U-Eksodusi 19
1 Ngosuku olufanayo, emva kwezinyanga ezintathu abantu bako-Israyeli besuke eGibhithe bafika enkangala yeSinayi.
In the third month of the departure of Israel out of the land of Egypt, on this day they came into the wilderness of Sinai:
2 Sebesukile eRefidimu bangena enkangala yeSinayi bamisa amathente abo phansi kwentaba.
For departing out of Raphidim, and coming to the desert of Sinai, they camped in the same place, and there Israel pitched their tents over against the mountain.
3 Lapho-ke uMosi wakhuphukela kuNkulunkulu entabeni, uThixo esentabeni wabiza uMosi wathi kuye, “Tshela abantu bendlu kaJakhobe labantu bako-Israyeli, uthi
And Moses went up to God: and the Lord called unto him from the mountain, and said: Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel:
4 ‘Lina ngokwenu lizibonele engikwenze eGibhithe lokuthi ngilithwele ngamaphiko okhozi ngaliletha lapha kimi.
You have seen what I have done to the Egyptians, how I have carried you upon the wings of eagles, and have taken you to myself.
5 Ngakho-ke lingangilalela ligcine isivumelwano sami lani lizakuba ligugu kimi phakathi kwezizwe zonke. Lanxa umhlaba wonke ungowami,
If therefore you will hear my voice, and keep my covenant, you shall be my peculiar possession above all people: for all the earth is mine.
6 lina kimi lizakuba ngumbuso wabaphristi lesizwe esingcwele.’ Yiwo amazwi okumele uwakhulume kwabako-Israyeli.”
And you shall be to me a priestly kingdom, and a holy nation. Those are the words thou shalt speak to the children of Israel.
7 UMosi wabuyela ebantwini, wafika wabuthanisa abakhokheli babantu wabatshela okwakutshiwo nguThixo.
Moses came, and calling together the elders of the people, he declared all the words which the Lord had commanded.
8 Bonke bavuma ngalizwi linye bathi, “Sizakwenza konke uThixo athe sikwenze.” UMosi wambikela uThixo okwakukhulunywe ngabantu.
And all the people answered together: All that the Lord hath spoken, we will do. And when Moses had related the people’s words to the Lord,
9 UThixo wasesithi kuMosi, “Ngizakuza kini nginjengeyezi elimnyama ukuze abantu bangizwe ngikhuluma lawe. Ngakho ngezikhathi zonke bazakholwa kuwe.” UMosi watshela uThixo okwakutshiwo ngabantu.
The Lord said to him: Lo, now will I come to thee in the darkness of a cloud, that the people may hear me speaking to thee, and may believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.
10 Ngakho uThixo wathi kuMosi, “Buyela ebantwini ubangcwelise lamhla lakusasa. Batshele bagezise izigqoko zabo
And he said to him: Go to the people, and sanctify them today, and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments.
11 kuthi ngelanga lesithathu libe selilungiselele ngoba ngalelolanga uThixo uzakwehlela entabeni yeSinayi abantu bonke bekhangele.
And let them be ready against the third day: for on the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
12 Yenzela abantu imingcele malungana lentaba, ubatshele uthi, ‘Limukani! Lingakhweli entabeni, kumbe ukufika phansi kwayo. Lowo ozasondela entabeni uzabulawa.’
And thou shalt appoint certain limits to the people round about, and thou shalt say to them: Take heed you go not up into the mount, and that ye touch not the borders thereof: every one that toucheth the mount dying he shall die.
13 Ngempela uzatshaywa ngamatshe kumbe acitshwe ngemitshoko kodwa angathintwa ngesandla. Akukhathalekile ukuthi ngumuntu loba yinyamazana akusoze kuvunyelwe ukuphila. Bazakhwela entabeni kuphela nxa uphondo lwenqama selukhale isikhathi eside.”
No hands shall touch him, but he shall be stoned to death, or shall be shot through with arrows: whether it be beast, or man, he shall not live. When the trumpet shall begin to sound, then let them go up into the mount.
14 Ngemva kokuba uMosi esehlile entabeni waya ebantwini wabangcwelisa basebegezisa lezigqoko zabo.
And Moses came down from the mount to the people, and sanctified them. And when they had washed their garments,
15 Wathi ebantwini, “Lungiselelani ilanga lesithathu. Zilani omkenu.”
He said to them: Be ready against the third day, and come not near your wives.
16 Ekuseni ngelanga lesithathu kwaba lomdumo lombane othuthumelisayo, leyezi elikhulukazi lehlela phezu kwentaba, kwezwakala lomsindo omkhulu wecilongo. Abantu bonke ezihonqweni besaba, baqhaqhazela.
And now the third day was come, and the morning appeared: and behold thunders began to be heard, and lightning to flash, and a very thick cloud to cover the mount, and the noise of the trumpet sounded exceeding loud, and the people that was in the camp, feared.
17 UMosi wasebakhokhela ebasusa emathenteni ebasa kuNkulunkulu. Bafika bema ngaphansi kwentaba.
And when Moses had brought them forth to meet God from the place of the camp, they stood at the bottom of the mount.
18 Intaba yonke iSinayi yembeswa yintuthu ngoba uThixo wehlela phezu kwayo ngesimo somlilo. Intuthu yathunqa ngamandla isiya phezulu kungathi iphuma emphongolweni.
And all mount Sinai was on a smoke: because the Lord was come down upon it in fire, and the smoke arose from it as out of a furnace: and all the mount was terrible.
19 Njalo umsindo wecilongo waya ulokhu ukhula. UMosi wakhuluma, kwathi ilizwi likaNkulunkulu lamphendula.
And the sound of the trumpet grew by degrees louder and louder, and was drawn out to a greater length: Moses spoke, and God answered him.
20 UThixo wehlela phezu kwentaba iSinayi, wabizela uMosi khona. Ngakho uMosi wakhwela,
And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, in the very top of the mount, and he called Moses unto the top thereof. And when he was gone up thither,
21 UThixo wasesithi kuye, “Buyela phansi uyexwayisa abantu ukuba bangaqali ukweqa imingcele ukuba babone uThixo ngoba bangafa ngobunengi.
He said unto him: Go down, and charge the people: lest they should have a mind to pass the limits to see the Lord, and a very great multitude of them should perish.
22 Labaphristi abaya kuThixo kumele bazenze babengcwele, funa uThixo ababhubhise.”
The priests also that come to the Lord, let them be sanctified, lest he strike them.
23 UMosi wathi kuThixo, “Akulamuntu ongakhwela entabeni yeSinayi ngoba wena ngokwakho wathi bangakwenzi lokho. Uthe ngenze imingcele egombolozela intaba ngitshele abantu bangasondeli kuyo ngoba ingcwele.”
And Moses said to the Lord: The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou did charge, and command, saying: Set limits about the mount, and sanctify it.
24 Kodwa uThixo wathi, “Yehla uyebuya lo-Aroni. Kodwa abaphristi labantu akumelanga ukuba beqe imingcele besiza lapho ngoba ngingabaphendukela.”
And the Lord said to him: Go, get thee down: and thou shalt come up, thou and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people pass the limits, nor come up to the Lord, lest he kill them.
25 Ngakho uMosi wehla waya ebantwini wabatshela.
And Moses went down to the people and told them all.
