1-3. (a) Kutheni iingcinga zikaThixo nolwimi lwakhe luphakamile kunolwabantu? (b) Siza kufunda ngantoni kweli nqaku?

UYEHOVA wayefuna ukonwaba nezinye izidalwa, ngoko ke wadala iingelosi, kamva nabantu. (INdumiso 36:9; 1 Timoti 1:11) UYehova waqala wadala lowo umpostile uYohane ambiza ngokuba ‘nguLizwi.’ (Yohane 1:1; ISityhilelo 3:14) UYehova wayenxibelelana noYesu, emchazela izinto azicingayo nendlela avakalelwa ngayo. (Yohane 1:14, 17; Kolose 1:15) Umpostile uPawulos uthi neengelosi ziyakwazi ukuthetha, kodwa ngendlela eyahluke kakhulu kweyabantu.—1 Korinte 13:1.

² UYehova wazi yonke into ngeebhiliyoni zeengelosi nabantu abadalileyo. Uyakwazi ukumamela imithandazo yezigidi zabantu abathandaza ngaxeshanye, yaye uyayiva loo mithandazo enokuba yeyaluphi na ulwimi. Ngoxa emamele loo mithandazo, kwangaxeshanye uYehova uthetha neengelosi, ezalathisa. Ukuze yonke loo nto yenzeke, kumele ukuba iingcinga nolwimi lukaYehova ziphakamile kunezabantu. (Funda uIsaya 55:8, 9.) Ngoko  ke, xa ethetha nabantu, uthetha ngendlela elula ukuze simve kakuhle.

³ Kweli nqaku, siza kufunda ngendlela uYehova athetha ngayo nathi ngokucacileyo. Siza kubona notshintsho aye walwenza kwindlela anxibelelana ngayo nathi ngokweemeko ngeemeko.

4. (a) UYehova wasebenzisa luphi ulwimi xa wayethetha noMoses, uSamuweli noDavide? (b) IBhayibhile ithetha ngantoni?

⁴ Xa wayethetha nomntu wokuqala uAdam emyezweni waseEden, kusenokwenzeka ukuba uYehova wasebenzisa isiHebhere santlandlolo. Kamva, uYehova wathetha noMoses, uSamuweli noDavide. Nangona babebhala ngamazwi abo esiHebhere nangesimbo sabo sokubhala, babhala iingcinga zikaThixo. Babhala kanye izinto ezazithethwa nguYehova, nangembali yolwalamano lukaThixo nabantu bakhe. Ngokomzekelo, iBhayibhile inengxelo engokholo nothando lwabo ngoThixo, kunye neempazamo nokungathembeki kwabo. Konke oku kwakubhalelwe thina.—Roma 15:4.

5. Ngaba uThixo wayethetha nabantu ngesiHebhere kuphela? Cacisa.

⁵ UYehova wayengasoloko ethetha nabantu ngesiHebhere. Xa akhululwayo amaSirayeli eBhabhiloni, amanye awo ayethetha isiAramiki. Mhlawumbi yiloo nto uDaniyeli, uYeremiya noEzra babhala ezinye iinxalenye zeBhayibhile ngesiAramiki. *

6. Kwakutheni ukuze iZibhalo zesiHebhere ziguqulelwe ngesiGrike?

⁶ Kamva uAleksandire Omkhulu wayelawula ilizwe, yaye isiKoine okanye isiGrike esiqhelekileyo, saba lolona lwimi luthethwayo kumazwe amaninzi. Uninzi lwamaYuda lwaqalisa ukuthetha isiGrike, yaye ekugqibeleni iZibhalo zesiHebhere zaguqulelwa kwisiGrike. Le nguqulelo ibizwa ngokuba yiSeptuagint. Yayiyinguqulelo yokuqala yeBhayibhile nephakathi kwezibalulekileyo. Iingcali zikholelwa ukuba iSeptuagint yayibhalwe ngabaguquleli abayi-72. * (Funda umbhalo osemazantsi.) Abanye babeguqulela igama negama kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere kodwa abanye babengenzi njalo. Sekunjalo, amaYuda namaKristu athetha isiGrike ayekholelwa ukuba iSeptuagint liLizwi likaThixo.

7. UYesu wayebafundisa ngoluphi ulwimi abafundi bakhe?

⁷ Kusenokwenzeka ukuba xa uYesu  wayelapha emhlabeni, wayethetha isiHebhere. (Yohane 19:20; 20:16; IZenzo 26:14) Mhlawumbi wayekhe axube nesiAramiki. Kodwa wayesazi nesiHebhere samandulo esasithethwa nguMoses nabaprofeti, ibe imibhalo yabo yayisoloko ifundwa kwizindlu zesikhungu veki nganye. (Luka 4:17-19; 24:44, 45; IZenzo 15:21) Nangona isiGrike nesiLatini sasithethwa ngemihla kaYesu, iBhayibhile ayitsho ukuba naye wayezithetha ezo lwimi.

8, 9. Kwakutheni ukuze uninzi lwamaKristu luthethe isiGrike, ibe oku kusifundisa ntoni ngoYehova?

⁸ Abalandeli bokuqala bakaYesu babethetha isiHebhere, kodwa emva kokuba efile, abafundi bakhe bathetha ezinye iilwimi. (Funda iZenzo 6:1.) Njengokuba iindaba ezilungileyo zazinwenwa, uninzi lwamaKristu lwathetha isiGrike kunokuba luthethe isiHebhere. Ekubeni isiGrike yayilulwimi olusetyenziswayo, incwadi kaMateyu, kaMarko, kaLuka nekaYohane zapapashwa ngesiGrike. * (Funda umbhalo osemazantsi.) Nezinye iileta zikampostile uPawulos kwanezinye iincwadi zeBhayibhile zabhalwa ngesiGrike.

⁹ Okubangel’ umdla kukuba, xa ababhali beZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike becaphula kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere, babesoloko besebenzisa iSeptuagint. Ngamanye amaxesha, ezo ngcaphulo zazahluka kancinane kwisigama sesiHebhere santlandlolo. Ngoko umsebenzi wabaguquleli abangafezekanga uyinxalenye yeBhayibhile esiyisebenzisayo namhlanje. Oku kusifundisa ukuba uYehova akanalwimi okanye hlanga alujonga njengolubhetele kunolunye.—Funda iZenzo 10:34.

10. Sifunde ntoni kwindlela uYehova athetha ngayo nabantu?

¹⁰ Siye safunda ukuba uYehova uthetha nabantu ngokweemeko. Akalindelanga ukuba sithethe ulwimi oluthile ukuze simazi okanye sazi iinjongo zakhe. (Funda uZekariya 8:23; ISityhilelo 7:9, 10.) Sifunde nokuba uYehova waphefumlela ababhali beBhayibhile, kodwa wabavumela babhala iingcinga zakhe ngamazwi abo.

11. Kutheni ukuthetha kwabantu iilwimi ezininzi kungeyongxaki nje kuYehova?

¹¹ Abantu bathetha iilwimi ezininzi, kodwa oku akuyongxaki kuYehova. Kutheni sisitsho? IBhayibhile inamagama ambalwa kuphela olwimi olwasetyenziswa nguYesu. (Mateyu 27:46; Marko 5:41; 7:34; 14:36) Kodwa uYehova waqinisekisa ukuba iimfundiso zikaYesu zibhalwa ngesiGrike, zaza kamva zabhalwa nangezinye  iilwimi. Kwakhona waqinisekisa ukuba imfundiso yeLizwi lakhe ayitshintshi njengoko lalikhutshelwa ngamaYuda namaKristu, laza kamva laguqulelwa kwiilwimi ezininzi. Malunga neminyaka eyi-400 emva kokuzalwa kukaKristu, uJohn Chrysostom wathi iimfundiso zikaYesu zaziguqulelwe kwiilwimi zamaSiriya, amaYiputa, amaNdiya, amaPersi, amaTiyopiya, nezabanye abantu abaninzi.

12. Iye yahlaselwa njani iBhayibhile?

¹² Kangangeminyaka emininzi, kukho abantu abaye bazama ngandlela zonke ukuthintela ukuguqulelwa nokupapashwa kweBhayibhile. Omnye wabo nguMlawuli waseRoma uDiocletian, owathi kwiminyaka eyi-300 emva kokuzalwa kukaYesu wayalela ukuba kutshatyalaliswe zonke iiBhayibhile. Malunga neminyaka eyi-1 200 emva koko, uWilliam Tyndale waguqulela iBhayibhile ngesiNgesi. Wathi, ukuba uThixo uyamgcina aphile ixesha elide, uya kuqinisekisa ukuba nenkwenkwe yasefama iyazi iBhayibhile ukodlula umfundisi. Oko kwamenza watshutshiswa uTyndale, kwaza kwafuneka abaleke eNgilani aye eYurophu ukuze iguqulelwe ize iprintwe iBhayibhile yakhe. Nangona abefundisi babezama ukutshisa zonke iikopi zale Bhayibhile ababenokuzifumana, yasasazwa kubantu abaninzi. Ekugqibeleni uTyndale wakrwitshwa waza watshiswa esibondeni. Kodwa iBhayibhile yakhe yasinda, ibe kwasetyenziswa yona ekuguquleleni iKing James Version.—Funda eyesi-2 kuTimoti 2:9.

13. Ukuthelekiswa kweBhayibhile nemibhalo yamandulo kubonise ntoni?

¹³ Ewe kona, ezinye iinguqulelo zakudala zineempazamo ezincinane apha naphaya. Kodwa iingcali zeBhayibhile ziye zafundisisa ngokucokisekileyo amawakawaka emibhalo yamandulo, zayithelekisa nezi nguqulelo zeBhayibhile, zaza zafumanisa ukuba kukho nje umahluko omncinane kwiivesi ezimbalwa kuphela. Kodwa yona imfundiso yeBhayibhile ayitshintshanga. Oku kuye kwabaqinisekisa abafundi beBhayibhile abanyanisekileyo ukuba iBhayibhile abanayo namhlanje iliLizwi eliphefumlelweyo likaYehova.—Isaya 40:8.

14. Kulula kangakanani ukufumana iBhayibhile namhlanje?

 ¹⁴ Nangona abantu bewenzile amatiletile okutshabalalisa iBhayibhile, batsho phantsi, kuba iye yaguqulelwa ngeelwimi ezingaphezu kwe-2 800. Ayikho enye incwadi eye yapapashwa kakhulu ngaloo ndlela namhlanje. Baninzi abantu abangamkhonziyo uThixo, kodwa iBhayibhile isaqhubeka iyeyona ncwadi ipapashwa kakhulu. Nangona ezinye iinguqulelo zeBhayibhile zingafundeki lula okanye zingachananga kangako, phantse zonke zinesigidimi esilula sethemba lobomi obungunaphakade.

15. (a) Luluphi utshintsho oluye lwenziwa kwiincwadi zethu ukususela ngo-1919? (b) Kutheni iincwadi zethu zibhalwa ngesiNgesi?

¹⁵ Ngo-1919 iqaqobana labafundi beBhayibhile lamiselwa ‘njengekhoboka elithembekileyo neliyingqondi.’ Ngelo xesha, ikhoboka elithembekileyo lalinxibelelana nabantu bakaThixo ngesiNgesi. (Mateyu 24:45) Kodwa namhlanje, iincwadi zeBhayibhile zifumaneka ngeelwimi ezingaphezu kwe-700. Njengokuba kwakukade kunjalo ngesiGrike, namhlanje isiNgesi lolona lwimi lusetyenziswayo kwezoshishino nakwezemfundo, ibe abantu abaninzi bayasazi. Ngoko ke iincwadi zethu zibhalwa ngesiNgesi zize ziguqulelwe kwezinye iilwimi.

16, 17. (a) Yintoni eyayidingwa ngabantu bakaThixo? (b) Kwenziwa ntoni ngaloo nto? (c) Wayenqwenela ntoni uMzalwana uKnorr?

¹⁶ Zonke iincwadi zethu zisekelwe eBhayibhileni. Ekuqaleni, abantu bakaThixo babesebenzisa iKing James Version, eyagqitywa ngo-1611. Kodwa ke yayibhalwe ngolwimi lwakudala ekunzima ukuluqonda. Yayilisebenzise kwiindawo ezimbalwa kuphela igama likaThixo, nangona livela amawaka ngamawaka kwimibhalo yamandulo. Loo nguqulelo yayineempazamo ibe yayifakelele iivesi ezingekhoyo kwimibhalo yamandulo. Nezinye iiBhayibhile zesiNgesi zazinengxaki efanayo.

¹⁷ Kucacile ke ukuba abantu bakaThixo bebeyidinga iBhayibhile echanileyo nekulula ukuyiqonda. Ngenxa yoko kwasekwa iKomiti YeNguqulelo  YeBhayibhile Yehlabathi Elitsha, ibe abazalwana kule komiti bakhulula iinxalenye zayo ngo-1950 ukuya ku-1960. Umqulu wokuqala kwemithandathu wakhululwa endibanweni ngoAgasti 2, 1950. Kuloo ndibano, uMzalwana uKnorr wathi abantu bakaThixo badinga iBhayibhile echanileyo, eqondakalayo neya kubanceda bayifunde ngokulula inyaniso. Kwakufuneka inguqulelo esebenzisa ulwimi oluqondeka lula njengolo lwalusetyenziswa ngabafundi bakaKristu. UMzalwana uKnorr wayenqwenela ukuba iNguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha incede izigidi zabantu zimazi uYehova.

18. Yintoni encedileyo ekuguqulelweni kweBhayibhile?

¹⁸ Ngo-1963 umnqweno kaMzalwana uKnorr wafezeka. INguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha YeZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike yafumaneka ngesiDatshi, isiFrentshi, isiJamani, isiPhuthukezi, iSpanish nesiTaliyane. Ngo-1989 iQumrhu Elilawulayo lamaNgqina kaYehova laseka isebe elitsha kwikomkhulu lehlabathi ukuze kuncedwe abaguquleli beBhayibhile. Kwandula ke ngo-2005 abazalwana banikwa imvume yokuguqulela iBhayibhile ngeelwimi iMboniselo ebisele ifumaneka ngazo. Ngoku iNguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha epheleleyo okanye iinxalenye zayo ifumaneka ngeelwimi ezingaphezu kwe-130.

19. Yintoni ebalulekileyo eyenzekileyo ngo-2013, ibe siza kufunda ngantoni kwinqaku elilandelayo?

¹⁹ IsiNgesi siye satshintsha ukususela oko uhlelo lokuqala lweNguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha lwakhululwayo, ngenxa yoko kuye kwafuneka ukuba ihlaziywe. Ngempela-veki kaOktobha 5 no-6, 2013, kwabakho intlanganiso yonyaka ye-129 eyayiphulaphulwe ngabantu abayi-1 413 676 kumazwe ayi-31. Ilungu leQumrhu Elilawulayo lakhulula iNguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha ehlaziyiweyo yesiNgesi. Baba nemincili kakhulu abantu, abaninzi belila bakufumana le Bhayibhile intsha. Njengoko izithethi zaziyisebenzisa, kwacaca mhlophe ukuba ifundeka yaye iqondeka lula. Kwinqaku elilandelayo siza kufunda ngakumbi ngale nguqulelo nangendlela eguqulelwa ngayo kwezinye iilwimi.