OMose no-Aroni bephambi kukaFaro
1Ngasemuva oMose no-Aroni bafika, bathi kuFaro: “Usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: ‘Bavumele abantu bami ukuba bahambe, bangenzele umkhosi ehlane.’ ”
2Wathi uFaro: “Ngubani uJehova ukuba ngilalele izwi lakhe, ngimyeke u-Israyeli ukuba ahambe na? Angimazi uJehova, futhi angiyikumvumela u-Israyeli ukuba ahambe.”
3Base bethi: “UNkulunkulu wamaHeberu uhlangene nathi; ake sihambe ibanga lezinsuku ezintathu, siye ehlane, sihlabele uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu, funa asehlele ngesifo nangenkemba.”
4Inkosi yaseGibithe yathi kubo: “Nibakhumulelani abantu emithwalweni yabo nina Mose no-Aroni na? Hambani, niye emisebenzini yenu.” 5UFaro wathi: “Bheka, abantu sebebaningi ezweni, nokho niyabaphumuza emithwalweni yabo.”
6Ngalona lolo suku uFaro wayala abaphathi babantu nezinduna zabo, wathi: 7“Anisayikubanika abantu utshani bokwenza izitini njengaphambili; mabahambe bazibuthele utshani. 8Kepha isilinganiso sezitini ekade besenza, bamiseleni sona, ningasinciphisi, ngokuba bayenqena; ngalokho bayakhala bathi: ‘Masihambe sihlabele uNkulunkulu wethu.’ 9Mayenziwe ibe nzima imisebenzi phezu kwabantu, bayisebenze, banganakekeli amazwi okukhohlisa.”
10Baphuma-ke abaphathi babantu nezinduna zabo, bakhuluma kubantu, bathi: “UFaro usho uthi: ‘Angisayikuninika utshani.’ 11Hambani nina, nizifunele utshani, lapho ningabuthola khona, ngokuba imisebenzi yenu ayiyikuncishiswa ngalutho.” 12Base behlakazeka abantu ezweni lonke laseGibithe ukuyobutha izinhlanga zibe yibona tshani babo. 13Abaphathi babaqhuba, bathi: “Qedani imisebenzi yenu, imisebenzi yemihla ngemihla, njengasezinsukwini kusekhona utshani.” 14Izinduna zabantwana bakwa-Israyeli abazibeke phezu kwabo abaphathi bakaFaro zashaywa, zabuzwa ukuthi: “Aniqedanga ngani umsebenzi wenu izolo nanamuhla ukubumba izitini njengaphambili na?”
15Zase zifika izinduna zabantwana bakwa-Israyeli, zakhala kuFaro, zathi: “Uziphathelani izinceku zakho kanje na? 16Izinceku zakho aziphiwanga tshani; nokho bathi kithi: ‘Bumbani izitini.’ Futhi bheka, izinceku zakho ziyashaywa, kepha icala likubantu bakho.”
17Kepha wathi: “Yinina enenqena, yebo, niyenqena; ngalokho nithi: ‘Ake sihambe sihlabele uJehova.’ 18Ngalokho hambani nisebenze, ngokuba aniyikuphiwa tshani, kepha isilinganiso sezitini niyakusiqeda.”
19Izinduna zabantwana bakwa-Israyeli zabona ukuthi basekuhluphekeni, lapho kuthiwa: “Aniyikunciphisa izitini zenu esilinganisweni semihla ngemihla.” 20Zahlangana noMose no-Aroni ababemi khona ukuzihlangabeza zisaphuma kuFaro. 21Zathi kubo: “UJehova makanibheke, ahlulele, ngokuba nilenzile iphunga lethu linuke kabi emehlweni kaFaro nasemehlweni ezinceku zakhe, nibeke inkemba esandleni sabo ukuba basibulale.”
22UMose wayesebuyela kuJehova, wathi: “Nkosi, wenzeleni okubi kulaba bantu na? Ungithumeleni mina na? 23Selokhu ngafika kuFaro ukukhuluma egameni lakho, ubaphathe kabi laba bantu, nawe awubophulanga nakanci abantu bakho.”
