Numeri 20:1-29
20 Ngenyanga yokuqala, lonke ibandla lamaSirayeli lafika entlango yaseTsin, baza abantu bahlala eKadeshe.+ UMiriyam+ wafela apho waza wangcwatyelwa khona.
2 Ibandla lalingenamanzi okusela,+ ngoko laqokelelana laza lakhalazela uMoses noAron.
3 Abantu baxabana noMoses+ besithi: “Nokuba nathi sasife nabantakwethu phambi koYehova!
4 Kutheni nizise ibandla likaYehova kule ntlango ukuze thina nemfuyo yethu sizokufela apha?+
5 Yaye nisikhupheleni eYiputa nasizisa kule ndawo imbi kangaka?+ Ayityaleki, akukho mafiya,* zidiliya nazirharnati, akukho namanzi la okusela.”+
6 UMoses noAron bemka phambi kwebandla, baya emnyangweni wentente yokuhlangana, baqubuda emhlabeni, baza babona uzuko lukaYehova.+
7 Emva koko uYehova wathi kuMoses:
8 “Thatha intonga uze wena noAron umntakwenu nibize ibandla, nithethe neliwa libukele ibandla ukuze likhuphe amanzi. Kuza kuphuma amanzi kwelo liwa, baze abantu nemfuyo yabo basele.”+
9 Ngoko uMoses wayithatha intonga phambi koYehova,+ kanye njengokuba wayemyalele.
10 Emva koko uMoses noAron babizela ibandla phambi kweliwa, waza uMoses wathi kulo: “Mamelani apha baqhankqalazindini! Nifuna sinikhuphele amanzi kweli liwa?”+
11 Emva kokuba etshilo, uMoses waphakamisa isandla sakhe waza walibetha kabini iliwa ngentonga yakhe; kwaphuma amanzi amaninzi, basela abantu nemfuyo yabo.+
12 Emva koko uYehova wathi kuMoses noAron: “Ekubeni niye anabonisa ukuba niyakholwa kum, anandingcwalisa phambi kwabantu bakwaSirayeli, anizukulingenisa eli bandla kwilizwe endiza kulinika lona.”+
13 Lawo ke ngamanzi aseMeribha,*+ apho amaSirayeli amkhalazela khona uYehova, waza wawabonisa ukuba ungcwele.
14 UMoses wathumela abathunywa eKadeshe kukumkani wakwaEdom,+ ukuba bathi: “Umntakwenu uSirayeli+ uthi, ‘Ubazi kakuhle ubunzima esabufumanayo.
15 Oobawo baya eYiputa,+ sahlala khona iminyaka emininzi,+ yaye amaYiputa asiphatha kakubi thina noobawo.+
16 Ekugqibeleni sakhalela uYehova,+ wasiva waza wathumela ingelosi+ yasikhupha eYiputa, yaye ngoku silapha eKadeshe, isixeko esikumda welizwe lakho.
17 Sicela ukunqumla elizweni lakho. Asizukuhamba emasimini nokuba ngaweediliya, yaye akukho qula siza kusela amanzi alo. Siza kuhamba kwiNdlela KaKumkani, singayi ekunene okanye ekhohlo de sidlule.’”+
18 Kodwa uEdom wathi kuye: “Ungakhe ulinge unqumle elizweni lethu. Ukuba unqumlile, ndiza kukuhlangabeza ngekrele.”
19 AmaSirayeli amphendula athi: “Siza kuhamba ngohola wendlela, yaye ukuba kukho amanzi akho aselwe sithi nemfuyo yethu siza kuwabhatala.+ Sifuna nje ukunqumla ngeenyawo.”+
20 Waphinda wala esithi: “Anizukunqumla apha.”+ Emva koko uEdom waphuma ezokumhlasela, enabantu abaninzi nomkhosi owomeleleyo.
21 Ngoko uEdom zange awavumele amaSirayeli anqumle elizweni lakhe; ajika ke amaSirayeli.+
22 Lonke ibandla labantu bakwaSirayeli lemka eKadeshe laya eNtabeni YeHore.+
23 Emva koko uYehova wathetha noMoses noAron eNtabeni YeHore ngakumda welizwe lakwaEdom, wathi:
24 “UAron uza kuhlanganiselwa kubantu bakowabo.*+ Akazukungena kwilizwe endiza kulinika amaSirayeli, kuba nina nobabini zange niwuthobele umyalelo endaninika wona ngamanzi aseMeribha.+
25 Hamba noAron noEleyazare unyana wakhe ninyuke iNtaba YeHore.
26 Uze umkhulule uAron iimpahla zakhe,+ uzinxibise uEleyazare+ unyana wakhe, yaye uAron uza kufela apho.”
27 UMoses wayenza yonke into awayeyiyalelwe nguYehova, benyuka iNtaba YeHore lonke ibandla libukele.
28 UMoses wamkhulula uAron iimpahla zakhe wazinxibisa uEleyazare unyana wakhe. Emva koko uAron wafela apho phezulu entabeni.+ UMoses noEleyazare behla.
29 Xa lonke ibandla lamaSirayeli labona ukuba uAron ufile, lamlilela iintsuku eziyi-30.+
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Okanye “makhiwane.”
^ Ethetha ukuthi “Ukuxambulisana.”
^ Lo ngumbongo obhekisela ekufeni.
