U-Eksodusi 17
1 Uzulu wonke wako-Israyeli wasuka enkangala yeSini, wahamba njengokulaya kukaThixo. Bake bahlala okwesikhathi esifitshane eRefidimu kodwa kwakungelamanzi okuthi abantu banathe.
And so, the entire multitude of the sons of Israel, having set out from the desert of Sin in stages, according to the word of the Lord, made camp at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.
2 Ngakho baxabana loMosi basebesithi, “Sinike amanzi okunatha.” UMosi waphendula wathi “Kungani lixabana lami? Kungani lilinga uThixo?”
And arguing against Moses, they said, “Give us water, so that we may drink.” And Moses answered them: “Why argue against me? For what reason do you tempt the Lord?”
3 Kodwa abantu basebomele amanzi kuleyondawo, ngakho bakhonona kuMosi. Bathi kuye, “Wasikhupha eGibhithe ukwenzela ukuthi thina labantwabethu kanye lezifuyo sibulawe yikoma na?”
And so the people were thirsty in that place, due to the scarcity of water, and they murmured against Moses, saying: “Why did you cause us to go out of Egypt, so as to kill us and our children, as well as our cattle, with thirst?”
4 Ngakho uMosi wakhala kuThixo, wathi, “Kambe ngithini ngalababantu? Sebezimisele ukuthi bangikhande ngamatshe.”
Then Moses cried out to the Lord, saying: “What shall I do with this people? A little while more and they will stone me.”
5 UThixo waphendula uMosi wathi “Khokhela abantu. Thatha abanye abadala bako-Israyeli ubusuthatha njalo intonga leyana owake watshaya ngayo amanzi emfuleni uNayili lihambe.
And the Lord said to Moses: “Go before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. And take in your hand the staff, with which you struck the river, and advance.
6 Ngizakuma lapho phambi kwenu eduzane ledwala eHorebhi. Utshaye idwala; kuzaphuma amanzi kulo ukuba abantu banathe.” Ngakho uMosi wenza lokho abadala bako-Israyeli bekhangele.
Lo, I will stand in that place before you, on the rock of Horeb. And you shall strike the rock, and water will go forth from it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
7 Wabiza indawo leyo ngegama elithi Masa leMeribha ngenxa yokuthi abantu bako-Israyeli baxabana njalo balinga uThixo besithi “Kambe uThixo ulathi yini kumbe hatshi?”
And he called the name of that place ‘Temptation,’ because of the arguing of the sons of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying: “Is the Lord with us, or not?”
8 Ama-Amaleki eza ukuzohlasela abako-Israyeli eRefidimu.
And Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim.
9 UMosi wathi kuJoshuwa, “Khetha amanye amadoda phakathi kwethu uphume liyekulwa lama-Amaleki. Kusasa ngizakuma phezu koqaqa ngiphethe intonga kaNkulunkulu ezandleni zami.”
And Moses said to Joshua: “Choose men. And when you go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill, holding the staff of God in my hand.”
10 Ngakho uJoshuwa walwa lama-Amaleki njengokulaya kukaMosi, njalo uMosi, u-Aroni loHuri bakhwela phezu koqaqa.
Joshua did as Moses had spoken, and he fought against Amalek. But Moses and Aaron and Hur ascended to the top of the hill.
11 Kwakusithi nxa uMosi ephakamise izandla zakhe abako-Israyeli babenqoba, kodwa wayesithi angehlisa izandla zakhe ama-Amaleki yiwo ayenqoba.
And when Moses lifted up his hands, Israel prevailed. But when he released them a little while, Amalek overcame.
12 Kwathi izandla zikaMosi sezidiniwe bathatha ilitshe balifaka ngaphansi kwakhe wasehlala phezu kwalo. U-Aroni loHuri baphakamisa izandla zakhe, omunye ekuleli icele omunye kwelinye ukuze izandla zakhe zale ziphakeme laze latshona ilanga.
Then the hands of Moses became heavy. And so, taking a stone, they placed it beneath him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur sustained his hands from both sides. And it happened that his hands did not tire until the setting of the sun.
13 Ngakho uJoshuwa wehlula ibutho lama-Amaleki ngenkemba.
And Joshua put to flight Amalek and his people by the edge of the sword.
14 UThixo wasesithi kuMosi, “Bhala lokhu ogwalweni njengento okumele ikhunjulwe njalo ubone ukuthi uJoshuwa uyakuzwa lokhu ngenxa yokuthi ngizatshabalalisa umkhumbulo wonke omayelana lama-Amaleki ngaphansi kwezulu.”
Then the Lord said to Moses: “Write this, as a memorial in a book, and deliver it to the ears of Joshua. For I will wipe away the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”
15 UMosi wakha i-alithari walibiza ngokuthi uThixo uLuphawu Lwami.
And Moses built an altar. And he called its name, ‘The Lord, my Exaltation.’ For he said:
16 Wathi, “Ngoba izandla zaphakanyiselwa esihlalweni sikaThixo. UThixo uzakulwa impi lezizukulwane zama-Amaleki.”
“The hand of the throne of the Lord, and the war of the Lord, will be against Amalek from generation to generation.”
