UDutheronomi 1
1 La ngamazwi akhulunywa nguMosi kubo bonke abako-Israyeli enkangala, empumalanga yeJodani, lokhu kuyikuthi, e-Arabha, maqondana leSufi, phakathi kwePharani leThofeli, eLabhani, eHazerothi kanye laseDizahabi.
These are the words, which Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan, in the plain wilderness, over against the Red Sea, between Pharan and Thophel and Laban and Haseroth, where there is very much gold:
2 (Loluhambo luthatha insuku ezilitshumi lanye ukusuka eHorebhi kusiya eKhadeshi Bhaneya ngomgwaqo odlula eNtabeni yaseSeyiri.)
Eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Cadesbarne.
3 Ngomnyaka wamatshumi amane, ngosuku lwakuqala lwenyanga yetshumi lanye, uMosi wamemezela kwabako-Israyeli konke lokho uThixo ayemlaye ngakho ngabo.
In the fortieth year, the eleventh month, the first day of the month, Moses spoke to the children of Israel all that the Lord had commanded him to say to them:
4 Lokhu kwakungemva kokuba esenqobe uSihoni inkosi yama-Amori, owayebusa eHeshibhoni, njalo wayesenqobe e-Edreyi u-Ogi inkosi yaseBhashani, owayebusa e-Ashitharothi.
After that he had slain Sehon king of the Amorrhites, who dwelt in Hesebon: and Og king of Basan who abode in Astaroth, and in Edrai,
5 Empumalanga kweJodani elizweni laseMowabi, uMosi waqalisa ukufundisa ngalo umthetho, esithi:
Beyond the Jordan in the land of Moab. And Moses began to expound the law, and to say:
6 “UThixo uNkulunkulu wethu wakhuluma lathi siseHorebhi wathi, ‘Selihlale isikhathi eseneleyo kule intaba.
The Lord our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: You have stayed long enough in this mountain:
7 Dilizani izihonqo zenu ledlulele elizweni lamaqaqa lama-Amori; yanini kubo bonke abangomakhelwane e-Arabha, ezintabeni, emawatheni angentshonalanga, eNegebi lilandelele ukhumbi, liye ezweni lamaKhenani kanye laseLebhanoni, lidabule lize liyefika emfuleni omkhulu, iYufrathe.
Turn you, and come to the mountain of the Amorrhites, and to the other places that are next to it, the plains and the hills and the vales towards the south, and by the sea shore, the land of the Chanaanites, and of Libanus, as far as the great river Euphrates.
8 Khangelani, sengiliphile lelilizwe. Ngenani lilithumbe lelilizwe uThixo afunga wathi uzalipha okhokho benu, u-Abhrahama, u-Isaka, uJakhobe kanye lezizukulwane zabo emva kwabo.’”
Behold, said he, I have delivered it to you: go in and possess it, concerning which the Lord swore to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that he would give it to them, and to their seed after them.
9 “Ngalesosikhathi ngathi kini, ‘Lina lingumthwalo omkhulu kakhulu onzima ukuthi ngiwuthwale ngingedwa.
And I said to you at that time:
10 UThixo uNkulunkulu wenu usengezelele amanani enu okokuthi lamuhla selilingana lezinkanyezi zemkhathini.
I alone am not able to bear you: for the Lord your God hath multiplied you, and you are this day as the stars of heaven, for multitude.
11 Sengathi uThixo, uNkulunkulu wabokhokho benu, angalibusisa njalo alandise ngokuphindwe kankulungwane njengokuthembisa kwakhe!
(The Lord God of your fathers add to this number many thousands, and bless you as he hath spoken.)
12 Kodwa ngingazithwala njani inhlupho zenu lemithwalo yenu kanye lezingxabano zenu ngingedwa na?
I alone am not able to bear your business, and the charge of you and your differences.
13 Khethani amadoda akhaliphileyo, azwisisayo lahloniphekayo phakathi kwezizwana zakini zonke, mina ngizawabeka alikhokhele.’
Let me have from among you wise and understanding men, and such whose conversation is approved among your tribes, that I may appoint them your rulers.
14 Langiphendula lathi, ‘Lokho ofisa ukukwenza kulungile.’
Then you answered me: The thing is good which thou meanest to do.
15 Ngakho ngathatha abakhokheli bezizwana zenu, amadoda akhaliphileyo njalo ahloniphekayo, ngabanika amandla phezu kwenu ukuze babe ngabalawuli bezinkulungwane, bamakhulu, bamatshumi amahlanu, betshumi kanye lokuba yizikhulu zezizwana zenu.
And I took out of your tribes men wise and honourable, and appointed them rulers, tribunes, and centurions, and officers over fifties, and over tens, who might teach you all things.
16 Njalo ngapha isiqondiso kubahluleli ngalesosikhathi ngathi: ‘Hluzani ingxabano phakathi kwabafowenu njalo lahlulele ngokufaneleyo, kungakhathalekile ukuthi yingxabano phakathi kwabako-Israyeli bodwa loba kungowako-Israyeli oxabana lowezizweni.
And I commanded them, saying: Hear them, and judge that which is just: whether he be one of your country, or a stranger.
17 Lingathathi hlangothi ekwahluleleni; hluzani amacala abancinyane labakhulu ngokufananayo. Lingesabi loba ngubani, ngoba ukwahlulela ngokukaNkulunkulu. Kuthi icala elinzima lililethe kimi, ngizalihluza ngilahlulele.’
There shall be no difference of persons, you shall hear the little as well as the great: neither shall you respect any man’s person, because it is the judgment of God. And if any thing seem hard to you, refer it to me, and I will hear it.
18 Njalo ngalesosikhathi ngalitshela konke okwakumele likwenze.”
And I commanded you all things that you were to do.
19 “Kwathi-ke, njengoba uThixo wethu wayesilayile, sasuka eHorebhi saqonda ezweni lama-Amori elilamaqaqa sadabula inkangala enkulu eyesabekayo eseliyibonile, saze sayafika eKhadeshi Bhaneya.
And departing from Horeb, we passed through the terrible and vast wilderness, which you saw, by the way of the mountain of the Amorrhite, as the Lord our God had commanded us. And when we were come into Cadesbarne,
20 Ngakho ngathi kini, ‘Selifikile elizweni lama-Amori elamaqaqa, ilizwe uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu asinika lona.
I said to you: You are come to the mountain of the Amorrhite, which the Lord our God will give to us.
21 Khangelani, uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uselinike lelilizwe. Hambani lilithumbe njengoba uThixo, uNkulunkulu wabokhokho benu alitshela. Lingesabi; lingadangali.’
See the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee: go up and possess it, as the Lord our God hath spoken to thy fathers: fear not, nor be any way discouraged.
22 Kusenjalo lina lonke leza kimi lathi, ‘Asithumeni amadoda ahambe phambili ayehlola lelolizwe abuye azositshengisa indlela esizangena ngayo kanye leyokuthumba amadolobho esizafikela kuwo.’
And you came all to me, and said: Let us send men who may view the land, and bring us word what way we shall go up, and to what cities we shall go.
23 Lokho kwakhanya kungumbono omuhle kimi; lakanye ngakhetha abalitshumi lababili phakathi kwenu, indoda eyodwa esizwaneni ngasinye.
And because the saying pleased me, I sent of you twelve men, one of every tribe:
24 Basuka baya ezweni lamaqaqa njalo bafika bahlola isihotsha sase-Eshikholi.
Who, when they had set forward and had gone up to the mountains, came as far as the valley of the cluster: and having viewed the land,
25 Bathatha ezinye izithelo zelizwe babuya lazo kithi, njalo bethula umbiko othi, ‘Yilizwe elihle uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu asipha lona.’”
Taking of the fruits thereof, to shew its fertility, they brought them to us, and said: The land is good, which the Lord our God will give us.
26 “Kodwa lina lalingazimiselanga ukuhamba; lahlamukela uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ngokungalaleli umlayo wakhe.
And you would not go up, but being incredulous to the word of the Lord our God,
27 Lina lakhonona lisemathenteni enu lathi, ‘UThixo uyasizonda; kutsho ukuthi wasikhipha eGibhithe ukuze asinikele ezandleni zama-Amori ukuthi asibhubhise.
You murmured in your tents, and said: The Lord hateth us, and therefore he hath brought us out of the land of Egypt, that he might deliver us into the hand of the Amorrhite, and destroy us.
28 Singaya ngaphi na? Abafowethu sebesithelele ubuthakathaka. Bathi bona, “Abantu bakhona balamandla njalo bade kulathi; amadolobho akhona makhulu, alemiduli etshaya emkhathini. Size sabona lama-Anakhi khonale.”’
Whither shall we go up? the messengers have terrified our hearts, saying: The multitude is very great, and taller than we: the cities are great, and walled up to the sky, we have seen the sons of the Enacims there.
29 Mina ngasengisithi kini, ‘Lingethuki; lingabesabi.
And I said to you: Fear not, neither be ye afraid of them:
30 UThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ohamba phambi kwenu uzalilwela, njengalokho alenzela khona eGibhithe lizibonela ngamehlo enu,
The Lord God, who is your leader, himself will fight for you, as he did in Egypt in the sight of all.
31 njalo lasenkangala. Khonale lazibonela ukuthi uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu walithwala, njengobaba ethwala indodana yakhe, uhambo lwenu lonke laze lafika lapha.’
And in the wilderness (as thou hast seen) the Lord thy God hath carried thee, as a man is wont to carry his little son, all the way that you have come, until you came to this place.
32 Lanxa kunjalo, kalizange limethembe uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu,
And yet for all this you did not believe the Lord your God,
33 yena owahamba phambi kwenu kuloluhambo, elikhokhela ngomlilo ebusuku kanti kusiba leyezi emini, elidingela izindawo zokumisa izihonqo zenu lokulitshengisa lapho okumele liye khona.
Who went before you in the way, and marked out the place, wherein you should pitch your tents, in the night shewing you the way by fire, and in the day by the pillar of a cloud.
34 Kwathi uThixo esezwile elalikutsho, wathukuthela, wafunga wathi:
And when the Lord had heard the voice of your words, he was angry and swore, and said:
35 ‘Kakho loyedwa kulesisizukulwane esingalunganga ozalibona lelolizwe engafungela ukulipha okhokho benu,
Not one of the men of this wicked generation shall see the good land, which I promised with an oath to your fathers:
36 ngaphandle kukaKhalebi indodana kaJefune. Yena uzalibona, njalo ngizamupha yena lesizukulwane sakhe lelolizwe azafikela kilo, ngoba walalela uThixo ngenhliziyo yakhe yonke.’
Except Caleb the son of Jephone: for he shall see it, and to him I will give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath followed the Lord.
37 Ngenxa yenu uThixo wangithukuthelela lami njalo wathi, ‘Wena lawe awuyikungena khona.
Neither is his indignation against the people to be wondered at, since the Lord was angry with me also on your account, and said: Neither shalt thou go in thither.
38 Kodwa umsekeli wakho, uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, uzangena kulelolizwe. Umkhuthaze yena, ngoba uzakhokhela abako-Israyeli kulo ukuba libe yilifa labo.
But Josue the son of Nun, thy minister, he shall go in for thee: exhort and encourage him, and he shall divide the land by lot to Israel.
39 Kanti njalo lalabo abancane elalisithi bazathunjwa, abantwabenu abangakehlukanisi phakathi kokubi lokuhle, bazangena kulelolizwe. Ngizabapha lona njalo bazalithatha libe ngelabo.
Your children, of whom you said that they should be led away captives, and your sons who know not this day the difference of good and evil, they shall go in: and to them I will give the land, and they shall possess it.
40 Kodwa lina, phendukani njalo lisuke liqonde enkangala lilandele indlela eya oLwandle oluBomvu.’
But return you and go into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.
41 Lina laphendula lathi, ‘Sonile kuThixo. Sizahamba siyekulwa, njengokulaywa kwethu nguThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.’ Ngalokho lonke lahloma ngezikhali linakana ukuthi kulula ukungena elizweni lamaqaqa.
And you answered me: We have sinned against the Lord: we will go up and fight, as the Lord our God hath commanded. And when you went ready armed unto the mountain,
42 Kodwa uThixo wathi kimi, ‘Wothi kubo, “Lingayi ukuyakulwa, ngoba kangiyikuba lani. Lizakwehlulwa yizitha zenu.”’
The Lord said to me: Say to them: Go not up, and fight not, for I am not with you: lest you fall before your enemies.
43 Ngakho ngalitshela, kodwa kalizange lilalele. Lahlamukela umlayo kaThixo kwathi ngobuqholo benu layangena elizweni lamaqaqa.
I spoke, and you hearkened not: but resisting the commandment of the Lord, and swelling with pride, you went up into the mountain.
44 Kwathi ama-Amori ayehlala kulawomaqaqa alihlangabeza alihlasela; alixotsha njengomtshitshi wenyosi, alibhuqa kusukela eSeyiri indlela yonke kusiya eHoma.
And the Amorrhite that dwelt in the mountains coming out, and meeting you, chased you, as bees do: and made slaughter of you from Seir as far as Horma.
45 Laphenduka lafika lakhala phambi kukaThixo kodwa kazange alalele ukukhala kwenu walifulathela.
And when you returned and wept before the Lord, he heard you not, neither would he yield to; your voice.
46 Ngakho lahlala eKhadeshi okwensuku ezinengi, okwesikhathi sonke elasichitha likhonale.”
So you abode in Cadesbarne a long time.
