1 Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, yonke inhlangano, bafika ehlane laseSini ngenyanga yokuqala; abantu bahlala eKadeshi; uMiriyamu wafela khona, wembelwa khona futhi.
2 Kwakungekho manzi lapho kuyo inhlangano; babahlanganyela oMose no-Aroni.
3 Abantu balwa noMose, bakhuluma bathi: “Sengathi ngabe safa ekufeni kwabafowethu phambi kukaJehova.
4 Niletheleni ibandla likaJehova kuleli hlane, ukuze sifele lapha, thina nezinkomo zethu, na?
5 Nasikhuphulelani eGibithe, ukuze silethwe kule ndawo embi, na? Akusiyo indawo yembewu, noma eyamakhiwane, noma eyemivini, noma eyamapomegranati,* kungekho futhi amanzi okuphuza.”
6 OMose no-Aroni basuka ebusweni bebandla ukuya ngasemnyango wetende lokuhlangana, bawa ngobuso babo; inkazimulo kaJehova yabonakala kubo.
7 UJehova wakhuluma kuMose, wathi:
8 “Thabatha intonga, ubuthe inhlangano, wena no-Aroni umfowenu, nikhulume kulo idwala eliphambi kwamehlo abo ukuba liveze amanzi alo; uyakubavezela amanzi edwaleni, ukuze unike inhlangano nezinkomo zayo ukuphuza.”
9 UMose wathabatha intonga phambi kukaJehova, njengalokho eyalile.
10 OMose no-Aroni babutha ibandla phambi kwedwala; wathi-ke kubo: “Yizwani manje nina bahlubuki; siyakunivezela yini amanzi kuleli dwala na?”
11 UMose waphakamisa isandla sakhe, walishaya idwala kabili ngentonga yakhe, kwaphuma amanzi amaningi, inhlangano yaphuza kanye nezinkomo zayo.
12 UJehova wathi kuMose naku-Aroni: “Njengokuba anikholwanga yimi ukungingcwelisa emehlweni abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, ngalokho aniyikungenisa leli bandla ezweni engibanike lona.”
13 Lokhu kwakungamanzi aseMeriba, ngokuba abantwana bakwa-Israyeli balwa noJehova, wangcweliswa kubo.
14 UMose wathuma izithunywa enkosini yakwa-Edomi, zisuka eKadeshi, wathi: “Usho kanje umfowenu u-Israyeli: ‘Uyazazi zonke izinkathazo ezisehlele
15 ukuthi obaba behlela eGibithe, sahlala eGibithe isikhathi eside; abaseGibithe basiphatha kabi thina nawobaba;
16 lapho sakhala kuJehova, walizwa izwi lethu, wathuma ingelosi, wasikhipha eGibithe; bheka sesiseKadeshi, umuzi oseceleni komkhawulo wakho;
17 ake sidabule izwe lakho; asiyikudabula amasimu nezivini, singaphuzi amanzi emithombo; siyakuhamba ngomgwaqo wenkosi, singajiki ngakwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo size sidlule umkhawulo wakho.’ ”
18 U-Edomi wathi kuye: “Awuyikudabula kimi, funa ngikusukele ngenkemba.”
19 Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bathi kuye: “Siyakukhuphuka ngomgwaqo; uma siphuza amanzi akho, mina nezinkomo zami, ngiyakukhokhela imali yawo. Mangidabule nje ngezinyawo zami, kungabi ngokunye.”
20 Kepha wathi: “Awuyikudabula.”U-Edomi wayesephuma wamsukela nabantu abaningi nesandla esinamandla.
21 Kanjalo u-Edomi wala ukuba u-Israyeli adabule izwe lakhe; ngalokho u-Israyeli wachezuka kuye.
22 Basuka eKadeshi; abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, inhlangano yonke, bafika entabeni yaseHori.
23 UJehova wakhuluma kuMose naku-Aroni entabeni yaseHori ngasemkhawulweni wezwe lakwa-Edomi, wathi:
24 “U-Aroni uyakubuthelwa kubantu bakhe, ngokuba akayikungena ezweni engibanike lona abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, lokhu nahlubuka ezwini lami ngasemanzini aseMeriba.
25 Thabatha o-Aroni no-Eleyazare, indodana yakhe, ubakhuphulele entabeni yaseHori,
26 umkhumule u-Aroni izambatho zakhe, uzifake ku-Eleyazare indodana yakhe; u-Aroni uyakubuthelwa kubantu bakhe, afele khona.”
27 UMose wenza njengalokho uJehova eyalile; bakhuphukela entabeni yaseHori emehlweni enhlangano yonke.
28 UMose wamkhumula u-Aroni izambatho zakhe, wazifaka ku-Eleyazare indodana yakhe; u-Aroni wafela khona esiqongweni sentaba; oMose no-Eleyazare behla entabeni.
29 Lapho inhlangano yonke ibona ukuthi u-Aroni ufile, bamlilela u-Aroni izinsuku ezingamashumi amathathu, yonke indlu yakwa-Israyeli.