A Large Crowd of Witnesses
1 Such a large crowd of witnesses is all around us! So we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just won't let go. And we must be determined to run the race that is ahead of us. 2 We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross, because he knew later on he would be glad he did. Now he is seated at the right side of God's throne! 3 So keep your mind on Jesus, who put up with many insults from sinners. Then you won't get discouraged and give up.
4 None of you have yet been hurt in your battle against sin. 5 But you have forgotten that the Scriptures say to God's children,
“When the Lord punishes you,
don't make light of it,
and when he corrects you,
don't be discouraged.
6 The Lord corrects the people
he loves
and disciplines those
he calls his own.”
7 Be patient when you are being corrected! This is how God treats his children. Don't all parents correct their children? 8 God corrects all his children, and if he doesn't correct you, then you don't really belong to him. 9 Our earthly fathers correct us, and we still respect them. Isn't it even better to be given true life by letting our spiritual Father correct us?
10 Our human fathers correct us for a short time, and they do it as they think best. But God corrects us for our own good, because he wants us to be holy, as he is. 11 It is never fun to be corrected. In fact, at the time it is always painful. But if we learn to obey by being corrected, we will do right and live at peace.
12 Now stand up straight! Stop your knees from shaking 13 and walk a straight path. Then lame people will be healed, instead of getting worse.
Warning against Turning from God
14 Try to live at peace with everyone! Live a clean life. If you don't, you will never see the Lord. 15 Make sure no one misses out on God's wonderful kindness. Don't let anyone become bitter and cause trouble for the rest of you. 16 Watch out for immoral and ungodly people like Esau, who sold his future blessing for only one meal. 17 You know how he later wanted it back. But there was nothing he could do to change things, even though he begged his father and cried.
18 You have not come to a place like Mount Sinai that can be seen and touched. There is no flaming fire or dark cloud or storm 19 or trumpet sound. The people of Israel heard a voice speak. But they begged it to stop, 20 because they could not obey its commands. They were even told to kill any animal that touched the mountain. 21 The sight was so frightening that Moses said he shook with fear.
22 You have now come to Mount Zion and to the heavenly Jerusalem. This is the city of the living God, where thousands and thousands of angels have come to celebrate. 23 Here you will find all of God's dearest children, whose names are written in heaven. And you will find God himself, who judges everyone. Here also are the spirits of those good people who have been made perfect. 24 And Jesus is here! He is the one who makes God's new agreement with us, and his sprinkled blood says much better things than the blood of Abel.
25 Make sure you obey the one who speaks to you. The people did not escape, when they refused to obey the one who spoke to them at Mount Sinai. Do you think you can possibly escape, if you refuse to obey the one who speaks to you from heaven? 26 When God spoke the first time, his voice shook only the earth. This time he has promised to shake the earth once again, and heaven too.
27 The words “once again” mean that these created things will someday be shaken and removed. Then what cannot be shaken will last. 28 We should be grateful we were given a kingdom that cannot be shaken. And in this kingdom we please God by worshiping him and by showing him great honor and respect. 29 Our God is like a destructive fire!
Ti bana be Ndzimu
1 Setakapotelekwa nge mbunga nkulu we batendeki, ngatilasheni tjimwe ne tjimwe tjingatipinganyidza, kose ne tjibi tjinotinamatila, ngono tilabuke takasimisila mu lubilo gu mbeli kwedu, 2 takalinga Jesu ntangisi ne mpeleledzi we kugalamoyo kwedu, iye wakati abona kushatha kunonzhila kadzikitadzila tjileyanyo eshayila hanya kulengudziwa, ngono ngwenu ugele ku luboko gwe luji gwe tjigalo tje Ndzimu.
3 Kumbulani Jesu wakadzikitadzila kunyanyayidziwa nge babi, kuti ndizo musinyalemoyo mukadwa mutoboka. 4 Mu kugwisana kwenyu ne tjibi akuthu kukaswika mu tjimo tjekuti mu gwe kungathama kuti lopa lenyu litebugwe. 5 Apa makakangang'wa dama linokulumbidza se bakololo kene? Dama linoti,
“Nkololo wangu, usikutole kuli kulelu lelu kutjemegwa ndi She
kakale usinyalemoyo ha She bekuloba,
6 ngobe She banotjemela iye wabanoda,
bakabuya bakaloba mmwe ne mmwe mwana wabanoamutjila.”
7 Dzikitadzilani kutjemegwa, Ndzimu unomutola se bakololo. Ndiupi mwana usingatjemegwe ndi tate babe kene? 8 Ha musingatjemegwe se bana bose, kodwa kuti mu bana be bupombgwe. Ate muli bana be malebeswa. 9 Tina botate bedu mu shango ino banotitjemela, koga tobateta nge kwako. Apa atizofanila kuzwiyisa pasi kupindisa, kuna Tate bedu banotipa meya ne butjilo kene? 10 Botate bedu bakabe betitjemela kwe tjibaka tjifupi, sekwa banobona kufanila, koga Ndzimu unotitjemela kutibhatsha iswi, kuti ndizo tishanganyile nawo kuyengemala kwawo. 11 Ngobe ha utjemegwa, mu tjibaka itjetjo akutozipa kogwadza, shule kwe kutjemegwa ndiko kunozha zwizwalo zwe kunyalala kwe ndulamo kuna bakadiyiwa ngotjemegwa.
Ndayo ne kutjenjedza
12 Ndizo simisani maboko enyu akalembeleka ne zwidwi zwenyu zwakanyala! 13 “Thamilani makumbo enyu zijana dzakatambunuka,” kuti ndizo una gumbo linogwadza lisilemale, koga lipodziwe.
14 Gwisani kube ne mbakiso ne bathu bose nenge kuti muyengemale, ngobe akuna unowobona She kuzhe kwe kuyengemala. 15 Muyite kuti kushete unowokong'wa kuwana ngoni dze Ndzimu, ndizo kusibe ne unowomela pakati kwenyu se ndzi unobaba, kazhisa phipiti, katjinya banjinji, 16 ibeni ne njele kuti kusibe ne phombgwe, kene nthu usina hanya ne Ndzimu sa Esau, iye wakatengesa kube mbano kukwe nge ndilo ye zojiwa. 17 Moziba kuti kwakati shule woshaka makombolelo kalambiwa; ngobe kwakabe kusitjina sekwa angashanduka muna tjaakathama, nenguba akabe eashaka nge mishodzi.
18 Amuzozha ku zwithu zwamungabhata nge maboko, ku bhuba le moto, ku zhalima, pakati zwititi ne dutu. 19 Amuzozha ku nlidzo we lunyanga kene ku hwi lakati lilebeleka bathu bakakumbila kuti lisidwilile. 20 Ngobe bakabe basingatubule kumilana ne ndaulo yabakapiwa inoti, “Ha kene phuka ingakutha dombo ilelo, yakafanila kikithidziwa nge mabgwe.” 21 Kwakabe kutjisa kwazo kubona tjithu tjakajalo Mushe kwaakadzina kati, “Ndotetema nge lutjo.”
22 Koga imwi mazha ku Dombo le Ziyoni ne ku nzi nkulu we Ndzimu unotjila, Jerusalema we kudzimu ne ku batumwa be kudzimu mu nshangano we kushatha, 23 ku nshangano we mbano dzakakwagwa mazina kudzimu, mazha ku nsumikilisi iwo Ndzimu wa bose ne ku meya ye bathu bakalulwama ngono bakalulwamisiwa kwakapelela. 24 Mazha kuna Jesu tjibanga tje Tjidumano tjitshwa, mazha ku malopa akanyasiwa, anolebeleka zwithu zwinoyita pana a Abele.
25 Ibeni nge njele, musilambe kuhwilila iye unolebeleka. Ngobe ibabo bakalamba kuhwilila iye wakatjemela ali mu shango, bakasheta madzetelo. Ngono apa iswi ha tilamba iye unotjemela edwa kudzimu, towodzeta tjini? 26 Ipapo, hwi lile likazunguza shango, koga ngwenu wakagadzabgwe eti, “Ndowopapha kang'ompela koga azunguza zhuzhugwi kose ne shango.” 27 Matama anoti, “Ndowopapha, kang'ompela koga” anolakidza kuti kowozunguziwa kukadusiwa zwithu zose muna zwakathamiwa, kuti ndizo kusale zwisingazunguzike.
28 Ndizo ngatibokeni Ndzimu, ngobe toamutjila bushe gusingake gukazunguziwa, ngono namata Ndzimu nge zila inoushathisa, nge kuteta nenge kutja, 29 ngobe Ndzimu wedu moto unolobesa.