< Numbers 14 >

1 Then the whole congregation lifted up their voices and cried out, and that night the people wept.
Lenhlangano yonke yasiziphakamisa, yazwakalisa ilizwi layo; abantu basebekhala inyembezi ngalobobusuku.
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 abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebengunguna bemelene loMozisi loAroni; lenhlangano yonke yathi kubo: Kungathi ngabe safela elizweni leGibhithe, kumbe kungathi ngabe safela kule inkangala!
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?”
Njalo kungani iNkosi isilethe kulelilizwe ukuthi siwe ngenkemba? Omkethu labantwanyana bethu bazakuba yimpango. Bekungebe ngcono kithi ukubuyela eGibhithe yini?
4 So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.”
Basebesithi omunye komunye: Asimiseni inhloko, sibuyele eGibhithe.
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown before the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel.
UMozisi loAroni basebesithi mbo ngobuso babo phambi kwebandla lonke lenhlangano yabantwana bakoIsrayeli.
6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes
UJoshuwa indodana kaNuni loKalebi indodana kaJefune ababengabalabo abahlola ilizwe, basebedabula izembatho zabo,
7 and said to the whole congregation of Israel, “The land we passed through and explored is an exceedingly good land.
bakhuluma kunhlangano yonke yabantwana bakoIsrayeli besithi: Ilizwe esadabula kulo ukuze silihlole yilizwe elihle kakhulukazi.
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.
Uba iNkosi ithokoza ngathi, izasingenisa kulelilizwe, isinike lona, ilizwe eligeleza uchago loluju.
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 lingayivukeli iNkosi; futhi lina lingesabi abantu belizwe, ngoba bayikudla kwethu. Umthunzi wabo usukile kubo; leNkosi ilathi; 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 inhlangano yonke yathi kabakhandwe ngamatshe. Inkazimulo yeNkosi yasibonakala ethenteni lenhlangano kubo bonke abantwana bakoIsrayeli.
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?
INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Koze kube nini lababantu bengidelela? Koze kube nini bengangikholwa, ngazo zonke izibonakaliso engizenze phakathi kwabo?
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 ngomatshayabhuqe wesifo, ngibathathele ilifa, ngikwenze ube yisizwe esikhulu lesilamandla 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.
UMozisi wasesithi eNkosini: Khona amaGibhithe azakuzwa; ngoba wenyuse lababantu phakathi kwawo 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.
Njalo azatshela abahlali balelilizwe. Bazwile ukuthi wena Nkosi uphakathi kwalababantu, ukuthi wena Nkosi ubonwa ubuso ngobuso, lokuthi iyezi lakho lima phezu kwabo, uhamba phambi kwabo usensikeni yeyezi emini lensikeni yomlilo ebusuku.
15 If You kill this people as one man, the nations who have heard of Your fame will say,
Uba ubulala lababantu njengomuntu oyedwa, izizwe ezizwe ngendumela yakho zizakhuluma zisithi:
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.’
Ngoba iNkosi yayingelakho ukungenisa lababantu elizweni eyabafungela lona, ngakho ibabulele enkangala.
17 So now I pray, may the power of my Lord be magnified, just as You have declared:
Khathesi-ke, ngiyancenga, kawabe makhulu amandla eNkosi yami, njengokutsho kwakho usithi:
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.’
INkosi iyaphuza ukuthukuthela, njalo inkulu emuseni, ithethelela ububi leziphambeko, kodwa engayikumyekela lokumyekela olecala, iphindisela ububi baboyise phezu kwabantwana kwesesithathu lesesine isizukulwana.
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, ngiyancenga, ububi balababantu njengobukhulu bomusa wakho, lanjengalokho ubathethelele lababantu kusukela eGibhithe kuze kube khathesi.
20 “I have pardoned them as you requested,” the LORD replied.
INkosi yasisithi: Sengibathethelele njengokwelizwi lakho.
21 “Yet as surely as I live and as surely as the whole earth is filled with the glory of the LORD,
Kodwa isibili, njengalokhu ngiphila, umhlaba wonke uzagcwala ngenkazimulo yeNkosi.
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—
Ngoba wonke amadoda abone inkazimulo yami lezibonakaliso zami engazenza eGibhithe lenkangala, langilingileyo lezizikhathi ezilitshumi, kawezwanga ilizwi lami,
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.
isibili kabayikubona ilizwe engalifungela oyise; futhi kakho owalabo abangideleleyo 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 inceku yami uKalebi, ngoba omunye umoya ubulaye, wangilandela ngokupheleleyo; ngakho ngizamngenisa elizweni ayengene kilo; lenzalo yakhe izakudla ilifa lalo.
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.”
(AmaAmaleki lamaKhanani ahlala-ke esigodini.) Kusasa phendukani, lisuke liziyele enkangala ngendlela yoLwandle oluBomvu.
26 Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi lakuAroni isithi:
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 ngilalinhlangano embi, engingungunelayo? Ngizwile ukungunguna kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli abangunguna ngakho bemelene lami.
28 So tell them: As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you exactly as I heard you say.
Tshono kibo uthi: Sibili njengoba ngiphila, kutsho iNkosi, njengalokhu likhulume endlebeni zami, ngizakwenza njalo kini.
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 zizawela enkangala le, labo bonke ababaliweyo benu, njengokwenani lonke lenu, kusukela koleminyaka engamatshumi amabili langaphezulu, lina abangingunguneleyo;
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.
sibili lina kaliyikungena elizweni engiliphakamisele isandla sami ukulihlalisa kulo, ngaphandle kukaKalebi 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.
Kodwa abantwanyana benu elathi ngabo bazakuba yimpango, ngizabangenisa, bazalazi ilizwe elalilahlayo.
32 As for you, however, your bodies will fall in this wilderness.
Lina-ke, izidumbu zenu zizawela kulinkangala.
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.
Labantwana benu bazakuba ngabelusi enkangala iminyaka engamatshumi amane, bathwale ukuphinga kwenu, izidumbu zenu zize ziphele 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.
Njengokwenani lezinsuku elahlola ngazo ilizwe, insuku ezingamatshumi amane, usuku ngomnyaka, usuku ngomnyaka, lizathwala ububi benu, iminyaka engamatshumi amane, lazi ukufulathela kwami.
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 Nkosi ngikhulumile. Isibili ngizakwenza lokhu kulinhlangano yonke embi ebuthene imelene lami; kulinkangala bazaphela, bafele khona.
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—
Njalo amadoda uMozisi awathumayo ukuhlola ilizwe, esephenduka, enza inhlangano yonke yamngungunela ngokuletha umbiko omubi mayelana lelizwe,
37 those men who had brought out the bad report about the land—were struck down by a plague before the LORD.
lamadoda aletha umbiko omubi ngelizwe afa ngenhlupheko phambi kweNkosi.
38 Of those men who had gone to spy out the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh remained alive.
Kodwa uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni loKalebi indodana kaJefune, kulawomadoda ayeyehlola ilizwe, asala ephila.
39 And when Moses relayed these words to all the Israelites, the people mourned bitterly.
Njalo uMozisi wakhuluma la amazwi kubo bonke abantwana bakoIsrayeli; abantu basebelila kakhulu.
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.”
Basebevuka ekuseni kakhulu, benyukela engqongeni yentaba, besithi: Khangelani silapha, sizakwenyukela endaweni iNkosi eyithembisileyo; ngoba sonile.
41 But Moses said, “Why are you transgressing the commandment of the LORD? This will not succeed!
Kodwa uMozisi wathi: Kungani-ke liseqa umlayo weNkosi? Ngoba kakuyikuphumelela.
42 Do not go up, lest you be struck down by your enemies, because the LORD is not among you.
Lingenyuki, ngoba iNkosi kayikho phakathi kwenu, ukuze lingatshaywa phambi kwezitha 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 amaAmaleki lamaKhanani alapho phambi kwenu; njalo lizakuwa ngenkemba, ngoba njengoba liphendukile ekulandeleni iNkosi, iNkosi kayiyikuba lani.
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.
Kodwa ngokuziqhenya benyukela engqongeni yentaba, kodwa umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi loMozisi kawuphumanga phakathi kwenkamba.
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.
AmaAmaleki asesehla, lamaKhanani ahlala kulezozintaba, abatshaya, abahlakaza kwaze kwaba seHorma.

< Numbers 14 >