Eksodusi 32:1-35
32 Phakathi naleso sikhathi, abantu babona ukuthi uMose wayethatha isikhathi eside ukwehla entabeni. + Ngakho abantu baqoqana ku-Aroni bathi kuye: “Sukuma usenzele unkulunkulu ozohamba phambi kwethu, + ngoba asazi ukuthi kwenzekeni kulo Mose, umuntu owasihola wasikhipha ezweni laseGibhithe.”
2 U-Aroni wathi kubo: “Khumulani amacici egolide + ezindlebeni zomkenu, zamadodana namadodakazi enu niwalethe kimi.”
3 Ngakho bonke abantu bakhumula amacici egolide ayesezindlebeni zabo bawaletha ku-Aroni.
4 Khona-ke walithatha igolide kubo, walibumba ngethuluzi wenza isithombe sethole. *+ Baqala ukuthi: “Lona uNkulunkulu wakho, Israyeli, owakuhola wakukhipha ezweni laseGibhithe.” +
5 Lapho u-Aroni ebona lokhu, wakha i-altare phambi kwaso. U-Aroni wabe esememeza: “Kukhona umkhosi wokuhlonipha uJehova kusasa.”
6 Ngakho ngakusasa bavuka kusesekuseni kakhulu, baqala ukunikela iminikelo eshiswayo, baletha nemihlatshelo ehlanganyelwayo. Ngemva kwalokho abantu bahlala phansi badla baphuza. Base besukuma bazijabulisa. +
7 UJehova manje wathi kuMose: “Hamba, yehla ngoba abantu bakho owabahola wabakhipha ezweni laseGibhithe benze ngokukhohlakala. +
8 Baphambuke ngokushesha endleleni engabayala ukuba bahambe ngayo. + Bazenzele isithombe sethole,* balokhu besikhothamela, benza umhlatshelo kuso bethi, ‘Lona uNkulunkulu wakho, Israyeli, owakuhola wakukhipha ezweni laseGibhithe.’”
9 UJehova waqhubeka wathi kuMose: “Ngibonile ukuthi laba abantu abanenkani. *+
10 Ngithukuthele kakhulu. Ngakho ngiyeke ukuze ngibaqothule, ngenze wena ube isizwe esikhulu.” +
11 UMose wamncenga uJehova* uNkulunkulu wakhe + wathi: “Kungani Jehova uvumela intukuthelo yakho ukuba ikwenze ufune ukwenza lokhu kubantu bakho, ngemva kokubakhipha ezweni laseGibhithe ngamandla amakhulu nangesandla esinamandla? +
12 Kungani kufanele abaseGibhithe bathi, ‘Wayenezinhloso ezimbi lapho ebakhipha. Wayefuna ukubabulalela ezintabeni futhi abaqothule emhlabeni’? + Ngicela ushintshe isinqumo* sakho sokuqothula abantu bakho.
13 Khumbula izinceku zakho u-Abrahama, u-Isaka no-Israyeli, owafunga kuzo ngokwakho wathi, ‘Ngiyokwandisa inzalo* yenu ibe ngangezinkanyezi zamazulu + futhi ngiyonika inzalo* yenu lonke leli zwe engilikhethile, ukuze libe elayo unomphela.’” +
14 Ngakho uJehova waqala ukucabanga kabusha* ngenhlekelele ayethe uzoyilethela abantu bakhe. +
15 Ngemva kwalokho uMose waphenduka wehla entabeni ephethe + amatshe amabili obuFakazi ayizicaba. + La matshe ayebhalwe nhlangothi zombili; ayebhalwe ngaphambili nangemuva.
16 La matshe ayizicaba ayewumsebenzi kaNkulunkulu, nombhalo kwakuwumbhalo kaNkulunkulu uqoshwe ematsheni ayizicaba. +
17 Lapho uJoshuwa ezwa umsindo wabantu ngenxa yokumemeza kwabo, wathi kuMose: “Kukhona umsindo wempi ekamu.”
18 Kodwa uMose wathi:
“Akuwona umsindo wokucula ngenxa yokunqoba,*Futhi akuwona umsindo wesililo ngenxa yokwehlulwa;Ngizwa umsindo wolunye uhlobo lokucula.”
19 Kwathi ngokushesha nje lapho uMose esondela ekamu futhi ebona ithole + nabantu bedansa, wathukuthela kakhulu, wawalahla phansi amatshe ayizicaba ayewaphethe wawaphihliza phansi kwentaba. +
20 Wathatha ithole ababelenzile walishisa ngomlilo waligaya laze laba yimpuphu; + ngemva kwalokho walisakaza phezu kwamanzi wayala ama-Israyeli ukuba awaphuze. +
21 Ngemva kwalokho uMose wathi ku-Aroni: “Bakwenzeni laba bantu uze ulethe lesi sono esikhulu kangaka phezu kwabo?”
22 U-Aroni waphendula: “Ungathukutheli nkosi yami. Wazi kahle ukuthi laba bantu bathambekele ekwenzeni okubi. +
23 Bathe kimi, ‘Senzele unkulunkulu ozohamba phambi kwethu ngoba asazi ukuthi kwenzekeni kulo Mose, umuntu owasihola wasikhipha ezweni laseGibhithe.’ +
24 Ngakho ngithe kubo, ‘Noma ubani onegolide kumelwe alikhumule anginike lona.’ Ngibe sengiliphonsa emlilweni kwaphuma leli thole.”
25 UMose wabona ukuthi abantu babedlubulundile ngoba u-Aroni wayebayekile badlubulunda kangangokuba baba ihlazo kwabamelene nabo.
26 UMose wabe esema esangweni lekamu wathi: “Ubani ongakuJehova? Makeze kimi!” + Wonke amaLevi aqoqanela kuye.
27 Wathi kuwo: “Yilokhu uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli akushilo, ‘Yilowo nalowo makagaxe inkemba yakhe anqamule lonke ikamu kusukela esangweni kuya kwelinye, abulale umfowabo, umakhelwane wakhe nomngane wakhe omkhulu.’” +
28 AmaLevi enza lokho uMose ayekushilo. Ngakho kwabulawa abantu abangaba ngu-3 000 ngalolo suku.
29 UMose wathi: “Zihlukaniseleni uJehova* namuhla, ngoba ngamunye wenu umelane nendodana yakhe nomfowabo; + namuhla uzoninika isibusiso.” +
30 Ngalo kanye usuku olulandelayo, uMose wathi kubantu: “Nenze isono esikhulu kakhulu, manje ngizokhuphukela entabeni ngincenge uJehova mhlawumbe uzosithethelela isono senu.” +
31 Ngakho uMose wabuyela kuJehova wathi: “Laba bantu benze isono esikhulu! Bazenzele unkulunkulu wegolide! +
32 Kodwa manje uma uzimisele, thethelela isono sabo; + uma ungazimisele, ngicela ungesule encwadini yakho oyibhalile.” +
33 Nokho, uJehova wathi kuMose: “Noma ubani owonile kimi, nguye engizomesula encwadini yami.
34 Manje hamba, uhole abantu ubayise endaweni engikhulume ngayo kuwe. Bheka! Ingelosi yami izohamba phambi kwakho, + futhi ngosuku engiyobenza balandise ngalo, ngiyobajezisa ngenxa yesono sabo.”
35 UJehova wajezisa abantu ngenhlupho ngoba babenze ithole, lelo u-Aroni ayelenzile.
Imibhalo yaphansi
^ Noma, “sethole esenziwe ngokuncibilikisiwe.”
^ Noma, “sethole esenziwe ngokuncibilikisiwe.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “abantamo-lukhuni.”
^ Noma, “wathambisa ubuso bukaJehova.”
^ Noma, “uzisole ngesinqumo.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “imbewu.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “imbewu.”
^ Noma, “ukuzisola.”
^ Noma, “yesenzo samandla.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “Gcwalisani izandla zenu ngenxa kaJehova.”
