Numeri 20:1-29
20 Ngenyanga yokuthoma, yoke ihlangano yama-Israyeli yafika emmangweni weTsini, abantu bathoma ukuhlala eKhadetjhi.+ Kulapho uMiriyamu+ ahlongakalela khona bewabulungwa khona.
2 Nje-ke yoke ihlangano beyinganamanzi,+ yathoma ukujamelana noMosi no-Aroni.
3 Abantu banghonghoyila kuMosi,+ bathi: “Ngathana safa ngesikhathi abafowethu bafa phambi kwakaJehova!
4 Kubayini nilethe ihlangano kaJehova emmangweni lo bona thina nefuywethu sizokufela khona?+
5 Nasikhuphelani eGibhide nasiletha endaweni embi kangaka?+ Endaweni le asikghoni ukutjala amafeyi, amadiribe namarharinada begodu akunamanzi wokusela.”+
6 UMosi no-Aroni beza phambi kwehlangano ebungenweni betende lokuhlangana bakhothama, iphazimulo kaJehova yathoma ukubonakala kibo.+
7 UJehova wathi kuMosi:
8 “Thatha intonga, wena nomfowenu u-Aroni nibuthele ihlangano ndawonye, nikhulume nedwala phambi kwayo bona likhuphe amanzi. Uzokukhuphela ihlangano amanzi edwaleni bona yona nemihlambayo isele.”+
9 Nje-ke uMosi wathatha intonga ebeyiphambi kwakaJehova+ njengombana bekamyalile.
10 UMosi no-Aroni babizela yoke ihlangano ndawonye phambi kwedwala, bathi kiyo: “Akhe nisilalele nina nhlubuki ndina, kghani nifuna sinikhuphele amanzi edwaleneli?”+
11 UMosi waphakamisa isandla sakhe, wabetha idwala kabili ngentonga kwaphuma amanzi amanengi. Ihlangano yoke nefuywayo yasela.+
12 Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi uJehova wathi kuMosi no-Aroni: “Ngebanga lokuthi akhenge nikholwe kimi beningicwengise phambi kwabantu bakwa-Israyeli, angekhe niyingenise ihlangano le enarheni engizoyinikela yona.”+
13 La mamanzi weMeriba,*+ lapha ama-Israyeli anghonghoyila khona ngoJehova, kangangobana wawatjengisa ukuthi ucwengile.
14 UMosi wathumela iinthunywa zisuka eKhadetjhi zaya ekosini yakwa-Edomu+ ziphethe nakhu umlayezo: “Ngilokhu okutjhiwo mfowenu u-Israyeli,+ ‘Ubazi kuhle ubudisi esaqalana nabo.
15 Abokhokho bethu baya eGibhide,+ nathi sahlala eGibhide iminyaka eminengi,+ amaGibhide asiphatha kumbi njengombana aphatha kumbi abokhokho bethu.+
16 Emaswapheleni salila kuJehova,+ wasizwa. Wathumela ingilozi+ bona izositjhaphulula eGibhide, namhlanjesi nakhu siseKhadetjhi, idorobho elisemkhawulweni wesifunda sakho.
17 Sibawa usivumele sidlule enarhenakho, angekhe siphambukele kinanyana ngiyiphi isimu namkha esimini yamadiribe. Angekhe sisele amanzi kinanyana ngimuphi umthombo, sizokukhamba eNdleleni yekosi ngaphandle kokuphambukela ngesidleni namkha ngesinceleni bekube kulapho sesidlule esifundeni sakho.’”+
18 U-Edomu wathi kizo: “Anikazukudlula esifundeni sami. Naningadlula, ngizonihlangabeza ngesabula.”
19 Ama-Israyeli athi kuye: “Sizokukhamba ngendlela ekulu, nange kwenzeka thina nefuywethu sisele amanzenu sizowabhadela.+ Sibawa ukudlula kwaphela.”+
20 Waphendula wathi: “Anginivumeli bona nidlule.”+ U-Edomu wabuthelela abantu abanengi nebutho elinamandla wabahlangabeza.
21 U-Edomu akhenge awavumele ama-Israyeli bona adlule esifundeni sakhe. Nje-ke ama-Israyeli amlisa.+
22 Yoke ihlangano yakwa-Israyeli yasuka eKhadetjhi yaya eNtabeni iHori.+
23 Nje-ke uJehova wathi kuMosi no-Aroni eNtabeni iHori, hlanu komkhawulo wenarha yakwa-Edomu:
24 “U-Aroni uzokuhlongakala, abulungwe naboyisemkhulu.+ Angekhe ningene enarheni engizoyinikela ama-Israyeli ngombana nobabili akhenge nilalele umthethwami omalungana namanzi weMeriba.+
25 Thatha u-Aroni nendodanakhe u-Elazara ukhuphukele nabo eNtabeni iHori,
26 uhlubulise u-Aroni izambatho zakhe,+ uzembathise indodanakhe u-Elazara,+ u-Aroni yena uzokuhlongakalela lapho.”
27 UMosi wenza koke uJehova amyala ngakho, bakhuphuka iNtaba iHori yoke ihlangano iqalile.
28 UMosi wahlubulisa u-Aroni izambatho zakhe wazimbathisa u-Elazara indodanakhe. Ngemva kwalokho, u-Aroni wahlongakalela lapho esiqongolweni sentaba.+ UMosi no-Elazara behla entabeni.
29 Kuthe lokha ihlangano nayibona ukuthi u-Aroni uhlongakele, yamlilela amalanga ama-30.+
Imitlolo Ephasi
^ Kutjho ukuthi “ukunghonghoyila.”
