1 Kwathi ngenyanga yokuqala uSirayeli ephela wagaleleka kwintlango iZin, waza wamisa eKadeshe. Apho ke kulapho wafa waza wangcwatyelwa khona uMiriyam.
2 Ke kaloku kwakungekho manzi kuloo ndawo. Ngoko ke amaSirayeli aqokelelana kuMosis noAron,
3 alwa noMosis, athi: “Akwaba nathi sasife nabantakwethu phambi *kwesibingelelo *sikaNdikhoyo.
4 Ngani ukuba thina bantu bakaNdikhoyo nisizise kule ntlango? Benifuna size kufela apha ndawonye nemfuyo yethu?
5 Kakade, kwakutheni ukuze nisikhuphe eJiputa, nize kusifaka kwenje yona indawo, emhlaba ungavelisi nento le? Akukho ngqolowa namakhiwane, kungekho diliya narharnati; ke wona amanzi tu!”
6 UMosis noAron balishiya ibandla, baya kuma esangweni lesibingelelo. Baguqa phantsi, baza ke babubona ubungangamsha bukaNdikhoyo.
7 UNdikhoyo wathi kuMosis:
8 “Thatha intonga ephambi kwetyesi yomnqophiso, uze wena nomntakwenu uAron nilihlanganise ibandla, uze ke uthethe neliwa bejongile. Kothi kumpompoze amanzi kulo, baze abantu nemfuyo yabo basele.”
9 Ke uMosis wayithatha intonga leyo esibingelelweni ngokomyalelo kaNdikhoyo.
10 Yena noAron bawaqokelela onke amaSirayeli apho phambi kweliwa, waza wathi uMosis: “Phulaphulani, nina baqhankqalazi! Ngaba nifuna sikhuphe amanzi kweli liwa?”
11 UMosis wayiphakamsa intonga, walibetha kabini iliwa elo, kwaza ke kwampompoza amanzi, abantu ndawonye nemfuyo basela.
12 UNdikhoyo wabhekisa kuMosis noAron wathi: “Ngenxa yokungandithembi nokungandiniki imbeko phambi kwamaSirayeli, anisayi kulikhokela eli bandla nilingenise kwelo lizwe ndalithembisa lona.”
13 Esi siganeko ke sehla eMeribha apho amaSirayeli amkhalazela khona uNdikhoyo. Ke yena wazibonakalisa kuwo ukuba ungcwele.
14 Ke kaloku uMosis wakhupha abathunywa, baya kukumkani wase-Edom, esithi: “Nanku umyalezo ovela kubantakwenu amaSirayeli: ‘Uyazazi iinzingo ezasihlelayo.
15 Kaloku ookhokho bethu bafudukela eJiputa, apho sahlala khona iminyaka ngeminyaka. AmaJiputa ke abaphatha kakubi ndawonye nathi.
16 Sasuka ke sazibika *kuNdikhoyo, waza ke yena wasabela, wathumela isithunywa sakhe, wasikhupha eJiputa. Ngoku ke naku silapha eKadeshe, idolophu esemideni yakho.
17 Sicela ukuba usivumele sinqumle kulo mhlaba wakho. Siyathembisa ukuba thina nemfuyo yethu siya kuhamba ngqo ngendlela, singaphambukeli emasimini nakwizidiliya zakho, singayi kukhe sisele nakumaqula akho. Ewe, siya kuthi ngqo ngohola, singaphambuki side siphume emhlabeni wakho.’ ”
18 Ke wona amaEdom aphendula athi: “Unotshe! Akuyi kucanda apha. Ukungena oku kwakho ndiya kuphuma ndikuhlasele.”
19 AmaSirayeli aphendula esithi: “Siya kuhamba ngqo ngohola. Ukuba thina okanye impi yethu ithe yasela amanzi akho, siya kuwahlawulela. Inye into esiyifunayo, kukunqumla ngeenyawo.”
20 AmaEdom athi: “Anizukunqumla!” Aza ke amaEdom asuka nomkhosi omkhulu, afunza kumaSirayeli.
21 Ke kaloku amaSirayeli ajika athatha ndlela yimbi, kuba amaEdom ewalela ukuba anqumle emhlabeni wawo.
22 USirayeli ephela wanduluka ke eKadeshe, waza waya kugaleleka kwintaba iHore
23 kufutshane nomda wase-Edom. Apho ke *uNdikhoyo wathetha noMosis noAron, wathi:
24 “Wena Aron, uza kufa; akuzi kuya kufika kwelo lizwe ndamthembisa ngalo uSirayeli. Kaloku nina nobabini nawuvukela umthetho wam eMeribha.
25 Ngoko ke, wena Mosis, thatha uAron nonyana wakhe uElazare, uye nabo kwintaba iHore.
26 Khona apho ke uze uyithathe iminweba ka-Aron yobubingeleli, uyinxibe uElazare unyana wakhe, kuba uAron yena uza kufa.”
27 UMosis wenza ngokwelizwi likaNdikhoyo. Benyuka baya kwintaba iHore, lonke ibandla libukele,
28 waza uMosis wayikhulula iminweba yobubingeleli kuAron, wayinxiba uElazare. Ke yena uAron wafela apho phezu kwentaba, baza ke uMosis noElazare behla entabeni.
29 Athi ke amaSirayeli, akuva ukuba uAron akasekho, amzilela iintsuku ezimashumi mathathu.