1 Abantu sebebone ukuthi uMose ulibele ukwehla entabeni, abantu babuthana ku-Aroni, bathi kuye: “Vuka usenzele onkulunkulu abazakuhamba phambi kwethu, ngokuba uMose lowo, umuntu owasikhuphula ezweni laseGibithe, asazi ukuthi wehlelwe yini.”
2 U-Aroni wayesethi kubo: “Khumulani amacici egolide asezindlebeni zawomkenu, nakwezamadodana enu, nakwezamadodakazi enu, niwalethe kimi.”
3 Bonke abantu bakhumula-ke amacici egolide asezindlebeni zabo, bawayisa ku-Aroni.
4 Wawamukela ezandleni zabo, wawabumba ngengwedo, wawenza aba yithole elibunjiweyo, bathi: “Nampa onkulunkulu bakho, Israyeli, abakukhuphula ezweni laseGibithe.”
5 U-Aroni wakubona, wakha i-altare phambi kwalo; u-Aroni wamemezela wathi: “Kusasa kuzakuba khona umkhosi kaJehova.”
6 Bavuka ekuseni ngakusasa, banikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa, baletha iminikelo yokuthula; abantu bahlala phansi ukuba badle, baphuze; bavuka ukuyodlala.
7 UJehova wakhuluma kuMose, wathi: “Hamba wehle, ngokuba abantu bakho owabakhuphula ezweni laseGibithe benzile isono;
8 baphambukile masinyane endleleni engabayala ngayo. Bazenzele ithole elibunjiweyo, balikhonza, balihlabela, bathi: ‘Nampa onkulunkulu bakho, Israyeli, abakukhuphula ezweni laseGibithe.’ ”
9 UJehova wathi kuMose: “Ngibabonile laba bantu; bheka, bangabantu abantamo ilukhuni.
10 Ngalokho ngiyeke ukuba ulaka lwami lubavuthele, ngibaqede, ngikwenze ube yisizwe esikhulu.”
11 UMose wamshweleza uJehova uNkulunkulu wakhe, wathi: “Jehova, ulaka lwakho lubavuthelelani abantu bakho owabakhuphula ezweni laseGibithe ngamandla amakhulu nangesandla esiqinileyo na?
12 AbaseGibithe bayakusholoni ukuthi: ‘Wabakhiphela okubi ukuba ababulale ezintabeni, abaqothule ebusweni bomhlaba.’ Phenduka olakeni lwakho oluvuthayo, uguquke kulobu bubi ngakubantu bakho.
13 Khumbula o-Abrahama, no-Isaka, no-Israyeli, izinceku zakho, owazifungela kubo, wathi kubo: ‘Ngiyakwandisa inzalo yenu ibe ngangezinkanyezi zezulu, nginike inzalo yenu lonke leli zwe engikhulumile ngalo, idle ifa lalo kuze kube phakade.’ ”
14 UJehova wayesephenduka ebubini abethi uzakubenza kubantu bakhe.
15 UMose waphenduka, wehla entabeni enezibhebhe zombili zobufakazi esandleni sakhe, izibhebhe ezazilotshwe nxazombili, zalotshwa ngalapha nangalapha.
16 Izibhebhe zazingumsebenzi kaNkulunkulu, nokuloba kwakungukuloba kukaNkulunkulu, kuqoshiwe ezibhebheni.
17 UJoshuwa wezwa umsindo wabantu bekhamuluka, wathi kuMose: “Kukhona umsindo wempi ekamu.”*
18 Wathi: “Akusilo izwi labahalalisa ngokunqoba, akusilo izwi lokukhala ngokunqotshwa, kepha ngizwa umsindo wabahlabelelayo.”
19 Kwathi esasondela ekamu,* wabona ithole nokusina; ulaka lukaMose lwase luvutha, wazilahla izibhebhe ezandleni zakhe, wazaphula phansi kwentaba.
20 Wayeselithatha ithole ababelenzile, walishisa ngomlilo, walicolisisa laze laba luthuli, walivumvuzela emanzini, wabaphuzisa wona abantwana bakwa-Israyeli.
21 UMose wathi ku-Aroni: “Benzeni kuwe laba bantu ukuba ubehlisele isono esingaka na?”
22 Wathi u-Aroni: “Ulaka lwenkosi yami malungavuthi; uyabazi abantu ukuthi bathanda ububi.
23 Ngokuba bathi kimi: ‘Senzele onkulunkulu abazakuhamba phambi kwethu, ngokuba uMose lowo, umuntu owasikhuphula ezweni laseGibithe, asazi ukuthi wehlelwe yini.’
24 Ngase ngithi kubo: ‘Onalo igolide makalikhumule;’ base benginika lona, ngaliphonsa emlilweni, kwaphuma leli thole.”
25 UMose wababona abantu ukuthi babedlubulundile; ngokuba u-Aroni wayebakhululile baze bahlekwa yizitha zabo;
26 uMose wayesema esangweni lekamu,* wathi: “AbakaJehova mabeze kimi.” Onke amadodana kaLevi ayesebuthana kuye.
27 Wayesethi kuwo: “Usho njalo uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: ‘Akube yilowo nalowo kini abhince inkemba yakhe ethangeni lakhe, adabule ekamu,* aye emuva, aye phambili, kusukela kwelinye isango kuze kube kwelinye isango lekamu, yilowo nalowo abulale umfowabo, nalowo umngane wakhe, nalowo umakhelwane wakhe.’ ”
28 Amadodana kaLevi enza njengezwi likaMose, kwawa ngalolo suku abantu kungathi abayizinkulungwane ezintathu.
29 Wayesethi uMose: “Njengalokhu yilowo nalowo emelene nendodana yakhe nanomfowabo, manizahlukanisele namuhla kuJehova ukuba aninike isibusiso namuhla.”
30 Kwathi ngangomuso uMose wathi kubantu: “Nenzile isono esikhulu; sengiyakukhuphukela kuJehova, uma mhlawumbe ngingenza ukubuyisana ngesono senu.”
31 UMose wabuyela kuJehova, wathi: “Hawu, laba bantu benzile isono esikhulu, bazenzele onkulunkulu ngegolide.
32 Nokho uma ubathethelela isono sabo; kepha uma ungabathetheleli, ake ungesule encwadini yakho oyilobileyo.”
33 UJehova wayesethi kuMose: “Owonile kimi ngiyakumesula encwadini yami.
34 Kalokhu hamba-ke, uhole abantu, uye kuleyo ndawo engakhuluma ngayo kuwe; bheka, ingelosi yami iyakuhamba phambi kwakho; kepha mhla ngibahambela ngiyakuhambela isono sabo kubo.”
35 UJehova wayesebashaya-ke abantu, ngokuba benza ithole lelo alenzayo u-Aroni.