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 the people see that Moses is delaying to come down from the mountain, and the people assemble against Aaron, and say to him, “Rise, make gods for us, who go before us, for this Moses—the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt—we have not known what has happened to him.”
2 U-Aroni wabaphendula wathi, “Khuphani amacici egolide asendlebeni zamakhosikazi enu, amadodana enu lamadodakazi enu, liwalethe kimi.”
And Aaron says to them, “Break off the rings of gold which [are] in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring [them] to me”;
3 Ngakho abantu bonke bawakhupha amacici abo bawasa ku-Aroni.
and all the people break off the rings of gold which [are] in their ears, and bring [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 receives [it] from their hand, and fashions it with an engraving tool, and makes it [into] a molten calf, and they say, “These [are] your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”
5 Kwathi u-Aroni ebona lokhu wakha i-alithari phambi kwethole wamemezela wathi, “Kusasa kuzakuba lomkhosi kaThixo.”
And Aaron sees, and builds an altar before it, and Aaron calls, and says, “A festival to YHWH—tomorrow”;
6 Ngakho ngosuku olwalandelayo abantu bavuka ekuseni kakhulu banikela umnikelo wokutshiswa, baletha lomnikelo wobudlelwano. Emva kwalokho bahlala phansi badla, banatha; basukuma bagida.
and they rise early on the next day, and cause burnt-offerings to ascend, and bring peace-offerings near; and the people sit down to eat and to drink, and rise up to play.
7 Lapho-ke uThixo wathi kuMosi, “Yehla uye phansi ngoba abantu bakho owabakhupha elizweni laseGibhithe sebegcwele ububi.
And YHWH says to Moses, “Go, descend, for your people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt have done corruptly,
8 Baphangisile badela konke engabalaya khona bazenzela isithombe esibunjwe safana lethole. Basikhothamele banikela iminikelo kiso bathi, ‘Laba yibo onkulunkulu benu, bako-Israyeli, abalikhupha eGibhithe.’”
they have quickly turned aside from the way that I have commanded them; they have made a molten calf for themselves, and bow themselves to it, and sacrifice to it, and say, These [are] your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”
9 UThixo wasebuya wathi kuMosi, “Sengibabonile abantu laba; ngabantu abantamo zilukhuni.
And YHWH says to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it [is] a stiff-necked people;
10 Khathesi-ke ngiyekela ngingedwa ukuze ulaka lwami luvuthe phezu kwabo, ngibatshabalalise. Besengizakwenza isizwe esikhulu.”
and now, leave Me alone, and My anger burns against them, and I consume them, and I make you become 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?
And Moses appeases the face of his God YHWH and says, “Why, O YHWH, does Your anger burn against Your people, whom You have brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong 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 do the Egyptians speak, saying, He brought them out in calamity to slay them among mountains, and to consume them from off the face of the ground? Turn back from the heat of Your anger, and relent from this calamity against 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.’”
Be mindful of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, Your servants, to whom You have sworn by Yourself, and to whom You speak: I multiply your seed as stars of the heavens, and all this land, as I have said, I give to your seed, and they have inherited [it] for all time”;
14 Lapho-ke uThixo waguquka ebubini ayesemise ukubehlisela ebantwini bakhe.
and YHWH relents from the evil which He has spoken of doing to His people.
15 UMosi waphenduka wehla entabeni ephethe izibhebhedu ezimbili zamatshe obufakazi ezandleni zakhe. Zazilotshwe inxa zombili, phambili langemuva.
And Moses turns, and goes down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the Testimony [are] in his hand, tablets written on both their sides; they [are] written on this [side] and on that [side];
16 Izibhebhedu zamatshe zazingumsebenzi kaNkulunkulu; umbhalo ungumbhalo kaNkulunkulu owawulotshwe ezibhebhedwini zamatshe.
and the tablets are the work of God, and the writing is the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.
17 Kwathi lapho uJoshuwa esizwa umsindo wabantu beklabalala, wathi kuMosi, “Kulokuhlokoma kwempi ezihonqweni.”
And Joshua hears the voice of the people in their shouting and says to Moses, “A noise of battle in the camp!”
18 UMosi waphendula wathi: “Akusiyo nhlokomo yokunqoba, akusiyo nhlokomo yokunqotshwa; yinhlokomo yokuhlabela mina engiyizwayo.”
And he says, “It is not the voice of the crying of might, nor is it the voice of the crying of weakness—I am hearing a voice of singing.”
19 Kwathi uMosi esebanga ezihonqweni ebona ithole kanye lokugida okwakusenziwa, ulaka lwakhe lwavutha, walahla izibhebhedu ezazisezandleni zakhe, zahlephuka zaba yizicucu ewatheni lwentaba.
And it comes to pass, when he has drawn near to the camp, that he sees the calf, and the dancing, and the anger of Moses burns, and he casts the tablets out of his hands, and breaks them below the mountain;
20 Wathatha ithole abebelenzile walitshisa emlilweni; walichola laba yimpuphu, wayiphosela emanzini, wathi bawanathe abako-Israyeli.
and he takes the calf which they have made, and burns [it] with fire, and grinds [it] until [it is] small, and scatters [it] on the face of the waters, and causes the sons of Israel to drink.
21 Wasesithi ku-Aroni, “Abantu laba benzeni kuwe uze ubakhokhelele esonweni esikhulu kangaka na?”
And Moses says to Aaron, “What has this people done to you, that you have brought in a great sin on it?”
22 U-Aroni waphendula wathi, “Ungathukutheli nkosi yami. Uyakwazi ukuthi abantu laba bathanda ububi.
And Aaron says, “Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you have known the people, that it [is beset] with evil;
23 Bathe kimi, ‘Senzele onkulunkulu abazahamba phambi kwethu. Umuntu lo, uMosi owasikhupha elizweni laseGibhithe, asikwazi osokwenzakale kuye.’
and they say to me, Make gods for us, who go before us, for this Moses—the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt—we have not known what has happened to him;
24 Ngakho mina ngathi kubo, ‘Loba ngubani olomceciso wegolide kawukhuphe.’ Basebengipha-ke igolide ngaliphosa emlilweni, kwasekuphuma ithole leli.”
and I say to them, Whoever has gold, let them break [it] off, and they give [it] to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf comes out.”
25 UMosi wabona ukuthi abantu babengasabambeki kanye lokuthi u-Aroni wayesebaxhwalisile baze baba yinhlekisa ezitheni zabo.
And Moses sees the people, that it [is] unbridled, for Aaron has made it unbridled for contempt among its withstanders,
26 Ngakho wema esangweni lezihonqo wathi, “Wonke ongokaThixo, keze kimi.” Wonke amadodana kaLevi ayabuthana kuye.
and Moses stands in the gate of the camp and says, “Who [is] for YHWH? [Come] to me!” And all the sons of Levi are gathered 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 says to them, “Thus said YHWH, God of Israel: Each put his sword by his thigh, pass over and turn back from gate to gate through the camp, and each slay his brother, and each his friend, and each his relation.”
28 Amadodana kaLevi enza njengokulaywa kwawo nguMosi. Ngakho ngalolosuku kwafa abantu ababengaba zinkulungwane ezintathu.
And the sons of Levi do according to the word of Moses, and there falls of the people on that day about three thousand men,
29 UMosi wasesithi kubo, “Lamuhla lina selahlukaniselwe uThixo ngoba limelane lamadodana enu labafowenu, ngalokho uselibusisile lamhla.”
and Moses says, “Consecrate your hand to YHWH today, for a man [is] against his son, and against his brother, so as to bring a blessing on you today.”
30 Ngelanga elalandelayo uMosi wathi ebantwini, “Lenze isono esikhulu kakhulu. Kodwa khathesi ngizaqansa ngiye phezulu kuThixo, mhlawumbe ngingenza inhlawulelo yesono senu.”
And it comes to pass, on the next day, that Moses says to the people, “You have sinned a great sin, and now I go up to YHWH, perhaps I can atone for your sin.”
31 Ngakho uMosi wabuyela kuThixo wathi kuye, “Awu, abantu laba sebenze isono esikhulu kakhulu. Bazenzele onkulunkulu ngegolide.
And Moses turns back to YHWH and says, “Ah, now this people has sinned a great sin, that they make a god of gold for themselves;
32 Ake ubathethelele izono zabo kodwa nxa kungenjalo, ngesula ogwalweni olulobileyo.”
and now, if You take away their sin—and if not—please blot me out of Your scroll which You have written.”
33 UThixo wamphendula uMosi wathi, “Lowo owenze isono kimi ngizamesula ogwalweni lwami.
And YHWH says to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me—I blot him out of My scroll;
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.”
and now, go, lead the people wherever I have spoken to you of; behold, My Messenger goes before you, and in the day of my charging—then I have charged their sin on them.”
35 UThixo wabajezisa abantu ngesifo ngenxa yalokho abakwenza ngethole elalenziwe ngu-Aroni.
And YHWH plagues the people because they made the calf which Aaron made.
