Incwadi Yokuqala YoMalusi KaHermas, ebizwa ngokuba yiMibono Yakhe UMBONO 1 1 Lowo wandikhulisayo wathengisa intombazana ethile eRoma; endathi ndayibona kwiminyaka emininzi emva koko, ndayikhumbula, ndaza ndayithanda njengodade wabo. Kwathi emva kwexesha elithile, ndayibona ihlamba emlanjeni iTyber; ndaza ndolula isandla sam kuyo, ndayikhupha emlanjeni. 2 Ndathi ndakumbona ndacinga ngaphakathi kwam, ndisithi, Hayi indlela ebendiya konwaba ngayo ukuba bendinomfazi onjalo, ngenxa yobuhle nesimilo! Oku ndakucinga ngaphakathi kwam; andizange ndicinge ngako. Kodwa kungekudala emva koko, njengoko ndandihamba ndicinga ngezi ngcinga, ndaqala ukumhlonipha lo thixo, ndicinga ngaphakathi kwam; indlela awayemhle ngayo. 3 Ndathi ndakuhamba kancinci, ndalala. Umoya wandithabatha, wandithwala ndaya ngasekunene, apho kungekho mntu wayenokudlula khona. Yayiyindawo ephakathi kwamatye, enomqadi omkhulu, kwaye amanzi ayengenakudluleka kuyo. 4 Ndathi ndakudlula kule ndawo, ndafika ethafeni; ndaza ndawa ngamadolo apho, ndaqalisa ukuthandaza eNkosini, ndaza ndavuma izono zam. 5 Ndathi ndisathandaza, izulu lavuleka, ndambona umfazi endandimnqwenela, endibulisa evela ezulwini, esithi, Hermas, molo! Ndamjonga, ndaphendula ndathi, Nkosikazi, wenza ntoni apha? Wandiphendula wathi, Ndinyuselwe apha ukuze ndikutyhole ngesono phambi kweNkosi. 6 Nkosikazi, ndathi, ungandikholisa na? Hayi, utshilo yena: kodwa yiva amazwi endiza kuwathetha kuwe. UThixo ohlala ezulwini, owenza zonke izinto ngaphandle kwento, waza wazindisa ngenxa yebandla lakhe elingcwele, unomsindo kuwe kuba wonile kum.
7 Ndaphendula ndathi kuye, Nkosikazi, ukuba ndikonile, ndixelele ukuba ndithethe phi, okanye phi, okanye nini na ilizwi elingafanelekanga okanye elingathembekanga kuwe? 8 Bendingakuhloneli na, ndingakuhloneli njengodade wethu, na? Kutheni na ke undicingela ezi zinto zimbi kangaka? 9 Waza wandincumela, wathi: Umnqweno wobubi uvukile entliziyweni yakho. Akubonakali ngathi yinto embi na kuwe ukuba indoda elungileyo ibe nomnqweno wobubi entliziyweni yayo? 10 Inene sisono, kwaye sikhulu kakhulu eso, kumntu onjalo; kuba umntu olilungisa ucinga ukuba kulungile. Kwaye ngelixa esenza njalo, kwaye ehamba ngokuthe tye, uya kuba neNkosi ezulwini enobubele kuye kuyo yonke imisebenzi yakhe. 11 Kodwa abo bacinga ububi ezintliziyweni zabo, bazithabathela ukufa nokuthinjwa; ingakumbi abo bathanda eli hlabathi langoku, baze bazizukise ngobutyebi babo, baze bangazikhathaleli izinto ezilungileyo ezizayo; imiphefumlo yabo iyazulazula, kwaye abazi apho bafanele balungise khona. 12 Ngoku ke le yimeko yabo baneengqondo ezimbini, abangathembeli eNkosini, nabadelelayo nabangayikhathaleliyo ubomi babo. 13 Kodwa thandaza eNkosini, kwaye iya kuphilisa izono zakho, nezono zendlu yakho yonke, nezabangcwele bayo bonke. 14 Akuba ethethe la mazwi amazulu avalwa, ndaza ndahlala ndigutyungelwe lusizi noloyiko; ndaza ndathi ngaphakathi kum, ukuba oku kubekwe kum ngenxa yesono, ndingasindiswa njani? 15 Okanye ndingathini na ukumbongoza uYehova ngenxa yezono zam ezininzi nezinkulu, Ndingambongoza ngawaphi amazwi ukuba andibabale? 16 Njengoko ndandicinga ngezi zinto, ndizicamngca ngazo, kwavela isihlalo phambi kwam soboya obumhlophe, obukhazimlayo njengekhephu. 17 Kweza ixhegokazi elinxibe ingubo eqaqambileyo, liphethe incwadi esandleni salo, lahlala lodwa, landibulisa, lisithi, Hermas, molo! Ndaza ndazaliswa lusizi, ndilila, ndaphendula ndathi, Molo, Nkosikazi! 18 Wathi kum, Kutheni ulusizi, Hermas, ongazange abe nomonde, nothobekileyo, kwaye ehlala echwayitile?