‏ Numbers 14

Ukuhlamuka Kwabantu

1Ngalobobusuku abantu bonke emphakathini baphakamisa amazwi abo bakhala kakhulu. 2Bonke abako-Israyeli bakhonona besola uMosi lo-Aroni, lonke ibandla lathi kubo, “Ngabe sahle sazifela eGibhithe, kumbe khonapha enkangala! 3Kungani uThixo esilethe kulelilizwe ukuthi sife sibulawa ngenkemba na? Amakhosikazi ethu kanye labantwabethu bazakuba yimpango. Kambe kakungcono yini ukuthi sibuyele eGibhithe na?” 4Bakhulumisana besithi, “Asikhetheni omunye umkhokheli asibuyisele eGibhithe.”

5Ngakho uMosi lo-Aroni bathi mbo ngobuso phansi phambi kwabantu bako-Israyeli bonke ababebuthene lapho. 6Kwathi uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni kanye loKhalebi indodana kaJefune, ababengabanye balabo ababeyehlola ilizwe, badabula izigqoko zabo 7bathi kubo bonke abako-Israyeli ababebuthene, “Ilizwe esadabula kulo salihlola lihle kakhulu. 8Nxa uThixo ethokoza ngathi, uzasikhokhelela kulo, ilizwe eligeleza uchago loluju, njalo uzakusinika lona. 9Kuphela nje lingamhlamukeli uThixo. Futhi lingabesabi abantu bakulelolizwe, ngoba sizabadla sibaqede. Kabaselaso isivikelo, kodwa uThixo ulathi. Lingabesabi.”

10Kodwa ibandla wonke wathi kabakhandwe ngamatshe. Inkazimulo kaThixo yasibonakala kubo bonke abako-Israyeli ethenteni lokuhlangana. 11UThixo wasesithi kuMosi, “Koze kube nini abantu laba bengeyisa na? Kuzaze kube nini bengangikholwa, loba sengenze izinto ezimangalisayo phakathi kwabo na? 12Ngizabatshaya ngomkhuhlane ngibabhubhise, kodwa wena ngizakwenza ube yisizwe esikhulu njalo esilamandla kulabo.”

13UMosi wasesithi kuThixo, “AmaGibhithe azakuzwa lokhu! Abantu laba bakhutshwa nguwe phakathi kwabo ngamandla akho. 14Ngakho bazatshela abakhileyo kulelilizwe ngalesisehlakalo. Bavele sebezwile ukuthi wena, Oh Thixo, ulabo lababantu njalo lokuthi wena, Thixo, ubonakale uqondene labo ubuso ngobuso, lokuthi iyezi lakho lihlala liphezu kwabo, njalo lokuthi uhamba phambi kwabo ngensika yeyezi lakho emini kuthi ebusuku ngensika yomlilo. 15Pho ungababhubhisa abantu bonke laba ngasikhathi sinye, izizwe esezizwile ngalezizindaba ngawe zizakuthi, 16‘UThixo wehlulekile ukungenisa abantu laba elizweni abathembisa lona ngesifungo; ngakho usebabhubhisele enkangala.’

17Amandla kaThixo kabonakaliswe khathesi, njengokutsho kwakho ukuthi: 18‘UThixo uyaphuza ukuthukuthela, ugcwele ngothando njalo uyathethelela isono lokuhlamuka. Kodwa kayikubayekela abalecala bengajeziswanga; ujezisa abantwana ngenxa yezono zaboyise kuze kube kusizukulwane sesithathu lesesine.’ 19Thethelela isono salababantu, ngenxa yothando lwakho olukhulu, ubaxolele njengokubaxolela kwakho kusukela ngesikhathi abasuka ngaso eGibhithe kuze kube khathesi.”

20 UThixo waphendula wathi, “Sengibathethelele njengesicelo sakho. 21Impela njengoba ngiphila, lanjengoba inkazimulo kaThixo igcwalise umhlaba wonke, 22akulamuntu loyedwa owabona inkazimulo yami kanye lezibonakaliso zezimanga engazenza eGibhithe lasenkangala kodwa kaze angilalela njalo wangilinga okungaba ngamahlandla alitshumi, 23akukho loyedwa wabo ozalibona ilizwe engalithembisa okhokho babo ngesifungo. Futhi kakho loyedwa ongidelelayo ozalibona. 24Kodwa ngenxa yokuthi inceku yami uKhalebi ulomoya owehlukileyo njalo ungilandela ngenhliziyo yakhe yonke, ngizamngenisa elizweni afika kulo, lizakuba yilifa lezizukulwane zakhe. 25Njengoba ama-Amaleki lamaKhenani ehlala ezigodini, lina phendukani kusasa liqonde enkangala ngendlela yasoLwandle oLubomvu.”

26 UThixo wathi kuMosi lo-Aroni: 27“Koze kube nini lababantu abangalunganga bekhonona bengisola na? Sengizwile ukusola lokukhonona kwabako-Israyeli. 28Ngakho batshele uthi, ‘Njengoba ngiphila impela, kutsho uThixo, ngizakwenza kini zona lezozinto engilizwe lizikhuluma. 29Izidumbu zenu zizagcwala enkangala yonale, lina lonke elabalwayo ngesikhathi sokubalwa kwabantu elileminyaka yokuzalwa engamatshumi amabili kusiya phezulu labo bonke abakade bekhonona bengisola. 30Kakho loyedwa wenu ozangena elizweni engafunga ngokuphakamisa isandla ukuthi libe likhaya lenu, ngaphandle kukaKhalebi indodana kaJefune loJoshuwa indodana kaNuni. 31Mayelana labantwana benu labo elathi bazakuba yimpango, ngizabangenisa elizweni lelo elilalileyo ukuze bathokoze kulo. 32Kodwa lina, izidumbu zenu zizawohlokela kule inkangala. 33Abantwabenu bazakuba ngabelusi lapha okweminyaka engamatshumi amane, behlupheka ngenxa yokungathembeki kwenu, kuze kungcwatshwe isidumbu sokucina enkangala. 34Okweminyaka engamatshumi amane, umnyaka munye umele usuku lunye elahlola ngalo ilizwe, lizahlupheka ngenxa yezono zenu lize lazi ukuthi kuyinto enjani nxa mina ngimelana lani.’ 35Mina Thixo, sengikhulumile, njalo ngempela ngizazenza lezizinto ebantwini laba bonke, abamanyeneyo bemelana lami. Bazabhubha kuyonale inkangala; bazafela khonapha.”

36Ngakho amadoda ayethunywe nguMosi ukuthi ayehlola ilizwe, lawo athi ekuphendukeni kwawo amemethekisa umbiko omubi owabangela ukuthi abantu bakhonone besola uMosi, 37lawomadoda amemethekisa umbiko ongalunganga mayelana lelizwe atshaywa ngomkhuhlane afa phambi kukaThixo. 38Emadodeni ayeyehlola ilizwe, kwasila kuphela uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni kanye loKhalebi indodana kaJefune.

39Kwathi lapho uMosi esebikele bonke abako-Israyeli, bakhala kabuhlungu. 40Ngosuku olulandelayo ekuseni kakhulu baqonda elizweni lamaqaqa. Bathi, “Sonile, sizakuya kuleyondawo esayithenjiswa nguThixo.”

41Kodwa uMosi wathi kubo, “Kungani lingalaleli umlayo kaThixo na? Lokhu elikwenzayo akusoze kuphumelele! 42Lingakhuphuki, ngoba uThixo kalisekeli. Lizakwehlulwa yizitha zenu, 43ngoba lizaqondana lama-Amaleki kanye lamaKhenani khonale. Ngenxa yokuthi limhlamukele uThixo, yena kayikuba lani ngakho lizabhujiswa ngenkemba.”

44Loba kunjalo, baqhubeka beqonde elizweni lamaqaqa benganakile, loba uMosi kumbe umtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaThixo kungasukanga ezihonqweni. 45Ngakho ama-Amaleki lamaKhenani ayehlala kulelolizwe lamaqaqa ehla abahlasela, ababhuqa ebaxotsha baze bayafika eHoma.