16 – Ukuzalwa kukaMosis

₁Nanga amagama oonyana bakaSirayeli abâfuduka kunye naye baya eJiputa nezindlu zabo: ₂uRubhen, uSimon, uLevi, noJuda; ₃uIsakare, uZebhulon, noBhenjamin; ₄uDan, uNafetali, uGadi, noAshere. ₅Bebonke abayinzala kaYakobi babengamashumi asixhenxe. Kaloku yena uJosefu wayeseleseJiputa kakade. ₆Ekuhambeni kwexesha wafa uJosefu nabantakwabo, naso sonke eso sizukulwana. ₇Kambe ke yona inzala yabo, amaSirayeli, yaqhama yanda kakhulu. Ewe, yanda yaphinda-phindana, yakhula nangamanani, futhi iluqilima, yada yalizalisa elaseJiputa.

₈Ke kaloku kwavela kumkani wumbi owayengazi nto ngoJosefu, wangumlawuli kwelaseJiputa. ₉Wabhekisa kubantu bakhe, wathi: “Niyawabona na ukwanda kwawo la maSirayeli, niqonda na ukuba aluqilima? ₁₀Ngoko ke masihlale sivundlile, hleze athi akwanda ngaphezu koku adibane neentshaba zethu ngexesha lemfazwe, asihlasele, afumane ithuba lokubaleka emke kweli lizwe.” ₁₁Ngoko ke, ukuwaphul' iimpondo amaSirayeli, amaJiputa awamisela iinduna, khon' ukuze asetyenziswe nzima. Zakhiwa ngolu hlobo ke izixeko zokumkani, iPitom neRamesi, ezazingoovimba. ₁₂Kambe ke, okukhona bawatshutshisayo amaSirayeli, yaba kokukhona andayo, alizalisa lonke ilizwe. Le meko ke yawenza ahlala exhaleni elingathethekiyo amaJiputa ngenxa yamaSirayeli. _13-14Ngoku ke aphatheka kabuhlungu amaSirayeli, akhohlakalelwa, enziwa amakhoboka ngamaJiputa. Latsho laxubayela ke ngakumaSirayeli, kuba asetyenziswa ekwenzeni izitena, nasemasimini, nakuyo yonke imisebenzi enzima. Aye ke ebhexeshwa kungekho lusini tu!

₁₅Ukumkani waseJiputa wathetha noShifra noPuwa ababelekisi bamaHebhere, wathi: ₁₆“Xa ninceda amaHebherekazi, aze afumane abantwana abangamakhwenkwe, babulaleni; kanti ke ningabayeka abangamantombazana baphile.” ₁₇Kodwa ke ababelekisi abo yayingabafazi abamoyikayo uThixo. Basuka bawaphula umyalelo kakumkani, àbawabulala amakhwenkwe lawo. ₁₈Ukumkani ke wababiza ababelekisi abo, wababuza wathi: “Ngani ukuba nibayeke abantwana bamaHebhere abangamakhwenkwe ningababulali?”

₁₉Ababelekisi baphendula bathi: “AmaHebherekazi akafani namaJiputakazi; wona akufikelwa yinimba abeleka lula, singekafiki nokufika thina.” _20-21Ngenxa yokuba ababelekisi bemoyika uThixo, uThixo wabavuza ngeentsapho. Ke wona amaSirayeli aya esanda ngokwanda, aba luqilima. ₂₂Ekugqibeleni ke ukumkani wayalela bonke abantu bakhe wathi zonke iintsana ezingamakhwenkwe zamaHebhere maziphoswe emlanjeni iNayile, ke zona ezingamantombazana ziyekwe.

₁Ke kaloku indoda ethile yendlu kaLevi yathatha umfazi ezintombini zamawayo, ₂waza wanzima wayizalela unyana. Umfazi lowo ke wathi akubona indlela olwaluthandeka ngayo olo sana, walufihla lwada lwaneenyanga ezintathu. ₃Uthe akuba engasenako ukulufihla, walwenzela ibhaskiti ngemizi, waza wayityabeka ngetha, walufaka kuyo usana olo, waya kulubeka phakathi kweengcongolo elunxwemeni lomlambo. ₄Ke yena udade walo wayemi mganyana elugcinile.

₅Yesuka ke intombi kakumkani yeza kuhlamba apho emlanjeni. Ngeli thuba ke zona iintombi ezaziziimpelesi zenkosazana leyo zazizula-zula apho elunxwemeni lomlambo. Ithe ke, isahlamba njalo, yabona ibhaskiti eyayiphakathi kweengcongolo. Kwangoko yathuma enye yezo ntombi ukuba iye kuyithatha ize nayo. ₆Ifikile ke nayo ibhaskiti leyo, inkosazana yayivula. Tyhini! Kuthe kanti lusana! Ngeli xesha ke usana lona lwalulila. Ithe ke yakuba ilondele usana olo inkosazana leyo, kwatsho kwasika kuyo, yathi: “Olu sana luya kuba ngomnye wabantwana bamaHebhere.”

₇Udade bosana olo wadanduluka wabhekisa apho kwinkosazana wathi: “Akungethandi na ndiye kukufunela ineni phakathi kwabafazi bamaHebhere izokukugcinela olu sana?”

₈Ithe ke inkosazana: “Kulungile; hamba uze nayo.” Ke yona intombazana leyo yaya kubiza unina wosana olo. ₉Uthe ke akufika inkosazana yathetha naye yathi: “Ndigcinele olu sana; ndokunika isondlo.” Bavumelana ke; waza umfazi lowo wamkhulisa loo mntwana. ₁₀Akuba ekhulile umntwana lowo, unina wambuyisela kwinkosazana apho, yaza ke yona yamenza unyana wayo. Yamthiya igama elinguMosis, kuba isithi: “Ndimonyule emanzini.”

₁₁UMosis uthe akuba mdala wakhe watyelela amawabo, wawabukela esebenza nzima eqhutywa. Kwangelo xesha wabona umJiputa elimaza umwabo umHebhere. ₁₂Akuba elaqazile waqonda ukuba akukho mntu ubukeleyo, wahlasela umJiputa lowo, wambulala, waza wamngcwaba entlabathini.

₁₃Ngemini elandelayo wabona amaHebhere amabini esilwa, waza wathi kulo uvuyelela omnye: “Kutheni na nisilwa, nizalana nje?”

₁₄Ke yena wambuza wathi: “Sekungathi uyinduna nomgwebi nje, umiselwe ngubani? Ucinga ukuba ndingulaa mJiputa umbuleleyo – nam uza kundigebenga?”

Akuweva la mazwi uMosis woyika, wathetha yedwa esithi: “Ithe kanti le nto iyaziwa!”

_15-16Akuyiva le nto ukumkani watsho wafuna ukumbulala uMosis. Kambe ke yena uMosis wasaba, waya kuhlala kwelaseMidiyan.

Ke kaloku umbingeleli waseMidiyan wayeneentombi ezisixhenxe. Ngenye imini wathi uMosis esahleli ngasequleni, zafika zize kuthutha amanzi, ziwagalela emikhumbini ezaziselela kuyo iigusha zikayise. ₁₇Kusenjalo kwafika abanye abelusi, bazigxotha iintombi ezo, kodwa ke uMosis waba ngakuzo iintombi ezo, wazilungiselela zasela iigusha zakowazo. ₁₈Zithe ke zakufika ekhaya iintombi ezo, uyise uRuweli wabuza wathi: “Kutheni nikhawuleze kangaka nje namhlanje?”

₁₉Ke zona zaphendula zathi: “Kukho umJiputa osihlanguleyo kubelusi. Ude wasikhelela namanzi, waziseza iigusha zakuthi.”

₂₀Kwakhona wabuza uyise wathi: “Uphi? Kungani na ukuba ningezi naye? Yizani naye, aze afumane into etyiwayo.”

₂₁UMosis waba selehlala apho kwambingeleli, owada wendisela intombi yakhe uZipora kuye. ₂₂Yona ke yazala unyana, waza uMosis wamthiya igama elinguGershom, esithi: “Ndiyimbacu kwelasemzini.”

₂₃Emva kwexesha elide ukumkani waseJiputa wafa. AmaSirayeli ayesancwina phantsi kwedyokhwe yobukhoboka. Isimbonono sawo, ecela ukukhululwa ebukhobokeni, sada saya kufikelela kuThixo. ₂₄Ewe, wasiva isingqala sawo, wawukhumbula umnqophiso wakhe noAbraham noIsake noYakobi. ₂₅UThixo wayibona imeko yamaSirayeli, wawavelela.