1, 2. (a) UYehova umchazela ntoni uHezekile? (b) Yeyiphi imibuzo esiza kuyiphendula?

UHEZEKILE usand’ ukubona umbono omenza acinge emva, kwiminyaka ephantse ibe yi-900 eyadlulayo, ngexesha likaMoses noYoshuwa. Ngelo xesha, uYehova wachazela uMoses ngemida yeLizwe Lesithembiso, waza kamva wachazela uYoshuwa ngendlela amele awohlule ngayo umhlaba, esahlulela amaSirayeli. (Num. 34:1-15; Yosh. 13:7; 22:4, 9) Kodwa ngo-593 B.C.E., uYehova uchazela uHezekile nabantu abathinjwe naye ukuba baphinde balahlule iLizwe Lesithembiso, belahlulela amaSirayeli.​—Hez. 45:1; 47:14; 48:29.

² Lo mbono wawumxelela ntoni uHezekile nabanye ababethinjiwe? Kutheni usikhuthaza nje namhlanje? Ngaba uza kuphinda wenzeke kwixesha elizayo?

3, 4. (a) Umbono wokugqibela kaHezekile wanceda abantu abathinjiweyo baqiniseka ngantoni? (b) Siza kuthetha ngantoni kwesi sahluko?

³ Umbono wokugqibela kaHezekile ufumaneka kwizahluko ezisithoba zencwadi yakhe. (Hez. 40:1–48:35)  Wanceda abo babethinjiwe baqiniseka ngezinto ezine ezithetha ngohlanga lwakwaSirayeli. Zeziphi ezo zinto? Eyokuqala, kukuba abantu babeza kuphinda bakhonze uYehova kakuhle etempileni yakhe. Eyesibini, olu hlanga lwaluza kukhokelwa ngababingeleli nabalusi abangamalungisa. Eyesithathu, bonke abantu ababeza kubuyela kwaSirayeli babeza kufumana umhlaba. Eyesine, uYehova wayeza kuphinda abe phakathi kwabo.

⁴ ISahluko 13 nese-14 sale ncwadi, siye sathetha ngendlela uYehova awayeza kuphinda akhonzwe kakuhle ngayo, nokuba abantu bakhe babeza kukhokelwa njani ngabalusi abangamalungisa. Kwesi sahluko, siza kuthetha ngesithembiso sokufumana umhlaba njengelifa. Kwisahluko esilandelayo, siza kuthetha ngesithembiso sokuba uYehova uza kuba phakathi kwabantu bakhe.​—Hez. 47:13-21; 48:1-7, 23-29.

5, 6. (a) Kumbono kaHezekile, ngowuphi lo mhlaba wawuza kwabiwa? (Jonga umfanekiso osekuqaleni.) (b) Sasiyintoni isizathu sokuba kubekho umbono wokwabiwa komhlaba?

⁵ Funda uHezekile 47:14. UYehova wabonisa uHezekile umbono welizwe elaliza kuba “njengomyezo wase-Eden.” (Hez. 36:35) Emva koko wathi: “Nguwo lo umhlaba eniza kuwaba ube lilifa lezizwe eziyi-12 zakwaSirayeli.” (Hez. 47:13) “Umhlaba” owawuza kwabiwa, ngulo babeza kubuyela kuwo abantu ababethinjiwe. Njengokuba kuchaziwe kuHezekile 47:15-21, uYehova wachaza ngokweenkcukacha imida yelizwe lonke.

⁶ Sasiyintoni isizathu sokuba kubekho umbono wokwabiwa komhlaba? Ukuchazwa kakuhle kwemida yelizwe kwanceda uHezekile nabanye ababethinjiwe baqiniseka ukuba ilizwe labo laliza kuphinda libe lihle. Ukuva yonke le nto, kumele ukuba kwabakhuthaza kakhulu. Ngaba abantu bakaThixo bawufumana nyhani umhlaba owawulilifa labo? Ewe bawufumana.

7. (a) Kwenzeka ntoni ngo-537 B.C.E., ibe loo nto isikhumbuza ntoni? (b) Ngowuphi umbuzo esiza kuwuphendula?

⁷ Ngo-537 B.C.E., kwiminyaka emalunga neyi-56 emva kokuba uHezekile ebone lo mbono, amawaka abantu ababethinjiwe abuyela kwaSirayeli aza bahlala khona. Izinto ezinje ezazisenzeka kudala zisikhumbuza into efanayo eyenzeka phakathi kwabantu bakaThixo kweli xesha lethu. Nabo kuyafan’ ingathi babelwe umhlaba. Njani? UYehova uye wavumela abantu bakhe ukuba babe nelizwe labo baze bahlale kulo, loo nto ithetha ukuba uye wabavumela bamkhonze ngendlela ayifunayo. Ngoko ukufunda ngokulungiswa kweLizwe Lesithembiso, kungasifundisa izinto ezininzi ngendlela uYehova afuna  ukukhonzwa ngayo namhlanje. Kodwa ngaphambi kokujonga ezo zinto sinokuzifunda, makhe siqale siphendule umbuzo othi, kutheni sinokuthi bakhona abantu abamkhonza kakuhle uYehova namhlanje?

8. (a) Uhlanga lwakwaSirayeli lwathathelwa indawo loluphi uhlanga? (b) Besifunde ntoni kwiSahluko 17 sale ncwadi? (c) Ngoobani abamkhonza kakuhle uYehova, ibe baqala nini?

⁸ Komnye umbono kaHezekile, uYehova wabonisa ukuba iziprofeto ezithetha ngokulungiswa kwelizwe lakwaSirayeli, ziza kuphinda zenzeke emva kokuba ‘umkhonzi wakhe uDavide,’ onguYesu Kristu, eye wanguKumkani. (Hez. 37:24) Loo nto yenzeka ngo-1914. Ngelo xesha, uhlanga lwakwaSirayeli lwalusele luyekile ukuba ngabantu bakaThixo, luthathelwe indawo nguSirayeli kaThixo, abathanjiswa. (Funda uMateyu 21:43; neyoku-1 kaPetros 2:9.) Nelizwe lakwaSirayeli lalithathelwe indawo lilizwe elinabantu abakhonza uThixo ngendlela ayifunayo. (Isa. 66:8) Njengoko besifundile kwiSahluko 17 sale ncwadi, eli lizwe yindlela abantu abamkhonza kakuhle ngayo  uYehova. Abathanjiswa bebemkhonza kakuhle ukususela ngo-1919. (Jonga ibhokisi 9B ethi, “Kwenzeka Ntoni Ngo-1919?”) Ekuhambeni kwexesha, nabantu abanethemba lokuphila emhlabeni, ‘abazezinye izimvu,’ baqalisa ukumkhonza kakuhle uYehova. (Yoh. 10:16) Nakuba uYehova ebasikelela abantu abamkhonza ngendlela ayifunayo namhlanje, ezona ntsikelelo zininzi baza kuzifumana emva kweArmagedon.

9. UYehova wathi malahlulwe njani ilizwe?

⁹ Funda uHezekile 48:1, 28. Emva kokuba uYehova ethethe ngemida yelizwe, wachaza nendlela elimele lahlulwe ngayo. Zazimele zabelwe umhlaba olinganayo zoyi-12 izizwe zakwaSirayeli, ukuqala emntla kwaDan ukuya kumda wasemzantsi welizwe, kwisizwe sakwaGadi. Sizwe ngasinye, umhlaba waso wawuqala kumda osempuma, uyokutsho entshona, kuLwandle Olukhulu lweMeditera.​—Hez. 47:20.

10. Umele ukuba wabaqinisekisa ngantoni abantu ababethinjiwe umbono wokwahlulwa komhlaba?

¹⁰ Umele ukuba wabaqinisekisa ngantoni abantu ababethinjiwe umbono wokwahlulwa komhlaba? Umele ukuba wabaqinisekisa ukuba lo msebenzi wawuza kwenziwa ngocwangco. Enye into, ukwabiwa komhlaba ngokulinganayo, kwakubonisa ukuba wonke umntu obuya ekuthinjweni wayeza kufumana umhlaba. Akukho nomnye umntu owayeza kubuya engenamhlaba okanye engenandawo yokuhlala.

11. Yintoni esiyifundayo kumbono kaHezekile wokwahlulwa komhlaba? (Jonga ibhokisi ethi, “Ukwabiwa Komhlaba.”)

¹¹ Namhlanje, yintoni esiyifundayo kulo mbono? KwiLizwe Lesithembiso kwakungazukuhlala ababingeleli, abaLevi, neenkosi kuphela, kodwa kwakuza kuhlala wonke umntu ophuma kwizizwe eziyi-12. (Hez. 45:4, 5, 7, 8) Nanamhlanje, ayingobathanjiswa kunye nabo bakhokelayo abaphakathi ‘kwesihlwele esikhulu’ bodwa abavumelekileyo ukuba bakhonze uYehova ngendlela ayifunayo, kodwa nguye wonke umntu okwisihlwele esikhulu.. * (ISityhi. 7:9) Nokuba ubonakala uphantsi kangakanani umsebenzi esiwenzayo kwintlangano kaYehova, uyawuxabisa umsebenzi wethu. Isikhuthaza nyhani loo nto!

12, 13. UYehova wathi izizwe mazahlulelwe njani umhlaba?

¹² Zimele ukuba zambhida uHezekile ezinye izinto awayezichazelwa nguYehova ngendlela yokwaba umhlaba, kuba zazahlukile kwezo zazixelelwe uMoses. Makhe sijonge iindlela ezimbini ezazahluke ngazo. Omnye umahluko ngumhlaba, omnye ngabantu.

¹³ Masiqale ngomhlaba. UMoses wachazelwa ukuba anike izizwe ezikhulu umhlaba omkhulu, aze ezincinci azinike  umhlaba omncinci. (Num. 26:52-54) Kodwa kumbono kaHezekile, uYehova wathi mawabiwe “ngokulinganayo umhlaba [umbhalo osemazantsi uthi, “ngamnye afumane ngokulingana nomntakwabo”].” (Hez. 47:14) Ngoko kwakufuneka ulingane umgama osuka emntla ukuya emzantsi kuzo zoyi-12 izizwe. Nokuba amaSirayeli ayephuma kwesiphi isizwe, ayeza kufumana ngokulinganayo kwizinto ezaziza kuveliswa liLizwe Lesithembiso.

14. Yintoni uYehova awayithethayo ngabantu abangengomaSirayeli eyayahlukile kuMthetho KaMoses?

¹⁴ Ngoku masithethe ngabantu. UMthetho KaMoses wawubakhusela abantu abangengomaSirayeli, ubavumela nokuba bakhonze uYehova, kodwa babengawufumani umhlaba. (Lev. 19:33, 34) Into uYehova awayixelela uHezekile yayahlukile kuMthetho KaMoses. Wathi kuye: “Nimele nimnike ilifa umntu wasemzini kumhlaba wesizwe ahlala kuwo.” Loo nto yayiza kwenza ukuba kungabikho mahluko phakathi kwabantu abangengomaSirayeli namaSirayeli. (Hez. 47:22, 23) Abantu belizwe elabonwa nguHezekile embonweni, babekhonza kunye, kungekho ubhetele kunomnye.​—Lev. 25:23.

15. Yintoni eboniswa yimiyalelo emibini ethetha ngomhlaba nangabantu?

 ¹⁵ Le miyalelo mibini eyafunyanwa nguHezekile ethetha ngomhlaba nangabantu, imele ukuba yabakhuthaza abantu ababethinjiwe. Babesazi ukuba uYehova wayeza kubanika umhlaba olinganayo, nokuba bangamaSirayeli okanye ngabantu bolunye uhlanga abakhonza uYehova. (Ezra 8:20; Neh. 3:26; 7:6, 25; Isa. 56:3, 8) Le miyalelo yabonisa into ekhuthazayo nengasoze itshintshe, eyokuba sonke sixabiseke ngendlela elinganayo kuYehova. (Funda uHagayi 2:7.) Nathi namhlanje, nokuba sinethemba lokuphila ezulwini okanye emhlabeni, kuyasivuyisa ukwazi loo nto.

16, 17. (a) Kusinceda ngantoni ukufunda ngelizwe elikumbono kaHezekile nangabantu balo? (b) Siza kuthetha ngantoni kwisahluko esilandelayo?

¹⁶ Kusinceda ngantoni ukufunda ngelizwe elikumbono kaHezekile nangabantu balo? Kusikhumbuza ukuba simele simanyane njengabakhonzi bakaYehova, kuze kungabikho mntu ucinga ukuba ubhetele kunabanye. UYehova akakhethi. Sifanele sizibuze: ‘Ngaba nam ndifana noYehova, andikhethi? Ngaba ndibahlonipha ngendlela efanayo bonke abantu endikhonza nabo, nokuba bangaboluphi uhlanga okanye iimeko zabo zinjani?’ (Roma 12:10) Kuyasivuyisa ukwazi ukuba siyalingana kuTata wethu, ibe sinokumkhonza ngomphefumlo wonke wethu, aze asisikelele.​—Gal. 3:26-29; ISityhi. 7:9.

¹⁷ Ngoku makhe sithethe ngesithembiso sokuba uYehova uza kuba kunye nabantu abathinjiweyo. Yintoni esiyifundayo kweso sithembiso? Lo mbuzo uza kuphendulwa kwisahluko esilandelayo.