17 – Ityholo elidangazela umlilo

₁Ngoku ke uMosis wayesalusa imihlambi kaJetro umbingeleli waseMidiyan, uyise womkakhe. Wayikhokela ke imihlambi leyo, wanqumla entlango, wada waya kufika eHorebhe intaba kaThixo. ₂Apha kulapho sabonakalayo kuye isithunywa *sikaNdikhoyo etyholweni elidangazela umlilo. Uthe ke akuqwalasela uMosis wabona ukuba okunene ityholo liyavutha, kodwa alide litshe. ₃Wathetha yedwa wathi: “Makhe ndisondele ndibone lo mhlola! Ngani ukuba ityholo lingatshi?”

₄*UNdikhoyo wathi akubona ukuba uMosis uyasondela efuna ukuqonda lo mbono, wamkhwaza esetyholweni apho, wathi: “Mosis! Mosis!”

Wasabela ke yena wathi: “Ewe, ndim lo.”

₅UThixo wathi kuye: “Sukusondela; khulula iimbadada ezo, kuba le ndawo umi kuyo yindawo eyodwa.” Wandula wathi uThixo kuye: ₆“Mna ndinguThixo wookhokho bakho; uThixo ka-Abraham, uThixo kaIsake, uThixo kaYakobi.” UMosis ke wabugquma ubuso bakhe, kuba esoyika ukujonga uThixo.

₇Waqhuba ke *uNdikhoyo wathi: “Ngenene ndiyibonile imbandezelo yabantu bam eJiputa. Ndisivile nesimbonono sabo ngenxa yâbo babatshutshisayo. Ewe, ndiyayiqonda intlungu yabo; ₈ngoku ke ndihlile ukuze ndibahlangule esandleni samaJiputa, ndibakhulule baphume kwelo lizwe, baye kwilizwe elihle eliphangaleleyo, eliphuphuma ubisi nobusi. Elo ke lelamaKanana, amaHiti, ama-Amori, amaPerezi, amaHivi, namaJebhusi. ₉Kaloku isikhalo samaSirayeli side saza kufikelela kum, ibe ke ndiyibonile nengcinezelo aphantsi kwayo esandleni samaJiputa. ₁₀Hamba ke; ndikuthuma kukumkani waseJiputa, ukuze ubakhokele baphume eJiputa abantu bam amaSirayeli.”

₁₁UMosis wathi kuThixo: “Kuxa ndingubani mna ukuba ndingade ndiye kukumkani ukuze ndikhuphe amaSirayeli eJiputa?”

₁₂UThixo waphendula wathi: “Ndiya kuba nawe. Nanku umqondiso wokuba uthunywa ndim: mhla wabakhupha abo bantu eJiputa noza kundinqula mna Thixo apha kule ntaba.”

₁₃UMosis wabuza wathi: “Ukuba ndiyile ke kumaSirayeli, ndawaxelela ukuba ndithunywe kuwo nguThixo wookhokho bawo, aza wona andibuza ukuba ngubani igama lakhe, ze ndithini?”

₁₄UThixo waphendula wathi: “Ndinguye uNdikhoyo. Uze uwaxelele amaSirayeli ukuba uthunywa nguNdikhoyo.” ₁₅UThixo waqhuba wathi: “Uze uthi kumaSirayeli: ‘Ndithunywa *nguNdikhoyo, uThixo wookhokho benu: uThixo ka-Abraham, uThixo kaIsake, uThixo kaYakobi.’ Kaloku eli ligama lam nanini nanini; ndaye ke ndiya kubizwa ngalo nazizizukulwana ezizayo. ₁₆Ngoko ke hamba uwaqokelele amadoda amakhulu amaSirayeli, uthi kuwo: ‘Ndimbonile uNdikhoyo, uThixo wookhokho benu, uThixo ka-Abraham, uThixo kaIsake, uThixo kaYakobi; uthe: “Ndinijongile ndayibona imeko enikuyo apha eJiputa; ₁₇ngoku ke ndizimisele ukunikhulula kule mbandezelo yaseJiputa, ndinise kwilizwe lamaKanana, amaHiti, ama-Amori, amaPerezi, amaHivi, namaJebhusi; nditsho ilizwe elivuza ubisi nobusi.” ’

₁₈“Ukuba ke utshilo kubo baya kukuphulaphula. Wena ke uya kuthatha amadoda amakhulu amaSirayeli, niye kukumkani waseJiputa, nithi kuye: ‘Sibonene noNdikhoyo uThixo wamaHebhere; ngoku ke siyakubongoza ukuba ukhe usikhulule, sithathe uhambo lweentsuku ezintathu, siye entlango, sibingelele simenzele idini uNdikhoyo Thixo wethu.’ ₁₉Kambe ke ndiyazi ukuba ukumkani waseJiputa akayi kunivumela ngaphandle kokuba ndide ndimnyanzele. ₂₀Ngoko ke mna ndiya kuwaqwakanisa amaJiputa, ndenze imimangaliso eya kuwarhwaqelisa; emva koko ke uya kunikhulula.

₂₁“Ngaphezu koko ke amaSirayeli ndiya kuwenza axatyiswe ngamaJiputa, khon' ukuze ningahambi ningaphathanga nto. ₂₂Kaloku wonke umfazi uya kucela kummelwane nakundwendwe olusendlwini yakhe, bamnike izinto zexabiso zesiliva negolide kwakunye nempahla yokunxiba. Ezo zinto ke ziya kuthwalwa ngoonyana neentombi zamaSirayeli. Ngalinye ke amaSirayeli aya kuyiphanga impahla yamaJiputa.”

₁UMosis waphendula wathi: “Ndiya kuthini ke ukuba abakholwa yile nto ndiyithethayo? Xa besithi: ‘Hayi, *uNdikhoyo khange abonakale kuwe.’ ”

₂UNdikhoyo wabuza wathi: “Yintoni na le isesandleni sakho?”

UMosis waphendula wathi: “Yintonga.”

₃Waza ke uNdikhoyo wathi: “Yiphose phantsi.”

Eyiphosile ke uMosis, yajika yaba yinyoka. UMosis wee jaju phaya, ₄uNdikhoyo wathi: “Yibambe ngomsila.” Ngenene ke wayibamba, yaza yajika yayintonga kwakhona. ₅Ke uNdikhoyo wathi: “Uya kwenjenjalo ke ukuze amaSirayeli aqonde ukuba ubonene noNdikhoyo uThixo wookhokho bawo: uThixo ka-Abraham, uThixo kaIsake, uThixo kaYakobi.”

₆Waphinda wathetha naye uNdikhoyo wathi: “Qhusheka isandla sakho ngaphantsi kwesambatho sakho.” Wasifaka ke, wabuya wasikhupha, suka saphuma simhlophe qhwa liqhenqa.

₇Waza wathi uNdikhoyo kuye: “Phinda usiqhusheke.” Akuba ephindile, wabuya wasikhupha, sabuya siphilile sifana nenxalenye yomzimba wakhe. ₈Waqhuba wathi uNdikhoyo kuye: “Ukuba abakholwanga ngumqondiso wokuqala, noko baya kwanela ngulo wesibini. ₉Xa ke benganeliseki yile miqondiso mibini, bengafuni nokukuphulaphula, uze ukhe amanzi emlanjeni iNayile, uwagalele emhlabeni; uya kubona ke aya kujika abe ligazi.”

₁₀Kambe ke uMosis waphendula uNdikhoyo wathi: “Hayi, Mhlekazi, kaloku andizange ndibe liciko ekuthetheni; ibe ke nangoku okoko wathethayo nam, andikwazi ukuthetha; ndilithintitha.”

₁₁UNdikhoyo ke wathi kuye: “Kanti ngubani owenza umntu akwazi ukuthetha; ingubani omenza angakwazi, okanye abe sisithulu? Ngubani omenza abone, okanye abe yimfama? Asindim na, mna Ndikhoyo? ₁₂Hayi bo! Hamba, kaloku ndiya kukunceda ukwazi ukuthetha, ndiya kukufundisa oko ufanele ukukuthetha.”

₁₃UMosis uphinde wathi: “Hayi, Mhlekazi, ndiyakubongoza, thuma mntu wumbi.”

₁₄Kwesi sithuba ke uNdikhoyo wacaphuka nguMosis, wathi: “Andithi kanene unomkhuluwa onguAron umLevi? Ndiyazi ukuba yena uyakwazi ukuthetha; nangoku nanko esiza kukuhlangabeza; futhi uya kuvuya gqitha akukubona. ₁₅Wena ke uya kubhekisa kuye, abe ngumlomo wakho. Mna ndiya kuninceda nobabini ekuthetheni, ndinazise emanikwenze. ₁₆Ke yena uya kuba ngumlomo wakho ebantwini, wena ke ube nguthixo kuye, athethe egameni lakho. ₁₇Kambe ke sukuyishiya le ntonga; kaloku uya kuyenza ngayo imimangaliso.”