< Exodus 10 >
1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials, that I may perform these miraculous signs of Mine among them,
Ngakho uThixo wasesithi kuMosi, “Hamba kuFaro, ngoba sengiyenze yaba lukhuni inhliziyo yakhe lezinhliziyo zezikhulu zakhe ukuze ngenze izimanga zami kubo
2 and that you may tell your children and grandchildren how severely I dealt with the Egyptians when I performed miraculous signs among them, so that all of you may know that I am the LORD.”
ukuze lilandisele abantwabenu labazukulu benu ukuthi ngabahlukuluza njani abeGibhithe lokuthi ngabenzela izimanga, khona lizakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo.”
3 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
Ngakho oMosi lo-Aroni baya kuFaro bathi kuye, “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo, uNkulunkulu wamaHebheru: ‘Uzakwala kuze kube nini ukuzithoba phambi kwami? Yekela abantu bami bahambe ukuze bayengikhonza.
4 But if you refuse to let My people go, I will bring locusts into your territory tomorrow.
Nxa usala ukuthi bahambe ngizaletha intethe elizweni lakho kusasa.
5 They will cover the face of the land so that no one can see it. They will devour whatever is left after the hail and eat every tree that grows in your fields.
Zizakwembesa wonke umhlabathi usale ungasabonakali. Zizakudla ziphundle du lalokho okuncinyane okwatshiywa yisiqhotho kanye lezihlahla zonke ezikhula egangeni.
6 They will fill your houses and the houses of all your officials and every Egyptian—something neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen since the day they came into this land.’” Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh’s presence.
Zizagcwala ezindlini zakho lezezikhulu zakho zonke lezamaGibhithe, into oyihlo labokhokho bakho abangazange bayibone selokhu bahlala kulelilizwe kuze kube manje.’” Khonapho uMosi wabe efulathela esuka kuFaro.
7 Pharaoh’s officials asked him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the LORD their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is in ruins?”
Izikhulu zikaFaro zathi kuye, “Koze kube nini na indoda le ilokhu iyisifu kithi? Yekela abantu bahambe bayekhonza uThixo uNkulunkulu wabo. Ulokhu ungaboni yini ukuthi ilizwe leGibhithe selichithekile?”
8 So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship the LORD your God,” he said. “But who exactly will be going?”
UMosi lo-Aroni basebebuyiswa kuFaro. Wathi, “Hambani liyokhonza uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu. Kanti konje ngobani abahambayo?”
9 “We will go with our young and old,” Moses replied. “We will go with our sons and daughters, and with our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the LORD.”
UMosi waphendula wathi, “Sizahamba labatsha labadala bethu; lamadodana lamadodakazi ethu, lemihlambi yethu ngoba kumele senzele uThixo umkhosi.”
10 Then Pharaoh told them, “May the LORD be with you if I ever let you go with your little ones. Clearly you are bent on evil.
UFaro wathi, “uThixo kabe lani, kumbe likhumbula ukuthi ngizaliyekela lihambe labesifazane labantwana! Kusobala ukuthi liqonde ukwenza okubi.
11 No, only the men may go and worship the LORD, since that is what you have been requesting.” And Moses and Aaron were driven from Pharaoh’s presence.
Hatshi! Akuhambe amadoda kuphela; amkhonze uThixo ngoba phela yikho ebelivele likukhalela.” Ngakho uMosi lo-Aroni basebexotshwa phambi kukaFaro.
12 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt, so that the locusts may swarm over it and devour every plant in the land—everything that the hail has left behind.”
UThixo wasesithi kuMosi, “Yelula isandla sakho phezu kweGibhithe ukuze kwehle isikhongwane, izintethe, kulolonke ilizwe zidle zigugude konke okukhulayo emangweni, konke lokho okwatshiywa yisiqhotho.”
13 So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and throughout that day and night the LORD sent an east wind across the land. By morning the east wind had brought the locusts.
UMosi wayiphakamisa intonga yakhe phezu kweGibhithe, uThixo wasequbula umoya wempumalanga wavunguza elizweni lonke ngalelolanga lobusuku bakhona. Ekuseni umoya waletha izintethe.
14 The locusts swarmed across the land and settled over the entire territory of Egypt. Never before had there been so many locusts, and never again will there be.
Zalihlasela lonke elaseGibhithe zagcwala silikici kuzozonke izindawo zelizwe ngobunengi bazo. Kwakungakaze kube lesikhongwane esingako njalo singeyikufa saba khona njalo lanini.
15 They covered the face of all the land until it was black, and they consumed all the plants on the ground and all the fruit on the trees that the hail had left behind. Nothing green was left on any tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.
Intethe lezo zavala umhlabathi waba mnyama bhuqe. Zatshaya zabhuqa konke okwakusele ngesikhathi sesiqhotho, konke okwakukhula emangweni kanye lezithelo zezihlahla. Akusalanga lutho oluluhlaza ezihlahleni loba isilimo bani kulolonke ilizwe laseGibhithe.
16 Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you.
UFaro waphanga wabiza uMosi lo-Aroni wathi, “Ngonile kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu lakini.
17 Now please forgive my sin once more and appeal to the LORD your God, that He may remove this death from me.”
Manje-ke ngixolelani njalo libuye likhuleke kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ukuthi asuse loluhlupho olubhubhisayo.”
18 So Moses left Pharaoh’s presence and appealed to the LORD.
UMosi wasesuka kuFaro wayakhuleka kuThixo.
19 And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind that carried off the locusts and blew them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust remained anywhere in Egypt.
UThixo wasewuguqula umoya waphephetha uvelela entshonalanga ulamandla. Wazidudula izintethe wazitshovela oLwandle Olubomvu. Akusalanga ntethe layinye loba ngaphi eGibhithe.
20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.
Kodwa uThixo wayenza yaba lukhuni inhliziyo kaFaro, kaze abavumela abako-Israyeli ukuthi bahambe.
21 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that darkness may spread over the land of Egypt—a palpable darkness.”
UThixo wasesithi kuMosi, “Yelulela isandla sakho emkhathini ukwenzela ukuthi umnyama wembese iGibhithe lonke, umnyama obambekayo.”
22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and total darkness covered all the land of Egypt for three days.
Ngakho uMosi waseselulela isandla sakhe phezulu, kwathi gubu umnyama okhasa phansi, walembesa lonke elaseGibhithe okwensuku ezintathu.
23 No one could see anyone else, and for three days no one left his place. Yet all the Israelites had light in their dwellings.
Kakho owayesabona omunye njalo kakho owayengasuka endaweni yakhe okwalezonsuku ezintathu. Kodwa ama-Israyeli ayelakho ukukhanya ezindaweni ayehlala kuzo.
24 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship the LORD. Even your little ones may go with you; only your flocks and herds must stay behind.”
UFaro wasebiza uMosi wathi, “Hambani liyekhonza uThixo. Ngitsho labesifazane benu labantwana hambani labo; litshiye kuphela imihlambi yezifuyo zenu.”
25 But Moses replied, “You must also provide us with sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the LORD our God.
Kodwa uMosi wathi, “Kumele usivumele ukuthi siyokwenza imihlatshelo leminikelo yokutshiswa kuThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.
26 Even our livestock must go with us; not a hoof will be left behind, for we will need some of them to worship the LORD our God, and we will not know how we are to worship the LORD until we arrive.”
Izifuyo zethu lazo zimele zihambe lathi kungasali lasinye. Kumele siyosebenzisa ezinye zazo ekukhonzeni uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu. Phela kasisoze sazi ukuthi sizasebenzisa siphi isifuyo ukukhonza uThixo size sifike khonale.”
27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was unwilling to let them go.
Kodwa uThixo wayenza yaba lukhuni inhliziyo kaFaro, kaze afuna ukubayekela bahambe.
28 “Depart from me!” Pharaoh said to Moses. “Make sure you never see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you will die.”
UFaro wathi kuMosi, “Suka phambi kwami! Phinde ngikubone futhi. Mhla wangibona futhi ufile wena.”
29 “As you say,” Moses replied, “I will never see your face again.”
UMosi waphendula wathi, “Akube njengokuba usitsho. Phinde ungibone njalo lapha.”