U-Eksodusi 10
1 Ngakho uThixo wasesithi kuMosi, “Hamba kuFaro, ngoba sengiyenze yaba lukhuni inhliziyo yakhe lezinhliziyo zezikhulu zakhe ukuze ngenze izimanga zami kubo
The Lord told Moses, “Go and see Pharaoh, because it was me who gave him and his officials a stubborn attitude so that I may perform my miracles before them.
2 ukuze lilandisele abantwabenu labazukulu benu ukuthi ngabahlukuluza njani abeGibhithe lokuthi ngabenzela izimanga, khona lizakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo.”
This is so you can tell your children and grandchildren how I made the Egyptians look foolish by doing these miracles among them, and so that you may know that I am the Lord.”
3 Ngakho oMosi lo-Aroni baya kuFaro bathi kuye, “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo, uNkulunkulu wamaHebheru: ‘Uzakwala kuze kube nini ukuzithoba phambi kwami? Yekela abantu bami bahambe ukuze bayengikhonza.
Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long are you going to refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they can worship me.
4 Nxa usala ukuthi bahambe ngizaletha intethe elizweni lakho kusasa.
If you refuse to let my people leave, tomorrow I will send a plague of locusts into your country.
5 Zizakwembesa wonke umhlabathi usale ungasabonakali. Zizakudla ziphundle du lalokho okuncinyane okwatshiywa yisiqhotho kanye lezihlahla zonke ezikhula egangeni.
There will be so many of them that they'll cover the ground so no one can see it. They will eat whatever crops were left by the hail, as well as every tree growing in your fields.
6 Zizagcwala ezindlini zakho lezezikhulu zakho zonke lezamaGibhithe, into oyihlo labokhokho bakho abangazange bayibone selokhu bahlala kulelilizwe kuze kube manje.’” Khonapho uMosi wabe efulathela esuka kuFaro.
They will swarm into your houses and into the houses of all your officials—in fact into the houses of every Egyptian. This is something that none of your forefathers ever saw from the time they arrived in this country.’” Then Moses and Aaron turned and left Pharaoh.
7 Izikhulu zikaFaro zathi kuye, “Koze kube nini na indoda le ilokhu iyisifu kithi? Yekela abantu bahambe bayekhonza uThixo uNkulunkulu wabo. Ulokhu ungaboni yini ukuthi ilizwe leGibhithe selichithekile?”
Pharaoh's officials came to him and asked, “How long are you going to let this man cause us trouble? Let these people go so they can worship the Lord their God. Don't you realize that Egypt has been destroyed?”
8 UMosi lo-Aroni basebebuyiswa kuFaro. Wathi, “Hambani liyokhonza uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu. Kanti konje ngobani abahambayo?”
Moses and Aaron were brought back to see Pharaoh. “Go and worship the Lord your God,” he told them. “But who of you will be going?”
9 UMosi waphendula wathi, “Sizahamba labatsha labadala bethu; lamadodana lamadodakazi ethu, lemihlambi yethu ngoba kumele senzele uThixo umkhosi.”
“We will all go,” Moses replied. “Young and old, sons and daughters—and we'll take our flocks and herds with us, for we're going to have a religious festival for the Lord.”
10 UFaro wathi, “uThixo kabe lani, kumbe likhumbula ukuthi ngizaliyekela lihambe labesifazane labantwana! Kusobala ukuthi liqonde ukwenza okubi.
“The Lord really would have to be with you if I let your children go with you!” Pharaoh answered. “Clearly you're planning some kind of evil trick!
11 Hatshi! Akuhambe amadoda kuphela; amkhonze uThixo ngoba phela yikho ebelivele likukhalela.” Ngakho uMosi lo-Aroni basebexotshwa phambi kukaFaro.
So no! Only the men can go and worship the Lord, because that's what you've been asking for.” Then he had Moses and Aaron thrown out.
12 UThixo wasesithi kuMosi, “Yelula isandla sakho phezu kweGibhithe ukuze kwehle isikhongwane, izintethe, kulolonke ilizwe zidle zigugude konke okukhulayo emangweni, konke lokho okwatshiywa yisiqhotho.”
The Lord told Moses, “Lift up your hand over Egypt, so that the locusts may swarm over it and eat every plant in the country—everything that was left by the hail.”
13 UMosi wayiphakamisa intonga yakhe phezu kweGibhithe, uThixo wasequbula umoya wempumalanga wavunguza elizweni lonke ngalelolanga lobusuku bakhona. Ekuseni umoya waletha izintethe.
Moses held out his staff over Egypt, and all through that day and night the Lord sent an east wind blowing over the land. By the time morning came the east wind had brought in the locusts.
14 Zalihlasela lonke elaseGibhithe zagcwala silikici kuzozonke izindawo zelizwe ngobunengi bazo. Kwakungakaze kube lesikhongwane esingako njalo singeyikufa saba khona njalo lanini.
The locusts swarmed across the land and settled in every part of the country. There had never been such a swarm of locusts ever before, and there won't be ever again.
15 Intethe lezo zavala umhlabathi waba mnyama bhuqe. Zatshaya zabhuqa konke okwakusele ngesikhathi sesiqhotho, konke okwakukhula emangweni kanye lezithelo zezihlahla. Akusalanga lutho oluluhlaza ezihlahleni loba isilimo bani kulolonke ilizwe laseGibhithe.
They covered the ground until it looked black, and they ate up all the plants in the fields and all the fruit on the trees that had been left by the hail. Not a single green leaf was left on any tree or plant anywhere in Egypt.
16 UFaro waphanga wabiza uMosi lo-Aroni wathi, “Ngonile kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu lakini.
Pharaoh called urgently for Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you.
17 Manje-ke ngixolelani njalo libuye likhuleke kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu ukuthi asuse loluhlupho olubhubhisayo.”
So please forgive my sin just this one time and plead with the Lord your God, asking him to at least take away this deathly plague from me.”
18 UMosi wasesuka kuFaro wayakhuleka kuThixo.
Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord.
19 UThixo wasewuguqula umoya waphephetha uvelela entshonalanga ulamandla. Wazidudula izintethe wazitshovela oLwandle Olubomvu. Akusalanga ntethe layinye loba ngaphi eGibhithe.
The Lord changed the direction of the wind so that a strong westerly wind blew the locusts into the Red Sea. There wasn't a single locust left anywhere in Egypt.
20 Kodwa uThixo wayenza yaba lukhuni inhliziyo kaFaro, kaze abavumela abako-Israyeli ukuthi bahambe.
But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn, and he would not let the Israelites go.
21 UThixo wasesithi kuMosi, “Yelulela isandla sakho emkhathini ukwenzela ukuthi umnyama wembese iGibhithe lonke, umnyama obambekayo.”
The Lord told Moses, “Lift your hand toward the sky so that darkness will fall over Egypt, darkness so thick that it can be felt.”
22 Ngakho uMosi waseselulela isandla sakhe phezulu, kwathi gubu umnyama okhasa phansi, walembesa lonke elaseGibhithe okwensuku ezintathu.
Moses lifted up his hand toward heaven, and the whole of Egypt went completely dark for three days.
23 Kakho owayesabona omunye njalo kakho owayengasuka endaweni yakhe okwalezonsuku ezintathu. Kodwa ama-Israyeli ayelakho ukukhanya ezindaweni ayehlala kuzo.
No one could see anyone else, and no one moved from where they were for three days. But there was still light where all the Israelites lived.
24 UFaro wasebiza uMosi wathi, “Hambani liyekhonza uThixo. Ngitsho labesifazane benu labantwana hambani labo; litshiye kuphela imihlambi yezifuyo zenu.”
Eventually Pharaoh called for Moses. “Go and worship the Lord,” he said. “Just leave your flocks and herds here. You can even take your children with you.”
25 Kodwa uMosi wathi, “Kumele usivumele ukuthi siyokwenza imihlatshelo leminikelo yokutshiswa kuThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.
But Moses replied, “You must also let us have animals for sacrifices and burnt offerings, so we can offer them to the Lord our God.
26 Izifuyo zethu lazo zimele zihambe lathi kungasali lasinye. Kumele siyosebenzisa ezinye zazo ekukhonzeni uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu. Phela kasisoze sazi ukuthi sizasebenzisa siphi isifuyo ukukhonza uThixo size sifike khonale.”
Our livestock have to go with us too—not a single animal will be left behind. We'll need some of them to worship the Lord our God, and we won't know how we are to worship the Lord until we get there.”
27 Kodwa uThixo wayenza yaba lukhuni inhliziyo kaFaro, kaze afuna ukubayekela bahambe.
But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn, and he would not let them go.
28 UFaro wathi kuMosi, “Suka phambi kwami! Phinde ngikubone futhi. Mhla wangibona futhi ufile wena.”
Pharaoh shouted at Moses, “Get out of here! I don't want to see you ever again! If I ever do see you again you'll die!”
29 UMosi waphendula wathi, “Akube njengokuba usitsho. Phinde ungibone njalo lapha.”
“May it be as you say,” Moses replied. “I won't see you again.”
