INumeri 11

₁Abantu bakhononda, uSimakade wezwa, kwaba kubi ezindlebeni zakhe, ngakho-ke intukuthelo yakhe yavutha phakathi kwabo, umlilo kaSimakade washa ubuhanguhangu phakathi kwabo, wabhubhisa ngisho imikhawulo yenkambu. ₂Abantu bakhala kuMose. UMose wakhuleka kuSimakade, umlilo wabohla. ₃Leyo ndawo yaqanjwa ngokuthi yiThabhehera, ngokuba umlilo kaSimakade wavutha phakathi kwabo.

₄Ingxubevange eyayiphakathi kwabantu bakwa-Israyeli yaqala ukulangazelela izinto zaseGibhithe nabantu bakwa-Israyeli babuye bakhala, bathi: “Ngubani oyakusipha inyama ukuba sidle na? ₅Siyakhumbula izinhlanzi esasizidla eGibhithe ngesihle, namakhukhamba, amakhabe, amaliki, uhanyanisi neswela. ₆Kepha manje sekuphele nokulangazelela ukudla. Akukho lutho olunye esingaludla ngaphandle kwale mana esiyidla imihla namalanga.”

₇Imana yayifana nembewu yekhoriyanderi, isanhlamvana, ibukeka iphuzi, injengenhlaka yebheduliyamu. ₈Abantu babephuma bayiqoqe, bayigaye ematsheni, noma bayigqule ezigqulweni, bayipheke emakhanzini, benze nangayo amaqebelengwane. Yayinambitheka okweqebelengwane elinamafutha. ₉Lapho amazolo ehlela enkanjini ebusuku nemana yayehla.

₁₀UMose wezwa abantu bekhala emindenini yabo ngasemnyango wethende lakhe. Intukuthelo kaSimakade yavutha kakhulu, lokhu kwamdabukisa kakhulu uMose. ₁₁UMose wathi kuSimakade: “Ukwenzeleni okubi encekwini yakho na? Kungani ngingafumananga musa emehlweni akho ukuba ungethwese umthwalo wabo bonke laba bantu na? ₁₂Ngabe bonke laba bantu bakhulelwa yimi, futhi bazalwa yimi yini na? Kodwa uthi kimi: ‘Bagone wena esifubeni sakho njengomzanyana egone umntwana oncelayo, ubayise ezweni owalifungela oyise na?’ ₁₃Ngiyakuyithatha kuphi inyama engingabanika yona bonke laba bantu na? Bayangikhalela ukuba ngibanike inyama badle. ₁₄Mina ngokwami, angikwazi ukubathwala bonke laba bantu, ngokuba bayangisinda. ₁₅Vele wenza lokhu kimi ukuba ungibulale; ngiyakuncenga, ngibulale ngokushesha ukuze ngifumane umusa emehlweni akho, ungangivumeli ngibone usizi lwami.”

₁₆USimakade wakhuluma kuMose, wathi: “Ngiqoqele amadoda angama-70 kumalunga akwa-Israyeli, owaziyo ukuthi angamalunga nezinduna zabantu. Uwalethe ethendeni lokuhlangana, ayoma lapho kanye nawe. ₁₇Ngiyokwehla ngikhulume nawe lapho. Ngiyothatha okomoya ophezu kwakho, ngikubeke kuwo. Ayowuthwalisana nawe umthwalo wabantu, awuyukuwuthwala wedwa.

₁₈“Yisho kubantu ukuthi: ‘Zingcweliseleni usuku lwakusasa, niyokudla inyama, lokhu nikhalile ezindlebeni zikaSimakade, nathi: “Ngubani oyosipha inyama yokuba sidle, ngokuba kwakukuhle kithi eGibhithe;” yingakho nje uSimakade ezoninika inyama ukuba niyidle. ₁₉Aniyukuyidla nje usuku lube lunye, noma izinsuku ezimbili, noma izinsuku eziyisihlanu, noma izinsuku ezilishumi, noma izinsuku ezingama-20, ₂₀kodwa inyanga yonke, ize iphume ngamakhala, niyitshokoze, niyenyanye, ngokuba nimlahlile uSimakade ophakathi kwenu, nakhala phambi kwakhe, nathi: “Kungani kube nje, saphumelani eGibhithe na?” ’ ”

₂₁Wayesethi uMose: “Abantu engiphakathi kwabo abahamba ngezinyawo bayizi-600 000, wena uthi: ‘Ngiyakubanika inyama ukuba bayidle inyanga yonke.’ ₂₂Bangahlatshelwa izimvu nezinkomo ukuba zibenele na? Ukhona yini oyakubalethela izinhlanzi zonke zolwandle ukuba zibenele na?”

₂₃USimakade wathi kuMose: “Ngabe isandla sikaSimakade sifinyeziwe, asisenamandla na? Manje-ke nizakubona ukuthi izwi lami liyafezeka kini noma qha.”

₂₄UMose waphuma, wabatshela abantu amazwi kaSimakade; waqoqa amadoda angama-70 angamalunga abantu, wawamisa ethendeni nxazonke. ₂₅USimakade wehla ngefu, wakhuluma naye. Wathatha okomoya ophezu kwakhe, wakubeka kumalunga angama-70. Kwathi ukuba umoya uhlale kuwo, aphrofetha, kodwa awaphindanga akwenza lokho futhi.

₂₆Kepha kwakusele amadoda amabili enkanjini. Igama leyokuqala kwakungu-Elidadi, negama leyesibili kunguMedadi. Umoya wahlala phezu kwawo; ayephakathi kwalawo ayebhalisiwe, kodwa ayengayanga ethendeni, nawo aphrofetha enkanjini. ₂₇Kwasuka insizwa yagijima yayobikela uMose, yathi: “U-Elidadi noMedadi bayaphrofetha enkanjini.”

₂₈UJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, inceku kaMose kwasebusheni bayo, waphendula wathi: “Nkosi yami, Mose, benqabele.”

₂₉UMose wathi kuye: “Unomhawu ngenxa yami na? Sengathi ngabe bonke abantu bakaSimakade bangaba ngabaphrofethi, uSimakade abeke uMoya wakhe phezu kwabo.”

₃₀UMose wangena enkanjini, yena namalunga abakwa-Israyeli.

₃₁Kwavuka umoya ovela kuSimakade, waletha izigwaca zivela ngasolwandle, waziwisa ngasenkanjini kungathi ibanga losuku ngalapha, nebanga losuku nangale kwenkambu, nxazonke. Ukuphakama kwazo phezu komhlaba kungathi ngamakhubhithi amabili. ₃₂Abantu bavuka basebenza lonke lolo lusuku, nobusuku bonke, nangosuku olulandelayo, bebutha izigwaca. Okuncane abantu abakubuthayo kwakungamahomere alishumi; bazenekela zona zazungeza inkambu. ₃₃Kepha inyama isephakathi kwamazinyo abo, bengakayihlafuni, ulaka lukaSimakade lwabavuthela abantu. USimakade wabashaya abantu ngobhubhane olukhulu. ₃₄Igama laleyo ndawo kwathiwa yiKibhirothi Hathawa, ngokuba kwangcwatshwa lapho labo ababenenkwankwa.

₃₅Abantu basuka eKibhirothi Hathava, baya eHazerothi; bahlala eHazerothi.