UMosis noAron phambi kokumkani
1Ke kaloku uMosis noAron baya kukumkani waseJiputa, bathetha naye bathi: “Wenjenje ukuthetha *uNdikhoyo uThixo wamaSirayeli: ‘Khulula abantu bam bahambe baye kundenzela itheko entlango.’ ”
2Ukumkani ke yena waphendula wathi: “Kanti kuxa engubani uNdikhoyo ukuba ndingade ndimthobele ndiwakhulule amaSirayeli? Hayi bo! Andazani naye mna; ngoko ke amaSirayeli àkahamb' apha.”
3Ke bona bathi: “Sibonene naye uThixo wamaHebhere. Siyakubongoza ke ngoko ukuba usivumele sithathe uhambo lweentsuku ezintathu, siye entlango, siyokwenzela uNdikhoyo uThixo wethu idini; kungenjalo úya kusihlasela ngezibetho okanye ngekrele.”
4Ukumkani wabaphendula ooMosis noAron wathi: “Kutheni ke ngoku nibaphazamisa nje aba bantu emsebenzini wabo? Buyelani emsebenzini!” 5Waza ukumkani waleka ngelithi: “Niyabona ukuba olu hlanga lwenu selwande kakhulu, kodwa nina nithi maluyeke lungasebenzi!”
6Kwangaloo mini ukumkani wabhekisa kwiinduna kunye namagosa abasebenzi, 7wathi: “Ze ningabi sabanika ingca yokwenza izitena abasebenzi njengangaphambili, koko mabazizabalazele ngokwabo, 8kodwa lona inani lezitena abazenzayo lingabi ngaphantsi nakancinci kwelesiqhelo, kuba bangenwe bubuvila, yiyo le nto sebekhala ngokuya kubingelela kuThixo wabo. 9Ngamampunge lawo; baqhubeni basebenze bathi nca, khon' ukuze bangabi nalo ithuba lokuphulaphula imbudede yobuxoki.”
10Ngoko ke iinduna namagosa zabaxelela abasebenzi zathi: “Ukumkani uthi anisazukuyinikwa ingca yokwenza izitena, 11koko noyichola-chola ngokwenu naphi na apho ninokuyizuza khona; kambe ke lona inani lezitena akufuneki lihle nakancinci.”
12Abasebenzi ke bathi saa kulo lonke elaseJiputa, berhugula ingca. 13Ke zona iinduna zazingabaphi thuba, zisithi: “Wugqibeni umsebenzi wosuku ngalunye ngokwesiqhelo, njengangokuya beniyinikwa ingca.”
14Amagosa angamaSirayeli awayemiselwe ziinduna ezingamaJiputa ayekatswa zizo, kusithiwa: “Kutheni izitena zingafikeleli nje kwinani lesiqhelo?”
15Kwesi sithuba ke amagosa lawo aya kukhalaza kukumkani, athi: “Mhlekazi, ngani ukuba uziphathe ngolu hlobo izicaka zakho? 16Awusasiniki ingca yokwenza izitena, kodwa siyaqhutywa, kusithiwa masenze izitena. Ewe, siyabethwa, kanti isizathu sisebantwini bakho.”
17Ukumkani waphendula wathi: “Niyanqena, mavilandini! Yiyo le nto nibhomboloza ngokuya kubingelela kuNdikhoyo. 18Hambani nimk' apha! Emsebenzini! Anizukunikwa nangca apha, ibe ke zona izitena enimiselwe ukuba nizenze soze ziwe phantsi.”
19Amagosa lawo athe akuva kusithiwa inani lezitena soze lihle, aqonda ukuba lixubayele. 20Athi ke akudibana noMosis noAron, bevela kwakumkani: 21“Wanga uNdikhoyo wayibona le nto wanigweba, kuba nisigqwalisile kukumkani neenduna zakhe; ngoku bafumene isizathu sokusibulala.”
UMosis uyakhalaza
22UMosis ke waya kukhala *kuNdikhoyo, wathi: “Awu, Mhlekazi, ngani ukuba aba bantu ubazisele ishwangusha elinje? Wawundithumela ntoni kakade? 23Kuba ke oko ndaya kuthetha nokumkani ngenxa yakho, wabaphatha gadalala, ibe ke nawe awubahlanguli konke.”
