Exodus 19
1 Two months to the day after they left Egypt, the Israelites arrived at the Sinai desert.
Ngosuku olufanayo, emva kwezinyanga ezintathu abantu bako-Israyeli besuke eGibhithe bafika enkangala yeSinayi.
2 They had set out from Rephidim, and after they entered the Sinai desert they camped there in front of the mountain.
Sebesukile eRefidimu bangena enkangala yeSinayi bamisa amathente abo phansi kwentaba.
3 Moses went up the mountain to God. The Lord spoke to Moses from the mountain, and told him, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob, the Israelites:
Lapho-ke uMosi wakhuphukela kuNkulunkulu entabeni, uThixo esentabeni wabiza uMosi wathi kuye, “Tshela abantu bendlu kaJakhobe labantu bako-Israyeli, uthi
4 ‘You saw for yourselves what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles' wings, how I brought you to myself.
‘Lina ngokwenu lizibonele engikwenze eGibhithe lokuthi ngilithwele ngamaphiko okhozi ngaliletha lapha kimi.
5 Now if you really obey what I say and keep the agreement with me, then out of all the nations you will be a special people that belong to me. While the whole world is mine,
Ngakho-ke lingangilalela ligcine isivumelwano sami lani lizakuba ligugu kimi phakathi kwezizwe zonke. Lanxa umhlaba wonke ungowami,
6 for me you will be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.’ This is what you are to tell the Israelites.”
lina kimi lizakuba ngumbuso wabaphristi lesizwe esingcwele.’ Yiwo amazwi okumele uwakhulume kwabako-Israyeli.”
7 So Moses went back down and summoned the elders of the people, and presented to them everything the Lord had ordered him to say.
UMosi wabuyela ebantwini, wafika wabuthanisa abakhokheli babantu wabatshela okwakutshiwo nguThixo.
8 Everyone answered, “We promise to do everything the Lord says.” Then Moses took the people's answer back to the Lord.
Bonke bavuma ngalizwi linye bathi, “Sizakwenza konke uThixo athe sikwenze.” UMosi wambikela uThixo okwakukhulunywe ngabantu.
9 The Lord told Moses, “Look! I'm going to come to you in a thick cloud so the people will hear me speaking with you and as a result they will always trust you.” Then Moses reported to the Lord what the people had said.
UThixo wasesithi kuMosi, “Ngizakuza kini nginjengeyezi elimnyama ukuze abantu bangizwe ngikhuluma lawe. Ngakho ngezikhathi zonke bazakholwa kuwe.” UMosi watshela uThixo okwakutshiwo ngabantu.
10 The Lord told Moses, “Go back down and prepare them spiritually today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes
Ngakho uThixo wathi kuMosi, “Buyela ebantwini ubangcwelise lamhla lakusasa. Batshele bagezise izigqoko zabo
11 and be ready on the third day because that is when the Lord will descend upon Mount Sinai in the full view of everyone.
kuthi ngelanga lesithathu libe selilungiselele ngoba ngalelolanga uThixo uzakwehlela entabeni yeSinayi abantu bonke bekhangele.
12 Set up a boundary for the people all around and warn them, ‘Watch out! Don't try to go up the mountain—don't even touch it! For anyone who touches the mountain will most certainly be killed. Don't touch any person or any animal that has touched the mountain.
Yenzela abantu imingcele malungana lentaba, ubatshele uthi, ‘Limukani! Lingakhweli entabeni, kumbe ukufika phansi kwayo. Lowo ozasondela entabeni uzabulawa.’
13 Make sure they are stoned or shot with arrows—they must not be allowed to live.’ Only when there is a long blast on the ram's horn can the people come up the mountain.”
Ngempela uzatshaywa ngamatshe kumbe acitshwe ngemitshoko kodwa angathintwa ngesandla. Akukhathalekile ukuthi ngumuntu loba yinyamazana akusoze kuvunyelwe ukuphila. Bazakhwela entabeni kuphela nxa uphondo lwenqama selukhale isikhathi eside.”
14 Moses went down the mountain and prepared the people spiritually and they washed their clothes.
Ngemva kokuba uMosi esehlile entabeni waya ebantwini wabangcwelisa basebegezisa lezigqoko zabo.
15 He instructed the people, “Get ready for the third day, and don't be intimate with a woman.”
Wathi ebantwini, “Lungiselelani ilanga lesithathu. Zilani omkenu.”
16 When morning came on the third day there was thunder and lightning, and a thick cloud covered the mountain. There was the very loud sound of a ram's horn, and everyone in the camp shook with fear.
Ekuseni ngelanga lesithathu kwaba lomdumo lombane othuthumelisayo, leyezi elikhulukazi lehlela phezu kwentaba, kwezwakala lomsindo omkhulu wecilongo. Abantu bonke ezihonqweni besaba, baqhaqhazela.
17 Moses led the people out from the camp to meet God. They stood at the foot of the mountain.
UMosi wasebakhokhela ebasusa emathenteni ebasa kuNkulunkulu. Bafika bema ngaphansi kwentaba.
18 Smoke poured out over the whole of Mount Sinai because the Lord's presence had come down like fire. The smoke rose up like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain shook furiously.
Intaba yonke iSinayi yembeswa yintuthu ngoba uThixo wehlela phezu kwayo ngesimo somlilo. Intuthu yathunqa ngamandla isiya phezulu kungathi iphuma emphongolweni.
19 As the sound of the ram's horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in a loud, thunderous voice.
Njalo umsindo wecilongo waya ulokhu ukhula. UMosi wakhuluma, kwathi ilizwi likaNkulunkulu lamphendula.
20 The Lord descended on the top of Mount Sinai, and he called Moses to come up there. So Moses went up,
UThixo wehlela phezu kwentaba iSinayi, wabizela uMosi khona. Ngakho uMosi wakhwela,
21 and the Lord told him, “Go back down, and warn the people not to force their way across the boundary to try to come to the Lord or they will die.
UThixo wasesithi kuye, “Buyela phansi uyexwayisa abantu ukuba bangaqali ukweqa imingcele ukuba babone uThixo ngoba bangafa ngobunengi.
22 Even the priests, who come before the Lord, must prepare themselves spiritually, so that the Lord does not punish them.”
Labaphristi abaya kuThixo kumele bazenze babengcwele, funa uThixo ababhubhise.”
23 But Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai. You yourself warned us, ‘Set up a boundary around the mountain, and treat it as holy.’”
UMosi wathi kuThixo, “Akulamuntu ongakhwela entabeni yeSinayi ngoba wena ngokwakho wathi bangakwenzi lokho. Uthe ngenze imingcele egombolozela intaba ngitshele abantu bangasondeli kuyo ngoba ingcwele.”
24 The Lord told him, “Go down and bring Aaron back up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way to come up to the Lord, or he will punish them.”
Kodwa uThixo wathi, “Yehla uyebuya lo-Aroni. Kodwa abaphristi labantu akumelanga ukuba beqe imingcele besiza lapho ngoba ngingabaphendukela.”
25 So Moses went down and explained to the people what the Lord had said.
Ngakho uMosi wehla waya ebantwini wabatshela.
