INumeri 21

21 ¹Kwathi umKhanani, inkosi yase-Aradi, owayehlala eNegebi, esezwa ukuthi u-Israyeli uyeza ngomgwaqo wase-Atharimi, walwa no-Israyeli wathumba abanye. ²U-Israyeli wenza isithembiso kuBaba wethu wathi: “Uma ubanikela ngempela laba bantu esandleni sami, ngiyakuyibhubhisa nya imizi yabo.” ³UBaba wethu walizwa izwi lika-Israyeli wabanikela amaKhanani; babababhubhisa nya kanye nemizi yabo. Ngakho leyo ndawo yaqanjwa igama elithi iHorma.

Inyoka Yethusi

⁴Basuka eNtabeni iHori baqonda ngaseLwandle Olubomvu ukuze bazungeze izwe lakwa-Edomi, kodwa abantu baphelelwa isineke endleleni. ⁵Abantu bakhuluma kabi ngoBaba wethu nangoMose bathi: “Nasikhipheleni eGibhithe ukuba sifele ehlane? Akukho sinkwa, akukho manzi, futhi siyakwenyanya lokhu kudla okudelelekayo.”

⁶UBaba wethu wasethumela izinyoka ezinesihlungu phakathi kwabantu; zaluma abantu, kwafa abaningi kwa-Israyeli. ⁷Abantu beza kuMose bathi: “Sonile ngokukhuluma kabi ngoBaba wethu nangawe. Khuleka kuye ukuba asisuse izinyoka.” UMose wasebakhulekela abantu.

⁸UBaba wethu wathi kuMose: “Yenza inyoka enesihlungu, uyibeke esigxotsheni; wonke umuntu olunyiwe oyibukayo uyakuphila.”

⁹UMose wenza inyoka yethusi wayibeka esigxotsheni; kwathi noma kunini inyoka ilumile umuntu, wabuka inyoka yethusi waphila. ^a a v9 UJesu wakhomba kulesi senzakalo njengomfanekiso wakhe: njengoba nje inyoka yethusi yaphakanyiswa ukuze abafayo babheke baphile, kanjalo iNdodana yaphakanyiswa ukuze wonke umuntu oyibheka ngokholo aphile (Johane 3:14-15).

Uhambo Oluya KwaMowabi

¹⁰Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli basuka bamisa e-Obhoti. ¹¹Basuka e-Obhoti bamisa e-Iye-abarimi, ehlane elibhekene neMowabi, ngasempumalanga. ¹²Besuka lapho bamisa eSigodini saseZeredi. ¹³Besuka lapho baqhubeka bamisa ngaphesheya kwe-Arinoni, ehlane elandela ukusuka emngceleni wama-Amori; ngokuba i-Arinoni ingumngcele waseMowabi nama-Amori. ¹⁴Ngakho iNcwadi Yezimpi zikaBaba wethu ithi: “IWahebi eSufa, nezihosha zase-Arinoni, ¹⁵nommango wezihosha oshibhilika uye endaweni yase-Ari ufinyelela emngceleni waseMowabi.”

¹⁶Besuka lapho baya eBheri, umthombo lapho uBaba wethu athi khona kuMose: “Buthanisa abantu—ngiyakubanika amanzi.”

¹⁷U-Israyeli wasehlabelela le ngoma: “Mpompoza, wena mthombo! Hlabelelani kuwo! ¹⁸Umthombo owawumbiwa yizikhulu, owembiwa yizicukuthwane zabantu ngezintonga zazo zobukhosi nangezinduku zazo.” Besuka-ke ehlane baya eMathana, ¹⁹besuka eMathana baya eNahaliyeli, besuka eNahaliyeli baya eBhamoti, ²⁰besuka eBhamoti baya esigodini esisethafeni laseMowabi, esiqongweni sePhisiga esibheke phansi ehlane.

UBaba Wethu Unikela uSihoni Ezandleni Zabo

²¹U-Israyeli wasethumela izithunywa kuSihoni inkosi yama-Amori, wathi: ²²“Ake ngidabule ezweni lakho. Ngeke siphambukele emasimini noma ezivinini, singeke siwaphuze amanzi omthombo. Siyakuhamba ngoMgwaqo Omkhulu Wenkosi size sidlule emngceleni wakho.”

²³Kodwa uSihoni wenqaba ukuvumela u-Israyeli ukuba adabule emngceleni wakhe. Wabutha bonke abantu bakhe, waphuma waya ehlane ukulwa no-Israyeli, wafika eJahazi, walwa no-Israyeli. ²⁴U-Israyeli wamshaya wambulala ngenkemba, wathatha izwe lakhe kusukela e-Arinoni kuze kufike eJaboki—kuze kuyofika kuma-Amoni, omngcele wawo wawuqinisiwe. ²⁵U-Israyeli wayithumba yonke le mizi, wahlala kuyo yonke imizi yama-Amori—iHeshboni nayo yonke imizana eyizungezile. ²⁶Ngokuba iHeshboni yayingumuzi kaSihoni inkosi yama-Amori, owalwa nenkosi yakwaMowabi yangaphambili wathatha lonke izwe layo kuyo, kwaze kwaba se-Arinoni. ²⁷Ngakho izimbongi zithi: “Wozani eHeshboni—mayakhiwe kabusha, umuzi kaSihoni mawubuyiselwe. ²⁸Ngokuba umlilo waphuma eHeshboni, ilangabi liphuma emzini kaSihoni. Laqeda i-Ari yakwaMowabi, amakhosi ezindawo eziphakeme zase-Arinoni. ²⁹Maye kuwe, Mowabi! Ubhujisiwe, wena bantu bakaKemoshi! Wenze amadodana akhe aba ngababalekayo, namadodakazi akhe aba yizithunjwa kuSihoni inkosi yama-Amori. ³⁰Kodwa sabashaya sababhubhisa; iHeshboni yabhubha kwaze kwaba seDiboni. Sachitha kwaze kwaba seNofa, efinyelela eMedeba.”

³¹Ngakho u-Israyeli wahlala ezweni lama-Amori. ³²UMose wathuma amadoda ukuba ahlole iJazeri; bayithumba imizana yayo baxosha ama-Amori ayelapho. ³³Base bephenduka benyuka ngomgwaqo waseBashani, u-Ogi inkosi yaseBashani waphuma wabahlasela, kanye nabo bonke abantu bakhe, ukulwa e-Edreyi.

³⁴Kodwa uBaba wethu wathi kuMose: “Ungamesabi—ngimnikele yena, nabo bonke abantu bakhe, nezwe lakhe esandleni sakho. Yenza kuye njengoba wenza kuSihoni inkosi yama-Amori, owayehlala eHeshboni.”

³⁵Bambulala yena, namadodana akhe, nabo bonke abantu bakhe, bangashiya namunye osindile, bathatha izwe lakhe.