Abantwana Bagwilika kuBawo wabo
AmaSirayeli alilela ukubuyela eYiputa, waza uBawo wethu wakubiza oko ngokuba kukudela emva kwako konke abakubonisileyo. UMoses ubongoza ngokusekelwe kwisimilo sakhe—ozeka kade umsindo, omkhulu ngothando—waza wazuza uxolelo, kodwa eso sizukulwana siya kufela entlango.
14 1Laza lonke ibandla laphakamisa ilizwi lalo ladanduluka, baza abantu balila ngobo busuku. 2Bonke oonyana bakaSirayeli bamkrokrela ooMoses noAron; lonke ibandla lathi kubo: “Akwaba sasifile ezweni laseYiputa, nokuba sasifile kule ntlango! 3Yini na ukuba uBawo wethu asizise kweli lizwe ukuba siwe likrele? Abafazi bethu nabantwana bethu baya kuba ngamaxhoba. Akungebi ngcono na ukubuyela eYiputa?” 4Bathi omnye komnye: “Masimise inkokeli sibuyele eYiputa.”
5Baza ooMoses noAron bawa ngobuso phambi kwebandla lonke loonyana bakaSirayeli.
6OoYoshuwa unyana kaNun noKalebhi unyana kaYefune, abaphakathi kwabo babelihlola ilizwe, bazikrazula iingubo zabo. 7Bathetha nebandla lonke loonyana bakaSirayeli, bathi: “Ilizwe esacanda kulo salihlola, lihle kunene kakhulu. 8Ukuba uBawo wethu ukholwa yithi, uya kusingenisa kweli lizwe, asinike lona, ilizwe elibaleka amasi nobusi. 9Kodwa ningagwiliki kuBawo wethu, ningaboyiki abantu baloo lizwe—kukudla kwethu bona. Umthunzi wabo umkile; uBawo wethu unathi. Ningaboyiki.”
10Lathi lonke ibandla mabaxulutywe ngamatye ooYoshuwa noKalebhi. Baza ubuqaqawuli bukaBawo wethu bwabonakala ententeni yokuhlangana kubo bonke oonyana bakaSirayeli.
11Wathi uBawo wethu kuMoses: “Koda kube nini na aba bantu bendicukuceza? Koda kube nini na bengakholwa ndim, nangona ndenze yonke le miqondiso phakathi kwabo? 12Ndiya kubabetha ngesibetho, ndibahluthe ilifa, ndandule ukukwenza wena uhlanga olukhulu, olunamandla kunabo.”
UMoses Ubongoza uBawo
13Kodwa uMoses wathi kuBawo wethu: “Aya kuva amaYiputa, kuba uwenyusile aba bantu phakathi kwawo ngamandla akho, 14aza axelele abemi beli lizwe, abevileyo ukuba wena, Bawo wethu, uphakathi kwaba bantu, ukuba wena, Bawo wethu, ubonakala ubuso ngobuso, ukuba ilifu lakho limi phezu kwabo, nokuba uhamba phambi kwabo ngentsika yelifu emini, nangentsika yomlilo ebusuku. 15Ukuba uthe wababulala aba bantu bonke ngaxeshanye, iintlanga ezivayo udumo lwakho ziya kuthi: 16‘Kungenxa yokuba uThixo wayengenako ukubangenisa aba bantu ezweni abelifungele kubo, wababulalela entlango.’ 17Ke kaloku, khawuthi, makabe makhulu amandla eNkosi uBawo, njengoko uthethile, usithi: 18‘UBawo wethu uzeka kade umsindo, egcwele inceba yomnqophiso, oxolela ubugwenxa nokungalungisi—kodwa akasayi kuze amkhulule onetyala, ehlisela isono sooyise phezu kwabantwana, kuse kwisizukulwana sesithathu nesesine.’ 19Khawubuxolele ubugwenxa baba bantu ngokobukhulu benceba yakho, njengoko ubaxolele ukususela eYiputa kude kube ngoku.”
20Waza uBawo wethu wathi: “Ndixolele, ngokwelizwi lakho.
21“Kodwa inene, ndihleli nje, nanjengoko umhlaba wonke uya kuzaliswa bubuqaqawuli bam, 22inene onke la madoda abubonileyo ubuqaqawuli bam nemiqondiso endayenzayo eYiputa nasentlango, kodwa andilinga kalishumi, engaliphulaphulanga izwi lam, 23akayi kulibona ilizwe endalifungela ooyise. Akukho namnye kwabandicukucezayo oya kulibona. 24Kodwa umkhonzi wam uKalebhi, ngenxa yokuba enomoya owahlukileyo, endilandela ngokupheleleyo—ndiya kumngenisa ezweni abengene kulo, ize imbewu yakhe ilihluthe. 25Ama-Amaleki namaKanan ahlala ezihlanjeni. Ngomso, jikani ninduluke, ningene entlango, nihambe ngendlela esingisele eLwandle oluBomvu.”
26Waza uBawo wethu wathetha kuMoses noAron, wathi:
27“Koda kube nini na eli bandla lingendawo lindikrokrela? Ndikuvile ukukrokra koonyana bakaSirayeli abandikrokrelayo. 28Yithi kubo, ‘Ndihleli nje, utsho uBawo wethu, ndiya kwenza kuni kanye oko ndanivayo nikuthetha:
29‘Izidumbu zenu ziya kuwa kule ntlango—nonke nina enabalwayo, inani lenu lonke, abathabathela kweminyaka engamashumi mabini banyuse, enandikrokrelayo. 30akukho namnye kuni oya kungena ezweni endafunga ukuba ndonihlalisa kulo, ngaphandle koKalebhi unyana kaYefune noYoshuwa unyana kaNun. 31Kodwa abantwana benu abancinane, enathi baya kuba ngamaxhoba, ndiya kubangenisa; baya kulazi ilizwe enilicekisileyo. 32Ke nina, niya kuwa nife kule ntlango. 33Oonyana benu baya kuba ngabalusi entlango iminyaka engamashumi mane, bethwele ukumeneza kwenu, kude kuphele izidumbu zenu entlango. 34Ngokwenani leentsuku enalihlola ngazo ilizwe—iintsuku ezingamashumi mane—usuku ngomnyaka, niya kubuthwala ubugwenxa benu iminyaka engamashumi mane, nazi ukunichasa kwam. 35Mna, uBawo wenu, nditshilo: inene ndiya kukwenza oku kweli bandla lonke lingendawo elihlangene ngam—liya kuphela kule ntlango, lifele khona.’”
36Amadoda awawathumayo uMoses ukuba aye kuhlola ilizwe, abuya, enza ukuba lonke ibandla limkrokrele uMoses, ngokuhambisa udaba olubi ngalo. 37La madoda abehambisa udaba olubi ngelizwe afa sisibetho phambi koBawo wethu. 38Kodwa ooYoshuwa unyana kaNun noKalebhi unyana kaYefune basinda, kula madoda abeye kuhlola ilizwe.
39Kwathi uMoses akuwaxelela la mazwi kubo bonke oonyana bakaSirayeli, benza isijwili esikhulu abantu.
40Bavuka kusasa, benyuka baya encotsheni yenduli, besithi: “Nanku thina. Siya kunyuka siye kuloo ndawo wayithembisa uBawo wethu, kuba sonile.”
41Kodwa uMoses wathi: “Yini na ukuba ngoku niwaphikise umlomo kaBawo wethu? Akuyi kuphumelela oko. 42Musani ukunyuka, kuba uBawo wethu akakho phakathi kwenu, hleze nibulawe phambi kweentshaba zenu. 43Kuba ama-Amaleki namaKanan aphambi kwenu apho; niya kuwa ngekrele. Ngenxa yokuba nibuyile ekumlandeleni uBawo wethu, akayi kuba nani.”
44Noko banobukroti bokunyuka baya encotsheni yentaba, nangona ityeya yomnqophiso kaBawo wethu, noMoses, bengaphumanga eminqubeni. 45Aza ehla ama-Amaleki namaKanan abemi kuloo ntaba, abaxabela, abagqogqa wada waya eHorma.
