I-Eksodusi 19

19 ¹Ngenyanga yesithathu emva kokuphuma kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli eGibhithe, ngalona lolo suku, bafika ehlane laseSinayi. ²Basuka eRefidimi, bafika ehlane laseSinayi, bamisa khona; u-Israyeli wamisa malungana nentaba.

³UMose wenyukela kuBaba wethu, uBaba wethu wambiza esentabeni, wathi: “Yisho kanje kuyo indlu kaJakobe, utshele abantwana bakwa-Israyeli: ⁴Nikubonile engakwenza eGibhithe, nokuthi nganiphatha kanjani ngamaphiko okhozi, nganiletha kimi. ⁵Manje, uma nilalela ngempela izwi lami, nigcine isivumelwano sami, niyakuba yigugu lami eliqokiwe phakathi kwazo zonke izizwe—ngokuba umhlaba wonke ungowami. ^a a v5 UBaba wethu ubabiza abantu bakhe ngokuthi ‘yigugu lakhe’ — amazwi othando olujulile, njengoba ubaba enakekela ngothando umntwana othandekayo kuye. ⁶Niyakuba wumbuso wami wabapristi, isizwe esingcwele. Yilawa amazwi omele uwakhulume kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli.”

⁷UMose weza, wabiza amalunga abantu, wabeka phambi kwawo wonke amazwi uBaba wethu amyale ngawo. ⁸Bonke abantu baphendula kanyekanye, bathi: “Konke uBaba wethu akushilo siyakukwenza.” UMose wawabuyisela kuBaba wethu amazwi abo.

⁹UBaba wethu wathi kuMose: “Ngiza kuwe ngefu elisithayo, ukuze abantu bezwe lapho ngikhuluma nawe, bakwethembe kuze kube phakade.” UMose wabe esebikela uBaba wethu amazwi abantu. ¹⁰UBaba wethu wathi kuMose: “Yiya ebantwini, ubangcwelise namuhla nakusasa; abahlanze izingubo zabo. ¹¹Balungele usuku lwesithathu, ngokuba ngalo uyakwehlela entabeni iSinayi phambi kwamehlo abantu bonke. ¹²Yenza umngcele kubantu nxazonke, uthi: ‘Qaphelani ningenyukeli entabeni noma nithinte unqenqema lwayo. Lowo othinta intaba uyakubulawa nokubulawa.’ ¹³Akukho sandla esiyakumthinta—uyakukhandwa ngamatshe noma acibishelwe ngomcibisholo. Noma kuyisilwane noma kungumuntu, uyakufa. Lapho uphondo lwenqama lukhala isikhathi eside, bangenyukela entabeni.”

¹⁴UMose wehla entabeni waya ebantwini, wabangcwelisa, bahlanza izingubo zabo. ¹⁵Wathi kubantu: “Lungelani usuku lwesithathu; ningasondelani nabesifazane.”

¹⁶Ekuseni kosuku lwesithathu, kwavela ukuduma nonyazi, ifu elisithayo lasibekela intaba, nokukhala kwecilongo okukhulu kwenza bonke abantu ababesekamu bathuthumele. ¹⁷UMose wabakhipha abantu ekamu ukuba bahlangabeze uBaba wethu, bema ngezansi kwentaba. ¹⁸Intaba iSinayi yayigubuzelwe intuthu yonke, ngokuba uBaba wethu wehlela phezu kwayo esemlilweni. Intuthu yenyuka njengentuthu yesithando, intaba yonke yazamazama kakhulu. ¹⁹Njengoba umsindo wecilongo waqhubeka ukhula uba mkhulu, uMose wakhuluma, uBaba wethu wamphendula ngokuduma. ²⁰UBaba wethu wehlela entabeni iSinayi, esiqongweni sentaba, uBaba wethu wabiza uMose ukuba enyukele esiqongweni sentaba; uMose wenyuka.

²¹UBaba wethu wathi kuMose: “Yehla uxwayise abantu ukuba bangafohli ukuze bangibuke, funa abaningi bafe. ²²Nabapristi abasondela kimi mabazingcwelise, funa ngibhoboke phezu kwabo.”

²³UMose wathi kuBaba wethu: “Abantu ngeke benyukele entabeni iSinayi, ngokuba wena ngokwakho wasixwayisa, wathi: ‘Beka imingcele nxazonke zentaba, uyingcwelise.’”

²⁴UBaba wethu wathi kuye: “Yehla, bese wenyuka no-Aroni. Ungavumeli abapristi nabantu ukuba bafohle benyukele kimi, funa ngibhoboke phezu kwabo.”

²⁵Ngakho uMose wehlela ebantwini wabatshela.