< Exodus 32 >

1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people collected together to Aaron, and said to him, Up, make us a god, who will go before us; for this Moses, the man that has brought us up out of the land of Egypt, — we do not know what is become of 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 And Aaron said to them, Break off the golden rings that are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your 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 broke off the golden rings that were in their ears, and brought [them] to Aaron.
Ngakho abantu bonke bawakhupha amacici abo bawasa ku-Aroni.
4 And he took [them] out of their hand, and fashioned it with a chisel and made of it a molten calf: and they said, This is thy god, Israel, who has brought thee 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 And Aaron saw [it], and built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation, and said, To-morrow is a feast to Jehovah!
Kwathi u-Aroni ebona lokhu wakha i-alithari phambi kwethole wamemezela wathi, “Kusasa kuzakuba lomkhosi kaThixo.”
6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered up burnt-offerings, and brought peace-offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to sport.
Ngakho ngosuku olwalandelayo abantu bavuka ekuseni kakhulu banikela umnikelo wokutshiswa, baletha lomnikelo wobudlelwano. Emva kwalokho bahlala phansi badla, banatha; basukuma bagida.
7 Then Jehovah said to Moses, Away, go down! for thy people, which thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt, is acting corruptly.
Lapho-ke uThixo wathi kuMosi, “Yehla uye phansi ngoba abantu bakho owabakhupha elizweni laseGibhithe sebegcwele ububi.
8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them: they have made themselves a molten calf, and have bowed down to it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, This is thy god, Israel, who has brought thee 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 And Jehovah said to Moses, I see this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.
UThixo wasebuya wathi kuMosi, “Sengibabonile abantu laba; ngabantu abantamo zilukhuni.
10 And now let me alone, that my anger may burn against them, and I may consume them; and I will make of thee a great nation.
Khathesi-ke ngiyekela ngingedwa ukuze ulaka lwami luvuthe phezu kwabo, ngibatshabalalise. Besengizakwenza isizwe esikhulu.”
11 And Moses besought Jehovah his God, and said, Why, Jehovah, doth thy wrath burn against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong 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 speak, and say, For misfortune he has brought them out, to slay them on the mountains, and to annihilate them from the face of the earth? Turn from the heat of thine anger, and repent of this evil against thy 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 Abraham, Isaac and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou sworest by thyself, and saidst to them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give to your seed, and they shall possess [it] for ever!
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 And Jehovah repented of the evil that he had said he would do to his people.
Lapho-ke uThixo waguquka ebubini ayesemise ukubehlisela ebantwini bakhe.
15 And Moses turned and went down from the mountain, [with] the two tables of the testimony in his hand — tables written on both their sides: on this side and on that were they written.
UMosi waphenduka wehla entabeni ephethe izibhebhedu ezimbili zamatshe obufakazi ezandleni zakhe. Zazilotshwe inxa zombili, phambili langemuva.
16 And the tables [were] God's work, and the writing was God's writing, engraven on the tables.
Izibhebhedu zamatshe zazingumsebenzi kaNkulunkulu; umbhalo ungumbhalo kaNkulunkulu owawulotshwe ezibhebhedwini zamatshe.
17 And Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, and said to Moses, There is a shout of war in the camp.
Kwathi lapho uJoshuwa esizwa umsindo wabantu beklabalala, wathi kuMosi, “Kulokuhlokoma kwempi ezihonqweni.”
18 And he said, It is not the sound of a shout of victory, neither is it the sound of a shout of defeat: it is the noise of alternate singing I hear.
UMosi waphendula wathi: “Akusiyo nhlokomo yokunqoba, akusiyo nhlokomo yokunqotshwa; yinhlokomo yokuhlabela mina engiyizwayo.”
19 And it came to pass, when he came near the camp, and saw the calf and the dancing, that Moses' anger burned, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and shattered them beneath the mountain.
Kwathi uMosi esebanga ezihonqweni ebona ithole kanye lokugida okwakusenziwa, ulaka lwakhe lwavutha, walahla izibhebhedu ezazisezandleni zakhe, zahlephuka zaba yizicucu ewatheni lwentaba.
20 And he took the calf that they had made, and burned [it] with fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed [it] on the water, and made the children of Israel drink [it].
Wathatha ithole abebelenzile walitshisa emlilweni; walichola laba yimpuphu, wayiphosela emanzini, wathi bawanathe abako-Israyeli.
21 And Moses said to Aaron, What has this people done to thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin on them?
Wasesithi ku-Aroni, “Abantu laba benzeni kuwe uze ubakhokhelele esonweni esikhulu kangaka na?”
22 And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord burn! thou knowest the people, that they are [set] on mischief.
U-Aroni waphendula wathi, “Ungathukutheli nkosi yami. Uyakwazi ukuthi abantu laba bathanda ububi.
23 And they said to me, Make us a god, who will go before us; for this Moses, the man that has brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what is become of him!
Bathe kimi, ‘Senzele onkulunkulu abazahamba phambi kwethu. Umuntu lo, uMosi owasikhupha elizweni laseGibhithe, asikwazi osokwenzakale kuye.’
24 And I said to them, Who has gold? They broke [it] off, and gave [it] me, and I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.
Ngakho mina ngathi kubo, ‘Loba ngubani olomceciso wegolide kawukhuphe.’ Basebengipha-ke igolide ngaliphosa emlilweni, kwasekuphuma ithole leli.”
25 And Moses saw the people how they were stripped; for Aaron had stripped them to [their] shame before their adversaries.
UMosi wabona ukuthi abantu babengasabambeki kanye lokuthi u-Aroni wayesebaxhwalisile baze baba yinhlekisa ezitheni zabo.
26 And Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, He that is for Jehovah, [let him come] to me. And all the sons of Levi gathered to him.
Ngakho wema esangweni lezihonqo wathi, “Wonke ongokaThixo, keze kimi.” Wonke amadodana kaLevi ayabuthana kuye.
27 And he said to them, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Put every man his sword upon his hip; go and return from gate to gate through the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbour.
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 And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses; and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.
Amadodana kaLevi enza njengokulaywa kwawo nguMosi. Ngakho ngalolosuku kwafa abantu ababengaba zinkulungwane ezintathu.
29 And Moses said, Consecrate yourselves to-day to Jehovah, yea, every man with his son, and with his brother, and bring on yourselves a blessing to-day.
UMosi wasesithi kubo, “Lamuhla lina selahlukaniselwe uThixo ngoba limelane lamadodana enu labafowenu, ngalokho uselibusisile lamhla.”
30 And it came to pass the next day, that Moses said to the people, Ye have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to Jehovah: perhaps I shall 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 And Moses returned to Jehovah, and said, Alas, this people has sinned a great sin, and they have made themselves a god of gold!
Ngakho uMosi wabuyela kuThixo wathi kuye, “Awu, abantu laba sebenze isono esikhulu kakhulu. Bazenzele onkulunkulu ngegolide.
32 And now, if thou wilt forgive their sin...but if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book that thou hast written.
Ake ubathethelele izono zabo kodwa nxa kungenjalo, ngesula ogwalweni olulobileyo.”
33 And Jehovah said to Moses, Whoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
UThixo wamphendula uMosi wathi, “Lowo owenze isono kimi ngizamesula ogwalweni lwami.
34 And now go, lead the people whither I have told thee: behold, my Angel shall go before thee; but in the day of my visiting I will visit their sin upon them.
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 Jehovah smote the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron had made.
UThixo wabajezisa abantu ngesifo ngenxa yalokho abakwenza ngethole elalenziwe ngu-Aroni.

< Exodus 32 >