1, 2. (a) Kubayini kufuze sikhuthazeke nasicabanga ngoNowa uDanyela noJobho? (b) Ngesikhathi kutlolwa uHezekiyeli 14:14 bebunjani ubujamo?

NJENGOMBANA sikhuluma nje, inga-kghani uqalene nomraro wokugula, wokutlhoga imali namkha uyatlhoriswa? Kghani ngasikhathi khewuzizwe ungakathabi ngitjho nanyana wenza umsebenzi kaJehova? Nakhibe kunjalo, akhesibone ukuthi yini ongayifunda kuNowa, uDanyela nakuJobho. Kazi nabo bebanesono njengathi nje. Yeke imiraro esiqalana nayo namhlanjesi, nabo baqalana nayo. Kangangokuthi eminye yemiraro leyo yafaka nokuphila kwabo engozini. Lokho akhenge kubenze balahle uZimu, kodwana bathembeka. Basibekela isibonelo sokulalela nesokukholwa.—Funda uHezekiyeli 14:12-14.

² UHezekiyeli ngesikhathi atlola ivesi isihlokwesi esithethwe kilo bekaseBhabhiloni. Bekungu-612 ngaphambi kokubelethwa kwakaJesu. * (Hez. 1:1; 8:1) Besele kutjhidele bona iJerusalema libhujiswe, njengombana labhujiswa ngo-607. Ngesikhatheso-ke  bebambalwa khulu abantu ebebathembeke njengoNowa uDanyela noJobho. Kungebangelo basinda. (Hez. 9:1-5) Abanye ebebathembekile bekunguBharurhu, uJoromiya, u-Ebede-Meleki namaRekabi.

3. Sizokufunda ngani esihlokwenesi?

³ Kuzokuba njalo-ke nangesikhathi sethu, uZimu nakabhubhisa iphaseli abantu abazokusinda ngilabo abamsulwa. Ngilokho esikubonile endabeni kaNowa, uDanyela noJobho. (IsAm. 7:9, 14) Akhesiboneni-ke kwanjesi ukuthi kuhlekuhle kubayini uJehova athi amadoda la abeziimbonelo zokwenza okulungileko. Sizokufunda ngabo bobathathu njalo, kibo boke sifuna ukubona ukuthi (1) ngimiphi imiraro abaqalana nayo begodu (2) singakulingisa njani ukulalela nokukholwa kwabo.

4, 5. Ngiziphi iintjhijilo uNowa aqalana nazo, begodu kubayini simbuka ngokubekezela kwakhe?

⁴ Nanzi iintjhijilo uNowa aqalana nazo. Ngeenkhathi zakakhokho kaNowa u-Inogo, abantu besele bebangasenasimilo. Bebaze batjho namezwi “anamadinyana” banyefula uJehova. (Jud. 14, 15) Kumguruguru ngapha nangapha. Kuhlekuhle ngeenkhathi zakaNowa, iphasi besele “ligcwele umguruguru.” Iingilozi ezikhohlakeleko zeza ephasini zazenza abantu, ngemva kwalokho zatjhada nabafazi bephasina. Akhucabange-ke ukuthi bekuzokuba nabantwana abanjani lapho, abanelaka neentsitsirimba. (Gen. 6:2-4, 11, 12) Kodwana uNowa bekahlukile. “UNowa wafunyana umusa emehlweni kaSomnini. . . . angasoleki ebantwini besikhathi aphila kiso begodu gade atjhidelene noZimu.”—Gen. 6:8, 9.

⁵ Amezwi la asitjelani ngendoda ebeyizilungeleko le uNowa? UNowa wahlala atjhidelene noZimu iminyaka engaphezu kwema-80, okuminyaka esiyiphilako namhlanjesi. Sikhumbule nokuthi bekaphila nabantu abakhohlakeleko. Kwaphela pheze iminyaka ema-600 yoke aphila nabantu abanjalo. (Gen. 7:11) Bekangafani nathi, kazi yena bekungana bandla ahlanganyela kilo. Kungenzeka nabantwana bekhabo bebangamlotjhi uJehova. *

6. Yini esitjengisa ukuthi uNowa waba nesibindi?

⁶ UNowa akhenge amane athi ngizase ngibe mumuntu olungileko aphuthe imikhono. Kodwana kwafuze abenesibindi njengombana ‘bekamtjhumayeli wokulunga.’ Lokho bekuzokutjengisa bona unokukholwa. (2 Pit. 2:5) Kungebangelo umpostoli uPowula athi: “Ngebanga lokukholokhu walahla iphasi.” (Heb. 11:7) Kungenzeka ukuthi abantu bebamhleka uNowa bambona ngasuthi sidlhadlha, abanye bamphikisa nokumphikisa abanye bebamthembisa nokumbetha. Nokho uNowa akhenge ‘asabe umuntu.’ (IzA. 29:25) Kunokuthi asabe waba nesibindi.

7. Ngesikhathi uNowa akha umkhumbi ngiziphi iintjhijilo ahlangabezana nazo?

⁷ Kwathi sekuphele iminyaka engaphezu kwamakhulu amahlanu uNowa alotjha uJehova waphiwa umsebenzi wokwakha umkhumbi. Umkhumbi lo bewuzokusindisa abantu neenlwana. (Gen. 5:32; 6:14) Ukwakha umkhumbi lo kukodwa bekumsebenzi obudisi, kodwana akusingilokho kwaphela ebekuzokuba sitjhijilo kuNowa. Kazi umsebenzi lo bewuzokwenza abantu babone ngasuthi uNowa ufana nesabuya nentambo ekuthezeni, nabantu baphikisane naye. Nanyana kunjalo waba nokukholwa begodu walalela, kungebangelo iBhayibheli lithi: “Wakwenza koke.”—Gen. 6:22.

8. UNowa wathembela njani kuJehova?

⁸ Asikhumbuleni godu ukuthi uNowa bekanomndeni  ebekufuze awondle, nakho lokho bekusitjhijilo. Phela ngaphambi kokuthi kufike umThwalela abantu nabazakufumana ukudla bekufuze basebenze bebavele namatjhatjhaza ezandleni. UNowa naye bekufuze agobe njengabo boke abantu. (Gen. 5:28, 29) Kwabhala kunjalo, uNowa wasebenzisa isikhathi sakhe esinengi ekwenzeni umsebenzi kaZimu ingasi emsebenzini wokuziphilisa. Kazi ukwakha umkhumbi lo bekuzokuthatha iminyaka ema-40 ukuya kwema-50, kodwana uNowa wahlala athembekile kuZimu. Kwathi nanyana sekudlule iminyaka ema-350 ngemva komThwalela, uNowa bekasolo ayibambile. (Gen. 9:28) Leso sibonelo esihle sokukholwa nokulalela okufuze sisilingise!

9, 10. (a) Singakulingisa njani ukukholwa nokulalela kwakaNowa? (b) UZimu uzobenzelani abalalela imithethwakhe?

⁹ Singakulingisa njani ukukholwa nokulalela kwakaNowa? Singakulingisa ngokuthi senze ngokuvumelana nomthetho kaZimu. Lokho kufaka hlangana ukuhluka ephasini lakaSathana nokwenza intando kaZimu qangi kunezinto ezifunwa ngithi. (Mat. 6:33; Jwa. 15:19) Kungebangelo abantu abangamlotjhiko uJehova bangasithandi kangaka. Ukulandela kwethu imithetho kaZimu emalungana nomtjhado nezamabhayi kwenza abantu bangasinambithi kuhle. (Funda uMalaki 3:17, 18.) Silingisa uNowa ngokusaba uJehova kunokusaba abantu. Siyazi ukuthi nguye yedwa ongasinikela ukuphila okungapheliko.—Luk. 12:4, 5.

¹⁰ Kuthiwani ngawe? Inga-kghani uzokuhlala ‘utjhidelene noZimu’ abantu nabahlekisa ngawe? Kuthiwani nangabe zomnotho nazo zizizinya ukukholwa kwakho malungana nokuthi uJehova uzokutlhogomela? Nawulingisa ukukholwa nokulalela kwakaNowa uzokuqiniseka ukuthi uJehova uzokutlhogomela.—Flp. 4:6, 7.

11. Ngiziphi iintjhijilo uDanyela nabangani bakhe abathathu abaqalana nazo eBhabhiloni? (Qala isithombe esisekuthomeni.)

¹¹ Iintjhijilo uDanyela aqalana nazo. UDanyela wathunjelwa eBhabhiloni, abantu balapho bebalotjha abosingazimu namadimoni. Ukungezelela kilokho bebawaqalela phasi amaJuda, bahlekisa ngawo noZimawo uJehova. (Rhu. 137:1, 3) Akhucabange indlela lokho ebekumzwisa ubuhlungu ngakhona uDanyela! UDanyela, uRhananiya, uMitjhayeli no-Azariya bekufuze babandulwe bona basebenzele ikosi, yeke bazifumana baqalwe babantu boke ngebanga lesabelo sabo. Bebahlelelwa ngitjho nendlela ebekufuze badle ngayo. Lokho kwakhamba bekwafika ekutheni kube yikinga ngebanga lokuthi uDanyela bekangafuni ‘ukuzisilaphaza ngokudla okudliwa yikosi.’—Dan. 1:5-8, 14-17.

12. (a) Ngibuphi ubuntu obuhle uDanyela ebekanabo? (b) UJehova wathini ngoDanyela?

¹² Kunomunye umraro uDanyela ahlangabezana nawo ebewungaweqisela amehlo kodwana umraro loyo ngiwo owenza afumane izabelo ezikhethekileko. (Dan. 1:19, 20) Izabelwezo akhenge zimenze abe nekani nofana afune izinto zenziwe ngendlelakhe, kunalokho wahlala athobekile. Ngaso soke isikhathi bekathokoza uJehova ngalokho anakho. (Dan. 2:30) UDanyela bekaseselisokana ngesikhathi uJehova athi usibonelo sokwenza okulungileko, wabalwa ebantwini abalungileko abahlanganisa uNowa noJobho. Inga-kghani uZimu bekamthemba kungakafaneli uDanyela? Awa, akusinjalo! Wahlala athembekile, walalela bewayokuhlongakala. Kungenzeka besekayokuba neminyaka eli-100 ngesikhathi ingilozi kaZimu ithi: “Danyela, muntu othandwa khulu.”—Dan. 10:11.

13. Kwenzeka njani bona uDanyela abe sibusiso ebantwini bekhabo?

¹³ UZimu wenzela uDanyela umusa waba sikhulu embusweni weBhabhiloni neweMediya  Pheresiya. (Dan. 1:21; 6:1, 2) Kungenzeka uJehova nguye owenza izinto zaba ngalendlela ukwenzela bona uDanyela abe sibusiso ebantwini bekhabo. Njengoba kwaba njalo ngoJosefa eGibhide, kwenzeka okufanako ku-Esta noMoridekayi ePheresiya. * (Dan. 2:48) Ukubona uJehova angenela endabeni le, kwawaduduza tle amaJuda egade athunjiwe kuhlanganise noHezekiyeli.

14, 15. (a) Izinto esihlangabezana nazo namhlanjesi zifana njani nalezo uDanyela aqalana nazo? (b) Yini ababelethi abangayifunda esibonelweni sababelethi bakaDanyela?

¹⁴ Alo thina singakulingisa njani ukukholwa nokulalela kwakaDanyela? Namhlanjesi, simaphandle ephasini lakaSathaneli elinganamikghwa nelisilaphazwe yiBhabhiloni eliKhulu okumbuso wekolo yamanga, “indawo yokuhlala amadimoni.” (IsAm. 18:2) Ngikho-ke thina sihlukile begodu sihlekwa. (Mar. 13:13) Kufuze silingise uDanyela sitjhidele kuZimethu uJehova. Nasizithobako simlalele, nathi sizokuqakatheka kuye.—Hag. 2:7.

¹⁵ Kunengi ababelethi abangakufunda esibonelweni sababelethi bakaDanyela. Naku okhunye kwakhona, ngesikhathi uDanyela akhula, kwaJuda bekuzele ubukhohlakali kodwana wakhula amntwana othanda uZimu. Lokhu khenge kumane kuzenzakalele. Kwaba mphumela wokuvuthwa kwababelethi bakhe. (IzA. 22:6) Babelethi ningabapheleli ihliziyo abantwana benu nanibafundisako. (Efe. 6:4) Thandazani nabo, nibathandazele nalokha naninodwa. Nawulinga ngamandla bona ubafundise iqiniso eliseBhayibhelini, uJehova uzokubusisa.—Rhu. 37:5.

16, 17. Ngiziphi iintjhijilo uJobho aqalana nazo?

¹⁶ Iintjhijilo uJobho aqalana nazo. Sithola iimfundo ezinengi emlandweni kaJobho. Ngaphambi kokuqalana nesitjhijilo “gade ayindoda enjinge ukudlula woke umuntu enarheni engepumalanga.” (Job. 1:3) Bekanjingile, ayindoda eyaziwako begodu ahlonitjhwa. (Job. 29:7-16) Naphezu kwazo zoke izintwezi uJobho akhenge azikhakhazise namkha abone kunganatlhogeko yokulotjha uZimu. Ekhabolakhona uJehova wathi ngoJobho: “Uyindoda emsulwa neqotho. Ngokwesaba uZimu ubalekela ubumbi.”—Job. 1:8.

¹⁷ Ngokuphazima kwelihlo, ukuphila kwakaJobho kwatjhuguluka. Waphaphama sekasemtlhagweni begodu agandelelekile. Koke lokhu kwabangelwa nguSathana owamangalela uJobho ngamanga athi ulotjha uZimu  ngombana ufuna ukuzuza okuthileko. (Funda uJobho 1:9, 10.) UJehova akhenge enze ngasuthi akawezwa amanga la. Kunalokho wavumela uJobho bona atjengise ukuthi uthembekile nokuthi umthanda ngehliziyo epheleleko.

18. (a) Yini ekukarileko ngokuthembeka kwakaJobho? (b) Indlela uJehova asebenzelana ngayo noJobho ikufundisani ngoJehova?

¹⁸ USathana waphosa uJobho ngemilandelande yeentjhijilo, wamenza wacabanga ngasuthi ulingwa nguJehova. (Job. 1:13-21) Kwathi kusesenjalo kwafika abatjhiriyi bamala, bathi koke ebekaqalene nakho kuvela kuJehova begodu kumfanele. (Job. 2:11; 22:1, 5-10) Nanyana kunjalo uJobho wathembela kuJehova. Iye khona ngezinye iinkhathi uJobho bekhe akhulume okungasikho, kodwana uJehova bekabuzwisisa ubuhlungu bakaJobho. (Job. 6:1-3) UZimu wabona indoda egandelelekileko engekhe nangelinye ilanga imlahle ngitjho nanyana uSathana bekayiphosa ngeentjhijilo ezinengi. Kwathi nakuphela iintjhijilweza, uJehova wabusisa uJobho ngezinto eziphindwe kabili kilezo ebekanazo, wangezelela ipilwakhe ngeminyaka eli-140. (Jak. 5:11) Hlangana nesikhatheso waragela phambili wathembela kuJehova, wazinikela kuye. Kubayini sitjho njalo? UHezekiyeli nakatlola amezwi isihloko sethu esithethwe kiwo besele kusikhathi uJobho ahlongakala.

19, 20. (a) Singakulingisa njani ukukholwa kwakaJobho nokulalela kwakhe? (b) Singaba njani nomusa nasikhuluma nabanye?

¹⁹ Singakulingisa njani ukukholwa kwakaJobho nokulalela kwakhe? Kufuze silalele besithembe uJehova ngehliziywethu yoke, kungakhathaliseki bona ubujamo bethu bunjani, akeze qangi! Thina sineenzathu ezinengi ukudlula zakaJobho zokuthembela kuJehova. Zinengi khulu izinto esizaziko ngamano kaSathana. (2 Kor. 2:11) Ezinye zazo sizazi ngebanga lencwadi kaJobho, ukuthi kubayini uZimu avumela ukutlhaga. Isiphorofido sakaDanyela sisenza sazi ukuthi umBuso kaZimu ungurhulumende olawulwa nguKrestu Jesu. (Dan. 7:13, 14) Begodu siyazi ukuthi umBuso lo uzokuqeda umtlhago, ungasabi khona.

²⁰ Izinto uJobho aqalana nazo, zisifundisa ukuthi kufuze sizwelane namanye amaKrestu aqalene neentjhijilo. NjengakuJobho abanye bangakhuluma ngokunyefula. (UMtj. 7:7) Kunokobana sibahlulele ngendlela abakhuluma ngayo, akhesitjengise ukuvuthwa sibe nomusa kibo. Nasenza njalo sizabe silingisa uBabethu onethando uJehova.—Rhu. 103:8.

21. U-1 Pitrosi 5:10 usikhumbuzani malungana nalokho okwenzeka kuNowa, uDanyela noJobho?

²¹ Nanyana uNowa, uDanyela noJobho baphila eenkhathini ezingafaniko begodu baqalana nobujamo obuhlukileko, boke nje babekezela nabaqalene neentjhijilo. Ukuphila kwabo kusikhumbuza amezwi wompostoli uPitrosi nakathi: “Ngemva kokuthi nitlhage isikhatjhana, uZimu womusa omkhulu woke, onibizele ephazimulwenakhe engapheliko ebunyeni noKrestu, uzokuqedelela ukubandulwa kwenu. Uzonenza niqine, uzonenza nibe namandla, uzonibeka esisekelweni esiqinileko.”—1 Pit. 5:10.

22. Sizokucoca ngani esihlokweni esilandelako?

²² Asebenzisa uPitrosi uJehova uqinisekisa iinkhonzi zakhe ngokuthi zizokuqina zibe namandla. Amezwi la ayasebenza neenkhonzini zakaJehova zanamhlanjesi. Soke sifisa ukuqiniswa nguJehova nokumlotjha ngaso soke isikhathi. Yeke sifuna ukulingisa ukukholwa nokulalela kwakaNowa, uDanyela noJobho! Okuqakatheke khulu nokwabenza bathembeka kukuthi bebamazi kuhle uJehova, lokho-ke sizokubona esihlokweni esilandelako. Ekhabolakhona “bakuzwisisa ngokupheleleko” uZimu abafundisa khona. (IzA. 28:5) Kufuze kube ngisweso nakithi.