1. Yini uJehova ayilondoloze ngothando ukuze isintu sizuze?

UJEHOVA ‘uNkulunkulu ophilayo nohlala njalo’ uye walondoloza isigijimi sakhe esinika ukuphila ukuze isintu sizuze. Ngokuqinisekile, isigijimi sakhe siyohlala njalo, ngoba “izwi likaJehova lihlala phakade.” (1 Pet. 1:23-25) Yeka ukuthi sijabula kanjani ngokuthi, ngothando, uJehova uye walondoloza ukwaziswa okubaluleke kangaka eZwini lakhe elilotshiwe, iBhayibheli!

2. Yini uNkulunkulu ayilondolozile eZwini lakhe elilotshiwe ukuze isetshenziswe abantu bakhe?

² EZwini lakhe, uNkulunkulu ulondoloze igama azikhethele lona ukuze lisetshenziswe abantu bakhe. Igama elithi “uJehova uNkulunkulu” livela okokuqala emiBhalweni lapho ikhuluma ‘ngomlando wamazulu nomhlaba.’ (Gen. 2:4) Igama likaNkulunkulu laqoshwa ngokuyisimangaliso izikhathi eziningana ezibhebheni zeMiyalo Eyishumi. Ngokwesibonelo, umyalo wokuqala waqala ngokuthi: “NginguJehova uNkulunkulu wakho.” (Eks. 20:1-17) Igama likaNkulunkulu liyaqhubeka likhona kuze kube manje ngenxa yokuthi iNkosi EnguMbusi uJehova iye yalondoloza iZwi layo negama layo naphezu kwayo yonke imizamo kaSathane yokukuqeda lokhu.—IHu. 73:28.

3. Nakuba amanga enkolo egcwele umhlaba wonke, yini uNkulunkulu ayilondolozile?

³ UJehova ulondoloze neqiniso eZwini lakhe. Nakuba amanga enkolo egcwele umhlaba wonke, yeka ukuthi simbonga kanjani uNkulunkulu ngokuthi usinike ukukhanya okungokomoya neqiniso! (Funda iHubo 43:3, 4.) Nakuba izinkumbi zabantu zihamba ebumnyameni, thina siqhubeka sihamba ngenjabulo ekukhanyeni okungokomoya esikunikwe uNkulunkulu.—1 Joh. 1:6, 7.

4, 5. Iliphi ilungelo elikhethekile ebelilokhu lingelethu kusukela ngo-1931?

⁴ NjengamaKristu, sinefa eliyigugu. I-Collins Cobuild English Dictionary ithi: “Ifa lezwe liyizo zonke izimfanelo, amasiko, noma izici zokuphila eziye zaqhubeka zikhona iminyaka eminingi futhi zadluliselwa ezizukulwaneni  ngezizukulwane.” Ifa lethu elingokomoya lihlanganisa nesibusiso sokuba nolwazi olunembile ngeZwi likaNkulunkulu nokuqonda okucacile kweqiniso ngaye nangezinjongo zakhe. Lihlanganisa nelungelo elikhetheke kakhulu.

⁵ Lelo lungelo laba yingxenye yefa lethu elingokomoya emhlanganweni wethu wesigodi owawuseColumbus, e-Ohio, e-U.S.A., ngo-1931. Isimiso somhlangano esinyathelisiwe sasinezinhlamvu ezithi “JW.” Omunye udade wathi: “Sasilokhu siqagela ukuthi lezi zinhlamvu zazimeleleni—abanye bethi zisho ukuthi Just Wait, Just Watch, abanye baqagela ngokunembile.” Sasibizwa ngabaFundi BeBhayibheli, kodwa ngeSonto, ngo-July 26, 1931, semukela ngezwi lesinqumo igama elithi oFakazi BakaJehova. Kwakujabulisa kakhulu ukwamukela leli gama elingokomBhalo. (Funda u-Isaya 43:12.) “Angisoze ngakukhohlwa ukuhlokoma nehlombe eladuma endaweni yomhlangano,” kukhumbula umzalwane othile. Abekho abanye emhlabeni ababefuna lelo gama, kodwa uNkulunkulu uye wasibusisa ngokulisebenzisa kule minyaka engaphezu kwamashumi angu-8. Yeka ukuthi kuyilungelo elikhetheke kanjani ukuba ngoFakazi BakaJehova!

6. Ikuphi ukwaziswa okunembile okuyingxenye yefa lethu elingokomoya?

⁶ Ifa lethu elingokomoya lihlanganisa nengcebo yokwaziswa okunembile nokubalulekile kwangesikhathi esidlule. Ngokwesibonelo, cabanga ngo-Abrahama, u-Isaka noJakobe. Kungenzeka ukuthi lezi zinzalamizi nemindeni yazo zazixoxa ngezindlela zokujabulisa uJehova. Ngakho, akumangazi ukuthi uJosefa othembekile wenqaba ukuziphatha kabi ngokobulili ukuze ‘angoni kuNkulunkulu.’ (Gen. 39:7-9) Amasiko obuKristu nawo adluliselwa ngomlomo noma ngesibonelo. Ahlanganisa namaphuzu aphathelene neSidlo SeNkosi Sakusihlwa umphostoli uPawulu awadlulisela emabandleni obuKristu. (1 Kor. 11:2, 23) Namuhla, imininingwane esiyidingayo ukuze sikhulekele uNkulunkulu “ngomoya nangeqiniso” iyingxenye yeZwi lakhe elilotshiwe. (Funda uJohane 4:23, 24.) Injongo yeBhayibheli iwukukhanyisela bonke abantu, kodwa thina njengezinceku zikaJehova silazisa ngokukhethekile.

7. Ifa lethu lihlanganisa siphi isithembiso esisiqinisayo?

⁷ Ngokwengxenye, ifa lethu elingokomoya lihlanganisa nokulandisa okunyatheliswe muva nje okubonisa ukuthi ‘uJehova ungakithi.’ (IHu. 118:7) Lokhu kusenza sizizwe silondekile ngisho nalapho sishushiswa. Ingxenye esiqinisa kakhulu yefa lethu elingokomoya elandayo, yilesi sithembiso: “‘Noma isiphi isikhali esiyokwakhiwa ngokumelene nawe ngeke siphumelele, nanoma yiluphi ulimi oluyokuvukela ekwahluleleni uyolulahla. Leli yifa lezinceku zikaJehova, futhi ukulunga kwazo kuvela kimi,’ kusho uJehova.” (Isaya 54:17) Asikho nesisodwa isikhali enqolobaneni kaSathane yezikhali esingasilimaza phakade.

8. Yini esizoxoxa ngayo kulesi sihloko nakwesilandelayo?

 ⁸ USathane uzamile ukuqothula iZwi likaNkulunkulu, ukususa igama likaJehova nokucindezela iqiniso. Kodwa ngokuqinisekile akanamandla okumelana noJehova, oye wayibhuntshisa yonke leyo mizamo. Kulesi sihloko nakwesilandelayo, sizobona (1) indlela uNkulunkulu alilondoloze ngayo iZwi lakhe; (2) indlela uJehova aye waqinisekisa ngayo ukuthi igama lakhe liyalondolozwa (3) nendlela uBaba wethu osezulwini abe ngayo nguMthombo noMlondolozi weqiniso esilijabulelayo.

9-11. Yiziphi izibonelo ezibonisa ukuthi iBhayibheli liye lasinda ekuhlaselweni okuhlukahlukene?

⁹ UJehova ulilondolozile iZwi lakhe kubo bonke lobo bunzima. I-Enciclopedia Cattolica (Catholic Encyclopedia) ithi: “Ngo-1229, uMkhandlu WaseToulouse wenqabela abantu abavamile ukuba basebenzise [amaBhayibheli ezilimi zomdabu] ngenxa yokuthi wawulwa nama-Albigense namaWaldense . . . Umhlangano womkhandlu owawungo-1234 eTarragona, eSpain ngaphansi kukaJames I, wakhipha umyalo ofanayo onqabelayo. . . . ISigungu SabaBhishobhi Abakhulu BamaRoma sangenela kule ndaba okokuqala ngo-1559 lapho uHlu Lwezincwadi Ezenqatshelwe lukaPaul IV lwenqabela ukunyatheliswa nokuba namakhophi amaBhayibheli olimi lomdabu ngaphandle kwemvume yeHhovisi Elingcwele.”

¹⁰ Naphezu kokuhlaselwa okuhlukahlukene, iBhayibheli liye lalondolozwa. Cishe ngo-1382, uJohn Wycliffe nabangane bakhe banyathelisa inguqulo yokuqala yeBhayibheli ngesiNgisi. Omunye umhumushi weBhayibheli uWilliam Tyndale, owabulawa ngo-1536. Kuthiwa ngesikhathi eboshelwe esigxotsheni, wamemeza, “Nkosi, vula amehlo enkosi yaseNgilandi.” Ngemva kwalokho waklinywa wabe eseshiswa.

¹¹ IBhayibheli lasinda naphezu kokuphikiswa. Ngokwesibonelo, ngo-1535 kwanyatheliswa inguqulo yesiNgisi yeBhayibheli kaMiles Coverdale. UCoverdale wasebenzisa inguqulo kaTyndale “yeTestamente Elisha” “neyeTestamente Elidala” kusukela kuGenesise kuya encwadini yeziKronike. Wahumusha ezinye izingxenye zemiBhalo ezisusela olimini lwesiLatin naseBhayibhelini likaMartin Luther lesiJalimane. Namuhla, INguqulo Yezwe Elisha YemiBhalo Engcwele yaziswa kakhulu ngenxa yokuthi icacile, ithembekile embhalweni weBhayibheli futhi iwusizo kakhulu enkonzweni yethu. Siyajabula ngokuthi akukho mandla obudemoni noma abantu ayokwazi ukuvimba ukulondolozwa kweZwi likaJehova.

12. Iyiphi indima INguqulo Yezwe Elisha ebe nayo ekulondolozweni kwegama likaNkulunkulu?

¹² UJehova uNkulunkulu uye waqikelela ukuthi igama lakhe liyalondolozwa eZwini lakhe. INguqulo Yezwe Elisha inendima enkulu ngokuphathelene nalokhu. Esethulweni  sayo, ikomiti yabahumushi balo abazinikele yabhala: “Isici esivelele kunazo zonke kule nguqulo ukubuyiselwa kwegama likaNkulunkulu endaweni yalo efanele embhalweni weBhayibheli wesiNgisi. Lokhu kwenziwe izikhathi ezingu-6 973 emiBhalweni yesiHebheru nezingu-237 emiBhalweni YamaKristu YesiGreki kusetshenziswa indlela evamile yesiZulu ethi ‘Jehova.’” INguqulo Yezwe Elisha, ephelele noma eyingxenye, isitholakala ngezilimi ezingaphezu kwezingu-116, futhi kuye kwanyatheliswa amakhophi ayo angaphezu kwangu-178 545 862.

13. Kungani kungase kushiwo ukuthi abantu bebelokhu belazi igama likaNkulunkulu kusukela ekudalweni kwabo?

¹³ Abantu bebelokhu belazi igama likaNkulunkulu kusukela ekudalweni kwesintu. U-Adamu no-Eva babelazi, futhi bekwazi kahle ukulibiza. Lapho uHamu ebonisa indelelo kuyise ngemva kukaZamcolo, uNowa wathi: “Makatuswe uJehova, uNkulunkulu kaShemi, uKhanani [indodana kaHamu] abe isigqila sakhe.” (Gen. 4:1; 9:26) UNkulunkulu ngokwakhe wathi: “NginguJehova. Yilelo igama lami; futhi angisoze nganika muntu omunye inkazimulo yami.” UNkulunkulu waphinde wathi: “NginguJehova, akekho omunye. Ngaphandle kwami akekho uNkulunkulu.” (Isaya 42:8; 45:5) UJehova uye waqikelela ukuthi igama lakhe liyalondolozwa futhi lenziwa laziwe emhlabeni wonke. Yeka ukuthi kuyilungelo elikhulu kanjani ngathi ukusebenzisa igama likaJehova futhi sikhonze njengoFakazi bakhe! Empeleni, simemeza sithi: “Sizophakamisa amabhanela ethu egameni likaNkulunkulu wethu.”—IHu. 20:5.

14. Ngaphandle kwaseBhayibhelini, igama likaNkulunkulu liphinde litholakale kuphi?

¹⁴ Igama likaNkulunkulu aliveli eBhayibhelini kuphela. Cabanga ngeTshe LakwaMowabi, elatholakala eDhiban (Dibon), indawo eqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-21 ukusuka empumalanga yoLwandle Olufile. Leli tshe likhuluma ngo-Omri inkosi yakwa-Israyeli futhi linikeza incazelo yenkosi yakwaMowabi uMesha yokuvukela kwakhe u-Israyeli. (1 AmaKh. 16:28; 2 AmaKh. 1:1; 3:4, 5) Kodwa iTshe LakwaMowabi libaluleke ngokukhethekile ngoba liphinde libe negama likaNkulunkulu elibhalwe ngezinhlamvu zeTetragrammaton. ITetragrammaton iphinde ivele kaningi eziNcwadini ZaseLakishi, izingcezu zobumba ezatholakala kwa-Israyeli.

15. Iyini i-Septuagint, futhi yaba khona kanjani?

¹⁵ Abahumushi beBhayibheli bakuqala baba nengxenye enkulu ekulondolozeni igama laphezulu. Ngemva kokudingiselwa eBhabhiloni ngo-607 B.C.E. kuya ku-537 B.C.E., amaJuda amaningi awabuyelanga kwaJuda nakwa-Israyeli. Ngekhulu lesithathu B.C.E., i-Alexandriya, eGibhithe, yayisiyikhaya lamaJuda amaningi ayedinga ukuba imiBhalo YesiHebheru ihunyushelwe esiGrekini, esasiwulimi lomhlaba wonke ngaleso sikhathi. Leyo nguqulo yaqedwa ukuhunyushwa ngekhulu lesibili B.C.E., futhi yabizwa ngokuthi i-Septuagint. Amanye amakhophi ayo anegama likaJehova elilotshwe ngesiHebheru.

16. Nikeza isibonelo sokusetshenziswa kwegama likaNkulunkulu encwadini eyaqala ukunyatheliswa ngo-1640.

¹⁶ Igama likaNkulunkulu liyatholakala kuyi-Bay Psalm Book, incwadi yokuqala eyanyatheliswa emakoloni eNgilandi aseMelika. Eyokuqala (eyanyatheliswa ngo-1640) inamaHubo, ahunyushelwa esiNgisini sangaleyo nkathi esuselwa olimini lwesiHebheru. Isebenzisa igama likaNkulunkulu emibhalweni enjengeHubo 1:1, 2, elithi “indoda ebusisiwe” ayihambi ngeseluleko sababi, “kodwa ilangazelela ngenjabulo umthetho ka-Iehovah.” Ukuze uthole ukwaziswa okwengeziwe ngegama likaNkulunkulu, bheka incwajana ethi IGama LaPhezulu Eliyohlala Phakade.

17, 18. (a) Ungalichaza kanjani igama elithi “iqiniso”? (b) ‘Iqiniso lezindaba ezinhle’ lihlanganisani?

¹⁷ Simkhonza ngenjabulo ‘uJehova  uNkulunkulu weqiniso.’ (IHu. 31:5) Ngokwe-Collins Cobuild English Dictionary, “Iqiniso ngento ethile liyiwo wonke amaqiniso aphathelene nayo, hhayi izinto ezicatshangwayo noma ezisunguliwe.” NgesiHebheru seBhayibheli, igama elivame ukuhunyushwa ngokuthi “iqiniso” lisho into eyiqiniso, ethembekile, eqotho neyiqiniso elingenakuphikwa. Igama lesiGreki elihunyushwe ngokuthi “iqiniso” lisho lokho okuhambisana neqiniso noma okufanele nokulungile.

¹⁸ UJehova uye walondoloza iqiniso elingokomoya futhi wenza ukuba siqhubeke sithola ulwazi oluningi ngalo. (2 Joh. 1, 2) Indlela esiqonda ngayo iqiniso iya ngokuya icaca, ngoba “indlela yabalungileyo injengokukhanya okukhulu okuqhubeka kukhanya ngokwengeziwe kuze kube semini enkulu”! (IzAga 4:18) Yebo, sivumelana ngokuphelele noJesu, owasho la mazwi lapho ethandaza kuNkulunkulu: “Izwi lakho liyiqiniso.” (Joh. 17:17) IZwi likaNkulunkulu elilotshiwe ‘lineqiniso lezindaba ezinhle,’ elihlanganisa zonke izimfundiso zobuKristu. (Gal. 2:14) Ngokwengxenye, zihlanganisa amaqiniso aphathelene negama likaJehova, ubukhosi bakhe, umhlatshelo wesihlengo kaJesu, uvuko noMbuso. Manje, ake sihlole indlela uNkulunkulu alondoloze ngayo iqiniso naphezu kwemizamo kaSathane yokulicindezela.

19, 20. Wayengubani uNimrode, futhi yimuphi umsebenzi ongaphumelelanga ngosuku lwakhe?

¹⁹ Ngemva kukaZamcolo, kwaba nesisho esithi: “NjengoNimrode iphisi elinamandla ngokumelene noJehova.” (Gen. 10:9) Njengoba ayephikisa uJehova uNkulunkulu, empeleni uNimrode wayekhulekela uSathane futhi wayefana nabaphikisi uJesu asho lokhu ngabo: “Nina nivela kuyihlo uDeveli, futhi nifisa ukwenza izifiso zikayihlo. Akazange ame aqine eqinisweni.”—Joh. 8:44.

²⁰ Izwe elalibuswa uNimrode lalihlanganisa iBhabhele neminye imizi ephakathi kwemifula iTigrisi ne-Ewufrathe. (Gen. 10:10) Cishe kwakuyisiqondiso sakhe ukuba kwakhiwe iBhabhele nombhoshongo walo ngawo-2269 B.C.E. Ngokuphambene nentando kaJehova yokuba abantu basabalale bagcwale wonke umhlaba, labo ababakha bathi: “Wozani! Masizakheleni umuzi kanye nombhoshongo onesiqongo esisemazulwini, sizenzele igama lodumo, funa sihlakazeke phezu kwawo wonke umhlaba.” Kwadingeka baliyeke lelo cebo ngoba uNkulunkulu ‘waphithanisa ulimi lomhlaba wonke’ futhi wahlakaza nalabo ababezokwakha umbhoshongo. (Gen. 11:1-4, 8, 9) Uma kuwukuthi uSathane wayehlose ukuqala inkolo yabantu ababezokhulekela yena, icebo lakhe alizange liphumelele. Kuwo wonke umlando wesintu, ukukhulekelwa kukaJehova kuye kwaphumelela futhi kuyaqhubeka kudlondlobala usuku nosuku.

21, 22. (a) Kungani inkolo yamanga ingakaze ibe usongo olukhulu ekukhulekeleni kweqiniso? (b) Yini esizoxoxa ngayo esihlokweni esilandelayo?

²¹ Inkolo yamanga ayikaze ibe usongo olukhulu ekukhulekeleni kweqiniso. Kungani? Kungenxa yokuthi uMfundisi wethu Omkhulu uye waqikelela ukuthi iZwi lakhe elilotshiwe liyalondolozwa, wenza igama lakhe laziwa esintwini, futhi ubelokhu enguMthombo ongenamkhawulo weqiniso elingokomoya. (Isaya 30:20, 21) Ukukhulekela uNkulunkulu ngokuvumelana neqiniso kusilethela injabulo, kodwa ukwenza kanjalo kudinga ukuba sihlale siqaphile ngokomoya, sithembele ngokugcwele kuJehova futhi silandele isiqondiso somoya wakhe ongcwele.

²² Esihlokweni esilandelayo, sizohlola umsuka wezimfundiso ezithile zamanga. Sizobona ukuthi lezi zimfundiso ziba yize lapho zivivinywa ngemiBhalo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, sizobona ukuthi uJehova, uMlondolozi weqiniso ongenakuqhathaniswa, uye wasibusisa kanjani ngezimfundiso eziyiqiniso esizazisayo eziyingxenye yefa lethu elingokomoya.