi omkhulu onjalo, oqotho, ongelacala, ongangcoliswanga, owehlukaniswe lezoni futhi ophakanyiselwe phezu kwamazulu.
27 Yena kanjengabanye abaphristi abakhulu ngoba akudingakali ukuthi anikele imihlatshelo nsuku zonke, eqalisa ngowezono zakhe besekulandela owezono zabantu, ngenxa yokuthi lokho wakwenza kwaba kanye kuphela lapho enikela ngokuphila kwakhe.
28 Phela uMthetho ubeka abantu abalobuthakathaka ukuthi babe ngabaphristi abakhulu, kodwa ilizwi lesifungo esenziwa ngemva koMthetho lona libeka iNdodana eyenziwe yaba ngepheleleyo kuze kube nini lanini.
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiGrikhi, “wamabela.”
^ NgesiGrikhi, “bevela ekhalweni luka-Abrahama.”
^ Kumbe, “kasoze azisole.”
