UEksodosi

Isahluko Sokuqala

¹ Manje ke lawa ngamagama amadodana kaIsrayeli, eza eGibhithe (yonke indoda nomuzi wayo yeza noJakobe): ² ngoRubeni, noSimeyoni, noLevi, noJuda, ³ no-Isakare, noZebuloni, noBenjamini, ⁴ noDani, noNafetali, noGadi, no-Asheri. ⁵ Bonke abantu abaphuma okhalweni lukaJakobe babe ngabantu abangamashumi ayisikhombisa; uJosefa wayeseGibithe. ⁶ UJosefa wafa, nabo bonke abafowabo, naso sonke leso sizukulwane. ⁷ Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bazala, bachuma, banda, baba baningi; izwe lagcwala bona. ⁸ Kwavela inkosi entsha eGibithe eyayingamazi uJosefa. ⁹ Yathi kubantu bayo: “Bhekani, abantu babantwana bakwa-Israyeli baningi, futhi banamandla kunathi; ¹⁰ masizihlakaniphele maqondana nabo, funa bande, kuze kuthi lapho kuphuma impi, bahlangane nezitha zethu, balwe nathi, bamuke ezweni.” ¹¹ Kwase kubekwa phezu kwabo izinduna zokubasebenzisa ezabahlupha ngemithwalo yazo. Bamakhela uFaro imizi yokubekelela, iPitomu neRamsesi. ¹² Kepha ngokubahlupha kwazo kwaba yikhona banda, basabalala; baba novalo ngabantwana bakwa-Israyeli. ¹³ AbaseGibithe babakhonzisa abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ngamandla. ¹⁴ Benza ukuphila kwabo kwaba munyu ngemisebenzi esindayo odakeni nasezitinini, nangemisebenzi yonke yasendle, yebo, yonke imisebenzi yabo ababebakhonzisa ngayo. ¹⁵ Inkosi yaseGibithe yakhuluma kubabelethisi bamaHeberukazi, igama lomunye wabo linguShifira, elomunye linguPhuwa, ¹⁶ yathi: “Nxa nibelethisa amaHeberukazi, niwabona esesihlalweni sokubeletha, uma kuyindodana, anoyibulala, kepha uma kuyindodakazi, izakuphila.” ¹⁷ Kodwa ababelethisi babemesaba uNkulunkulu, abenzanga njengalokho yasho kubo inkosi yaseGibithe, babasindisa abafana. ¹⁸ Inkosi yaseGibithe yayisibiza ababelethisi, yathi kubo: “Nenzeleni lokhu, nasindisa abafana, na?” ¹⁹ Ababelethisi bathi kuFaro: “Kungokuba amaHeberukazi engenjengabaseGibithe; anamandla, abeletha, engakafiki umbelethisi kuwo.” ²⁰ UNkulunkulu wabenzela ababelethisi okuhle; abantu banda, baba baningi kakhulu. ²¹ Kwathi ngokuba ababelethisi bamesaba uNkulunkulu, wabavusela imizi. ²² UFaro wayesebayala abantu bakhe bonke, ethi: “Bonke abafana abazalwayo anobaphonsa emfuleni, kepha amantombazana niwasindise onke.”

Isahluko Sesibili

¹ Kwasuka umuntu wendlu kaLevi, wathatha indodakazi kaLevi. ² Wakhulelwa lowo mfazi, wazala indodana; esebonile ukuthi inhle, wayithukusa izinyanga ezintathu. ³ Engasenakuyithukusa wayithathela ibhokisi lebungu, walihuqa ngebitume* nangekolitayi,* wamfaka umfana kulo, walibeka emhlangeni ngasogwini lomfula. ⁴ Udadewabo wayemi kudana, ukuze azi ukuthi kuyakwenziwani kuye. ⁵ Kwase kwehla indodakazi kaFaro ukuyogeza emfuleni; amantombazana ayo ahamba eceleni komfula; ibona ibhokisi emhlangeni yathuma intombazana ukulilanda. ⁶ Yalivula, yabona umntwana; bheka, kwakungumfana; wakhala. Yamhawukela, yathi: “Lona ungowabantwana bamaHeberu.” ⁷ Udadewabo wayesethi kuyo indodakazi kaFaro: “Ngihambe ngikubizele umzanyana kuwo amaHeberu ukuba akuncelisele ingane na?” ⁸ Indodakazi kaFaro yathi kuye: “Hamba.” Yasuka intombazana, yabiza unina wengane. ⁹ Indodakazi kaFaro yathi kuye: “Hamba nalo mntwana, ungincelisele yena; ngizakukukhokhela.” Owesifazane wamthatha-ke umntwana, wamncelisa. ¹⁰ Umfana wakhula, wayiswa kuyo indodakazi kaFaro, waba yindodana yayo. Yamqamba igama lokuthi uMose, ithi: “Ngokuba ngamkhipha emanzini.” ¹¹ Kwathi ngalezo zinsuku uMose esekhulile, waphuma, waya kubafowabo, wabuka imithwalo yabo; wabona owaseGibithe eshaya umHeberu, omunye wabafowabo. ¹² Waphendukela ngalapha nangalapha; esebonile ukuthi akukho muntu, wambulala owaseGibithe, wamthukusa esihlabathini. ¹³ Waphuma nangosuku olulandelayo; bheka, nanko amadoda amabili amaHeberu exabene; wathi kowonileyo: “Umshayelani owakini na?” ¹⁴ Wathi yena: “Ngubani okumise induna nomahluleli phezu kwethu na? Ufuna ukungibulala mina, njengalokho ubulele owaseGibithe, na?” UMose wayesesaba, ethi: “Impela le ndaba iyazeka.” ¹⁵ UFaro esekuzwile lokho wafuna ukumbulala uMose. Kepha uMose wabaleka ebusweni bukaFaro, wahlala ezweni lakwaMidiyani; wahlala phansi ngasemthonjeni. ¹⁶ UMpristi wakwaMidiyani wayenamadodakazi ayisikhombisa; afika ukukha amanzi, agcwalisa imiqengqe eyophuzisa izimvu zikayise. ¹⁷ Kwafika abelusi, bawaxosha. Kepha wayesesukuma uMose, wawasiza, waphuzisa izimvu zawo. ¹⁸ Lapho esefika kuRehuweli uyise, wathi yena: “Yini ukuba nisheshe nibuye namuhla na?” ¹⁹ Athi: “OwaseGibithe usophulile esandleni sabelusi, futhi wasikhelela amanzi, waphuzisa izimvu.” ²⁰ Wathi kuwo amadodakazi akhe: “Uphi yena? Nimshiyeleni na? Mbizeni, eze ukuzokudla.” ²¹ UMose wazimisela ukuhlala kulowo muntu; wamupha uMose uSipora indodakazi yakhe. ²² Wazala indodana, wayiqamba igama lokuthi uGereshomu,* ngokuba wathi: “Ngangingumfokazi ezweni elingesilo elami.” ²³ Kwathi sekudlulile izinsuku eziningi, inkosi yaseGibithe yafa; abakwa-Israyeli babubula ngenxa yobugqila, bakhala; ukukhala kwabo kwenyukela kuNkulunkulu ngobugqila babo. ²⁴ UNkulunkulu wezwa ukububula kwabo; uNkulunkulu wakhumbula isivumelwano sakhe no-Abrahama, no-Isaka, noJakobe. ²⁵ UNkulunkulu wabona abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, wabanakekela.

Isahluko Sesithathu

¹UMose wayalusa izimvu zikaJetiro umukhwe wakhe, umpristi wakwaMidiyani; waziqhuba izimvu, waya ngaphambili kwehlane, waze wafika entabeni kaNkulunkulu iHorebe. ²Kwabonakala kuye ingelosi kaJehova elangabini lomlilo livela phakathi kwesihlahla; wabuka, bheka, isihlahla savutha umlilo, kepha isihlahla asiphelanga nokho. ³Wayesethi uMose: “Mangiphambuke, ngiye ngibone lesi sibonakaliso esikhulu ukuba isihlahla asishi ngani.” ⁴UNkulunkulu esebona ukuthi uyaphambuka ukuyobuka, uNkulunkulu wambiza ephakathi kwesihlahla, wathi: “Mose, Mose!” ⁵Wathi: “Ngilapha.” Wayesethi: “Ungasondeli lapha; khumula izicathulo zakho ezinyaweni zakho, ngokuba indawo omi kuyo ingumhlabathi ongcwele.” ⁶Wathi: “NginguNkulunkulu kayihlo, uNkulunkulu ka-Abrahama, noNkulunkulu ka-Isaka, noNkulunkulu kaJakobe; uMose wasitha ubuso bakhe, ngokuba wesaba ukumbheka uNkulunkulu.” ⁷Wayesethi uJehova: “Ngibonile nokubona ukuhlupheka kwabantu bami abaseGibithe; ngizwile ukukhala kwabo ngenxa yabacindezeli babo, ngokuba ngiyazazi izinsizi zabo; ⁸ngehle ukuba ngibophule esandleni sabaseGibithe, ngibakhuphule kulelo zwe, ngibayise ezweni elihle elibanzi, izwe elichichima ubisi nezinyosi, indawo yamaKhanani, neyamaHeti, neyama-Amori, neyamaPherizi, neyamaHivi, neyamaJebusi. ⁹Bheka, manje ukukhala kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli sekufike kimi; futhi ngikubonile ukucindezela abaseGibithe ababacindezela ngakho. ¹⁰Ngakho hamba, ngiyakukuthuma kuFaro ukuba ukhiphe eGibithe abantu bami, abantwana bakwa-Israyeli.” ¹¹UMose wayesethi kuNkulunkulu: “Ngingubani mina ukuba ngiye kuFaro, ngikhiphe eGibithe abantwana bakwa-Israyeli na?” ¹²Wathi: “Ngizakuba nawe ngempela; lokhu kuyakuba luphawu kuwe ukuthi ngikuthumile; nxa ukhiphile isizwe eGibithe, niyakumkhonza uNkulunkulu kule ntaba.” ¹³UMose wayesethi kuNkulunkulu: “Bheka lapho ngifika kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli, ngithi kubo: ‘UNkulunkulu wawoyihlo ungithumile kini,’ bese bethi kimi: ‘Ngubani igama lakhe?’ ngizakuthini kubo na?” ¹⁴UNkulunkulu wathi kuMose: “Nginguye enginguye.” Wathi: “Uzakusho njalo kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli, uthi: ‘UNgikhona* ungithumile.’ ” ¹⁵UNkulunkulu wathi futhi kuMose: “Uzakusho njalo kubo abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, uthi: ‘UJehova, uNkulunkulu wawoyihlo, uNkulunkulu ka-Abrahama, noNkulunkulu ka-Isaka, noNkulunkulu kaJakobe, ungithumile kini.’ Yileli eliyigama lami kuze kube phakade, lesi siyisikhumbuzo sami ezizukulwaneni ngezizukulwane. ¹⁶“Hamba ubuthe amalunga akwa-Israyeli, uthi kuwo: ‘UJehova, uNkulunkulu wawoyihlo, uNkulunkulu ka-Abrahama noka-Isaka nokaJakobe, ubonakele kimi, wathi: Nginihambele nokunihambela, ngibonile okwenziwa kini eGibithe. ¹⁷Ngishilo ngathi: Ngiyakunikhuphula ekuhluphekeni kwaseGibithe, nginiyise ezweni lamaKhanani, nelamaHeti, nelama-Amori, nelamaPherizi, nelamaHivi, nelamaJebusi, izwe elichichima ubisi nezinyosi.’ ¹⁸“Bayakulalela izwi lakho; uyakufika wena kanye namalunga akwa-Israyeli enkosini yaseGibithe, nithi kuyo: ‘UJehova, uNkulunkulu wamaHeberu, uhlangene nathi; ake sihambe manje ibanga lezinsuku ezintathu, siye ehlane, sihlabele uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu.’ ¹⁹Kepha ngiyazi mina ukuthi inkosi yaseGibithe ayiyikuvuma ukuba nihambe, ngisho nangesandla esinamandla. ²⁰Kodwa ngiyakwelula isandla sami, ngilishaye iGibithe ngezimangaliso engiyakuzenza phakathi kwalo, andukuba iniyeke. ²¹“Ngiyakunika lesi sizwe umusa emehlweni abaseGibithe, kuze kuthi lapho nisuka, aniyikuhamba ningaphethe lutho, ²²kepha yilowo nalowo wesifazane uyakucela kumakhelwane wakhe nakuye ogogobeleyo endlini yakhe izinto zesiliva nezinto zegolide, nezingubo; niyakuzifaka kumadodana enu nakumadodakazi enu, niphange abaseGibithe.”