Amanzi ampompoza eliweni
1Kwathi ngenyanga yokuqala uSirayeli ephela wagaleleka kwintlango iZin, waza wamisa eKadeshe. Apho ke kulapho wafa waza wangcwatyelwa khona uMiriyam.
2Ke kaloku kwakungekho manzi kuloo ndawo. Ngoko ke amaSirayeli aqokelelana kuMosis noAron, 3alwa noMosis, athi: “Akwaba nathi sasife nabantakwethu phambi *kwesibingelelo *sikaNdikhoyo. 4Ngani ukuba thina bantu bakaNdikhoyo nisizise kule ntlango? Benifuna size kufela apha ndawonye nemfuyo yethu? 5Kakade, kwakutheni ukuze nisikhuphe eJiputa, nize kusifaka kwenje yona indawo, emhlaba ungavelisi nento le? Akukho ngqolowa namakhiwane, kungekho diliya narharnati; ke wona amanzi tu!” 6UMosis noAron balishiya ibandla, baya kuma esangweni lesibingelelo. Baguqa phantsi, baza ke babubona ubungangamsha bukaNdikhoyo.
7UNdikhoyo wathi kuMosis: 8“Thatha intonga ephambi kwetyesi yomnqophiso, uze wena nomntakwenu uAron nilihlanganise ibandla, uze ke uthethe neliwa bejongile. Kothi kumpompoze amanzi kulo, baze abantu nemfuyo yabo basele.” 9Ke uMosis wayithatha intonga leyo esibingelelweni ngokomyalelo kaNdikhoyo.
10Yena noAron bawaqokelela onke amaSirayeli apho phambi kweliwa, waza wathi uMosis: “Phulaphulani, nina baqhankqalazi! Ngaba nifuna sikhuphe amanzi kweli liwa?” 11UMosis wayiphakamsa intonga, walibetha kabini iliwa elo, kwaza ke kwampompoza amanzi, abantu ndawonye nemfuyo basela.
12UNdikhoyo wabhekisa kuMosis noAron wathi: “Ngenxa yokungandithembi nokungandiniki imbeko phambi kwamaSirayeli, anisayi kulikhokela eli bandla nilingenise kwelo lizwe ndalithembisa lona.”
13Esi siganeko ke sehla eMeribha apho amaSirayeli amkhalazela khona uNdikhoyo. Ke yena wazibonakalisa kuwo ukuba ungcwele.
AmaEdom axabile endleleni yamaSirayeli
14Ke kaloku uMosis wakhupha abathunywa, baya kukumkani wase-Edom, esithi: “Nanku umyalezo ovela kubantakwenu amaSirayeli: ‘Uyazazi iinzingo ezasihlelayo. 15Kaloku ookhokho bethu bafudukela eJiputa, apho sahlala khona iminyaka ngeminyaka. AmaJiputa ke abaphatha kakubi ndawonye nathi. 16Sasuka ke sazibika *kuNdikhoyo, waza ke yena wasabela, wathumela isithunywa sakhe, wasikhupha eJiputa. Ngoku ke naku silapha eKadeshe, idolophu esemideni yakho. 17Sicela ukuba usivumele sinqumle kulo mhlaba wakho. Siyathembisa ukuba thina nemfuyo yethu siya kuhamba ngqo ngendlela, singaphambukeli emasimini nakwizidiliya zakho, singayi kukhe sisele nakumaqula akho. Ewe, siya kuthi ngqo ngohola, singaphambuki side siphume emhlabeni wakho.’ ”
18Ke wona amaEdom aphendula athi: “Unotshe! Akuyi kucanda apha. Ukungena oku kwakho ndiya kuphuma ndikuhlasele.”
19AmaSirayeli aphendula esithi: “Siya kuhamba ngqo ngohola. Ukuba thina okanye impi yethu ithe yasela amanzi akho, siya kuwahlawulela. Inye into esiyifunayo, kukunqumla ngeenyawo.”
20AmaEdom athi: “Anizukunqumla!” Aza ke amaEdom asuka nomkhosi omkhulu, afunza kumaSirayeli. 21Ke kaloku amaSirayeli ajika athatha ndlela yimbi, kuba amaEdom ewalela ukuba anqumle emhlabeni wawo.
Ukufa kuka-Aron
22USirayeli ephela wanduluka ke eKadeshe, waza waya kugaleleka kwintaba iHore 23kufutshane nomda wase-Edom. Apho ke *uNdikhoyo wathetha noMosis noAron, wathi: 24“Wena Aron, uza kufa; akuzi kuya kufika kwelo lizwe ndamthembisa ngalo uSirayeli. Kaloku nina nobabini nawuvukela umthetho wam eMeribha. 25Ngoko ke, wena Mosis, thatha uAron nonyana wakhe uElazare, uye nabo kwintaba iHore. 26Khona apho ke uze uyithathe iminweba ka-Aron yobubingeleli, uyinxibe uElazare unyana wakhe, kuba uAron yena uza kufa.”
27UMosis wenza ngokwelizwi likaNdikhoyo. Benyuka baya kwintaba iHore, lonke ibandla libukele, 28waza uMosis wayikhulula iminweba yobubingeleli kuAron, wayinxiba uElazare. Ke yena uAron wafela apho phezu kwentaba, baza ke uMosis noElazare behla entabeni. 29Athi ke amaSirayeli, akuva ukuba uAron akasekho, amzilela iintsuku ezimashumi mathathu.
