U-Eksodusi 32
1 Kwathi lapho abantu bebona uMosi esephuzile ukwehla entabeni, babuthana ku-Aroni bathi kuye, “Lalela, senzele onkulunkulu abazahamba phambi kwethu, ngoba umuntu lo, uMosi owasikhupha elizweni laseGibhithe, asikwazi osekwenzakale kuye.”
And when the people saw that Moses was a long time coming down from the mountain, they all came to Aaron and said to him, Come, make us a god to go before us: as for this Moses, who took us up out of the land of Egypt, we have no idea what has become of him.
2 U-Aroni wabaphendula wathi, “Khuphani amacici egolide asendlebeni zamakhosikazi enu, amadodana enu lamadodakazi enu, liwalethe kimi.”
Then Aaron said to them, Take off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives and your sons and your daughters, and give them to me.
3 Ngakho abantu bonke bawakhupha amacici abo bawasa ku-Aroni.
And all the people took the gold rings from their ears and gave them to Aaron.
4 Wathatha lokho abamnikeza khona wakwenza kwaba yisithombe esibunjwe ngesimo sethole esebenzisa insimbi yokukhanda. Basebesithi, “Laba yibo onkulunkulu benu, Oh Israyeli, abalikhupha elizweni laseGibhithe.”
And he took the gold from them and, hammering it with an instrument, he made it into the metal image of a young ox: and they said, This is your god, O Israel, who took you out of the land of Egypt.
5 Kwathi u-Aroni ebona lokhu wakha i-alithari phambi kwethole wamemezela wathi, “Kusasa kuzakuba lomkhosi kaThixo.”
And when Aaron saw this, he made an altar before it, and made a public statement, saying, Tomorrow there will be a feast to the Lord.
6 Ngakho ngosuku olwalandelayo abantu bavuka ekuseni kakhulu banikela umnikelo wokutshiswa, baletha lomnikelo wobudlelwano. Emva kwalokho bahlala phansi badla, banatha; basukuma bagida.
So early on the day after they got up and made burned offerings and peace-offerings; and took their seats at the feast, and then gave themselves to pleasure.
7 Lapho-ke uThixo wathi kuMosi, “Yehla uye phansi ngoba abantu bakho owabakhupha elizweni laseGibhithe sebegcwele ububi.
And the Lord said to Moses, Go down quickly; for your people, whom you took out of the land of Egypt, are turned to evil ways;
8 Baphangisile badela konke engabalaya khona bazenzela isithombe esibunjwe safana lethole. Basikhothamele banikela iminikelo kiso bathi, ‘Laba yibo onkulunkulu benu, bako-Israyeli, abalikhupha eGibhithe.’”
Even now they are turned away from the rule I gave them, and have made themselves a metal ox and given worship to it and offerings, saying, This is your god, O Israel, who took you up out of the land of Egypt.
9 UThixo wasebuya wathi kuMosi, “Sengibabonile abantu laba; ngabantu abantamo zilukhuni.
And the Lord said to Moses, I have been watching this people, and I see that they are a stiff-necked people.
10 Khathesi-ke ngiyekela ngingedwa ukuze ulaka lwami luvuthe phezu kwabo, ngibatshabalalise. Besengizakwenza isizwe esikhulu.”
Now do not get in my way, for my wrath is burning against them; I will send destruction on them, but of you I will make a great nation.
11 Kodwa uMosi wacela umusa kuThixo uNkulunkulu wakhe, wathi, “Awu Thixo, kungani ulaka lwakho kumele luvuthele abantu bakho owabakhupha eGibhithe ngamandla amakhulu langesandla esiqinileyo na?
But Moses made prayer to God, saying, Lord, why is your wrath burning against your people whom you took out of the land of Egypt, with great power and with the strength of your hand?
12 Kungani amaGibhithe kumele athi, ‘Wabakhupha elizweni ngenxa yenhloso embi ukuba ababulalele ezintabeni, ababhubhise baphele ebusweni bomhlaba’? Phenduka olakeni lwakho olwesabekayo, uthambise umoya wakho, ungaletheli abantu bakho ukubhujiswa.
Why let the Egyptians say, He took them out to an evil fate, to put them to death on the mountains, cutting them off from the earth? Let your wrath be turned away from them, and send not this evil on your people.
13 Khumbula izinceku zakho u-Abhrahama, u-Isaka lo-Israyeli owafunga kubo wena ngokwakho wathi, ‘Ngizakwandisa inzalo yenu ibe ngangezinkanyezi zasemkhathini, ngiyinike lonke ilizwe engalithembisa lona ukuba libe yilifa layo kuze kube nini lanini.’”
Have in mind Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you gave your oath, saying, I will make your seed like the stars of heaven in number, and all this land will I give to your seed, as I said, to be their heritage for ever.
14 Lapho-ke uThixo waguquka ebubini ayesemise ukubehlisela ebantwini bakhe.
So the Lord let himself be turned from his purpose of sending punishment on his people.
15 UMosi waphenduka wehla entabeni ephethe izibhebhedu ezimbili zamatshe obufakazi ezandleni zakhe. Zazilotshwe inxa zombili, phambili langemuva.
Then Moses came down the mountain with the two stones of the law in his hand; the stones had writing on their two sides, on the front and on the back.
16 Izibhebhedu zamatshe zazingumsebenzi kaNkulunkulu; umbhalo ungumbhalo kaNkulunkulu owawulotshwe ezibhebhedwini zamatshe.
The stones were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, cut on the stones.
17 Kwathi lapho uJoshuwa esizwa umsindo wabantu beklabalala, wathi kuMosi, “Kulokuhlokoma kwempi ezihonqweni.”
Now when the noise and the voices of the people came to the ears of Joshua, he said to Moses, There is a noise of war in the tents.
18 UMosi waphendula wathi: “Akusiyo nhlokomo yokunqoba, akusiyo nhlokomo yokunqotshwa; yinhlokomo yokuhlabela mina engiyizwayo.”
And Moses said, It is not the voice of men who are overcoming in the fight, or the cry of those who have been overcome; it is the sound of songs which comes to my ear.
19 Kwathi uMosi esebanga ezihonqweni ebona ithole kanye lokugida okwakusenziwa, ulaka lwakhe lwavutha, walahla izibhebhedu ezazisezandleni zakhe, zahlephuka zaba yizicucu ewatheni lwentaba.
And when he came near the tents he saw the image of the ox, and the people dancing; and in his wrath Moses let the stones go from his hands, and they were broken at the foot of the mountain.
20 Wathatha ithole abebelenzile walitshisa emlilweni; walichola laba yimpuphu, wayiphosela emanzini, wathi bawanathe abako-Israyeli.
And he took the ox which they had made, burning it in the fire and crushing it to powder, and he put it in the water and made the children of Israel take a drink of it.
21 Wasesithi ku-Aroni, “Abantu laba benzeni kuwe uze ubakhokhelele esonweni esikhulu kangaka na?”
And Moses said to Aaron, What did the people do to you that you let this great sin come on them?
22 U-Aroni waphendula wathi, “Ungathukutheli nkosi yami. Uyakwazi ukuthi abantu laba bathanda ububi.
And Aaron said, Let not my lord be angry; you have seen how the purposes of this people are evil.
23 Bathe kimi, ‘Senzele onkulunkulu abazahamba phambi kwethu. Umuntu lo, uMosi owasikhupha elizweni laseGibhithe, asikwazi osokwenzakale kuye.’
For they said to me, Make us a god to go before us: as for this Moses, who took us up out of the land of Egypt, we have no idea what has come to him.
24 Ngakho mina ngathi kubo, ‘Loba ngubani olomceciso wegolide kawukhuphe.’ Basebengipha-ke igolide ngaliphosa emlilweni, kwasekuphuma ithole leli.”
Then I said to them, Whoever has any gold, let him take it off; so they gave it to me, and I put it in the fire, and this image of an ox came out.
25 UMosi wabona ukuthi abantu babengasabambeki kanye lokuthi u-Aroni wayesebaxhwalisile baze baba yinhlekisa ezitheni zabo.
And Moses saw that the people were out of control, for Aaron had let them loose to their shame before their haters:
26 Ngakho wema esangweni lezihonqo wathi, “Wonke ongokaThixo, keze kimi.” Wonke amadodana kaLevi ayabuthana kuye.
Then Moses took his place at the way into the tents, and said, Whoever is on the Lord's side, let him come to me. And all the sons of Levi came together to him.
27 Wasesithi kuwo, “Lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ukuthi, ‘Indoda ngayinye kayibophele inkemba yayo ngebhanti eceleni kwayo, lihambahambe phakathi kwezihonqo lisuka kwelinye icele lazo lisiya kwelinye, indoda ngayinye ibulale umfowabo, umzalwane lomakhelwane wayo.’”
And he said to them, This is the word of the Lord, the God of Israel: Let every man take his sword at his side, and go from one end of the tents to the other, putting to death his brother and his friend and his neighbour.
28 Amadodana kaLevi enza njengokulaywa kwawo nguMosi. Ngakho ngalolosuku kwafa abantu ababengaba zinkulungwane ezintathu.
And the sons of Levi did as Moses said; and about three thousand of the people were put to death that day.
29 UMosi wasesithi kubo, “Lamuhla lina selahlukaniselwe uThixo ngoba limelane lamadodana enu labafowenu, ngalokho uselibusisile lamhla.”
And Moses said, You have made yourselves priests to the Lord this day; for every one of you has made the offering of his son and his brother; the blessing of the Lord is on you this day.
30 Ngelanga elalandelayo uMosi wathi ebantwini, “Lenze isono esikhulu kakhulu. Kodwa khathesi ngizaqansa ngiye phezulu kuThixo, mhlawumbe ngingenza inhlawulelo yesono senu.”
And on the day after, Moses said to the people, Great has been your sin: but I will go up to the Lord, and see if I may get forgiveness for your sin.
31 Ngakho uMosi wabuyela kuThixo wathi kuye, “Awu, abantu laba sebenze isono esikhulu kakhulu. Bazenzele onkulunkulu ngegolide.
Then Moses went back to the Lord and said, This people has done a great sin, making themselves a god of gold;
32 Ake ubathethelele izono zabo kodwa nxa kungenjalo, ngesula ogwalweni olulobileyo.”
But now, if you will give them forgiveness — but if not, let my name be taken out of your book.
33 UThixo wamphendula uMosi wathi, “Lowo owenze isono kimi ngizamesula ogwalweni lwami.
And the Lord said to Moses, Whoever has done evil against me will be taken out of my book.
34 Khathesi hamba, ukhokhelele abantu endaweni engakhuluma ngayo kuwe. Ingilosi yami izahamba phambi kwakho. Kodwa-ke nxa isikhathi sami sokujezisa sesifikile, ngizabajezisa ngenxa yesono sabo.”
But now, go, take the people into that place of which I have given you word; see, my angel will go before you: but when the time of my judging has come, I will send punishment on them for their sin.
35 UThixo wabajezisa abantu ngesifo ngenxa yalokho abakwenza ngethole elalenziwe ngu-Aroni.
And the Lord sent punishment on the people because they gave worship to the ox which Aaron made.
