Eksodus 18:1-27
18 UYitro umbingeleli wakwaMidiyan, utata womfazi kaMoses+ wayiva yonke into uThixo awayenzela uMoses nabantu bakhe amaSirayeli, indlela uYehova awamkhupha ngayo uSirayeli eYiputa.+
2 UYitro wamamkela uTsipora umfazi kaMoses owathunyelwa kuye,
3 noonyana bakhe bobabini.+ Omnye wamthiya ngokuba nguGershom,*+ kuba uMoses wathi, “Ndikhe ndangumntu wasemzini kwilizwe lasemzini,”
4 omnye wamthiya ngokuba nguEliyezere,* kuba wathi, “uThixo katata ube ngumncedi wam, undihlangule kwikrele likaFaro.”+
5 UYitro, oonyana bakaMoses, nomfazi kaMoses baya kuye entlango apho wayemise khona inkampu, entabeni kaThixo wokwenene.+
6 Ngoko wathumela ilizwi kuMoses, esithi: “Mna Yitro, ongutata womfazi wakho,+ ndiza kuwe nomfazi wakho noonyana bakhe bobabini.”
7 UMoses wakhawuleza waphuma wayokumkhawulela, akufika kuye waqubuda waza wamphuza.* Babuzana impilo, baza emva koko bangena ententeni.
8 UMoses wambalisela yonke into uYehova awayenza kuFaro nakwiYiputa ngenxa yamaSirayeli,+ wambalisela nangabo bonke ubunzima ababufumene endleleni,+ nendlela uYehova abahlangule ngayo.
9 UYitro wavuya gqitha akuva ngazo zonke izinto ezilungileyo uYehova azenzele amaSirayeli, ngokuwasindisa kumaYiputa.*
10 Wathi: “Makadunyiswe uYehova onisindisileyo kwiYiputa nakuFaro, obasindisileyo abantu kulawulo lweYiputa.
11 Ngoku ndiyazi ukuba uYehova mkhulu kunabo bonke abanye oothixo,+ ngenxa yezinto azenzileyo kwabo baye bakhukhumala baza babaphatha kakubi abantu bakhe.”
12 Emva koko, wazisa umbingelelo otshiswayo, wabingelela kuThixo, waza uAron nabo bonke abadala bakwaSirayeli bazokudla naye phambi koThixo wokwenene.
13 Ngemini elandelayo, uMoses wahlala phantsi njengesiqhelo ukuze agwebele abantu, kwaye abantu bema phambi koMoses ukususela kusasa kwade kwangokuhlwa.
14 Xa utata womfazi wakhe wayibonayo yonke le nto uMoses wayeyenzela abantu, wathi: “Yintoni le uyenzela abantu? Kutheni uhlala apha wedwa baze bonke abantu beme phambi kwakho ukususela kusasa kude kuhlwe?”
15 UMoses wathi: “Kungenxa yokuba abantu beza kum ukuze ndibabuzele kuThixo.
16 Xa benesimangalo, basizisa kum kwaye ndimele ndigwebe phakathi komntu nomnye, emva koko ndichaze izigqibo zikaThixo wokwenene nemithetho yakhe.”+
17 Utata womfazi kaMoses wathi kuye: “Le ndlela uqhuba ngayo ayilunganga.
18 Nakanjani uza kuqobeka, wena nesi sizwana sikunye nawe, kuba mkhulu lo mthwalo ukuba ungawuthwala wedwa.
19 Khawundimamele. Ndiza kukucebisa, yaye uThixo uza kuba nawe.+ Yiba ngummeli wabantu phambi koThixo wokwenene,+ kwaye umele uzizise kuye izimangalo.+
20 Ufanele ubalumkise ngemimiselo nemithetho,+ ubachazele indlela abafanele bahambe ngayo nomsebenzi abafanele bawenze.
21 Kodwa ufanele ukhethe amadoda afanelekileyo+ namoyikayo uThixo, amadoda anokuthenjwa nakucaphukelayo ukwenza ingeniso ngamaqhinga.+ Wabeke abe ziintloko zamawaka, iintloko zamakhulu, iintloko zamashumi amahlanu neentloko zamashumi.+
22 Mayibe ngaloo madoda agweba abantu xa kukho amatyala,* kodwa amatyala anzima mawaziswe kuwe.+ Onke amatyala amancinci mawawachophele. Wena zenzele lula ngokuthi omnye umthwalo uwuthwalise wona.+
23 Ukuba uyayenza le nto, abe noThixo ekuyalela ngolo hlobo, uza kukwazi ukumelana nobunzima, kwaye wonke umntu uza kugoduka anelisekile.”
24 UMoses wammamela waza wayenza ngoko nangoko yonke into ayithethileyo.
25 UMoses wakhetha amadoda afanelekayo kuye wonke uSirayeli, wawabeka aziintloko phezu kwabantu, aba ziintloko zamawaka, iintloko zamakhulu, iintloko zamashumi amahlanu neentloko zamashumi.
26 Ayewachophela amatyala abantu xa evela. Ityala elinzima ayelizisa kuMoses,+ kodwa onke amatyala amancinci ayewachophela.
27 Emva koko uMoses wamkhupha uYitro+ wagoduka.
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Othetha ukuthi “Umntu Wasemzini Apho.”
^ Othetha ukuthi “UThixo Wam Ngumncedi.”
^ Ukuphuza umntu, mhlawumbi esidleleni, kwakuyindlela eqhelekileyo yokubulisa.
^ Ngokoqobo, “esandleni samaYiputa.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “ngalo lonke ixesha.”
