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Amanzi Aphuma Edwaleni
1 Ngenyanga yakuqala abantu bonke bako-Israyeli bafika enkangala yaseZini, basebehlala eKhadeshi. UMiriyemu wafela lapho njalo wangcwatshelwa khona.
2 Abantu baswela amanzi, ngakho babambana ekuphikiseni uMosi lo-Aroni. 3 Baxabana loMosi kanye lo-Aroni bathi, “Ngabe lathi sahle sazifela mhla abafowethu besifa phambi kukaThixo! 4 Labalethelani abantu bakaThixo kule inkangala na? Ukuze thina kanye lezifuyo zethu sizefela lapha na? 5 Lasikhuphelani eGibhithe lisiletha endaweni le embi kangaka na? Ayilamabele kumbe imikhiwa, amavini loba amaphomegranathi. Njalo akulamanzi okunatha!”
6 UMosi lo-Aroni basuka embuthanweni wabantu baya esangweni lethente lokuhlangana bawa phansi ngobuso, inkazimulo kaThixo yasibonakala kubo. 7 UThixo wathi kuMosi, 8 “Thatha intonga kuthi wena lomfowenu u-Aroni libizele abantu ndawonye. Khulumani elitsheni phambi kwabo ngakho lona lizakhupha amanzi alo. Lizathatha amanzi aphuma edwaleni liphe abantu ukuze banathe bona kanye lezifuyo zabo.”
9 Ngakho uMosi wathatha intonga phambi kukaThixo, njengokulaywa kwakhe nguThixo. 10 UMosi lo-Aroni basebebizela abantu ndawonye phambi kwedwala, uMosi wasesithi kubo, “Lalelani, lina bahlamuki. Silikhuphele amanzi kulelidwala na?” 11 Ngakho uMosi waphakamisa ingalo yakhe watshaya idwala kabili ngentonga yakhe. Amanzi antshantshaza ephuma edwaleni, Kwathi abantu kanye lezifuyo zabo banatha.
12 Kodwa uThixo wathi kuMosi lo-Aroni, “Ngenxa yokuthi kalingethembanga okokungipha udumo njengongcwele phambi kwabako-Israyeli, kaliyikukhokhelela lababantu ekungeneni elizweni engibapha lona.”
13 La ngamanzi aseMeribha, lapho abako-Israyeli abaphikisana khona loThixo njalo kulapho uThixo abonakalisa ubungcwele bakhe phakathi kwabo.
U-Edomi Uvimbela Abako-Israyeli Ukuthi Bedlule
14 UMosi wathumela izithunywa enkosini yase-Edomi zisuka eKhadeshi, esithi:
“Nanku okutshiwo ngumfowenu u-Israyeli: Uyabazi bonke ubunzima obusehleleyo. 15 Okhokho bethu basuka baya eGibhithe, sahlala khona okweminyaka eminengi. AmaGibhithe asiphatha ngochuku kanye labobaba, 16 kodwa sakhala kuThixo wezwa ukukhala kwethu wasithumela ingilosi yasikhipha eGibhithe.
Khathesi silapha eKhadeshi idolobho elisemngceleni welizwe lakho. 17 Ake usivumele sidlule elizweni lakho. Kasiyikudabula phakathi lakuwaphi amasimu loba isivini sakho, kumbe ukunatha amanzi loba kuwuphi umthombo. Sizahamba silandela umgwaqo wenkosi njalo kasiyikuphambukela kwesokudla kumbe kwesokunxele size sedlule elizweni lakho.”
18 Kodwa u-Edomi waphendula wathi:
“Ngeke lidlule lapha, lingake lilinge, sizaphuma silihlasele ngenkemba.”
19 Abako-Israyeli baphendula bathi:
“Sizahamba ngomgwaqo omkhulu, njalo thina loba izifuyo zethu singanatha amanzi enu, sizawabhadala. Sifuna ukuzedlulela ngenyawo kuphela nje.”
20 Abase-Edomi baphendula njalo bathi:
“Lingadluli lapha.”
Ngakho u-Edomi waphuma kanye lebutho elikhulu elilamandla ukuyahlasela abako-Israyeli. 21 Njengoba u-Edomi wala ukuthi badabule elizweni labo, abako-Israyeli baphenduka bahamba ngenye indlela.
Ukufa Kuka-Aroni
22 Isizwe sonke sako-Israyeli sasuka eKhadeshi sahamba saze sayafika entabeni yaseHori. 23 Sebesentabeni yaseHori, eduze lomngcele wase-Edomi, uThixo wathi kuMosi lo-Aroni, 24 “U-Aroni usezakufa angcwatshwe. Akayikungena elizweni engilinika abako-Israyeli, ngoba lina lobabili langihlamukela emanzini aseMeribha. 25 Biza u-Aroni kanye lendodana yakhe u-Eliyazari ukhwele labo entabeni yaseHori. 26 Uhlubule u-Aroni izembatho zakhe uzigqokise indodana yakhe u-Eliyazari, ngoba u-Aroni uzalandela abakibo; uzafela khona.”
27 UMosi wenza njengokulaywa kwakhe kuThixo: Bakhwela entabeni yaseHori isizwe sonke sibakhangele. 28 UMosi wamhlubula u-Aroni izembatho zakhe wazigqokisa indodana yakhe u-Eliyazari. Ngakho u-Aroni wafela khonapho phezu kwentaba. Ngemva kwalokhu uMosi lo-Eliyazari behla entabeni, 29 Kwathi abantu bonke sebezwile ukuthi u-Aroni wayesefile, yonke indlu ka-Israyeli yamlilela okwensuku ezingamatshumi amathathu.