1, 2. (a) Kutheni kunokusikhuthaza nje ukufunda kuNowa, uDaniyeli noYobhi? (b) Yayinjani imeko xa uHezekile wayebhala amazwi akuHezekile 14:14?

NGABA ujongene nezilingo, ezinjengempilo enkenenkene, ukungabi namali, okanye intshutshiso? Ngaba ngamany’ amaxesha awuvuyiswa kukukhonza uYehova? Ukuba kunjalo, funda kuNowa, uDaniyeli noYobhi, ibe uza kukhuthazeka. Nabo babengabantu, bejongana nezi ngxaki sinazo, ibe ezinye zazo zazibeka ubomi babo engozini. Kodwa abazange bagungqe, ibe uThixo ubajonga njengabantu esimele sifunde kubo ukuba nokholo nokuthobela.—Funda uHezekile 14:12-14.

² UHezekile wabhala amazwi akwisibhalo elithathwe kuso eli nqaku eseBhabhiloni ngo-612 B.C.E. * (Hez. 1:1; 8:1) IYerusalem eyayiwexukile yayisele iza kutshatyalaliswa njengoko kwakuprofetiwe, ibe loo nto yenzeka ngo-607 B.C.E. Babembalwa abantu ababethembekile nababethobela njengoNowa, uDaniyeli noYobhi, baza basinda. (Hez. 9:1-5) Phakathi kwaloo mbinana, singabala uYeremiya, uBharuki, uEbhedi-meleki namaRekabhi.

3. Siza kuthetha ngantoni kweli nqaku?

 ³ Kunjalo ke nanamhlanje. Ngabantu uYehova abajonga njengabangenabala kuphela—abantu abanjengoNowa, uDaniyeli noYobhi—abaya kusindiswa xa kutshatyalaliswa eli hlabathi. (ISityhi. 7:9, 14) Makhe sibone ukuba kutheni uYehova wathi simele sifunde kula madoda ukuba ngamalungisa. Njengoko sithetha ngendoda nganye, siza kubona (1) iingxaki eyayinazo kunye (2) nokuba thina sinokwenza ntoni ukuze sibe nokholo kwaye sithobele njengayo.

4, 5. Ziziphi iingxaki awayenazo uNowa, ibe yintoni eyenza iphawuleke indlela awanyamezela ngayo?

⁴ Iingxaki awayenazo uNowa. Ngexesha likaEnoki, owayengukhokho kaNowa, abantu babengamthobeli uThixo. Babede bathethe “izinto ezothusayo” ngoYehova. (Yude 14, 15) Ubundlobongela babusanda. Ngexesha likaNowa, “umhlaba wawuzaliswe lugonyamelo.” Iingelosi ezazingathobeli uThixo zazenza abantu, zathatha abafazi, zaza zanabantwana ababekhohlakele nababengumxube wabantu neengelosi. (Gen. 6:2-4, 11, 12) Kodwa uNowa wayahlukile. “UNowa yena wakholeka emehlweni kaYehova. . . . Wangqineka engenasiphoso phakathi kwabantu bexesha lakhe. UNowa wahamba noThixo oyinyaniso.”—Gen. 6:8, 9.

⁵ Makhe sibone ukuba ayethetha ntoni la mazwi ngale ndoda elilungisa. Phakathi kwezinye izinto, sibona ukuba uNowa akazange ahambe noThixo iminyaka nje eyi-70 okanye eyi-80 ehleli nabantu ababi—njengokuba kunjalo kwabaninzi kuthi namhlanje. Waphila nabo phantse iminyaka eyi-600 yonke! (Gen. 7:11) Enye into, wayengenabandla awayeman’ ukukhuthazwa kulo njengathi—engenazo nkqu nezizalwana ezikholwayo. *

6. UNowa waba naso njani isibindi?

⁶ UNowa akazange aneliswe kukuphila nje ngendlela efanelekileyo. ‘Wayekwangumshumayeli wobulungisa’ onesibindi, exelela abantu ukuba ukholelwa kuYehova. (2 Pet. 2:5) Umpostile uPawulos wathi “waligwebela isohlwayo ihlabathi.” (Heb. 11:7) Ngoko, kucacile ukuba abantu babehlekisa ngaye kwaye bemchasa, mhlawumbi abanye bade bamthembise nangokumbetha. Kodwa ‘wayengangcangcazeliswa ngabantu.’ (IMize. 29:25) Kunoko, uYehova wamnika isibindi, njengokuba esenza kakade kubakhonzi bakhe.

7. Ziziphi iingxaki awayenazo uNowa xa wayesakha umkhombe?

⁷ Emva kokuba uNowa ehambe noThixo iminyaka engaphezu kweyi-500, uYehova wamyalela ukuba akhe umkhombe ukuze kusindiswe abantu nezilwanyana. (Gen. 5:32; 6:14) Umele ukuba wawubonakala unzima nyhani umsebenzi wokwakha loo mkhombe! Asisathethi ke ngokuba yintlekisa ebantwini nokuchaswa ngabo. Kodwa wathobela waza wawenza kuba wayenokholo. “Wenza kanye njengoko.”—Gen. 6:22.

8. UNowa wabonisa njani ukuba wayemthembile uYehova ukuba uza kumnika izinto azidingayo?

⁸ Enye ingxaki awayenayo uNowa yayikukondla inkosikazi nabantwana bakhe. Ngaphambi koNogumbe, abantu kwakufuneka bawusebenze nzima umhlaba ukuze bafumane ukutya, ibe kwakunjalo ke nakuNowa. (Gen. 5:28, 29) Sekunjalo, eyona nto yayibalulekile ebomini bakhe yayinguThixo, kungekhona ukuba nezinto. Kwanaxa  wayesakha umkhombe, ekusenokwenzeka ukuba kwathatha iminyaka eyi-40 okanye eyi-50, uNowa waqhubeka esondele kuThixo. Ibe waqhubeka esondele kuye eminye iminyaka eyi-350 emva koNogumbe. (Gen. 9:28) Ngokwenene ininzi into esiyifunda kuye ngokuba nokholo nokuthobela!

9, 10. (a) Sinokwenza njani ukuze sibe nokholo kwaye sithobele njengoNowa? (b) UThixo ubajonga njani abantu abamela imithetho yakhe?

⁹ Sinokwenza njani ukuze sibe nokholo kwaye sithobele njengoNowa? Sinokuyenza loo nto ngokumela ubulungisa bukaThixo, singabi yinxalenye yehlabathi likaSathana, nangokubeka uBukumkani kwindawo yokuqala. (Mat. 6:33; Yoh. 15:19) Kakade ke, le ndlela siphila ngayo isenza singathandwa lihlabathi. Sithethanje, ukumela kwethu imithetho kaThixo enjengeyomtshato neyokulalana kwabantu bengatshatanga, kubangele ukuba kuthethwe kakubi ngathi kwamanye amazwe. (Funda uMalaki 3:17, 18.) Kodwa ke, njengoNowa, nathi asiboyiki abantu, soyika uYehova. Siyazi ukuba nguye yedwa oza kusinika ubomi obungunaphakade.—Luka 12:4, 5.

¹⁰ Kodwa kuthekani ngawe? Ngaba uza kuqhubeka ‘uhamba noThixo’ kwanokuba uyahlekwa okanye uyagxekwa, okanye ukungabi namali kukwenza ungamthembi ncam uYehova ukuba uza kukunika izinto ozidingayo? Ukuba unokholo kwaye uyathobela njengoNowa, asikho isizathu sokuthandabuza ukuba uYehova uza kukunika izinto ozidingayo.—Fil. 4:6, 7.

11. Ziziphi iingxaki ezinkulu awaba nazo uDaniyeli nabahlobo bakhe abathathu eBhabhiloni? (Jonga umfanekiso osekuqaleni.)

¹¹ Iingxaki awayenazo uDaniyeli. UDaniyeli wayethinjwe eBhabhiloni, isixeko ekwakunqulwa kuso izithixo kwaye kusetyenziswa imimoya emdaka. Ukongezelela koko, amaBhabhiloni ayewajongela phantsi amaYuda, ehlekisa ngawo nangoThixo wawo, uYehova. (INdu. 137:1, 3) Le nto imele ukuba yayiwenza buhlungu amaYuda athembekileyo anjengoDaniyeli! Kanti ke, yena nabahlobo bakhe abathathu—uHananiya, uMishayeli noAzariya—babejongiwe ngabantu, kuba babeza kuqeqeshelwa ukuba basebenzele ukumkani. Babexelelwa nokuba baza kutya ntoni. Kungekudala noko kutya kwaba yingxaki kuba uDaniyeli wayengafuni ‘kuzingcolisa ngokutya okuluncuthu kukakumkani.’—Dan. 1:5-8, 14-17.

12. (a) Ziziphi iimpawu ezintle awayenazo uDaniyeli? (b) UYehova wayemjonga njani uDaniyeli?

¹² Enye ingxaki asenokuba wayenayo uDaniyeli yayinento yokwenza nesiphiwo awayenaso, esabangela ukuba anikwe umsebenzi okhethekileyo. (Dan. 1:19, 20) Kodwa kunokuba aziphakamise kwaye athande ukuba izinto zenziwe ngendlela yakhe, wahlala ethobekile kwaye ethozamile, ezukisa uYehova ngazo zonke izinto awayezenza. (Dan. 2:30) Kaloku, uYehova wambona esengumfana uDaniyeli ukuba, yena noNowa noYobhi, kwakufanele kufundwe kubo indlela yokuba ngamalungisa. Ngaba uThixo wayephazama ngokumthemba kangaka uDaniyeli? Akunjalo! UDaniyeli wathembeka waza wathobela de waya kulala engcwabeni. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba wayesele esondele kwiminyaka eyi-100 xa ingelosi yathi kuye: “Daniyeli, wena ndoda inqweneleka kakhulu.”—Dan. 10:11.

13. Inoba amaYuda asikeleleka njani ngokuba uDaniyeli abe kwisikhundla esiphezulu?

¹³ Ngenxa yokuba uThixo emxhasa, uDaniyeli wabekwa njengegosa eliphezulu kurhulumente wamaBhabhiloni nakowamaMedi namaPersi. (Dan. 1:21; 6:1, 2) Mhlawumbi nguYehova owabangela ukuba izinto zihambe ngolu hlobo ukuze uDaniyeli akwazi ukunceda abantu bakowabo, njengokuba wenzayo uYosefu eYiputa, kunye  noEstere noMordekayi ePersi. * (Dan. 2:48) Amele ukuba ayexola noko amaYuda asekuthinjweni, awayequka uHezekile, akubona ukuba ikhona into ayenzayo uYehova!

14, 15. (a) Imeko yethu ifana njani nekaDaniyeli? (b) Abazali bale mihla banokufunda ntoni kubazali bakaDaniyeli?

¹⁴ Sinokwenza njani ukuze sibe nokholo kwaye sithobele njengoDaniyeli? Nathi namhlanje kuyafana nokuba singabasemzini kweli hlabathi liziphethe kakubi nelinqula ngendlela angayifuniyo uThixo, elilahlekiswa yiBhabhiloni Enkulu, okanye ingqokelela yeecawa ezifundisa ubuxoki, ‘eziyindawo yokuhlala iidemon.’ (ISityhi. 18:2) Yiloo nto sahlukile nje, kwaye kuhlekiswa ngathi. (Marko 13:13) Ngoko, nathi masisondele kuYehova, uThixo wethu, njengoDaniyeli. Xa nathi sithobekile kwaye simthemba, uza kusijonga njengabantu abanqwenelekayo.—Hag. 2:7.

¹⁵ Bazali, kukho izinto eninokuzifunda kubazali bakaDaniyeli. Njengantoni? Nangona uDaniyeli wakhula phakathi kwamaYuda awayesenza izinto ezimbi, wamthanda esemncinci uThixo. Ayizange izenzekele loo nto. Kucacile ukuba abazali bakhe bamqeqesha kakuhle. (IMize. 22:6) Kwaigama eli lakhe, elithetha “Umgwebi Wam NguThixo” libonisa ukuba abazali bakhe babemoyika uThixo. Ngoko, bazali, sanukubancama abantwana benu, yibani nomonde xa nibafundisa. (Efe. 6:4) Bathandazeleni, kwaye nithandaze kunye nabo. Xa nizama ukuyifaka ezintliziyweni zabo inyaniso, uYehova uza kunisikelela.—INdu. 37:5.

16, 17. Ziziphi iingxaki awayenazo uYobhi xa wayesisityebi naxa wayengenazinto?

¹⁶ Iingxaki awayenazo uYobhi. Ubomi bukaYobhi batshintsha kakhulu. Ngaphambi kokuba avavanywe, ‘wayeyeyona ndoda inkulu kubo bonke abaseMpumalanga.’ (Yobhi 1:3) Wayesisityebi, esaziwa kwaye ehlonelwa ngabantu. (Yobhi 29:7-16) Kodwa ke kuyo yonke loo nto, uYobhi akazange azibone ebalulekile okanye acinge ukuba akamdingi uThixo. Kaloku uYehova wada wambiza ngokuba ‘ngumkhonzi wakhe,’ esithi ‘uyindoda engenakusoleka nethe tye, eyoyika uThixo nephambukayo ebubini.’—Yobhi 1:8.

¹⁷ Ubomi bukaYobhi batshintsha ngokuqhwanyaza kweliso. Wazibona sele engenanto kwaye imeko yakhe ilusizi. Yonke loo nto yayibangelwa ngumhlebi onguSathana, owaxoka ngoYobhi esithi unqula uThixo kuba ejonge izinto kuye. (Funda uYobhi 1:9, 10.) UYehova wasimamela esi  sityholo singcolileyo. Wanika uYobhi ithuba lokubonisa ukuba uthembekile kuye, nokuba umnqula kuba emthanda, engajonganga nto kuye.

18. (a) Yintoni oyithandayo wena ekungagungqini kukaYobhi? (b) Sifunda ntoni ngoYehova kwindlela awamphatha ngayo uYobhi?

¹⁸ USathana wamhlasela uYobhi ngezinto ezininzi ezibuhlungu ezenza uYobhi wacinga ukuba nguThixo owayemhlasela. (Yobhi 1:13-21) Kwathi kusenjalo, kwafika amadoda amathathu awayezenza ngathi eze kumthuthuzela, ahlasela uYobhi ngamazwi ahlabayo, esithi nguThixo owayemohlwaya ngento ayenzileyo! (Yobhi 2:11; 22:1, 5-10) Kodwa uYobhi akazange agungqe kuYehova. Nangona wayekhe athethe engacinganga ngamanye amaxesha, uYehova wayiqonda intlungu awayekuyo. (Yobhi 6:1-3) Kaloku uThixo xa ejonga uYobhi, wayebona indoda eyayisentlungwini engazange imlahle xa uSathana wayihlaselayo waza walandelisa ngezithuko ezazibubuxoki. Ekupheleni kwayo yonke loo nto, uYehova wambuyisela izinto awayenazo ngaphambili, waza waziphinda kabini, kwaye wamongezelela eminye iminyaka eyi-140 ephila. (Yak. 5:11) Nangelo xesha, waqhubeka ezinikele kuYehova. Siyazi njani loo nto? Kaloku uYobhi wayesele enamakhulu eminyaka eswelekile xa uHezekile wabhala amazwi akwisibhalo othathwe kuso umxholo weli nqaku.

19, 20. (a) Sinokwenza njani ukuze sibe nokholo kwaye sithobele njengoYobhi? (b) Xa abantu bethetha bengacinganga, sinokubaphatha njani ngovelwano njengoThixo?

¹⁹ Sinokwenza njani ukuze sibe nokholo kwaye sithobele njengoYobhi? UYehova umele abaluleke ebomini bethu, simthembe ngokupheleleyo kwaye simthobele ngeentliziyo ezipheleleyo nokuba sekumnyam’ entla. Kaloku thina sinazo nezinye izizathu zokwenjenjalo! Ininzi into esiyaziyo ngoSathana nangamaqhinga akhe. (2 Kor. 2:11) Siyasazi isizathu sokuba uThixo avumele izinto ezibuhlungu ukuba zenzeke, ngenxa yeencwadi zeBhayibhile ezinjengekaYobhi. Ngenxa yesiprofeto sikaDaniyeli, siyazi ukuba uBukumkani BukaThixo bungurhulumente oza kulawula ihlabathi phantsi kukaKristu uYesu. (Dan. 7:13, 14) Kwaye siyazi nokuba kungekudala, obu Bukumkani buza kuphelisa zonke izinto ezibuhlungu.

²⁰ Izinto ezenzeka kuYobhi zikwasifundisa nokuba sibe novelwano kubazalwana noodadewethu abanyamezele ubunzima. NjengoYobhi, nabo basenokuthetha bengacinganga ngamany’ amaxesha. (INtshu. 7:7) Kodwa kunokuba sibagwebe, masibophulele kwaye sibe novelwano. Xa sisenjenjalo, sifana noBawo wethu, uYehova, onothando nenceba.—INdu. 103:8.

21. Izinto ezenzeka kuNowa, uDaniyeli noYobhi zisikhumbuza njani amazwi akweyoku-1 kaPetros 5:10?

²¹ Nangona uNowa, uDaniyeli noYobhi babephila ngamaxesha ahlukileyo, naphantsi kweemeko ezingafaniyo, bazinyamezela iingxaki ababenazo. Izinto ezenzeka kubo zisikhumbuza amazwi ompostile uPetros, owabhala wathi: “Emva kokuba nibandezeleke okwethutyana, uThixo wabo bonke ububele obungasifanelanga . . . uya kulugqiba ngokwakhe uqeqesho lwenu, uya kuniqinisa, uya kunomeleza.”—1 Pet. 5:10.

22. Siza kufunda ngantoni kwinqaku elilandelayo?

²² Kula mazwi aphefumlelweyo kaPetros, uYehova uyasiqinisekisa ukuba uza kwenza abakhonzi bakhe baqine kwaye bomelele. La mazwi ayasebenza nakubantu bakaThixo bale mihla. Sonke siyafuna ukomelezwa nguYehova nokungagungqi ekumkhonzeni. Ngoko masibe nokholo kwaye sithobele njengoNowa, uDaniyeli noYobhi! Njengoko siza kubona kwinqaku elilandelayo, eyona nto yayibenza bangagungqi yayikukuba babemazi kakuhle uYehova. ‘Babeqonda yonk’ into’ awayeyifuna kubo. (IMize. 28:5) Nathi masenjenjalo ke.