INumeri 20

₁Ngenyanga yokuqala, yonke inhlangano yabantu bakwa-Israyeli yafika ehlane iSini. Abantu bahlala eKadeshi, uMiriyamu wafela khona, wangcwatshwa khona futhi.

₂Kwakungekho manzi okuba inhlangano iphuze; ngakho-ke bahlangana ndawonye bamelana noMose no-Aroni. ₃Abantu balwa noMose, bakhuluma bathi: “Sengathi ngabe safa ngesikhathi kufa abafowethu phambi kukaSimakade. ₄Niyiletheleni kuleli hlane inhlangano kaSimakade ukuba sizofela kulo, thina nemfuyo yethu na? ₅Nasikhuphulelani eGibhithe, ukuze nisilethe kule ndawo embi na? Akusiyo indawo yembewu, noma yamakhiwane, noma yemivini, noma yamahananadi, futhi akukho ngisho amanzi okuphuza.”

₆UMose no-Aroni basuka phambi kwebandla baya ngasemnyango wethende lokuhlangana. Bawa ngobuso bathi mbo emhlabathini, base bebona kuvela inkazimulo kaSimakade. ₇USimakade wathi kuMose: ₈“Thatha intonga, uqoqe inhlangano, wena no-Aroni umfowenu, ukhulume edwaleni phambi kwamehlo abo ukuba liveze amanzi alo. Uyakubavezela amanzi edwaleni, uyinike inhlangano nezinkomo zayo okokuphuza.”

₉UMose wathatha intonga phambi kukaSimakade, njengalokhu ayemyalile. ₁₀UMose no-Aroni baliqoqa ibandla phambi kwedwala; wathi kubo: “Yizwani bahlubuki ndini; sizakunivezela yini amanzi kuleli dwala na?”

₁₁UMose waphakamisa isandla sakhe, walishaya kabili idwala ngentonga yakhe, kwaphuma amanzi amaningi, yaphuza inhlangano nemfuyo yayo.

₁₂USimakade wathi kuMose no-Aroni: “Njengalokhu ningakholwanga yimi, futhi ningangingcwelisanga phambi kwamehlo abantu bakwa-Israyeli, ngalokho aniyukulingenisa leli bandla ezweni engilinike lona.”

₁₃Lawa ngamanzi eMeribha, ngokuba abantu bakwa-Israyeli balwa noSimakade, Yena wazibonakalisa engcwele phakathi kwabo.

₁₄UMose eseKadeshi wathumela izithunywa enkosini yakwa-Edomi, wathi: “Usho kanje umfowenu u-Israyeli: ‘Uyabazi bonke ubunzima esihlangabezane nabo, ₁₅ukuthi okhokho bethu behlela eGibhithe, sahlala eGibhithe isikhathi eside; abaseGibhithe basiphatha kabi thina nokhokho bethu. ₁₆Sakhala kuSimakade, walizwa izwi lethu, wathuma ingelosi, wasikhipha eGibhithe; bheka manje silapha eKadeshi, umuzi osemngceleni wezwe lakho. ₁₇Siyakuncenga sivumele sidabule ezweni lakho; asiyukuhamba emasimini nasezivinini, futhi asiyukuwaphuza amanzi emithonjeni; siyohamba ngomgwaqo wenkosi, asiyukujikela ngakwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo size sidlule ezweni lakho.’ ”

₁₈U-Edomi wathi kuye: “Aniyukudabula lapha, funa ngiphume ngikusukele ngenkemba.”

₁₉Abantu bakwa-Israyeli bathi kuye: “Siyakuhamba ngomgwaqo; uma siphuza amanzi akho, mina nemfuyo yami, ngiyakukhokhela imali yawo. Mangidabule nje ngezinyawo zami, kungabi ngokunye.”

₂₀Kepha wathi: “Awuyukudabula.”

U-Edomi waphuma nempi enkulu, eyayihlome iphelele, yamvimba.

₂₁Wala kanjalo-ke u-Edomi ukuba u-Israyeli adabule ezweni lakhe; u-Israyeli wabe esechezuka.

₂₂Abantu bakwa-Israyeli basuka eKadeshi baze bayofika entabeni iHori. ₂₃USimakade wathi kuMose no-Aroni, entabeni iHori esemngceleni wezwe lakwa-Edomi: ₂₄“U-Aroni uzokufa, akayukungena ezweni engibanike lona abantu bakwa-Israyeli, ngokuba naphambuka ezwini lami emanzini eMeribha. ₂₅ Thatha o-Aroni no-Eleyazare, indodana yakhe, ukhuphukele nabo entabeni iHori. ₂₆Umkhumule u-Aroni izembatho zakhe, uzigqokise u-Eleyazare indodana yakhe; u-Aroni uyobuyela kwabakubo, afele khona.”

₂₇UMose wenza njengalokhu uSimakade emyalile; bakhuphukela entabeni iHori, inhlangano yonke ibabuka. ₂₈UMose wamkhumula u-Aroni izembatho zakhe, wazigqokisa u-Eleyazare, indodana yakhe. U-Aroni wafela khona lapho esiqongweni sentaba; oMose no-Eleyazare behla entabeni. ₂₉Inhlangano yonke yabona ukuthi u-Aroni ufile, yamlilela izinsuku ezingama-30, yonke indlu yakwa-Israyeli.