1 Ngasemuva oMose no-Aroni bafika, bathi kuFaro: “Usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: ‘Bavumele abantu bami ukuba bahambe, bangenzele umkhosi ehlane.’ ”
2 Wathi uFaro: “Ngubani uJehova ukuba ngilalele izwi lakhe, ngimyeke u-Israyeli ukuba ahambe na? Angimazi uJehova, futhi angiyikumvumela u-Israyeli ukuba ahambe.”
3 Base bethi: “UNkulunkulu wamaHeberu uhlangene nathi; ake sihambe ibanga lezinsuku ezintathu, siye ehlane, sihlabele uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu, funa asehlele ngesifo nangenkemba.”
4 Inkosi yaseGibithe yathi kubo: “Nibakhumulelani abantu emithwalweni yabo nina Mose no-Aroni na? Hambani, niye emisebenzini yenu.”
5 UFaro wathi: “Bheka, abantu sebebaningi ezweni, nokho niyabaphumuza emithwalweni yabo.”
6 Ngalona lolo suku uFaro wayala abaphathi babantu nezinduna zabo, wathi:
7 “Anisayikubanika abantu utshani bokwenza izitini njengaphambili; mabahambe bazibuthele utshani.
8 Kepha isilinganiso sezitini ekade besenza, bamiseleni sona, ningasinciphisi, ngokuba bayenqena; ngalokho bayakhala bathi: ‘Masihambe sihlabele uNkulunkulu wethu.’
9 Mayenziwe ibe nzima imisebenzi phezu kwabantu, bayisebenze, banganakekeli amazwi okukhohlisa.”
10 Baphuma-ke abaphathi babantu nezinduna zabo, bakhuluma kubantu, bathi: “UFaro usho uthi: ‘Angisayikuninika utshani.’
11 Hambani nina, nizifunele utshani, lapho ningabuthola khona, ngokuba imisebenzi yenu ayiyikuncishiswa ngalutho.”
12 Base behlakazeka abantu ezweni lonke laseGibithe ukuyobutha izinhlanga zibe yibona tshani babo.
13 Abaphathi babaqhuba, bathi: “Qedani imisebenzi yenu, imisebenzi yemihla ngemihla, njengasezinsukwini kusekhona utshani.”
14 Izinduna zabantwana bakwa-Israyeli abazibeke phezu kwabo abaphathi bakaFaro zashaywa, zabuzwa ukuthi: “Aniqedanga ngani umsebenzi wenu izolo nanamuhla ukubumba izitini njengaphambili na?”
15 Zase zifika izinduna zabantwana bakwa-Israyeli, zakhala kuFaro, zathi: “Uziphathelani izinceku zakho kanje na?
16 Izinceku zakho aziphiwanga tshani; nokho bathi kithi: ‘Bumbani izitini.’ Futhi bheka, izinceku zakho ziyashaywa, kepha icala likubantu bakho.”
17 Kepha wathi: “Yinina enenqena, yebo, niyenqena; ngalokho nithi: ‘Ake sihambe sihlabele uJehova.’
18 Ngalokho hambani nisebenze, ngokuba aniyikuphiwa tshani, kepha isilinganiso sezitini niyakusiqeda.”
19 Izinduna zabantwana bakwa-Israyeli zabona ukuthi basekuhluphekeni, lapho kuthiwa: “Aniyikunciphisa izitini zenu esilinganisweni semihla ngemihla.”
20 Zahlangana noMose no-Aroni ababemi khona ukuzihlangabeza zisaphuma kuFaro.
21 Zathi kubo: “UJehova makanibheke, ahlulele, ngokuba nilenzile iphunga lethu linuke kabi emehlweni kaFaro nasemehlweni ezinceku zakhe, nibeke inkemba esandleni sabo ukuba basibulale.”
22 UMose wayesebuyela kuJehova, wathi: “Nkosi, wenzeleni okubi kulaba bantu na? Ungithumeleni mina na?
23 Selokhu ngafika kuFaro ukukhuluma egameni lakho, ubaphathe kabi laba bantu, nawe awubophulanga nakanci abantu bakho.”