I-Eksodusi 33

₁USimakade wathi kuMose: “Hamba, suka kule ndawo, wena nabantu owabakhipha eGibhithe, niye ezweni engafunga ngalo ku-Abhrahama, no-Isaka, noJakobe, ngathi: ‘Ngiyolinika izizukulwane zakho.’ ₂Ngizothuma ingelosi phambi kwakho, ngiwaxoshe amaKhanani, ama-Amori, amaHithi, amaPherizi, amaHivi, namaJebusi. ₃Khuphukani niye ezweni elichichima ubisi noju, kodwa Mina ngeke ngibe phakathi kwenu, ngokuba ningabantu abantamo lukhuni, funa nginiqede nya endleleni.”

₄Kwathi ukuba abantu bezwe leyo ndaba embi, bakhala, akwaba bikho muntu owahloba ngobucwebecwebe bakhe. ₅Ngokuba uSimakade wayethe kuMose: “Shono kubantu bakwa-Israyeli, uthi: ‘Ningabantu abantamo lukhuni, uma nje ngingakhuphuka nani umzuzu ube munye, ngiyoniqothula nya. Ngakho-ke khumulani imvunulo yenu ukuze nginqume ukuthi ngizonenzenjani.’ ”

₆Abantu bakwa-Israyeli bayihlubula imvunulo yabo kusukela entabeni yaseHorebhe.

₇UMose wayevame ukuthatha ithende alimise ngaphandle kwenkambu, buqamama nayo, walibiza ngokuthi yithende lokuhlangana. Yilowo nalowo owayenodaba afuna ukuzwa ngalo kuSimakade, wayehamba aye ethendeni lokuhlangana elalingaphandle kwenkambu. ₈Noma nini lapho uMose eya ethendeni, bonke abantu babesukuma, kube yilowo nalowo ame ngasemnyango wethende lakhe, bambuke uMose aze ayongena ethendeni. ₉Lapho uMose engena ethendeni, kwakwehla insika yefu ime emnyango wethende, bese uSimakade ekhuluma noMose. ₁₀Lapho bonke abantu bebona insika yefu imi ngasemnyango wethende, bonke babesukuma, bakhothame, yilowo nalowo ngasemnyango wethende lakhe. ₁₁USimakade wakhuluma kanjalo noMose ubuso nobuso, njengomuntu ezikhulumela nomngani wakhe.

Wabuyela enkanjini, kodwa inceku yakhe, insizwa enguJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, ayiphumanga ethendeni.

₁₂UMose wathi kuSimakade: “Bheka, uthe kimi: ‘Khuphula laba bantu,’ kodwa awungitshelanga ukuthi ngubani oyakumthuma nami. Uthe: ‘Ngiyakwazi ngegama, futhi ufumene umusa emehlweni ami.’ ₁₃Ngakho-ke uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho, ake ungibonise izindlela zakho ukuba ngikwazi, ngifumane umusa emehlweni akho. Khumbula futhi ukuthi lesi sizwe singabantu bakho.”

₁₄USimakade wathi: “Ngizohamba nawe Mina uqobo, futhi ngiyakukuphumuza.”

₁₅UMose wathi kuye: “Uma Wena uqobo ungahambi nathi, ungasikhuphuli lapha. ₁₆Kuyokwaziwa kanjani ukuthi ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho, mina nabantu bakho, uma ungahambi nathi na? Akusikhona yini ukuhamba nathi okuzokwenza ukuthi mina nabantu bakho sehluke kubo bonke abanye abantu abasemhlabeni na?”

₁₇USimakade wathi kuMose: “Ngizokwenza nalokho okucelileyo, ngokuba ufumene umusa emehlweni ami, futhi ngikwazi ngegama.”

₁₈UMose wathi: “Ngiyakuncenga, ake ungibonise inkazimulo yakho.”

₁₉USimakade wathi: “Ngiyakudlulisa phambi kwakho bonke ubuhle bami, ngimemeze phambi kwakho igama likaSimakade, ngibe nomusa kulowo engithanda ukuba nomusa kuye, nesihe kulowo engithanda ukuba nesihe kuye.”

₂₀Wathi: “Awunakububona ubuso bami, ngokuba akukho muntu ongangibona qede aphile.”

₂₁USimakade wathi: “Bheka, nansi indawo ngakimi, uyokuma edwaleni. ₂₂Kuyokuthi lapho yedlula inkazimulo yami, ngikufake emfantwini wedwala, ngikusithe ngesandla sami ngize ngidlule. ₂₃Bese ngisisusa isandla sami, ubone umhlane wami, kodwa ubuso bami abuyukubonwa.”