Exodus 32
1 Now when the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!”
Kwathi lapho abantu bebona uMosi esephuzile ukwehla entabeni, babuthana ku-Aroni bathi kuye, “Lalela, senzele onkulunkulu abazahamba phambi kwethu, ngoba umuntu lo, uMosi owasikhupha elizweni laseGibhithe, asikwazi osekwenzakale kuye.”
2 So Aaron told them, “Take off the gold earrings that are on your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.”
U-Aroni wabaphendula wathi, “Khuphani amacici egolide asendlebeni zamakhosikazi enu, amadodana enu lamadodakazi enu, liwalethe kimi.”
3 Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron.
Ngakho abantu bonke bawakhupha amacici abo bawasa ku-Aroni.
4 He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, “These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”
Wathatha lokho abamnikeza khona wakwenza kwaba yisithombe esibunjwe ngesimo sethole esebenzisa insimbi yokukhanda. Basebesithi, “Laba yibo onkulunkulu benu, Oh Israyeli, abalikhupha elizweni laseGibhithe.”
5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before the calf and proclaimed: “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.”
Kwathi u-Aroni ebona lokhu wakha i-alithari phambi kwethole wamemezela wathi, “Kusasa kuzakuba lomkhosi kaThixo.”
6 So the next day they arose, offered burnt offerings, and presented peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to indulge in revelry.
Ngakho ngosuku olwalandelayo abantu bavuka ekuseni kakhulu banikela umnikelo wokutshiswa, baletha lomnikelo wobudlelwano. Emva kwalokho bahlala phansi badla, banatha; basukuma bagida.
7 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.
Lapho-ke uThixo wathi kuMosi, “Yehla uye phansi ngoba abantu bakho owabakhupha elizweni laseGibhithe sebegcwele ububi.
8 How quickly they have turned aside from the way that I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it. They have sacrificed to it and said, ‘These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’”
Baphangisile badela konke engabalaya khona bazenzela isithombe esibunjwe safana lethole. Basikhothamele banikela iminikelo kiso bathi, ‘Laba yibo onkulunkulu benu, bako-Israyeli, abalikhupha eGibhithe.’”
9 The LORD also said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people.
UThixo wasebuya wathi kuMosi, “Sengibabonile abantu laba; ngabantu abantamo zilukhuni.
10 Now leave Me alone, so that My anger may burn against them and consume them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”
Khathesi-ke ngiyekela ngingedwa ukuze ulaka lwami luvuthe phezu kwabo, ngibatshabalalise. Besengizakwenza isizwe esikhulu.”
11 But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God, saying, “O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people, whom You brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?
Kodwa uMosi wacela umusa kuThixo uNkulunkulu wakhe, wathi, “Awu Thixo, kungani ulaka lwakho kumele luvuthele abantu bakho owabakhupha eGibhithe ngamandla amakhulu langesandla esiqinileyo na?
12 Why should the Egyptians declare, ‘He brought them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce anger and relent from doing harm to Your people.
Kungani amaGibhithe kumele athi, ‘Wabakhupha elizweni ngenxa yenhloso embi ukuba ababulalele ezintabeni, ababhubhise baphele ebusweni bomhlaba’? Phenduka olakeni lwakho olwesabekayo, uthambise umoya wakho, ungaletheli abantu bakho ukubhujiswa.
13 Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, to whom You swore by Your very self when You declared, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give your descendants all this land that I have promised, and it shall be their inheritance forever.’”
Khumbula izinceku zakho u-Abhrahama, u-Isaka lo-Israyeli owafunga kubo wena ngokwakho wathi, ‘Ngizakwandisa inzalo yenu ibe ngangezinkanyezi zasemkhathini, ngiyinike lonke ilizwe engalithembisa lona ukuba libe yilifa layo kuze kube nini lanini.’”
14 So the LORD relented from the calamity He had threatened to bring on His people.
Lapho-ke uThixo waguquka ebubini ayesemise ukubehlisela ebantwini bakhe.
15 Then Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back.
UMosi waphenduka wehla entabeni ephethe izibhebhedu ezimbili zamatshe obufakazi ezandleni zakhe. Zazilotshwe inxa zombili, phambili langemuva.
16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.
Izibhebhedu zamatshe zazingumsebenzi kaNkulunkulu; umbhalo ungumbhalo kaNkulunkulu owawulotshwe ezibhebhedwini zamatshe.
17 When Joshua heard the sound of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “The sound of war is in the camp.”
Kwathi lapho uJoshuwa esizwa umsindo wabantu beklabalala, wathi kuMosi, “Kulokuhlokoma kwempi ezihonqweni.”
18 But Moses replied: “It is neither the cry of victory nor the cry of defeat; I hear the sound of singing!”
UMosi waphendula wathi: “Akusiyo nhlokomo yokunqoba, akusiyo nhlokomo yokunqotshwa; yinhlokomo yokuhlabela mina engiyizwayo.”
19 As Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, he burned with anger and threw the tablets out of his hands, shattering them at the base of the mountain.
Kwathi uMosi esebanga ezihonqweni ebona ithole kanye lokugida okwakusenziwa, ulaka lwakhe lwavutha, walahla izibhebhedu ezazisezandleni zakhe, zahlephuka zaba yizicucu ewatheni lwentaba.
20 Then he took the calf they had made, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, and scattered the powder over the face of the water. Then he forced the Israelites to drink it.
Wathatha ithole abebelenzile walitshisa emlilweni; walichola laba yimpuphu, wayiphosela emanzini, wathi bawanathe abako-Israyeli.
21 “What did this people do to you,” Moses asked Aaron, “that you have led them into so great a sin?”
Wasesithi ku-Aroni, “Abantu laba benzeni kuwe uze ubakhokhelele esonweni esikhulu kangaka na?”
22 “Do not be enraged, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know that the people are intent on evil.
U-Aroni waphendula wathi, “Ungathukutheli nkosi yami. Uyakwazi ukuthi abantu laba bathanda ububi.
23 They told me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!’
Bathe kimi, ‘Senzele onkulunkulu abazahamba phambi kwethu. Umuntu lo, uMosi owasikhupha elizweni laseGibhithe, asikwazi osokwenzakale kuye.’
24 So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, let him take it off,’ and they gave it to me. And when I threw it into the fire, out came this calf!”
Ngakho mina ngathi kubo, ‘Loba ngubani olomceciso wegolide kawukhuphe.’ Basebengipha-ke igolide ngaliphosa emlilweni, kwasekuphuma ithole leli.”
25 Moses saw that the people were out of control, for Aaron had let them run wild and become a laughingstock to their enemies.
UMosi wabona ukuthi abantu babengasabambeki kanye lokuthi u-Aroni wayesebaxhwalisile baze baba yinhlekisa ezitheni zabo.
26 So Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me.” And all the Levites gathered around him.
Ngakho wema esangweni lezihonqo wathi, “Wonke ongokaThixo, keze kimi.” Wonke amadodana kaLevi ayabuthana kuye.
27 He told them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each of you men is to fasten his sword to his side, go back and forth through the camp from gate to gate, and slay his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.’”
Wasesithi kuwo, “Lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ukuthi, ‘Indoda ngayinye kayibophele inkemba yayo ngebhanti eceleni kwayo, lihambahambe phakathi kwezihonqo lisuka kwelinye icele lazo lisiya kwelinye, indoda ngayinye ibulale umfowabo, umzalwane lomakhelwane wayo.’”
28 The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people fell dead.
Amadodana kaLevi enza njengokulaywa kwawo nguMosi. Ngakho ngalolosuku kwafa abantu ababengaba zinkulungwane ezintathu.
29 Afterward, Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for service to the LORD, since each man went against his son and his brother; so the LORD has bestowed a blessing on you this day.”
UMosi wasesithi kubo, “Lamuhla lina selahlukaniselwe uThixo ngoba limelane lamadodana enu labafowenu, ngalokho uselibusisile lamhla.”
30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. Now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”
Ngelanga elalandelayo uMosi wathi ebantwini, “Lenze isono esikhulu kakhulu. Kodwa khathesi ngizaqansa ngiye phezulu kuThixo, mhlawumbe ngingenza inhlawulelo yesono senu.”
31 So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made gods of gold for themselves.
Ngakho uMosi wabuyela kuThixo wathi kuye, “Awu, abantu laba sebenze isono esikhulu kakhulu. Bazenzele onkulunkulu ngegolide.
32 Yet now, if You would only forgive their sin.... But if not, please blot me out of the book that You have written.”
Ake ubathethelele izono zabo kodwa nxa kungenjalo, ngesula ogwalweni olulobileyo.”
33 The LORD replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book.
UThixo wamphendula uMosi wathi, “Lowo owenze isono kimi ngizamesula ogwalweni lwami.
34 Now go, lead the people to the place I described. Behold, My angel shall go before you. But on the day I settle accounts, I will punish them for their sin.”
Khathesi hamba, ukhokhelele abantu endaweni engakhuluma ngayo kuwe. Ingilosi yami izahamba phambi kwakho. Kodwa-ke nxa isikhathi sami sokujezisa sesifikile, ngizabajezisa ngenxa yesono sabo.”
35 And the LORD sent a plague on the people because of what they had done with the calf that Aaron had made.
UThixo wabajezisa abantu ngesifo ngenxa yalokho abakwenza ngethole elalenziwe ngu-Aroni.
