1 Kwathi abantu bakhonona, kwabakubi ezindlebeni zikaJehova; esekuzwile uJehova, yavutha intukuthelo yakhe; umlilo kaJehova washa phakathi kwabo, wabaqeda abasemkhawulweni wekamu.*
2 Abantu base bekhala kuMose; uMose wakhuleka kuJehova, umlilo wabohla.
3 Igama laleyo ndawo laqanjwa ngokuthi iThabehera, ngokuba umlilo kaJehova washa phakathi kwabo.
4 Ingxubevange eyayiphakathi kwabo yaqala ukufisa nokufisa; nabantwana bakwa-Israyeli babuye bakhala, bathi: “Ngubani oyakusipha inyama ukuba sidle na?
5 Siyakhumbula izinhlanzi esazidla eGibithe ngesihle, namakukamba,* namakhabe, namaliki,* nohanyanisi,* nesweli;
6 kepha manje umphefumulo wethu usuwomile; akukho lutho impela; ngaphandle kwaleli mana* akukho lutho emehlweni ethu.”
7 Imana* lafana nembewu yekoriyanderi,* nokubonakala kwalo kwakunjengokubonakala kwenhlaka yebedola.*
8 Abantwana baphuma ukuliqoqa, baligaya ematsheni, noma beligqula ezigqulweni, balipheka emakhanzini, benza ngalo amaqebelengwane; ukuzwakala kwalo kwakunjengokuzwakala kweqebelengwane lamafutha.
9 Nxa amazolo elala phezu kwekamu* ebusuku, imana* lawela phezu kwawo.
10 UMose wezwa abantu bekhala emindenini yabo, kwaba yilowo nalowo muntu ngasemnyango wetende lakhe; intukuthelo kaJehova yavutha kakhulu; kwakukubi emehlweni kaMose.
11 UMose wathi kuJehova: “Uyiphatheleni kabi inceku yakho na? Angifumananga ngani umusa emehlweni akho ukuba ubeke umthwalo wabo bonke laba bantu phezu kwami na?
12 Ngakhulelwa bonke laba bantu yini, ngabazala, ukuze uthi kimi: ‘Bagone ngasesifubeni sakho njengomondli egona umntwana oncelayo, ubayise ezweni owalifungela oyise,’ na?
13 Ngingathathaphi inyama ukubanika bonke laba bantu na? Ngokuba bakhala kimi, bathi: ‘Siphe inyama ukuba sidle.’
14 Anginakuthwala bonke laba bantu ngedwa, ngokuba kuyangisinda.
15 Uma ungiphatha kanje, ake ungibulale nokungibulala, uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho; mangingaluboni usizi lwami.”
16 UJehova wakhuluma kuMose, wathi: “Ngibuthele amadoda angamashumi ayisikhombisa amalunga akwa-Israyeli, owaziyo ukuthi angamalunga abantu nezinduna zabo, uwalethe etendeni lokuhlangana ukuba eme khona nawe.
17 Ngiyakwehla, ngikhulume nawe khona, ngithathe okomoya ophezu kwakho, ngikubeke kuwo; ayakuthwala umthwalo wabantu kanye nawe, ukuze ungawuthwali wedwa.
18 “Yisho kubantu ukuthi: ‘Zingcweliseleni olwangakusasa, niyakudla inyama, lokhu nikhalile ezindlebeni zikaJehova ngokuthi: “Ngubani oyakusipha inyama ukuba sidle, ngokuba kwakukuhle kithi eGibithe,” ngalokho uJehova uyakuninika inyama, nize nidle.
19 Aniyikuyidla usuku lube lunye, noma izinsuku zibe zimbili, noma izinsuku zibe yisihlanu, noma izinsuku zibe yishumi, noma izinsuku zibe ngamashumi amabili,
20 kepha inyanga epheleleyo, ize iphume ngamakhala enu, inengeke kini, ngokuba nimlahlile uJehova ophakathi kwenu, nakhala phambi kwakhe ngokuthi: “Saphumelani eGibithe na?” ’ ”
21 Wayesethi uMose: “Abantu engiphakathi kwabo bayizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu ayisithupha abayimigundatshani; wena-ke uthi: ‘Ngiyakubanika inyama ukuba badle inyanga epheleleyo.’
22 Bayakuhlatshelwa izimvu nezinkomo ukuba zibanele na? Noma bayakubuthelwa yini izinhlanzi zonke zolwandle ukuba zibanele na?”
23 UJehova wathi kuMose: “Isandla sikaJehova sifinyele na? Usuyakubona uma izwi lami liyakwenzeka kuwe noma qha.”
24 UMose waphuma, wabatshela abantu amazwi kaJehova; wabutha amadoda angamashumi ayisikhombisa amalunga abantu, wawamisa ngasetendeni nxazonke.
25 UJehova wehla ngefu, wakhuluma kuye, wathabatha okomoya ophezu kwakhe, wakubeka kumalunga angamashumi ayisikhombisa; kwathi umoya esahlezi kuwo, aprofetha, kepha awaze akuphinda.
26 Kodwa kwasala amadoda amabili ekamu,* igama lenye lalingu-Elidadi, igama leyesibili linguMedadi; umoya wayehlala phezu kwawo; ayephakathi kwalawo alotshiweyo, kepha awayanga etendeni; aprofetha ekamu.
27 Kwagijima insizwa, yabika kuMose, yathi: “O-Elidadi noMedadi bayaprofetha ekamu.”*
28 UJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, inceku kaMose, owabakhethiweyo bakhe, waphendula wathi: “Nkosi yami, Mose, benqabele.”
29 UMose wathi kubo: “Unomhawu ngenxa yami na? Sengathi bonke abantu bakaJehova bangaba ngabaprofethi, uJehova abeke uMoya wakhe phezu kwabo.”
30 UMose wangena ekamu,* yena namalunga akwa-Israyeli.
31 Kwavuka umoya ovela kuJehova, waletha izigwaca zivela ngaselwandle, waziwisa ngasekamu* kungathi ibanga losuku ngalapha nebanga losuku ngalapha kwekamu nxazonke, nokuphakama phezu komhlaba kungathi izingalo ezimbili.
32 Abantu bavuka lonke lolo suku, nobusuku bonke, nalo lonke usuku olulandelayo, babutha izigwaca; owabutha okuncane wabutha amahomere* ayishumi; bazenekela ngasekamu* nxazonke.
33 Inyama isekhona phakathi kwamazinyo abo, ingakahlafunwa, ulaka lukaJehova lwavuthela abantu, uJehova wabashaya abantu ngokufa okukhulu kakhulu.
34 Igama laleyo ndawo laqanjwa ngokuthi iKibiroti Hathawa,* ngokuba bambela abantu abafisayo.
35 Abantu basuka eKibiroti Hathawa, baya eHaseroti; bahlala eHaseroti.