U-Eksodusi 16
1 Uzulu wonke wako-Israyeli wasuka e-Elimi, wafika enkangala yeSini ephakathi laphakathi kwe-Elimi leSinayi ngelanga letshumi lanhlanu enyangeni yesibili besuke eGibhithe.
On the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the land of Egypt, the whole congregation of Israel set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai.
2 Enkangala uzulu wakhonona kuMosi lo-Aroni.
And there in the desert they all grumbled against Moses and Aaron.
3 Abako-Israyeli bathi kubo, “Ngabe sazifela ngesandla sikaThixo eGibhithe, lapho esasihlala sigombolozele imbiza zenyama lakho konke ukudla esasikufumana, kodwa lina selisilethe lapha enkangala ukuze ixuku lonke leli liyathe ngendlala.”
“If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt!” they said. “There we sat by pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, but you have brought us into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death!”
4 UThixo wasesithi kuMosi, “Ngizalehlisela isinkwa sivela ezulwini. Abantu kumele baphume nsuku zonke bayebutha okwanela lelolanga. Ngale indlela ngizabalinga ukuze ngibone ukuthi bayayilandela yini imilayo yami.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instructions.
5 Ngelanga lesithupha kumele balungise lokho abayabe bekulethile, okumele kube ngokuphindwe kabili kulokho abakubutha kwezinye insuku.”
Then on the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”
6 Yikho-ke uMosi lo-Aroni bathi kubo bonke abako-Israyeli, “Kusihlwa lizakwazi ukuthi nguThixo olikhuphe kweleGibhithe,
So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “This evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
7 njalo ekuseni lizabona inkazimulo kaThixo ngoba ukuzwile ukukhonona kwenu. Singobani thina ukuba lisisole?”
and in the morning you will see the LORD’s glory, because He has heard your grumbling against Him. For who are we that you should grumble against us?”
8 UMosi wathi, “Lizakwazi ukuthi bekunguThixo nxa eselipha inyama yokudla kusihlwa lesinkwa sonke elisifunayo ekuseni ngenxa yokuthi usekuzwile ukukhonona kwenu kuye. Singobani? Kalikhononi kithi kodwa kuThixo.”
And Moses added, “The LORD will give you meat to eat this evening and bread to fill you in the morning, for He has heard your grumbling against Him. Who are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against the LORD.”
9 Ngakho uMosi watshela u-Aroni wathi, “Khuluma lozulu wonke wako-Israyeli uthi, ‘Wozani kuThixo ngoba usekuzwile ukukhonona kwenu.’”
Then Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole congregation of Israel, ‘Come before the LORD, for He has heard your grumbling.’”
10 Ngesikhathi u-Aroni ekhuluma lozulu wonke wako-Israyeli, bakhangela enkangala basebebona inkazimulo kaThixo ibonakala eyezini.
And as Aaron was speaking to the whole congregation of Israel, they looked toward the desert, and there in a cloud the glory of the LORD appeared.
11 UThixo wathi kuMosi:
Then the LORD said to Moses,
12 “Sengizwile ukukhonona kwabako-Israyeli. Batshele ukuthi, ‘Kusihlwa lizakudla inyama njalo ekuseni lizasuthiswa ngesinkwa. Lapho-ke lizakwazi ukuthi nginguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.’”
“I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.’”
13 Ngalokhokuhlwa kweza izagwaca zagcwala indawo yonke ababehlala kuyo, njalo ekuseni kwaba lamazolo ngaphandle kwezihonqo.
That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.
14 Kwathi amazolo esenyamalele kwabonakala izicecedwana ezifana longqwaqwane phezu kwenkangala.
When the layer of dew had evaporated, there were thin flakes on the desert floor, as fine as frost on the ground.
15 Kwathi abako-Israyeli bekubona lokhu bakhulumisana besithi, “Kuyini lokhu?” Ngoba babengakwazi ukuthi kwakuyini. UMosi wathi kubo, “Yisinkwa elisiphiwe nguThixo ukuthi lidle.
When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. So Moses told them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.
16 Lokhu yikho okulaywe nguThixo ukuthi: ‘Umuntu emunye uzathatha okwaneleyo akuswelayo. Thathela umuntu ngamunye osethenteni lakho isilinganiso se-omeri.’”
This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Each one is to gather as much as he needs. You may take an omer for each person in your tent.’”
17 Abako-Israyeli benza njengokulaywa kwabo. Abanye babutha okunengi abanye okulutshwana.
So the Israelites did this. Some gathered more, and some less.
18 Bathi sebekulinganisa nge-omeri babona ukuthi lowo owabutha okunengi kabanga lokunengi kakhulu, lalowo owabutha okulutshwana kabanga lokulutshwana kakhulu. Umuntu wonke wabutha okwakumenela.
When they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no shortfall. Each one gathered as much as he needed to eat.
19 Ngakho-ke uMosi wathi kubo, “Akumelanga kubekhona ozagcina okunye kwalokho kuze kube sekuseni.”
Then Moses said to them, “No one may keep any of it until morning.”
20 Lanxa kunjalo abanye kabazange bamlalele uMosi: bagcina eyinye ingxenye kwaze kwaba sekuseni. Kodwa kwakugcwele impethu njalo kwasekulephunga elibi. UMosi wabathukuthelela.
But they did not listen to Moses; some people left part of it until morning, and it became infested with maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.
21 Nsuku zonke ekuseni umuntu emunye wabutha isilinganiso ayesifuna, njalo ilanga lathi selitshisa kwancibilika.
Every morning each one gathered as much as was needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away.
22 Ngelanga lesithupha babutha isilinganiso esiphindwe kabili ama-omeri amabili umuntu emunye, njalo abakhokheli babantu beza ukuzobika kuMosi.
On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much food—two omers per person —and all the leaders of the congregation came and reported this to Moses.
23 Wathi kubo, “Lokhu yikho okwalaywa nguThixo: ‘Kusasa lilanga lokuphumula iSabatha elingcwele kuThixo. Ngakho bhekhani konke elifuna ukukubhekha, libilise konke elifuna ukukubilisa. Gcinani konke okuseleyo kuze kube sekuseni.’”
He told them, “This is what the LORD has said: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil. Then set aside whatever remains and keep it until morning.’”
24 Ngakho bakugcina kwaze kwaba sekuseni njengokulaya kukaMosi njalo kakuzange kube lephunga kumbe impethu.
So they set it aside until morning as Moses had commanded, and it did not smell or contain any maggots.
25 UMosi wathi, “Kudleni namuhla, ngoba namuhla liSabatha likaThixo, kalisoze lithole lutho phandle namuhla.
“Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a Sabbath to the LORD. Today you will not find anything in the field.
26 Okwensuku eziyisithupha lizakubutha, kodwa ngelanga lesikhombisa eleSabatha akusoze kube lalutho.”
For six days you may gather, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, it will not be there.”
27 Lanxa kunjalo abanye abantu ngelanga lesikhombisa bahamba ukuba bayobutha kodwa bafica kungelalutho.
Yet on the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they did not find anything.
28 UThixo wasesithi kuMosi, “Kuzaze kube nini lisala ukulandela imithetho lemilayo yami na?
Then the LORD said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep My commandments and instructions?
29 Kufakeni ezingqondweni zenu ukuthi uThixo ulinikile iSabatha, yikho ngelanga lesithupha elinika isinkwa esenela insuku ezimbili. Wonke umuntu kumele ahlale lapho ayabe ekhona ngelanga lesikhombisa. Akulamuntu okumele aphume phandle.”
Understand that the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day He will give you bread for two days. On the seventh day, everyone must stay where he is; no one may leave his place.”
30 Yikho-ke abantu baphumula ngelanga lesikhombisa.
So the people rested on the seventh day.
31 Abantu bako-Israyeli babiza isinkwa leso bathi yimana. Sasimhlophe njengentanga zekhoriyanda, sihlabusa njengamakhekhe enziwe ngoluju.
Now the house of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.
32 UMosi wathi, “Lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguThixo ukuthi: ‘Thathani imana eyisilinganiso se-omeri ligcinele izizukulwane ezizayo ukuze zibone isinkwa engalinika sona ukuba lisidle enkangala ekulikhupheni kwami eGibhithe.’”
Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Keep an omer of manna for the generations to come, so that they may see the bread I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”
33 UMosi wasesithi ku-Aroni, “Thatha inkonxa ufake phakathi imana eyisilinganiso se-omeri. Ibeke phambi kukaThixo ukuze igcinelwe izizukulwane ezizayo.”
So Moses told Aaron, “Take a jar and fill it with an omer of manna. Then place it before the LORD to be preserved for the generations to come.”
34 Njengoba uThixo walaya uMosi, u-Aroni wabeka imana lezibhebhedu zobufakazi ukuze igcinakale.
And Aaron placed it in front of the Testimony, to be preserved just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
35 Abako-Israyeli badla imana okweminyaka engamatshumi amane baze bafika endaweni eyayihlala abantu, badla imana baze bafika emngceleni weKhenani.
The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land where they could settle; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.
36 (I-omere iyisilinganiso sokulitshumi sehefa.)
(Now an omer is a tenth of an ephah.)
