1, 2. (a) AmaSirayeli ayefana njani negusha enye erhangqwe ziingcuka? (Jonga umfanekiso osekuqaleni.) (b) Ziintoni awayemane ezenza amaSirayeli nookumkani bawo?

KANGANGAMAKHULU eminyaka, amaSirayeli ayenjengegusha enye erhangqwe ziingcuka. Ama-Amoni, amaMowabhi namaEdom ayengasempuma kumaSirayeli. Wona amaFilisti, olona hlanga lwalumane luhlasela amaSirayeli, ayengasentshona. Emntla iyiTire, isixeko esasime kakuhle emalini nesasishishina. Emzantsi yayiyiYiputa eyayilawulwa nguFaro, awayemthatha ngengokumkani nanjengothixo amaYiputa.

² UYehova wayewakhusela amaSirayeli xa ethembele kuye. Kodwa wona kunye nookumkani bawo babemane besenza izinto ezimbi ezazisenziwa ziintlanga ezazikufuphi nawo. UKumkani uAhabhi ngomnye wabantu abenza izinto ezimbi ngenxa yabantu abangamkhonziyo uYehova. Wayelawula kuBukumkani bezizwe ezilishumi zakwaSirayeli, kwaye ephila ngexesha elinye noYehoshafati ukumkani wakwaYuda. Watshata uIzebhele, intombi kakumkani waseSidon owayelawula isixeko esasityebile saseTire. Lo mfazi wayezinikele kuBhahali,  kwaye ngenxa yaloo nto umyeni wakhe wenza amaSirayeli akhonza uBhahali.​—1 Kum. 16:30-33; 18:4, 19.

3, 4. (a) Yintoni enye awathetha ngayo uHezekile? (b) Ithini imibuzo esiza kuthetha ngayo?

³ UYehova wayebaxelele abantu bakhe ukuba kuza kwenzeka ntoni xa bengamthobeli. Kwaye ngoku wayonele. (Yer. 21:7, 10; Hez. 5:7-9) Ngo-609 B.C.E., umkhosi waseBhabhiloni waya kuhlasela iLizwe Lesithembiso okwesithathu. Wawugqibele ukulihlasela eli lizwe kwiminyaka elishumi egqithileyo. Ngoku, wawuza kudiliza iindonga zaseYerusalem uze ubulale abantu ababejikele uNebhukadenetsare. Njengoko yayiqalisa ukurhangqwa kwaye nezinto awayeziprofetile zisenzeka, uHezekile wathetha ngezinto ezaziza kwenzeka kwiintlanga ezazikufuphi neLizwe Lesithembiso.

⁴ UYehova waxelela uHezekile ukuba iintshaba zamaYuda zaziza kuvuya xa iYerusalem itshatyalaliswa, zize zibaphathe kakubi abo baza kube besindile. Kodwa zonke ezo ntlanga zazithethe kakubi ngoYehova, zaza zatshutshisa okanye zenza abantu bakhe bayeka ukuzinikela kuye, zaziza kohlwaywa. Sinokufunda ntoni kwindlela amaSirayeli awayephethene ngayo nezo ntlanga? Ibe leliphi ithemba esilifumana kwiziprofeto zezinto ezaziza kwehlela iintlanga?

5, 6. Yintoni eyayidibanisa ama-Amoni namaSirayeli?

⁵ Ama-Amoni, amaMowabhi, namaEdom singathi ayezalana namaSirayeli. Kodwa nakuba ezi ntlanga zaziphuma kwintsapho enye nabantu bakaThixo, zazibacaphukela kwaye ‘zihlekisa ngabo.’​—Hez. 25:6.

⁶ Masiqale sithethe ngama-Amoni. Ayeyinzala kaLote, umtshana ka-Abraham. (Gen. 19:38) Ayethetha ulwimi olwalufana kakhulu nesiHebhere, kangangokuba abantu bakaThixo basenokuba babeluva ulwimi lwawo. Ngenxa yokuba ezalana nawo, uYehova waxelela amaSirayeli ukuba angawaqali ama-Amoni. (Dut. 2:19) Kodwa ngexesha laBagwebi, ama-Amoni ancedisa ukumkani wamaMowabhi uEglon xa wayecinezela amaSirayeli. (ABagwe. 3:12-15, 27-30) Naxa kwakulawula uSawule, ama-Amoni ahlasela amaSirayeli. (1 Sam. 11:1-4) Nangexesha lokulawula kukaKumkani uYehoshafati, aphinda adibana namaMowabhi ukuze ahlasele iLizwe Lesithembiso.​—2 Kron. 20:1, 2.

7. AmaMowabhi awaphatha njani amaSirayeli awayengabazala bawo?

⁷ AmaMowabhi nawo ayephuma kuLote, ngentombi yakhe endala. (Gen. 19:36, 37) UYehova waxelela amaSirayeli ukuba angalwi namaMowabhi. (Dut. 2:9) Kodwa wona zange abe  nanceba kumaSirayeli. Ayemele abancede abazala bawo, amaSirayeli, xa ayephuma eYiputa, kodwa wona azama ukuwenza angangeni kwiLizwe Lesithembiso. Ukumkani wawo uBhalaki waqesha uBhileham ukuba awaqalekise, waza uBhileham wamxelela indlela yokwenza amaSirayeli aziphathe kakubi aze akhonze izithixo. (Num. 22:1-8; 25:1-9; ISityhi. 2:14) AmaMowabhi aqhubeka ebaphatha kakubi abazala bawo kangangamakhulu eminyaka, ukuya kutsho kwixesha likaHezekile.​—2 Kum. 24:1, 2.

8. Yintoni eyayisenza uYehova athi amaEdom ngabantakwabo Sirayeli, kodwa awaphatha njani amaSirayeli?

⁸ AmaEdom ayephuma kwiwele likaYakobi, uEsawu. Ngenxa yaloo nto, uYehova wayesithi amaEdom ngabantakwabo Sirayeli. (Dut. 2:1-5; 23:7, 8) Kodwa oko amaEdom awacaphukela amaSirayeli esaphuma eYiputa, ukuya kutsho kwixesha lokutshatyalaliswa kweYerusalem ngo-607 B.C.E. (Num. 20:14, 18; Hez. 25:12) Ngelo xesha, amaEdom avuya xa ayebona amaSirayeli esentlungwini. Akhuthaza amaBhabhiloni ukuba atshabalalise iYerusalem, aza abamba amaSirayeli awayebaleka, awanika amaBhabhiloni.​—INdu. 137:7; Obha. 11, 14.

9, 10. (a) Kwenzeka ntoni kuma-Amoni, amaMowabhi namaEdom? (b) Yimizekelo yoobani ebonisa ukuba babekhona abantu abangazange bawaphathe kakubi amaSirayeli?

⁹ UYehova zange aziyeke nje ezi zizalwana zamaSirayeli. Wathi: ‘Ndiza kuwanikela ama-Amoni ebantwini baseMpuma, ukuze ama-Amoni angaze akhunjulwe phakathi kweentlanga.’ Waphinda wathi: “Ndiza kugweba kwaMowabhi, batsho bazi ukuba ndinguYehova.” (Hez. 25:10, 11) Emva kweminyaka emihlanu itshatyalalisiwe iYerusalem, ezi ziprofeto zikaYehova zaqalisa ukwenzeka, xa amaBhabhiloni oyisa ama-Amoni namaMowabhi. Wona amaEdom, uYehova wathi wayeza ‘kunqumla kuwo umntu nemfuyo, aze ilizwe lawo alenze libe yindawo engahlali bantu.’ (Hez. 25:13) Njengoko wayetshilo, ama-Amoni, amaMowabhi namaEdom atshatyalaliswa, akaphinda abekho.​—Yer. 9:25, 26; 48:42; 49:17, 18.

¹⁰ Kodwa babekhona abantu abangazange babaphathe kakubi abantu bakaThixo. Ngokomzekelo, uTseleke umAmoni noItema umMowabhi baphakathi kwabantu ekuthiwa ngamakroti kaDavide. (1 Kron. 11:26, 39, 46; 12:1) NoRute umMowabhikazi wakhonza uYehova.​—Rute 1:4, 16, 17.

11. Sifunda ntoni kwindlela amaSirayeli awaphathana ngayo nama-Amoni, amaMowabhi namaEdom?

¹¹ Sifunda ntoni kwindlela awaphathana ngayo amaSirayeli nezo ntlanga? Xa avumela ezo ntlanga zawenzisa izinto zazo, aqalisa ukukhonza oothixo bobuxoki njengowamaMowabhi, uBhahali wasePehore noMoleki uthixo wama-Amoni. (Num. 25:1-3; 1 Kum. 11:7) Kunokwenzeka into efanayo nakuthi. Abantu esizalana nabo abangengomaNgqina basenokufuna senze ezinye zezinto amaKristu angamele azenze. Ngokomzekelo, basenokungasiqondi isizathu  sokuba singayifuni i-Ista neKrismesi, okanye singenzi ezinye izinto ezithandwayo ngabantu ezisuka kwiinkonzo zobuxoki. Basenokungaboni ngxaki xa bezama ukusenzisa ezinye zezinto esingazenziyo. Kodwa ke, masingaze sibavumele basenzise izinto esingafanele sizenze. Kaloku sibonile kumaSirayeli ukuba ukwenza nje noba yinto encinci engafunwayo nguYehova, kunokubuphelisa ubuhlobo bethu naye.

12, 13. Basenokusiphatha njani abantu esizalana nabo, kodwa yintoni enokwenzeka ukuba sihlala sithembekile?

¹² Ikhona nenye into esinokuyifunda kwindlela amaSirayeli awaphathana ngayo nama-Amoni, amaMowabhi namaEdom. Abantu esizalana nabo abangengomaNgqina basenokungazithandi izinto esizikholelwayo. UYesu walumkisa wathi, ngamanye amaxesha umyalezo esiwushumayelayo uza “kwahlukanisa indoda notata wayo, intombi nomama wayo.” (Mat. 10:35, 36) UYehova waxelela amaSirayeli ukuba angalwi nabantu azalana nabo. Nathi ke asiyiqali ingxabano neentsapho zethu ezingengomaNgqina. Kodwa asimele sothuke xa zingazithandi izinto esizikholelwayo.​—2 Tim. 3:12.

¹³ Asimele senze izinto ezifunwa ziintsapho zethu nokuba azicaci ukuba azizithandi izinto esizikholelwayo, kodwa simele senze ezifunwa nguYehova. Ngoba? Kuba nguye esimele simthande ngentliziyo yethu yonke. (Funda uMateyu 10:37.) Kwaye ukuba sihlala sithembekile kuYehova, abanye abantu esizalana nabo banokuba njengoTseleke, uItema noRute, baze bakhonze nathi. (1 Tim. 4:16) Ibe xa bekhonza okuphela koThixo wokwenene, uza kubathanda aze abakhusele.

14, 15. AmaFilisti awaphatha njani amaSirayeli?

¹⁴ AmaFilisti afudukela kwilizwe uYehova awalithembisa uAbraham nenzala yakhe, esuka kwisiqithi saseKrete. UAbraham noIsake bakhe basebenzisana namaFilisti. (Gen. 21:29-32; 26:1) Ukufika kwamaSirayeli kwiLizwe Lesithembiso, amaFilisti ayesele eluhlanga olomeleleyo nolunomkhosi onamandla. Ayekhonza oothixo bobuxoki, njengoBhahali-zebhubhi noDagon. (1 Sam. 5:1-4; 2 Kum. 1:2, 3) NamaSirayeli ayekhe abakhonze aba thixo.​—ABagwe. 10:6.

¹⁵ Athi akungathembeki amaSirayeli, uYehova wavumela amaFilisti ukuba awalawule kangangeminyaka emininzi. (ABagwe. 10:7, 8; Hez. 25:15) AmaFilisti awanika imithetho eyayiwacinezela amaSirayeli * aza abulala amaninzi. (1 Sam. 4:10) Kodwa uYehova wayewanceda xa eguquka aze abuyele kuye. Wasebenzisa amadoda anjengoSamson, uSawule noDavide ukuze awasindise. (ABagwe. 13:5, 24; 1 Sam. 9:15-17; 18: 6, 7) Kwaye njengoko uHezekile wayeprofetile, uYehova ‘wawohlwaya ngomsindo’ amaFilisti xa amaBhabhiloni, kamva namaGrike ahlasela ilizwe lawo.​—Hez. 25:15-17.

16, 17. Sifunda ntoni kwindlela amaFilisti awawaphatha ngayo amaSirayeli?

¹⁶ Sifunda ntoni kwindlela amaFilisti awawaphatha ngayo amaSirayeli? Abantu bakaYehova namhlanje baye baphathwa kakubi ngawona mazwe anamandla. Kodwa ke bona abafani namaSirayeli, khange bamlahle uYehova. Ngamanye amaxesha, iintshaba zabo zisenokubonakala ngathi ziyaphumelela. Ngokomzekelo, ekuqaleni kweminyaka yoo-1900, urhulumente waseMerika wavalela abantu bakaYehova iminyaka emininzi ejele, ukuze abayekise ukushumayela. Ngemfazwe yehlabathi yesibini, wona umbutho wamaNazi eJamani wazama ukubaphelisa ngokuvalela amawaka, waza wabulala amakhulu abo. Emva kwaloo mfazwe, iSoviet Union yaqalisa iphulo elathatha iminyaka lokusa abazalwana kwiinkampu zokusebenza nzima, okanye ibase kwiindawo ezisemaphandleni.

¹⁷ Oorhulumente nangoku basenokuwuvala umsebenzi wokushumayela, bavalele abantu bakaThixo, abanye bade bababulale. Ngaba loo nto imele isoyikise okanye isenze siyeke ukuba nokholo? Hayi! UYehova uza kubakhusela abantu bakhe. (Funda uMateyu 10:28-31.) Sibabonile oorhulumente ababenamandla nababecinezela bephelela emoyeni, kodwa abantu bakaYehova baya besiba baninzi. Kungekudala, bonke oorhulumente babantu kuza kunyanzeleka bamazi uYehova, njengamaFilisti. Kwaye nabo baza kutshatyalaliswa.

18. Yayibenze njani ubutyebi bayo iTire?

¹⁸ ITire * yayisesinye sezixeko ezazimi kakuhle. Iinqanawa zayo zazisithi saa elwandle zisiya ngasentshona, kwizixeko  eyayishishina nazo ngapha koLwandle LweMeditera. Neenqwelo zayo zazisithi saa zisiya ngasempuma, kwizixeko ezikude eyayishishina nazo. Kangangamashumi eminyaka yazenzela ubutyebi obuninzi kwezo zixeko. Oosomashishini bayo baba zizityebi bade bacinga ukuba baziinkosana.​—Isa. 23:8.

19, 20. Yintoni umahluko phakathi kwabantu baseTire nabaseGibheyon?

¹⁹ Xa kwakulawula uDavide noSolomon, amaSirayeli ayeshishina nabantu baseTire. Babewanika izinto zokwakha kunye nabakhi abanobuchule ukuze bakhe indlu kaDavide kunye netempile kaSolomon. (2 Kron. 2:1, 3, 7-16) Ngeli xesha amaSirayeli ayesathembekile kuYehova kwaye ewasikelela. (1 Kum. 3:10-12; 10:4-9) Abantu baseTire babenethuba elihle lokufunda ngoYehova, nelokuzibonela iintsikelelo zokumkhonza ngendlela ayifunayo.

²⁰ Nakuba babenelo thuba, abantu baseTire baqhubeka bethand’ imali. Abazange benze njengabantu besixeko sakwaKanan esiyiGibheyon, abeva nje kuthethwa ngezinto ezinkulu ezazisenziwa nguYehova baza bafuna ukumkhonza. (Yosh. 9:2, 3, 22–10:2) Bona abantu baseTire babacaphukela abantu bakaThixo, bade bathengisa abanye babo ukuze babe ngamakhoboka.​—INdu. 83:2, 7; Yow. 3:4, 6; Amosi 1:9.

21, 22. Kwenzeka ntoni kwiTire, ibe ngoba?

²¹ UYehova wathuma uHezekile ukuba athi kubo: “Ndilwa nawe Tire, yaye ndiza kuzisa iintlanga ezininzi zikuhlasele, kanye njengokuba ulwandle lunyusa amaza alo. Ziza kuzonakalisa iindonga zaseTire zize zizidilize iinqaba zayo, yaye mna ndiza kuwususa umhlaba wayo, ndiyenze ibe liliwa elimenyezelayo.” (Hez. 26:1-5) Abantu baseTire babethembele kubutyebi babo, becinga ukuba buza kubakhusela, njengoko nodonga lwabo oluphakamileyo olwaluziimitha eziyi-46  lwalubakhusela. Babemele bamamele isilumkiso sikaSolomon esithi: “Ubutyebi besinhanha bunjengesixeko saso esikhuselekileyo; bunjengodonga olukhuselayo engqondweni yaso.”​—IMize. 18:11.

²² ITire yafumanisa ukuba ubutyebi bayo neendonga zayo eziphakamileyo aziloncedo, xa yahlaselwa ngamaBhabhiloni yaza yaphinda yahlaselwa ngamaGrike, njengokuba uHezekile wayeprofetile. Emva kokutshabalalisa iYerusalem, amaBhabhiloni ahlasela iTire eyayiselunxwemeni, aza ayoyisa emva kokuyirhangqa iminyaka eyi-13. (Hez. 29:17, 18) Enye inxalenye yesiprofeto sikaHezekile yenziwa nguAleksandire Omkhulu ngo-332 B.C.E. * Umkhosi wakhe wabuphosa elwandle bonke ubugoxo, namatye, nezinto ezenziwe ngamaplanga, nomhlaba owawukweso sixeko, ukuze wenze indlela eya kwisiqithi saseTire. (Hez. 26:4, 12) UAleksandire wazidiliza iindonga zeso sixeko, wathatha yonke into ekuso, wabulala amawaka-waka amajoni nabantu baso, waza abanye abaninzi wabathengisa njengamakhoboka. Abantu baseTire kwanyanzeleka ukuba bamazi uYehova, baza bafunda kabuhlungu ukuba ‘ubutyebi obuninzi’ abuloncedo.​—Hez. 27:33, 34.

23. Sifunda ntoni kwinto eyenzeka kubantu baseTire?

²³ Sifunda ntoni kwinto eyenzeka kubantu baseTire? Sifunda ukuba singaze ‘siqhathwe kukunqwenela ubutyebi,’ sicinge ukuba buza kusikhusela. (Mat. 13:22) ‘Asinakukhonza uThixo sibe sikhonza nobuTyebi.’ (Funda uMateyu 6:24.) Ngabantu abakhonza uYehova ngentliziyo yabo yonke qha abaya kukhuseleka nyhani. (Mat. 6:31-33; Yoh. 10:27-29) Iziprofeto ezithetha ngokutshatyalaliswa kweli hlabathi ziza kwenzeka kanye ngendlela ezichazwe ngayo, njengoko kwaba njalo nakwiTire. Ngelo xesha, bonke abo bathembele kubutyebi babo kuza kunyanzeleka ukuba bamazi uYehova xa etshabalalisa eli hlabathi linyolukileyo nelizicingela lodwa.

24-26. (a) Kwakutheni ukuze uYehova athi iYiputa ifana nje “nengcongolo”? (b) Wenza ntoni uKumkani uZedekiya, ibe waba yintoni umphumo?

²⁴ IYiputa oko yaba ligunya leepolitiki elaliphethe kwindawo elalikuyo iLizwe Lesithembiso, kwangaphambi kwemihla kaYosefu ukuya kutsho ngexesha lokuhlasela kweBhabhiloni iYerusalem. Ekubeni kwakukudala ikhona, yayibonakala izinzile. Kodwa xa ithelekiswa noYehova kwakungekho yayo, ifana nje “nengcongolo.”​—Hez. 29:6.

²⁵ UKumkani uZedekiya owayejikele uYehova, zange ayiqonde loo nto. Esebenzisa uYeremiya, uYehova wamcebisa ukuba azithobe kukumkani waseBhabhiloni. (Yer. 27:12) UZedekiya  wade wafunga ngoYehova ukuba akazokumjikela uNebhukadenetsare. Kodwa wayeka ukwenza le nto wayeyicetyiswe nguYehova. Wamjikela uNebhukadenetsare, waza waya kucela iYiputa ukuba imncedise xa esilwa neBhabhiloni. (2 Kron. 36:13; Hez. 17:12-20) Kodwa ke, amaSirayeli awayethembele ngeYiputa, eyayiligunya elinamandla leepolitiki, azifaka engxakini. (Hez. 29:7) Yona iYiputa yayibonakala yomelele ‘njengesilwanyana esikhulu saselwandle.’ Kodwa uYehova wathi uza kwenza kuyo into abadla ngokuyenza abantu abaloba iingwenya. Wayeza “kufaka iihaki emihlathini” yeYiputa aze ayitshabalalise. Wayenza loo nto xa wathumela amaBhabhiloni kuyo.​—Hez. 29: 3, 4, 9-12, 19.

²⁶ Kwenzeka ntoni kuZedekiya ongathembekanga? UHezekile wayeprofete ukuba uYehova wayeza kumyekisa ukuba ngukumkani, aze aluphelise ulawulo lwakhe. Kodwa uHezekile wachaza nokuba lalikho ithemba. (Hez. 21:25-27) UYehova wathi makaxele ukuba kwakuza kulawula ukumkani ‘owayenelungelo elisemthethweni.’ Kwisahluko esilandelayo siza kuva ukuba ngubani lowo.

27. Sifunda ntoni kwindlela awaphathana ngayo amaSirayeli namaYiputa?

²⁷ Sifunda ntoni kwindlela awaphathana ngayo amaSirayeli namaYiputa? Abantu bakaYehova kufuneka bangathembeli kumagunya eepolitiki, bacinge ukuba aza kubakhusela. Nezinto esizicingayo kufuneka zibonise ukuba ‘asingabo abehlabathi.’  (Yoh. 15:19; Yak. 4:4) La magunya asenokubonakala enamandla, kodwa njengeYiputa, afana nje nengcongolo. Siya kuba asilumkanga ukuba sinokuthembela ebantwini kunokuthembela kuMongami wendalo iphela.​—Funda iNdumiso 146:3-6.

28-30. Yahluke njani indlela iintlanga ‘eziza kutsho zimazi’ ngayo uYehova kuleyo thina esimazi ngayo?

²⁸ Kwincwadi kaHezekile, avela kaninzi amazwi kaYehova athi iintlanga ‘ziza kutsho zazi ukuba ndinguYehova.’ (Hez. 25:17) Loo nto yenzeka ngexesha lamaSirayeli xa uYehova wohlwaya iintshaba zawo. Kodwa iza kwenzeka nakwixesha lethu. Njani?

²⁹ NjengamaSirayeli sirhangqwe ziintlanga ezisijonga njengegusha engakwazi kuzikhusela. (Hez. 38:10-13) KwiSahluko 17 no-18 sale ncwadi, siza kufunda ukuba kungekudala ezi ntlanga ziza kubahlasela ngenkohlakalo abantu bakaThixo. Kodwa xa zibahlasela, ziza kutsho zibone ukuba ngubani kanye kanye onamandla. Ziza kunyanzeleka ukuba zimazi uYehova, zazi ukuba ungumongami wendalo iphela, xa ezitshabalalisa eArmagedon.​—ISityhi. 16:16; 19:17-21.

³⁰ Kodwa thina, uYehova uza kusikhusela, aze asisikelele. Ngoba? Kuba sibonise ngezenzo ukuba siyamazi uYehova, ngokuthi sithembele kuye, simthobele, size simkhonze ngendlela ayifunayo.​—Funda uHezekile 28:26.