Numbers 14
1 Then the whole congregation lifted up their voices and cried out, and that night the people wept.
Ngalobobusuku abantu bonke emphakathini baphakamisa amazwi abo bakhala kakhulu.
2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness!
Bonke abako-Israyeli bakhonona besola uMosi lo-Aroni, lonke ibandla lathi kubo, “Ngabe sahle sazifela eGibhithe, kumbe khonapha enkangala!
3 Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”
Kungani uThixo esilethe kulelilizwe ukuthi sife sibulawa ngenkemba na? Amakhosikazi ethu kanye labantwabethu bazakuba yimpango. Kambe kakungcono yini ukuthi sibuyele eGibhithe na?”
4 So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.”
Bakhulumisana besithi, “Asikhetheni omunye umkhokheli asibuyisele eGibhithe.”
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown before the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel.
Ngakho uMosi lo-Aroni bathi mbo ngobuso phansi phambi kwabantu bako-Israyeli bonke ababebuthene lapho.
6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes
Kwathi uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni kanye loKhalebi indodana kaJefune, ababengabanye balabo ababeyehlola ilizwe, badabula izigqoko zabo
7 and said to the whole congregation of Israel, “The land we passed through and explored is an exceedingly good land.
bathi kubo bonke abako-Israyeli ababebuthene, “Ilizwe esadabula kulo salihlola lihle kakhulu.
8 If the LORD delights in us, He will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and He will give it to us.
Nxa uThixo ethokoza ngathi, uzasikhokhelela kulo, ilizwe eligeleza uchago loluju, njalo uzakusinika lona.
9 Only do not rebel against the LORD, and do not be afraid of the people of the land, for they will be like bread for us. Their protection has been removed, and the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them!”
Kuphela nje lingamhlamukeli uThixo. Futhi lingabesabi abantu bakulelolizwe, ngoba sizabadla sibaqede. Kabaselaso isivikelo, kodwa uThixo ulathi. Lingabesabi.”
10 But the whole congregation threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites at the Tent of Meeting.
Kodwa ibandla wonke wathi kabakhandwe ngamatshe. Inkazimulo kaThixo yasibonakala kubo bonke abako-Israyeli ethenteni lokuhlangana.
11 And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people treat Me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in Me, despite all the signs I have performed among them?
UThixo wasesithi kuMosi, “Koze kube nini abantu laba bengeyisa na? Kuzaze kube nini bengangikholwa, loba sengenze izinto ezimangalisayo phakathi kwabo na?
12 I will strike them with a plague and destroy them—and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are.”
Ngizabatshaya ngomkhuhlane ngibabhubhise, kodwa wena ngizakwenza ube yisizwe esikhulu njalo esilamandla kulabo.”
13 But Moses said to the LORD, “The Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought this people from among them.
UMosi wasesithi kuThixo, “AmaGibhithe azakuzwa lokhu! Abantu laba bakhutshwa nguwe phakathi kwabo ngamandla akho.
14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have already heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people, that You, O LORD, have been seen face to face, that Your cloud stands over them, and that You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
Ngakho bazatshela abakhileyo kulelilizwe ngalesisehlakalo. Bavele sebezwile ukuthi wena, Oh Thixo, ulabo lababantu njalo lokuthi wena, Thixo, ubonakale uqondene labo ubuso ngobuso, lokuthi iyezi lakho lihlala liphezu kwabo, njalo lokuthi uhamba phambi kwabo ngensika yeyezi lakho emini kuthi ebusuku ngensika yomlilo.
15 If You kill this people as one man, the nations who have heard of Your fame will say,
Pho ungababhubhisa abantu bonke laba ngasikhathi sinye, izizwe esezizwile ngalezizindaba ngawe zizakuthi,
16 ‘Because the LORD was unable to bring this people into the land He swore to give them, He has slaughtered them in the wilderness.’
‘UThixo wehlulekile ukungenisa abantu laba elizweni abathembisa lona ngesifungo; ngakho usebabhubhisele enkangala.’
17 So now I pray, may the power of my Lord be magnified, just as You have declared:
Amandla kaThixo kabonakaliswe khathesi, njengokutsho kwakho ukuthi:
18 ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion, forgiving iniquity and transgression. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generation.’
‘UThixo uyaphuza ukuthukuthela, ugcwele ngothando njalo uyathethelela isono lokuhlamuka. Kodwa kayikubayekela abalecala bengajeziswanga; ujezisa abantwana ngenxa yezono zaboyise kuze kube kusizukulwane sesithathu lesesine.’
19 Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people, in keeping with the greatness of Your loving devotion, just as You have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.”
Thethelela isono salababantu, ngenxa yothando lwakho olukhulu, ubaxolele njengokubaxolela kwakho kusukela ngesikhathi abasuka ngaso eGibhithe kuze kube khathesi.”
20 “I have pardoned them as you requested,” the LORD replied.
UThixo waphendula wathi, “Sengibathethelele njengesicelo sakho.
21 “Yet as surely as I live and as surely as the whole earth is filled with the glory of the LORD,
Impela njengoba ngiphila, lanjengoba inkazimulo kaThixo igcwalise umhlaba wonke,
22 not one of the men who have seen My glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness—yet have tested Me and disobeyed Me these ten times—
akulamuntu loyedwa owabona inkazimulo yami kanye lezibonakaliso zezimanga engazenza eGibhithe lasenkangala kodwa kaze angilalela njalo wangilinga okungaba ngamahlandla alitshumi,
23 not one will ever see the land that I swore to give their fathers. None of those who have treated Me with contempt will see it.
akukho loyedwa wabo ozalibona ilizwe engalithembisa okhokho babo ngesifungo. Futhi kakho loyedwa ongidelelayo ozalibona.
24 But because My servant Caleb has a different spirit and has followed Me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he has entered, and his descendants will inherit it.
Kodwa ngenxa yokuthi inceku yami uKhalebi ulomoya owehlukileyo njalo ungilandela ngenhliziyo yakhe yonke, ngizamngenisa elizweni afika kulo, lizakuba yilifa lezizukulwane zakhe.
25 Now since the Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn back tomorrow and head for the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea.”
Njengoba ama-Amaleki lamaKhenani ehlala ezigodini, lina phendukani kusasa liqonde enkangala ngendlela yasoLwandle oLubomvu.”
26 Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
UThixo wathi kuMosi lo-Aroni:
27 “How long will this wicked congregation grumble against Me? I have heard the complaints that the Israelites are making against Me.
“Koze kube nini lababantu abangalunganga bekhonona bengisola na? Sengizwile ukusola lokukhonona kwabako-Israyeli.
28 So tell them: As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you exactly as I heard you say.
Ngakho batshele uthi, ‘Njengoba ngiphila impela, kutsho uThixo, ngizakwenza kini zona lezozinto engilizwe lizikhuluma.
29 Your bodies will fall in this wilderness—all who were numbered in the census, everyone twenty years of age or older—because you have grumbled against Me.
Izidumbu zenu zizagcwala enkangala yonale, lina lonke elabalwayo ngesikhathi sokubalwa kwabantu elileminyaka yokuzalwa engamatshumi amabili kusiya phezulu labo bonke abakade bekhonona bengisola.
30 Surely none of you will enter the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
Kakho loyedwa wenu ozangena elizweni engafunga ngokuphakamisa isandla ukuthi libe likhaya lenu, ngaphandle kukaKhalebi indodana kaJefune loJoshuwa indodana kaNuni.
31 But I will bring your children, whom you said would become plunder, into the land you have rejected—and they will enjoy it.
Mayelana labantwana benu labo elathi bazakuba yimpango, ngizabangenisa elizweni lelo elilalileyo ukuze bathokoze kulo.
32 As for you, however, your bodies will fall in this wilderness.
Kodwa lina, izidumbu zenu zizawohlokela kule inkangala.
33 Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness.
Abantwabenu bazakuba ngabelusi lapha okweminyaka engamatshumi amane, behlupheka ngenxa yokungathembeki kwenu, kuze kungcwatshwe isidumbu sokucina enkangala.
34 In keeping with the forty days you spied out the land, you shall bear your guilt forty years—a year for each day—and you will experience My alienation.
Okweminyaka engamatshumi amane, umnyaka munye umele usuku lunye elahlola ngalo ilizwe, lizahlupheka ngenxa yezono zenu lize lazi ukuthi kuyinto enjani nxa mina ngimelana lani.’
35 I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this entire wicked congregation, which has conspired against Me. They will meet their end in the wilderness, and there they will die.”
Mina Thixo, sengikhulumile, njalo ngempela ngizazenza lezizinto ebantwini laba bonke, abamanyeneyo bemelana lami. Bazabhubha kuyonale inkangala; bazafela khonapha.”
36 So the men Moses had sent to spy out the land, who had returned and made the whole congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report about the land—
Ngakho amadoda ayethunywe nguMosi ukuthi ayehlola ilizwe, lawo athi ekuphendukeni kwawo amemethekisa umbiko omubi owabangela ukuthi abantu bakhonone besola uMosi,
37 those men who had brought out the bad report about the land—were struck down by a plague before the LORD.
lawomadoda amemethekisa umbiko ongalunganga mayelana lelizwe atshaywa ngomkhuhlane afa phambi kukaThixo.
38 Of those men who had gone to spy out the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh remained alive.
Emadodeni ayeyehlola ilizwe, kwasila kuphela uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni kanye loKhalebi indodana kaJefune.
39 And when Moses relayed these words to all the Israelites, the people mourned bitterly.
Kwathi lapho uMosi esebikele bonke abako-Israyeli, bakhala kabuhlungu.
40 Early the next morning they got up and went up toward the ridge of the hill country. “We have indeed sinned,” they said, “but we will go to the place the LORD has promised.”
Ngosuku olulandelayo ekuseni kakhulu baqonda elizweni lamaqaqa. Bathi, “Sonile, sizakuya kuleyondawo esayithenjiswa nguThixo.”
41 But Moses said, “Why are you transgressing the commandment of the LORD? This will not succeed!
Kodwa uMosi wathi kubo, “Kungani lingalaleli umlayo kaThixo na? Lokhu elikwenzayo akusoze kuphumelele!
42 Do not go up, lest you be struck down by your enemies, because the LORD is not among you.
Lingakhuphuki, ngoba uThixo kalisekeli. Lizakwehlulwa yizitha zenu,
43 For there the Amalekites and Canaanites will face you, and you will fall by the sword. Because you have turned away from the LORD, He will not be with you.”
ngoba lizaqondana lama-Amaleki kanye lamaKhenani khonale. Ngenxa yokuthi limhlamukele uThixo, yena kayikuba lani ngakho lizabhujiswa ngenkemba.”
44 But they dared to go up to the ridge of the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the covenant of the LORD moved from the camp.
Loba kunjalo, baqhubeka beqonde elizweni lamaqaqa benganakile, loba uMosi kumbe umtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaThixo kungasukanga ezihonqweni.
45 Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that part of the hill country came down, attacked them, and routed them all the way to Hormah.
Ngakho ama-Amaleki lamaKhenani ayehlala kulelolizwe lamaqaqa ehla abahlasela, ababhuqa ebaxotsha baze bayafika eHoma.
