1 Abantu basola ngobunzima ababelabo uThixo esizwa, kwathi ekuzwa lokho wathukuthela kakhulu. Kwasekusithi umlilo ovela kuThixo wavutha phakathi kwabo waze waqothula lezinye izindawo ezisemaphethelweni ezihonqo. 2 Kwathi lapho abantu sebekhale kuMosi, yena wakhuleka kuThixo ngakho umlilo wadeda. 3 Indawo leyo yasibizwa ngokuthi yiThabhera, ngoba umlilo kaThixo wavutha phakathi kwabo.

4 Uquqaba lwabantu olwaluphakathi kwabo lwaqala ukufisa okunye ukudla, ngakho labako-Israyeli baqala ukulila bathi, “Aluba besingazuza inyama yokudla nje kodwa lokhu! 5 Sesikhumbula inhlanzi esasizidla eGibhithe kungelambadalo lamakhomane, amakhabe, amalikhi lemihlobo yonke yehanyanisi kanye legalikhi. 6 Pho khathesi lapha sesize singasakhwabithi lokudla; kasiboni lutho ngaphandle kwemana yonale zwi!”

7 Imana yayiphose ilingane lentanga yekhoriyanda ilombala ofana lowenhlaka. 8 Abantu babephuma bayeyibutha, bayichole kumbe bayigige. Babeyipheka embizeni kumbe benze amaqebelengwana ngayo. Yayinambitheka njengento ephekwe ngamafutha e-oliva. 9 Kwakusithi nxa kusiba lamazolo ezihonqweni ebusuku, imana layo ikhithika.

10 UMosi wezwa abantu bendlu inye ngayinye bekhala, ngulowo esemnyango wethente lakhe. UThixo wathukuthela kakhulu, njalo uMosi wakhathazeka. 11 UMosi wathi kuThixo, “Kungani wehlisele ubunzima encekwini yakho na? Kuyini engikwenzileyo okungakuthokozisanga ukuze ungeleke ngobunzima babantu bonke laba na? 12 Ngingunina wabo na? Yimi engabazalayo yini? Kungani usithi ngibaphathe ngezandla zami njengomongikazi ephethe usane, ngibase elizweni lesithembiso owafunga ngalo kubokhokho babo na? 13 Ngingayithatha ngaphi inyama yokupha abantu bonke laba? Lokhu bengikhalela besithi, ‘Sinike inyama sidle!’ 14 Ngeke ngibathwale abantu bonke laba ngingedwa; umthwalo lo unzima kakhulu kimi. 15 Nxa kuyiyo indlela ozangiphatha ngayo, ngibulala khathesi, nxa ngifumane umusa kuwe, ukuze ngingaboni ukuhlupheka kwami.”

16  UThixo wathi kuMosi: “Ngilethela ebadaleni bako-Israyeli abangamatshumi ayisikhombisa obaziyo ukuthi bangabakhokheli futhi yizikhulu zabantu. Balethe ethenteni lokuhlangana ukuze bame lawe khonapho. 17 Ngizakwehla ngizekhuluma lawe khonapho, ngizathatha ingxenye yoMoya okuwe ngiwufake phezu kwabo. Bazakuncedisa ukuthwala umthwalo wabantu bako-Israyeli ukuze ungawuthwali wedwa.

18 Tshela abantu uthi: Zingcweliseni lilungiselela usuku lwakusasa, lapho elizakudla khona inyama. UThixo ulizwile likhala kuye lisithi, ‘Ngubani ozasipha inyama ukuba sidle? Kwakungcono kithi siseGibhithe!’ Khathesi uThixo uzalinika inyama, njalo lizayidla. 19 Aliyikuyidla okosuku olulodwa loba ezimbili, loba ezinhlanu, ezilitshumi loba ezingamatshumi amabili, 20 kodwa lizayidla okwenyanga yonke, ize iphume ngamakhala enu, ilitshiphele, ngoba limhlamukele uThixo ephakathi kwenu, njalo likhalile phambi kwakhe, lisithi, ‘Kanti sivele sasukelani eGibhithe.’ ”

21 Kodwa uMosi wathi, “Mina ngilapha phakathi kwamadoda azinkulungwane ezingamakhulu ayisithupha (600,000) ahamba ngezinyawo, kodwa wena uthi, ‘Ngizabanika inyama abazayidla okwenyanga yonke!’ 22 Bebengeneliswa na aluba bebehlatshelwe imihlambi yezimvu leyezifuyo? Babezakweneliswa na aluba begolelwe inhlanzi zonke zasolwandle?”

23  UThixo wamphendula uMosi wathi, “Kambe ingalo kaThixo imfitshane na? Uzabona-ke khathesi longabe yebo loba hayi ukuthi engikutshoyo kuzagcwaliseka kuwe.”

24 Ngakho uMosi waphuma wayatshela abantu lokho okwakutshiwo nguThixo. Wahlanganisa abadala abangamatshumi ayisikhombisa wabamisa bahonqolozela ithente. 25 Ngalokho uThixo wehla ngeyezi wakhuluma laye, yena wasethatha uMoya owawuphezu kwakhe wawethulela phezu kwabadala bebandla abangamatshumi ayisikhombisa. Kwathi uMoya usuphezu kwabo, baphrofitha, kodwa kabazange baphinde bakwenze emva kwalokho.

26 Kodwa-ke, kwakukhona amadoda amabili, kungu-Elidadi loMedadi ababesele esihonqweni. Lanxa babebalelwa ebadaleni, kodwa kabazange baphume ukuya eThenteni. Kanti-ke uMoya wawehlele phezu kwabo labo, njalo babephrofitha besesihonqweni. 27 Ijahana elincinyane lagijima layabikela uMosi lathi, “U-Elidadi loMedadi bayaphrofitha besesihonqweni.”

28 UJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, owayekade engumsekeli kaMosi kusukela ebutsheni bakhe, waphakamisa ilizwi wathi, “Mosi, nkosi yami, bathulise!”

29 Kodwa uMosi waphendula wathi, “Uyangikhwelezela na? Ngiyafisa ukuthi ngabe bonke abantu bakaThixo bangabaphrofethi njalo lokuthi UThixo wehlisele uMoya wakhe phezu kwabo!” 30 Ngakho uMosi labadala bako-Israyeli babuyela ezihonqweni.

31 Kwasekuphephetha umoya uvela kuThixo wathinta izagwaca zivela olwandle. Zakhithika zelekana ukusuka phansi okwezingalo ezimbili ezihonqweni, zendlaleka okomango ongahanjwa okosuku lonke inxa zonke. 32 Mhlalokho emini lebusuku njalo langosuku olulandelayo abantu baphuma bayabutha izagwaca. Akekho owabutha izagwaca ezinganeno kwamahomeri alitshumi. Ngakho basebezichaya indawana zonke ezihonqweni. 33 Kodwa kwathi belokhu besayihlafuna inyama bengakayiginyi, ulaka lukaThixo lwavutha phezu kwabantu, njalo wabatshaya ngokubehlisela umkhuhlane. 34 Ngakho indawo leyo yabizwa ngokuthi yiKhibhrothi Hathava, ngoba kulapho okwangcwatshwa khona abantu ababebukhali kokunye ukudla.

35 Ekusukeni kwabo eKhibhrothi Hathava abantu bahamba baze bayafika eHazerothi bahlala khona.