Exodus 19
1 The Israeli people then left Rephidim, and exactly two months after leaving Egypt, they/we came to the desert near Sinai [Mountain]. They/We set up their/our tents at the base of the mountain.
Ngosuku olufanayo, emva kwezinyanga ezintathu abantu bako-Israyeli besuke eGibhithe bafika enkangala yeSinayi.
Sebesukile eRefidimu bangena enkangala yeSinayi bamisa amathente abo phansi kwentaba.
3 Moses/I climbed up the mountain [to talk with] God. Yahweh called to [him/me] from [the top of] the mountain and said, “This is what I want you to say to the Israeli people, the descendants of Jacob:
Lapho-ke uMosi wakhuphukela kuNkulunkulu entabeni, uThixo esentabeni wabiza uMosi wathi kuye, “Tshela abantu bendlu kaJakhobe labantu bako-Israyeli, uthi
4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. You have seen [what I did for all of you] and how I brought you here to me. It was as though I [lifted you up as] an eagle [carries its young eaglets] on its wings [MET].
‘Lina ngokwenu lizibonele engikwenze eGibhithe lokuthi ngilithwele ngamaphiko okhozi ngaliletha lapha kimi.
5 So now, if you will do what I tell you and obey all that I command you, you will be my own people. All the people-groups on the earth are mine, but you will be (dearer/more special) to me than all the other people-groups.
Ngakho-ke lingangilalela ligcine isivumelwano sami lani lizakuba ligugu kimi phakathi kwezizwe zonke. Lanxa umhlaba wonke ungowami,
6 You will be people over whom I will rule, and you will all (be like priests/represent me to other nations as priests represent me to one nation) [MET], and you will be completely dedicated to me.’ That is what you must tell the Israeli people.”
lina kimi lizakuba ngumbuso wabaphristi lesizwe esingcwele.’ Yiwo amazwi okumele uwakhulume kwabako-Israyeli.”
7 So Moses/I went [down the mountain] and summoned the elders/leaders of the people. He/I told them everything that Yahweh had told him/me to tell them.
UMosi wabuyela ebantwini, wafika wabuthanisa abakhokheli babantu wabatshela okwakutshiwo nguThixo.
8 The people all said, “We will do everything that Yahweh has told us to do.” Then Moses/I [climbed back up the mountain and] reported to Yahweh what the people had said.
Bonke bavuma ngalizwi linye bathi, “Sizakwenza konke uThixo athe sikwenze.” UMosi wambikela uThixo okwakukhulunywe ngabantu.
9 Then Yahweh said to Moses/me, “[Listen carefully]: I am going to appear to you from inside a thick cloud. When I am speaking to you, the people will hear it, and they will always trust in you.” Then Moses/I went [down the mountain and reported to the people what Yahweh said. Then he/I went back up the mountain and] told Yahweh what the people replied.
UThixo wasesithi kuMosi, “Ngizakuza kini nginjengeyezi elimnyama ukuze abantu bangizwe ngikhuluma lawe. Ngakho ngezikhathi zonke bazakholwa kuwe.” UMosi watshela uThixo okwakutshiwo ngabantu.
10 Then Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Go [back down] to the people [again]. [Tell them to] purify themselves today and tomorrow. [Tell them to] wash their clothes, too.
Ngakho uThixo wathi kuMosi, “Buyela ebantwini ubangcwelise lamhla lakusasa. Batshele bagezise izigqoko zabo
11 They must do that to be ready on the day after tomorrow. On that day I will come down to Sinai Mountain to where all the people can see me.
kuthi ngelanga lesithathu libe selilungiselele ngoba ngalelolanga uThixo uzakwehlela entabeni yeSinayi abantu bonke bekhangele.
12 You must make a boundary around the base of the mountain, and tell them, ‘Be sure that you do not climb the mountain or even go near it. Anyone who even touches the base of the mountain must be executed.’
Yenzela abantu imingcele malungana lentaba, ubatshele uthi, ‘Limukani! Lingakhweli entabeni, kumbe ukufika phansi kwayo. Lowo ozasondela entabeni uzabulawa.’
13 Do not let anyone touch any person or any animal that touches the mountain. You must [kill any person or animal that touches the mountain] by throwing stones at it or shooting it [with arrows]. But when you hear a long [loud] trumpet sound, the people can come close to the [base of 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 So Moses/I went down the mountain [again] and told the people to purify themselves. They did what Moses/I told them to do, and they also washed their clothes.
Ngemva kokuba uMosi esehlile entabeni waya ebantwini wabangcwelisa basebegezisa lezigqoko zabo.
15 Then Moses/I said to the people, “Be ready on the day after tomorrow. And [you men] must not have sex with [EUP] [your wives] until after then.”
Wathi ebantwini, “Lungiselelani ilanga lesithathu. Zilani omkenu.”
16 Two days later, during the morning, there was thunder and lightning, and a very dark cloud on the mountain. A trumpet sounded very loudly, with the result that the people in the camp shook/trembled because they [were very afraid].
Ekuseni ngelanga lesithathu kwaba lomdumo lombane othuthumelisayo, leyezi elikhulukazi lehlela phezu kwentaba, kwezwakala lomsindo omkhulu wecilongo. Abantu bonke ezihonqweni besaba, baqhaqhazela.
17 Then Moses/I led the people outside the camp to meet with God. They stood at the base of the mountain.
UMosi wasebakhokhela ebasusa emathenteni ebasa kuNkulunkulu. Bafika bema ngaphansi kwentaba.
18 All of Sinai Mountain was covered in smoke, because Yahweh had descended on it, surrounded by a fire. The smoke rose up like the smoke from [the chimney of] a furnace, and the whole mountain shook violently.
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 trumpet continued to become louder, Moses/I spoke [to Yahweh], and Yahweh answered [him/me] in [a loud voice that sounded like] thunder.
Njalo umsindo wecilongo waya ulokhu ukhula. UMosi wakhuluma, kwathi ilizwi likaNkulunkulu lamphendula.
20 Then Yahweh came down [again] onto the top of Sinai Mountain, and he summoned Moses/me to come up to the top of the mountain. So Moses/I went up.
UThixo wehlela phezu kwentaba iSinayi, wabizela uMosi khona. Ngakho uMosi wakhwela,
21 Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Go down again and warn the people not to cross the boundary in order to look [at me]. If they [do] that, many of them will die.
UThixo wasesithi kuye, “Buyela phansi uyexwayisa abantu ukuba bangaqali ukweqa imingcele ukuba babone uThixo ngoba bangafa ngobunengi.
22 Also, the priests who habitually come near me must purify themselves. If they do not do that, I will punish them.”
Labaphristi abaya kuThixo kumele bazenze babengcwele, funa uThixo ababhubhise.”
23 Then Moses/I said to Yahweh, “The people will not climb the mountain, because you commanded them, saying, ‘Set a boundary around the mountain, to make it sacred/taboo.’”
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 Yahweh replied, “Go down the mountain, and bring Aaron back up with you. But do not allow the priests or other people to cross the boundary to come up to me. If they cross it, I will punish them.”
Kodwa uThixo wathi, “Yehla uyebuya lo-Aroni. Kodwa abaphristi labantu akumelanga ukuba beqe imingcele besiza lapho ngoba ngingabaphendukela.”
25 So Moses/I went down the mountain [again] and told the people [what Yahweh had said].
Ngakho uMosi wehla waya ebantwini wabatshela.
