1-2 Kanye ukuphela kwenyanga yesithathu amaSirayeli aphumayo eJiputa, amaSirayeli anduluka eRefidim, aya kugaleleka kwintlango yeSinayi, emisa phantsi kwentaba iSinayi.
3 Ke yena uMosis wenyuka intaba, waya kuThixo. *UNdikhoyo wambiza wathi: “Thetha namaSirayeli, inzala kaYakobi, uthi:
4 ‘Niyibonile imimangaliso endiyenzileyo mna Ndikhoyo kumaJiputa, nokuba nani ndanisondeza ndanithwala ngokokhozi luthwele amathole alo.
5 Ngoku ke, ukuba niyandithobela, nenze ngokomnqophiso wam, niya kuba ngabantu bam ncakasana. Kaloku lelam ihlabathi liphela,
6 kambe ke nina niya kuba ngababingeleli basebhotwe, nibe luhlanga olulodwa.’ Ngawo la ke amazwi omawuwabhekise kumaSirayeli.”
7 UMosis wehla ke entabeni, wawadibanisa amadoda amakhulu, wawaneka umyalelo kaNdikhoyo phambi kwawo.
8 Aphendula ke amaSirayeli xa ewonke athi: “Zonke izinto azithethayo uNdikhoyo siya kuzenza.” UMosis wawugqithisa ke umlomo wamaSirayeli kuNdikhoyo.
9 UNdikhoyo wathi kuMosis: “Ndiza kuza kuwe ndikwilifu elingqingqwa, ukuze ndithethe nawe amaSirayeli ekho, khon' ukuze angaze akuthandabuze.” UMosis waxelela uNdikhoyo akuthethileyo amaSirayeli.
10 UNdikhoyo wayalela uMosis wathi: “Yitsho bonke abantu bazenze nyulu, bacoceke ngokupheleleyo namhlanje nangomso, balungiselele ukunqula. Impahla yabo mabayihlambe
11 ukuze ngomsomnye babe sebelungile. Ngaloo mini ke ndiya kuhla ndize apha eSinayi, nabantu bebukele.
12 Jikeleza intaba le, wenze umda ongayi kutsitywa ngamaSirayeli. Ngokunjalo baxelele abantu ukuba mabangasondeli okanye benyuke entabeni apho. Umntu okhe wathi cakatha entabeni apho makabulawe.
13 Ewe, umntu onjalo makagityiselwe ngamatye, okanye achanwe ngotolo, afe engachukunyiswanga ngasandla. Nesilwanyana esisondeleyo ke masibulawe kwangaloo ndlela. Kuya kuthi ke wakuvakala umntyangampo wokukhala kwexilongo, abantu benyuke beze entabeni.”
14 UMosis wehla ke entabeni, wabaxelela abantu ukuba mabalungele ukunqula. Ngenene ke bahlamba bacoceka.
15 Ngaphezu koko ke wabayala ukuba babe sebelungile ngomsomnye; ngelo thuba ke amadoda angahlangani nababhinqileyo.
16 Ngentsasa yomhla wesithathu ke zavakala izabhokhwe zeendudumo, yabe yona ke imibane itshawuza, kwaza kwabonakala nelifu elingqingqwa apho entabeni. Asisathethi ke ngomtyangampo wexilongo owabetha kwathi nkxwee, kangangokuba abantu bagubha luloyiko esikhululweni.
17 Ke kaloku uMosis waphuma nabo besiya kuThixo, baza ke bema emazantsi entaba.
18 Yonke intaba iSinayi yambathiswa sisithokothoko somsi, kuba uNdikhoyo wehlela kuyo engathi ungumlilo. Umsi lowo ke wanyuquza ngathi uphuma eziko, yaza intaba yanyikima ngamandla.
19 Kanti ke nesandi sexilongo saya sikhula ngakumbi. Waza wathetha ke uMosis, naye uThixo waphendula ngeendudumo.
20 Ke kaloku uNdikhoyo wehla wathi ngcu phezu kwencochoyi yentaba iSinayi, wathi kuMosis makenyukele khona naye,
21 waza ke wathuma uMosis, wathi: “Yihla ufike ubayale abantu hleze bawutsibe umda, beze kundibuka, kuba xa beyenzile loo nto luya kufa uninzi lwabo.
22 Nkqu nababingeleli abasondelayo kum mabahlambuluke, hleze ndibatshabalalise.”
23 UMosis waphendula wathi: “Kaloku, *Mhlekazi, abantu abanako ukunyuka beze entabeni, kuba ubusiyalile wathi intaba masiyahlule siyijikeleze ngomda, khon' ukuze kungabikho nto isondelayo kuyo.”
24 UNdikhoyo wathi kuye: “Hamba uye kuthatha uAron, uze naye apha. Kodwa ke bona ababingeleli kunye nabanye abantu bangàkhe balinge bawutsibe umda, hleze ndibatshabalalise.”
25 Ngenene ke uMosis wehla, wafika wabaxelela abantu into ethethwe nguNdikhoyo.