Numbers 17
1 Then Yahweh said to Moses/me,
UThixo wathi kuMosi,
2 “Tell the Israeli people to bring to you twelve walking sticks. They should bring one from each of the leaders of the twelve tribes. You should carve each leader’s name on his stick.
“Tshela abako-Israyeli ukuthi bakuphe intonga ezilitshumi lambili, kuphume ibenye kumkhokheli munye ngamunye wesizwana sabokhokho bakhe. Bhala ibizo lendoda ngayinye entongeni yayo.
3 There must be one stick for the leader of each tribe, so you must carve Aaron’s name on the stick for the tribe of Levi.
Entongeni kaLevi uzabhala ibizo lika-Aroni, ngoba kumele kube lentonga eyodwa emele inhloko inye ngayinye yesizwana sabokhokho bayo.
4 Put those sticks inside the Sacred Tent, in front of the sacred chest that has in it the tablets on which the Ten Commandments are written. That is the place where I always talk with you.
Zifake ethenteni lokuhlangana phambi komtshokotsho wobufakazi, lapho engihlangana lawe khona.
5 Buds will sprout on the stick of the man whom I have chosen [to be the priest]. [When the people see that], they will stop their constantly complaining about you [because they will realize that you are the one whom I have chosen].”
Intonga yendoda engizayikhetha izahluma, njalo mina ngizahle ngikuqede lokhu kukhonona okulokhu kuqhubeka kusolwa wena ngabako-Israyeli.”
6 So Moses/I told the people what Yahweh had said. Then each of the twelve Israeli leaders, including Aaron, brought his walking stick to Moses/me.
Ngakho uMosi wakhuluma kwabako-Israyeli, abakhokheli babo bamnika intonga ezilitshumi lambili, ngayinye ingeyomkhokheli wesizwana sabokhokho bakhe, kwathi leka-Aroni yayibalelwa kuzo.
7 Moses/I placed the sticks inside the Sacred Tent in front of the sacred chest.
UMosi wabeka intonga lezo phambi kukaThixo ethenteni lobufakazi.
8 The following morning, when he/I went into the tent, he/I saw that Aaron’s stick, which represented the tribe of Levi, had sprouted, it had produced leaves and blossoms, and it had also produced almonds that were ripe!
Ngosuku olulandelayo uMosi wangena ethenteni lobufakazi wabona ukuthi intonga ka-Aroni eyayimele indlu kaLevi, yayisihlumile yaqhakaza, isilamaluba njalo isithele izithelo ze-alimondi.
9 Moses/I brought all the sticks out of the Sacred Tent and showed them to the people. Each of the twelve leaders took back his own stick.
Ngakho uMosi wazisusa zonke intonga phambi kukaThixo waziletha phambi kwabo bonke abako-Israyeli. Bazikhangela, ngulowo wathatha eyakhe intonga.
10 Then Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Put Aaron’s stick in front of the sacred chest, and let it stay there permanently. That will be a warning to people who want to rebel [against me]. Then no more people will die [because of complaining against me].”
UThixo wathi kuMosi, “Buyisela intonga ka-Aroni phambi komtshokotsho wobufakazi, igcinwe khonapho ibe yisibonakaliso kulabo abahlamukayo. Lokhu kuzaqeda ukukhonona kwabo ngami, ukuze bangafi.”
11 So Moses/I did what Yahweh had commanded.
UMosi wenza khona lokho kanye uThixo ayemlaye ngakho.
12 Then the Israeli people said to Moses/me, “We are going to die! All of us are surely going to die!
Abako-Israyeli bathi kuMosi, “Sizakufa! Sifile, sonke sesifile!
13 Everyone who comes close to Yahweh’s Sacred Tent dies. Are the rest of us going to die, also?” [RHQ]
Loba ngubani ozasondela phansi kwethabanikeli likaThixo uzakufa. Sizakufa sonke na?”
