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.

2 Enkangala uzulu wakhonona kuMosi lo-Aroni.

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.”

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.

5 Ngelanga lesithupha kumele balungise lokho abayabe bekulethile, okumele kube ngokuphindwe kabili kulokho abakubutha kwezinye insuku.”

6 Yikho-ke uMosi lo-Aroni bathi kubo bonke abako-Israyeli, “Kusihlwa lizakwazi ukuthi nguThixo olikhuphe kweleGibhithe,

7 njalo ekuseni lizabona inkazimulo kaThixo ngoba ukuzwile ukukhonona kwenu. Singobani thina ukuba lisisole?”

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.”

9 Ngakho uMosi watshela u-Aroni wathi, “Khuluma lozulu wonke wako-Israyeli uthi, ‘Wozani kuThixo ngoba usekuzwile ukukhonona kwenu.’”

10 Ngesikhathi u-Aroni ekhuluma lozulu wonke wako-Israyeli, bakhangela enkangala basebebona inkazimulo kaThixo ibonakala eyezini.

11 UThixo wathi kuMosi:

12 “Sengizwile ukukhonona kwabako-Israyeli. Batshele ukuthi, ‘Kusihlwa lizakudla inyama njalo ekuseni lizasuthiswa ngesinkwa. Lapho-ke lizakwazi ukuthi nginguThixo uNkulunkulu wenu.’”

13 Ngalokhokuhlwa kweza izagwaca zagcwala indawo yonke ababehlala kuyo, njalo ekuseni kwaba lamazolo ngaphandle kwezihonqo.

14 Kwathi amazolo esenyamalele kwabonakala izicecedwana ezifana longqwaqwane phezu kwenkangala.

15 Kwathi abako-Israyeli bekubona lokhu bakhulumisana besithi, “Kuyini lokhu?” Ngoba babengakwazi ukuthi kwakuyini. UMosi wathi kubo, “Yisinkwa elisiphiwe nguThixo ukuthi lidle.

16 Lokhu yikho okulaywe nguThixo ukuthi: ‘Umuntu emunye uzathatha okwaneleyo akuswelayo. Thathela umuntu ngamunye osethenteni lakho isilinganiso se-omeri.’”

17 Abako-Israyeli benza njengokulaywa kwabo. Abanye babutha okunengi abanye okulutshwana.

18 Bathi sebekulinganisa nge-omeri babona ukuthi lowo owabutha okunengi kabanga lokunengi kakhulu, lalowo owabutha okulutshwana kabanga lokulutshwana kakhulu. Umuntu wonke wabutha okwakumenela.

19 Ngakho-ke uMosi wathi kubo, “Akumelanga kubekhona ozagcina okunye kwalokho kuze kube sekuseni.”

20 Lanxa kunjalo abanye kabazange bamlalele uMosi: bagcina eyinye ingxenye kwaze kwaba sekuseni. Kodwa kwakugcwele impethu njalo kwasekulephunga elibi. UMosi wabathukuthelela.

21 Nsuku zonke ekuseni umuntu emunye wabutha isilinganiso ayesifuna, njalo ilanga lathi selitshisa kwancibilika.

22 Ngelanga lesithupha babutha isilinganiso esiphindwe kabili ama-omeri amabili umuntu emunye, njalo abakhokheli babantu beza ukuzobika kuMosi.

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.’”

24 Ngakho bakugcina kwaze kwaba sekuseni njengokulaya kukaMosi njalo kakuzange kube lephunga kumbe impethu.

25 UMosi wathi, “Kudleni namuhla, ngoba namuhla liSabatha likaThixo, kalisoze lithole lutho phandle namuhla.

26 Okwensuku eziyisithupha lizakubutha, kodwa ngelanga lesikhombisa eleSabatha akusoze kube lalutho.”

27 Lanxa kunjalo abanye abantu ngelanga lesikhombisa bahamba ukuba bayobutha kodwa bafica kungelalutho.

28 UThixo wasesithi kuMosi, “Kuzaze kube nini lisala ukulandela imithetho lemilayo yami na?

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.”

30 Yikho-ke abantu baphumula ngelanga lesikhombisa.

31 Abantu bako-Israyeli babiza isinkwa leso bathi yimana. Sasimhlophe njengentanga zekhoriyanda, sihlabusa njengamakhekhe enziwe ngoluju.

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.’”

33 UMosi wasesithi ku-Aroni, “Thatha inkonxa ufake phakathi imana eyisilinganiso se-omeri. Ibeke phambi kukaThixo ukuze igcinelwe izizukulwane ezizayo.”

34 Njengoba uThixo walaya uMosi, u-Aroni wabeka imana lezibhebhedu zobufakazi ukuze igcinakale.

35 Abako-Israyeli badla imana okweminyaka engamatshumi amane baze bafika endaweni eyayihlala abantu, badla imana baze bafika emngceleni weKhenani.

36 (I-omere iyisilinganiso sokulitshumi sehefa.)