INumeri 16

16 ¹UKhora indodana ka-Izihari, indodana kaKhohati, indodana kaLevi, waqoqa amadoda, kanye noDathani no-Abiramu, amadodana ka-Eliyabi, no-Oni indodana kaPeleti, amadodana kaRubeni. ²Bema phambi kukaMose kanye nabaholi bakwa-Israyeli bomphakathi abangamakhulu amabili namashumi amahlanu—amalungu omhlangano akhethiweyo, amadoda adumileyo. ³Baqoqana bamelana noMose no-Aroni bathi: “Seneqile! Lonke ibandla lingcwele, bonke, futhi uBaba wethu uphakathi kwabo. Kungani niziphakamisa ngaphezu kwebandla likaBaba wethu?”

⁴Kwathi uMose ekuzwa lokhu, wawa ngobuso phansi. ⁵Wathi kuKhora nakuyo yonke iqembu lakhe: “Ekuseni, uBaba wethu uyakubonisa ukuthi ngubani ongokakhe nokuthi ngubani ongcwele, amsondeze kuye. Lowo amkhethayo, uyakumsondeza kuye. ⁶Yenzani lokhu: thathani imicengezi yempepho, wena Khora nalo lonke iqembu lakho. ⁷Kusasa fakani umlilo kuyo, nibeke impepho phezu kwayo phambi kukaBaba wethu. Indoda uBaba wethu ayikhethayo iyoba ngcwele. Seneqile, madodana kaLevi!”

⁸UMose waphinda wathi kuKhora: “Lalelani manje, nina madodana kaLevi: ⁹Akwanele yini kini ukuthi uBaba waka-Israyeli wanahlukanisa nabanye bebandla lakwa-Israyeli, ukuze anisondeze kuye, ukwenza umsebenzi wetabernakele likaBaba wethu, nokuthi nime phambi kwebandla ukuze nilikhonze? ¹⁰Unisondezile—wena nabo bonke abafowenu, madodana kaLevi—kodwa manje nifuna nobupristi futhi? ¹¹Wena neqembu lakho lonke niqoqene nimelana noBaba wethu. U-Aroni—uyini yena, ukuba nimkhonondele?”

¹²UMose wathumela ukubiza uDathani no-Abiramu, amadodana ka-Eliyabi. Kodwa bathi: “Ngeke senyuke! ¹³Akwanele yini ukuthi usikhuphule ezweni eligeleza ubisi nezinyosi ukuze usibulale ehlane, kodwa usafuna nokusibusa? ¹⁴Futhi, awusilethanga ezweni eligeleza ubisi nezinyosi, noma usinikezanga amasimu nezivini zibe yifa. Uyakuwakopola yini amehlo alawa madoda? Ngeke senyuke!”

¹⁵UMose wathukuthela kakhulu wathi kuBaba wethu: “Ungawunaki umnikelo wabo. Angizange ngithathe ngisho nembongolo eyodwa kubo, futhi angizange ngone namunye kubo.”

¹⁶UMose wathi kuKhora: “Wena neqembu lakho lonke, ziboniseni phambi kukaBaba wethu kusasa—wena, bona, no-Aroni. ¹⁷Yilowo nalowo athathe umcengezi wakhe, abeke impepho kuwo, awulethe phambi kukaBaba wethu—imicengezi engamakhulu amabili namashumi amahlanu—wena no-Aroni, ngamunye nomcengezi wakhe.”

¹⁸Ngamunye wathatha umcengezi wakhe, wafaka umlilo kuwo wabeka nempepho phezu kwawo, bema noMose no-Aroni emnyango wetende lokuhlangana. ¹⁹UKhora waqoqa lonke ibandla ukuba bamelane nabo emnyango wetende lokuhlangana; inkazimulo kaBaba wethu yabonakala kulo lonke ibandla.

²⁰UBaba wethu wakhuluma kuMose no-Aroni, wathi:

²¹“Zihlukaniseni naleli bandla, ukuze ngibaqede ngomzuzwana.”

²²UMose no-Aroni bawa ngobuso phansi bakhala bathi: “O Baba wethu, Baba wemimoya yayo yonke inyama—uma indoda eyodwa yona, uyakulithukuthelela yini lonke ibandla?” ²³UBaba wethu wathi kuMose:

²⁴“Tshela ibandla uthi: Sukani eduze nezindawo zokuhlala zikaKhora, noDathani, no-Abiramu.”

²⁵Ngakho uMose wasukuma waya kuDathani no-Abiramu, abadala bakwa-Israyeli bamlandela. ²⁶Wathi kulo ibandla: “Sukani ematendeni alaba madoda ababi. Ningathinti lutho lwabo, funa nikhukhulwe nani ezonweni zabo zonke.”

²⁷Ngakho basuka ematendeni akaKhora, noDathani, no-Abiramu nxazonke, kuthi uDathani no-Abiramu baphuma bema eminyango yamatende abo nabafazi babo, namadodana abo, nabantwana babo abancane.

²⁸UMose wathi: “Niyakwazi ngalokhu ukuthi uBaba wethu ungithumile ukuba ngenze zonke lezi zinto, nokuthi akukho nokukodwa okwakuyingqondo yami: ²⁹Uma lawa madoda efa ngokufa okujwayelekile, ehlelwa yilokho okwehlela bonke abantu, khona uBaba wethu akangithumanga. ³⁰Kodwa uma uBaba wethu edala into entsha, umhlabathi uvule umlomo wawo ubagwinye kanye nakho konke okungokwabo, behlele phansi besaphila baye ethuneni, khona niyakwazi ukuthi lawa madoda amdelele uBaba wethu.”

³¹Kwathi nje eqeda ukukhuluma konke lokhu, umhlabathi owawungaphansi kwabo wadabuka, ³²umhlaba wavula umlomo wawo, wabagwinya, nemizi yabo, nabo bonke abantu bakaKhora, nayo yonke impahla yabo. ³³Bona nabo bonke ababengabakhe behlela phansi besaphila baya ethuneni; umhlaba wabasibekela, babhujiswa basuka ebandleni. ³⁴Bonke abakwa-Israyeli ababebazungeleza babaleka lapho bezwa ukukhala kwabo, ngokuba bathi: “Umhlaba ungasigwinya nathi!” ³⁵Kwaphuma umlilo kuBaba wethu waqeda amadoda angamakhulu amabili namashumi amahlanu ayenikela impepho.