1 Ke kaloku amaSirayeli amkhalazela *uNdikhoyo ngenxa yobunzima ayebuva. Uthe akuyiva le nto uNdikhoyo wacaphuka, wawathumela ngomlilo. Ke wona wadangazela wayitshabalalisa inxalenye yamaphethelo ekampu yamaSirayeli.
2 Ke wona abhenela kuMosis, acela uncedo. Yena ke wabongoza uNdikhoyo ngenxa yawo, waza ke umlilo lowo wadamba.
3 Ngenxa yaloo mlilo ke wathunyelwa nguNdikhoyo, amaSirayeli athi igama laloo ndawo yiTabhera.
4 Ke kaloku phakathi kwamaSirayeli kwakukho ingxubevange yabantu. Bona ke basuka bangenelwa kukurhala, aza namaSirayeli angenelela, akhalaza athi: “Awu, akwaba besinokukhe sifumane inyama!
5 Khawufan' ucinge; kaloku eJiputa intlanzi sasiyitya side siyishiye, singayithenganga nokuyithenga. Awu, yeka loo nkonkomire, naloo vatala, nelo hanyanisi, nelo tswele, nezo kinofile sasizixhaphaza!
6 Uyabona ke ngoku seside sakruquka; ibe ke akukho nakutya ngaphandle kwale mana.”
7 Imana leyo ke ibilingana nembewu yekoriyanda, imhlotshana oku kwentlaka.
8-9 Ke yona yayibakho ngokuhlwa, isiwa nombethe. Kwakusithi ke kusasa abantu baphume baye kuyichola bayiqokelele, bayisile ibe ngumgubo, okanye bayingqushe. Babeyipheka okanye bayenze amaqebengwana ngamafutha. Emlonyeni yayingathi sisonka esenziwe ngamafutha omnquma.
10 UMosis weva imizi ngemizi yamaSirayeli ikhalaza. Wev' intw' embi, kuba umsindo *kaNdikhoyo wasuka wavutha.
11 Wabhekisa kuNdikhoyo wathi: “Ngani ukuba undiphathe kanje, Mhlekazi? Undiqumbele ngani? Kwakutheni ukuze undinike aba bantu baluxanduva olunje?
12 Kakade, ngaba bakhawulwa ndim? Hayi kaloku, àbazalwa ndim; ngani ke ukuba uthi mandibasingathe oku kwempelesi egcina usana, ndibase kwelo lizwe wabathembisa ngalo ngesifungo ooyise-mkhulu?
13 Kodwa kodwa ndingayizuza phi inyama, ukuze ndiphe bonke aba bantu? Kuba nâbo besoloko bebhomboloza, besithi mandibaphe inyama.
14 Hayi bo! Andinako ukuwuthwala ndedwa lo mthwalo ungaba bantu; ungaphezu kwam!
15 Endaweni yale ndlela undiphethe ngayo, ndibulale kube kanye, ukuba uyavelana nam, khon' ukuze ndingayiboni le ntlekele iza kundihlela!”
16 Kwesi sithuba ke uNdikhoyo wathetha noMosis, wathi: “Thatha amadoda amakhulu angamashumi asixhenxe aziinkokheli zamaSirayeli, uze nawo apha *esibingelelweni, eme nawe.
17 Ke mna ndiya kufika ndithethe nani khona, ndize nawo ndiwahlulele kuMoya okuwe, khon' ukuze abe nokukunceda kolu xanduva lungaba bantu, ungaluthwali wedwa.
18 Ke bona aba bantu yithi kubo: ‘Hlambulukani, kuba ngomso niya kuyitya inyama. Kaloku uNdikhoyo usivile isililokazi senu, nisithi nikhanuka inyama, akwaba beniseseJiputa. Ngoku ke uNdikhoyo uza kuninika loo nyama, yaye ke niza kuyitya.
19 Ewe, anizukuyitya nje usuku olunye nezimbini, mhlawumbi ezimbalwa;
20 hayi, niya kuyitya inyanga yonke, ide iphume ngeempumlo, nidikwe ide ibe lizothe kuni. Kaloku nimbukule uNdikhoyo ekho, elapha phakathi kwenu; nibhomboloza nisithi: “Akwaba sasingemkanga eJiputa!” ’ ”
21 UMosis waphendula wathi kuNdikhoyo: “Aba bantu ngamakhulu amathandathu amawaka xa ndibala amadoda anokuya emfazweni kuphela, ibe ke wena usithi uza kubanika inyama yenyanga yonke!
22 Khona sebexhelelwe imihlambi yeenkomo neegusha, uthi banganela? Okanye ke uthi banganela xa benikwe zonke iintlanzi eziselwandle?”
23 UNdikhoyo wabuza wathi: “Ucinga ukuba ikho into engaze indoyise? Nawe uza kuzibonela ukuba liwa phantsi na ilizwi lam!”
24 UMosis ke waya kumaSirayeli, wawaxelela oko kuthethwe nguNdikhoyo. Wathatha amashumi asixhenxe amadoda amakhulu, wawamisa angqonga isibingelelo.
25 UNdikhoyo ke wehla ngelifu, wafika wathetha naye. Iinkokheli ezo wazahlulela kuMoya owawukuMosis, zaza zathi ke zakuwufumana zadanduluka okwabashumayeli, nakuba zingaphindanga zenjenjalo.
26 Ezimbini kwezi nkokheli, uEldadi noMedade, zona zahlala ezindlwini zazo, azaya esibingelelweni. Kodwa uMoya wazifikela, zatsho zashumayela nazo.
27 Umfana othile wabaleka waya kuxelela uMosis ukuba uEldadi noMedade bayashumayela.
28 Ke yena uYoshuwa, unyana kaNune, owayelihlakani likaMosis kwasebutsheni bakhe, wabhekisa kuMosis wathi: “Banqande, nkosi yam, bangashumayeli!”
29 Koko ke yena uMosis waphendula wathi: “Ngaba uya ndikhweletela na? Ukuba bekuya ngam, uNdikhoyo nge-ebafaka uMoya wakhe bonke abantu bakhe, batsho babe ngabashumayeli bonke.”
30 Ke kaloku uMosis naloo mashumi asixhenxe eenkokheli bagoduka.
31 *UNdikhoyo wasuka wathumela umoya, wandulula izagwityi elwandle. Zafika zasingqonga isikhululo samaSirayeli, zibhabhazela phantsi kumphakamo omalunga nemitha enye. Zazininzi kangangokuba ubunokuhamba imini yonke ucanda phakathi kwazo.
32 Loo mini yonke ke, nobusuku bayo, nemini elandelayo, amaSirayeli aba zizingxada-ngxada eqokelela izagwityi. Nomntu owabutha kancinci akafumananga ngaphantsi kwewaka leekhilogram ubunzima. Ke inyama leyo ayeyiqwayita eyibeka ijikeleze izindlu zawo.
33 Kambe kwathi esayihlafuna inyama leyo, engekayigqibi, suka wavutha umsindo kaNdikhoyo, wawabetha ngobhubhani amaSirayeli.
34 Ngoko ke igama laloo ndawo kwathiwa yiKibroti-hatava, kuba bangcwatywa apho abantu ababebawela inyama.
35 Ukusuka apho ke amaSirayeli aya kugaleleka eHazeroti, apho afika anqumama khona.