U-Eksodusi 32:1-35
32 Kwathi abantu bebona ukuthi uMosi wayesehambe nya entabeni,+ bayabuthana ku-Aroni bathi kuye: “Sukuma usenzele unkulunkulu ozahamba phambi kwethu+ ngoba asikwazi osekwenzakale emuntwini lo uMosi, owasikhokhelayo siphuma eGibhithe.”
2 U-Aroni wathi kubo: “Khiphani amacici+ egolide asendlebeni zabomkenu lamadodana enu lamadodakazi enu liwalethe kimi.”
3 Abantu bonke baqalisa-ke ukukhipha amacici egolide ayesendlebeni zabo bawasa ku-Aroni.
4 Ngakho wathatha igolide ababelilethe kuye wenza ngalo isithombe sethole+ esebenzisa itshizela. Abantu basebeqalisa ukuthi: “Lo nguye uNkulunkulu wakho Israyeli owakukhipha elizweni laseGibhithe.”+
5 U-Aroni wathi ebona okwakusenzakala wakha i-alithare phambi kwaso wasememeza wathi: “Kusasa kuzakuba lomkhosi kaJehova.”
6 Yikho ngelanga elilandelayo bavuka ekuseni kakhulu baqala ukunikela iminikelo yokutshiswa baletha lemihlatshelo yobudlelwano. Ngemva kwalokho abantu bahlala phansi badla banatha, basebesukuma bazikholisela.+
7 UJehova wasesithi kuMosi: “Yehla ubuyele phansi ngoba abantu bakho owabakhupha elizweni laseGibhithe sebexhwalile.+
8 Baphambuke masinyane endleleni engabalaya ukuthi bahambe ngayo,+ bazenzela isithombe sethole njalo baqhubeka bekhothama kuso, benikela lemihlatshelo kuso besithi, ‘Lo nguye uNkulunkulu wakho Israyeli owakukhipha elizweni laseGibhithe.’”
9 UJehova waphinda wathi kuMosi: “Sengibonile ukuthi abantu laba bayiziqholo sibili.*+
10 Ulaka lwami luyavutha, ngakho ngiyekela ngibatshabalalise, besengisenza wena+ ube yisizwe esikhulu.”
11 UMosi wasencenga uJehova uNkulunkulu+ wakhe wathi: “Awu Jehova, kungani kumele wehlisele ulaka lwakho oluvuthayo ebantwini bakho, wena usubakhiphe elizweni laseGibhithe ngamandla amakhulu langesandla+ esilamandla.
12 Kungani kumele abaseGibhithe bathi, ‘Wayevele ehlose okubi ngesikhathi ebasusa lapha. Wayefuna ukubabulalela ezintabeni abatshabalalise baphele nya emhlabeni.’+ Yehlisa ulaka lwakho njalo ucabangisise* ngohlupho osufuna ukululetha ebantwini bakho.
13 Khumbula izinceku zakho u-Abrahama lo-Isaka lo-Israyeli owafunga kuzo wena ngokwakho wathi: ‘Ngizakwandisa izizukulwane* zenu zibe njengezinkanyezi zamazulu+ njalo ngizanika izizukulwane* zenu lonke ilizwe leli ukuze zilithathe libe ngelazo kokuphela.’”+
14 Ngakho uJehova watshintsha ingqondo* ngohlupho ayethe uzaluletha ebantwini bakhe.+
15 Ngemva kwalokho uMosi waphenduka njalo wehla entabeni ethwele amatshe amabili oBufakazi+ esandleni sakhe.+ Amatshe la ayebhalwe emaceleni womabili, ebhalwe ngapha langapha.
16 Amatshe la ayengumsebenzi kaNkulunkulu njalo okwakulotshwe kuwo+ kwakubhalwe nguNkulunkulu ngokwakhe.
17 UJoshuwa wathi esizwa umsindo wokuklabalala kwabantu wathi kuMosi: “Kuzwakala umsindo wempi ezihonqweni.”
18 Kodwa uMosi wathi kuye:
“Ayisiwo msindo wokuhlabela kwabantu abanqobileyo,Njalo ayisiwo msindo wokukhala kwabantu abanqotshiweyo;Ngizwa olunye uhlobo lomsindo wokuhlabela.”
19 UMosi wathi esezafika ezihonqweni wabona ithole+ kanye lokugida ababekwenza, ulaka lwakhe lwavutha, waphosela phansi izibhebhedu zamatshe ayesezandleni zakhe zaphahlazeka zaba yizicucu khonapho phansi kwentaba.+
20 Wasethatha ithole ababelenzile walitshisa ngomlilo njalo walichola laba yimpuphu+ waseyithela emanzini wathi abako-Israyeli banathe lawomanzi.+
21 UMosi wasesithi ku-Aroni: “Abantu laba bakwenzeni uze ulethe isono esikhulu kangaka kubo?”
22 U-Aroni waphendula wathi: “Ungathukutheli nkosi yami. Lawe uyazazela ukuthi abantu laba bayakuthanda ukwenza okubi.+
23 Bathe kimi, ‘Senzele unkulunkulu ozahamba phambi kwethu ngoba asikwazi osekwenzakale emuntwini lo uMosi, owasikhokhelayo siphuma eGibhithe.’+
24 Yikho ngithe kubo, ‘Loba ngubani olegolide kalikhiphe alilethe kimi.’ Ngasengiliphosela emlilweni kwaphuma ithole leli.”
25 UMosi wabona ukuthi abantu babengasabambeki ngoba u-Aroni wayebayekele bazenzela umathanda baze baba lihlazo phambi kwezitha zabo.
26 UMosi wasesima egedini lezihonqo wathi: “Loba ngubani osekela uJehova keze kimi!”+ Wonke amaLevi asebuthana kuye.
27 Wasesithi kuwo: “Nanku okutshiwo nguJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ‘Ngamunye wenu kahlome ngenkemba yakhe adabule phakathi kwezihonqo kusukela kwelinye igedi kusiya kwelinye, abulale umfowabo lomakhelwane wakhe kanye lomngane wakhe oseduze.’”+
28 AmaLevi akwenza okwakukhulunywe nguMosi. Ngakho mhlalokho kwabulawa amadoda angaba ngu-3 000.
29 Ngemva kwalokho uMosi wathi kuwo: “Zehlukaniseleni ukwenza inkonzo kaJehova lamuhla ngoba ngamunye wenu umelane lendodana yakhe kanye lomfowabo.+ Lamuhla uNkulunkulu uzalibusisa.”+
30 Ngelanga elilandelayo uMosi wathi ebantwini: “Lenze isono esikhulu kakhulu. Khathesi ngizakuya kuJehova ngiyemncenga, mhlawumbe angalithethelela isono+ senu.”
31 Ngakho uMosi wabuyela kuJehova wafika wathi: “Abantu laba benze isono esikhulu kakhulu. Bazenzele unkulunkulu ngegolide.+
32 Nxa ufuna, bathethelele isono+ sabo. Kodwa nxa ungasoze ubathethelele, ngicela ungicitshe ebhukwini lakho olilobileyo.”+
33 UJehova wasesithi kuMosi: “Loba ngubani owenze isono kimi ngizamcitsha ebhukwini lami.
34 Khathesi hamba, ukhokhele abantu laba ubase endaweni engikutshele yona. Ingilosi yami izahamba phambi kwakho+ njalo ngelanga engizabahlola ngalo ngizabajezisa ngenxa yesono abasenzileyo.”
35 UJehova wasebajezisa abantu ngenxa yethole ababelenzile, lelo elalenziwe ngu-Aroni.
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiHebheru, “balentamo ezilukhuni.”
^ Kumbe, “uzisole.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “inzalo.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “inzalo.”
^ Kumbe, “wazisola.”
