UMoses noAron phambi koFaro
UMoses noAron bacela kuFaro umthendeleko entlango, baze baxelelwe ukuba akamazi lo Thixo. Umququ uyahluthwa kodwa umlinganiselo wezitena ugcinwe, ababhali bayabethwa, yaye uSirayeli usola uMoses. UMoses ubuya, abuze uBawo wethu ukuba kutheni na wakha wamthuma.
5 1Emveni koko uMoses noAron baya kuFaro, bathi: “Utsho uBawo wethu wakwaSirayeli ukuthi: Ndulula abantu bam, baye kundenzela umthendeleko entlango.”
2Wathi uFaro: “Ngubani na uThixo, ukuba ndide ndiliphulaphule izwi lakhe, ndiwandulule amaSirayeli? Andimazi uThixo, yaye andiyi kuwandulula amaSirayeli.”
3Bathi: “UBawo wethu uhlangene nathi. Masihambe uhambo lweentsuku ezintathu entlango, siye kubingelela kuBawo wethu, hleze asibethe ngesibetho okanye ngekrele.”
4Kodwa ukumkani waseYiputa wathi kubo: “Moses noAron, yini na ukuba nibasuse abantu emsebenzini wabo? Buyelani emisebenzini yenu!” 5Wathi uFaro: “Uyabona, baninzi ngoku abantu beli lizwe, kanti nina nifuna ukuba bayeke umsebenzi!”
6Kwangaloo mini uFaro wabawisela umthetho abaqhubi nababhali abaphethe abantu, esithi: 7“Musani ukuphinda nibanike abantu umququ wokwenza izitena njengakuqala. Mabaye bazibuthele umququ ngokwabo.
8Nowubekela umlinganiselo wezitena ofanayo nowakuqala, ningawunciphisi. Bangamavila; yiyo loo nto bekhala besithi: ‘Masiye kubingelela kuThixo wethu.’ 9Wenzeni ube nzima ngakumbi umsebenzi wala madoda, ukuze axakeke ngawo, angahoyi mazwi obuxoki.”
10Baphuma ke abaqhubi nababhali, baxelela abantu, besithi: “Utsho uFaro ukuthi: ‘Andisayi kuba saninika umququ.’ 11Hambani niye kuzifunela umququ wenu naphi na apho niwufumana khona—kodwa umsebenzi wenu awuyi kunciphiswa nakancinci.’” 12Basabalala ke abantu kwilizwe lonke laseYiputa, beya kubutha iindiza, zibe ngumququ. 13Abaqhubi babecofa bengapheli, besithi: “Gqibani umsebenzi wenu wosuku, kanye njengoko benisenza xa benisenomququ.” 14Ababhali bakwaSirayeli, abo babemiselwe phezu kwabo ngabaqhubi bakaFaro, babethwa, bebuzwa kusithiwa: “Yini na ukuba ningawuzalisi umlinganiselo wenu wezitena, izolo nanamhla, njengakuqala?”
15Beza ke ababhali bakwaSirayeli, badanduluka kuFaro, besithi: “Yini na ukuba uphathe ngolu hlobo abakhonzi bakho? 16Abakhonzi bakho abanikwa mququ, kanti bathi kuthi: ‘Yenzani izitena!’ Uyabona, abakhonzi bakho bayabethwa, kodwa banetyala abantu bakho.”
17Wathi uFaro: “Ningamavila! Ewe, ningamavila nina! Yiyo loo nto nisithi: ‘Masiye kubingelela kuThixo.’” 18“Ngoku hambani, nisebenze. Aniyi kunikwa mququ, kodwa nowunikezela umlinganiselo opheleleyo wezitena.”
19Babona ababhali bakwaSirayeli ukuba basengxakini, bakuva kusithiwa: “Ningawunciphisi umlinganiselo wenu wezitena wemihla ngemihla.” 20Bathi bakuphuma kuFaro, bafumana uMoses noAron bemi belinde ukubahlangabeza, 21baza bathi kubo: “UBawo wethu makanikhangele, anigwebe, ngokuba nisinukisile kuFaro nakumaphakathi akhe, nibeke ikrele esandleni sabo ukuba basibulale.”
22Wabuyela ke uMoses kuBawo wethu, wathi: “Nkosi yam, Bawo, yini na ukuba ubehlisele ububi aba bantu? Yini na ukuba wada wandithuma?
23Kususela oko ndaya kuFaro ukuya kuthetha egameni lakho, uye wabaphatha kakubi aba bantu, wena ke akubahlangulanga nakancinci abantu bakho.”
