1 Ke kaloku uMosis noAron baya kukumkani waseJiputa, bathetha naye bathi: “Wenjenje ukuthetha *uNdikhoyo uThixo wamaSirayeli: ‘Khulula abantu bam bahambe baye kundenzela itheko entlango.’ ”
2 Ukumkani ke yena waphendula wathi: “Kanti kuxa engubani uNdikhoyo ukuba ndingade ndimthobele ndiwakhulule amaSirayeli? Hayi bo! Andazani naye mna; ngoko ke amaSirayeli àkahamb' apha.”
3 Ke bona bathi: “Sibonene naye uThixo wamaHebhere. Siyakubongoza ke ngoko ukuba usivumele sithathe uhambo lweentsuku ezintathu, siye entlango, siyokwenzela uNdikhoyo uThixo wethu idini; kungenjalo úya kusihlasela ngezibetho okanye ngekrele.”
4 Ukumkani wabaphendula ooMosis noAron wathi: “Kutheni ke ngoku nibaphazamisa nje aba bantu emsebenzini wabo? Buyelani emsebenzini!”
5 Waza ukumkani waleka ngelithi: “Niyabona ukuba olu hlanga lwenu selwande kakhulu, kodwa nina nithi maluyeke lungasebenzi!”
6 Kwangaloo mini ukumkani wabhekisa kwiinduna kunye namagosa abasebenzi,
7 wathi: “Ze ningabi sabanika ingca yokwenza izitena abasebenzi njengangaphambili, koko mabazizabalazele ngokwabo,
8 kodwa lona inani lezitena abazenzayo lingabi ngaphantsi nakancinci kwelesiqhelo, kuba bangenwe bubuvila, yiyo le nto sebekhala ngokuya kubingelela kuThixo wabo.
9 Ngamampunge lawo; baqhubeni basebenze bathi nca, khon' ukuze bangabi nalo ithuba lokuphulaphula imbudede yobuxoki.”
10 Ngoko ke iinduna namagosa zabaxelela abasebenzi zathi: “Ukumkani uthi anisazukuyinikwa ingca yokwenza izitena,
11 koko noyichola-chola ngokwenu naphi na apho ninokuyizuza khona; kambe ke lona inani lezitena akufuneki lihle nakancinci.”
12 Abasebenzi ke bathi saa kulo lonke elaseJiputa, berhugula ingca.
13 Ke zona iinduna zazingabaphi thuba, zisithi: “Wugqibeni umsebenzi wosuku ngalunye ngokwesiqhelo, njengangokuya beniyinikwa ingca.”
14 Amagosa angamaSirayeli awayemiselwe ziinduna ezingamaJiputa ayekatswa zizo, kusithiwa: “Kutheni izitena zingafikeleli nje kwinani lesiqhelo?”
15 Kwesi sithuba ke amagosa lawo aya kukhalaza kukumkani, athi: “Mhlekazi, ngani ukuba uziphathe ngolu hlobo izicaka zakho?
16 Awusasiniki ingca yokwenza izitena, kodwa siyaqhutywa, kusithiwa masenze izitena. Ewe, siyabethwa, kanti isizathu sisebantwini bakho.”
17 Ukumkani waphendula wathi: “Niyanqena, mavilandini! Yiyo le nto nibhomboloza ngokuya kubingelela kuNdikhoyo.
18 Hambani nimk' apha! Emsebenzini! Anizukunikwa nangca apha, ibe ke zona izitena enimiselwe ukuba nizenze soze ziwe phantsi.”
19 Amagosa lawo athe akuva kusithiwa inani lezitena soze lihle, aqonda ukuba lixubayele.
20 Athi ke akudibana noMosis noAron, bevela kwakumkani:
21 “Wanga uNdikhoyo wayibona le nto wanigweba, kuba nisigqwalisile kukumkani neenduna zakhe; ngoku bafumene isizathu sokusibulala.”
22 UMosis ke waya kukhala *kuNdikhoyo, wathi: “Awu, Mhlekazi, ngani ukuba aba bantu ubazisele ishwangusha elinje? Wawundithumela ntoni kakade?
23 Kuba ke oko ndaya kuthetha nokumkani ngenxa yakho, wabaphatha gadalala, ibe ke nawe awubahlanguli konke.”