UNumeri 20

₁Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, yonke inhlangano, bafika ehlane laseSini ngenyanga yokuqala; abantu bahlala eKadeshi; uMiriyamu wafela khona, wembelwa khona futhi.

₂Kwakungekho manzi lapho kuyo inhlangano; babahlanganyela oMose no-Aroni. ₃Abantu balwa noMose, bakhuluma bathi: “Sengathi ngabe safa ekufeni kwabafowethu phambi kukaJehova. ₄Niletheleni ibandla likaJehova kuleli hlane, ukuze sifele lapha, thina nezinkomo zethu, na? ₅Nasikhuphulelani eGibithe, ukuze silethwe kule ndawo embi, na? Akusiyo indawo yembewu, noma eyamakhiwane, noma eyemivini, noma eyamapomegranati,* kungekho futhi amanzi okuphuza.”

₆OMose no-Aroni basuka ebusweni bebandla ukuya ngasemnyango wetende lokuhlangana, bawa ngobuso babo; inkazimulo kaJehova yabonakala kubo. ₇UJehova wakhuluma kuMose, wathi: ₈“Thabatha intonga, ubuthe inhlangano, wena no-Aroni umfowenu, nikhulume kulo idwala eliphambi kwamehlo abo ukuba liveze amanzi alo; uyakubavezela amanzi edwaleni, ukuze unike inhlangano nezinkomo zayo ukuphuza.”

₉UMose wathabatha intonga phambi kukaJehova, njengalokho eyalile. ₁₀OMose no-Aroni babutha ibandla phambi kwedwala; wathi-ke kubo: “Yizwani manje nina bahlubuki; siyakunivezela yini amanzi kuleli dwala na?” ₁₁UMose waphakamisa isandla sakhe, walishaya idwala kabili ngentonga yakhe, kwaphuma amanzi amaningi, inhlangano yaphuza kanye nezinkomo zayo.

₁₂UJehova wathi kuMose naku-Aroni: “Njengokuba anikholwanga yimi ukungingcwelisa emehlweni abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, ngalokho aniyikungenisa leli bandla ezweni engibanike lona.”

₁₃Lokhu kwakungamanzi aseMeriba, ngokuba abantwana bakwa-Israyeli balwa noJehova, wangcweliswa kubo.

₁₄UMose wathuma izithunywa enkosini yakwa-Edomi, zisuka eKadeshi, wathi: “Usho kanje umfowenu u-Israyeli: ‘Uyazazi zonke izinkathazo ezisehlele ₁₅ukuthi obaba behlela eGibithe, sahlala eGibithe isikhathi eside; abaseGibithe basiphatha kabi thina nawobaba; ₁₆lapho sakhala kuJehova, walizwa izwi lethu, wathuma ingelosi, wasikhipha eGibithe; bheka sesiseKadeshi, umuzi oseceleni komkhawulo wakho; ₁₇ake sidabule izwe lakho; asiyikudabula amasimu nezivini, singaphuzi amanzi emithombo; siyakuhamba ngomgwaqo wenkosi, singajiki ngakwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo size sidlule umkhawulo wakho.’ ”

₁₈U-Edomi wathi kuye: “Awuyikudabula kimi, funa ngikusukele ngenkemba.”

₁₉Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bathi kuye: “Siyakukhuphuka ngomgwaqo; uma siphuza amanzi akho, mina nezinkomo zami, ngiyakukhokhela imali yawo. Mangidabule nje ngezinyawo zami, kungabi ngokunye.”

₂₀Kepha wathi: “Awuyikudabula.”

U-Edomi wayesephuma wamsukela nabantu abaningi nesandla esinamandla. ₂₁Kanjalo u-Edomi wala ukuba u-Israyeli adabule izwe lakhe; ngalokho u-Israyeli wachezuka kuye.

₂₂Basuka eKadeshi; abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, inhlangano yonke, bafika entabeni yaseHori. ₂₃UJehova wakhuluma kuMose naku-Aroni entabeni yaseHori ngasemkhawulweni wezwe lakwa-Edomi, wathi: ₂₄“U-Aroni uyakubuthelwa kubantu bakhe, ngokuba akayikungena ezweni engibanike lona abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, lokhu nahlubuka ezwini lami ngasemanzini aseMeriba. ₂₅Thabatha o-Aroni no-Eleyazare, indodana yakhe, ubakhuphulele entabeni yaseHori, ₂₆umkhumule u-Aroni izambatho zakhe, uzifake ku-Eleyazare indodana yakhe; u-Aroni uyakubuthelwa kubantu bakhe, afele khona.”

₂₇UMose wenza njengalokho uJehova eyalile; bakhuphukela entabeni yaseHori emehlweni enhlangano yonke. ₂₈UMose wamkhumula u-Aroni izambatho zakhe, wazifaka ku-Eleyazare indodana yakhe; u-Aroni wafela khona esiqongweni sentaba; oMose no-Eleyazare behla entabeni. ₂₉Lapho inhlangano yonke ibona ukuthi u-Aroni ufile, bamlilela u-Aroni izinsuku ezingamashumi amathathu, yonke indlu yakwa-Israyeli.