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.”
When the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him.”
2 U-Aroni wabaphendula wathi, “Khuphani amacici egolide asendlebeni zamakhosikazi enu, amadodana enu lamadodakazi enu, liwalethe kimi.”
Aaron said to them, “Take off the golden rings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them to me.”
3 Ngakho abantu bonke bawakhupha amacici abo bawasa ku-Aroni.
All the people took off the golden rings which were in their ears, and brought 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.”
He received what they handed him, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it a moulded calf. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, which 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.”
When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation, and said, “Tomorrow shall 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.
They rose up early on the next day, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
7 Lapho-ke uThixo wathi kuMosi, “Yehla uye phansi ngoba abantu bakho owabakhupha elizweni laseGibhithe sebegcwele ububi.
The LORD spoke to Moses, “Go, get down; for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves!
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 turned away quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a moulded calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’”
9 UThixo wasebuya wathi kuMosi, “Sengibabonile abantu laba; ngabantu abantamo zilukhuni.
The LORD said to Moses, “I have seen these people, and behold, they are a stiff-necked people.
10 Khathesi-ke ngiyekela ngingedwa ukuze ulaka lwami luvuthe phezu kwabo, ngibatshabalalise. Besengizakwenza isizwe esikhulu.”
Now therefore leave me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of you 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?
Moses begged the LORD his God, and said, “LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, that you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty 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 should the Egyptians talk, saying, ‘He brought them out for evil, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the surface of the earth’? Turn from your fierce wrath, and turn away from this evil 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.’”
Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of the sky, and all this land that I have spoken of I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’”
14 Lapho-ke uThixo waguquka ebubini ayesemise ukubehlisela ebantwini bakhe.
So the LORD turned away from the evil which he said he would do to his people.
15 UMosi waphenduka wehla entabeni ephethe izibhebhedu ezimbili zamatshe obufakazi ezandleni zakhe. Zazilotshwe inxa zombili, phambili langemuva.
Moses turned, and went down from the mountain, with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand; tablets that were written on both their sides. They were written on one side and on the other.
16 Izibhebhedu zamatshe zazingumsebenzi kaNkulunkulu; umbhalo ungumbhalo kaNkulunkulu owawulotshwe ezibhebhedwini zamatshe.
The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.
17 Kwathi lapho uJoshuwa esizwa umsindo wabantu beklabalala, wathi kuMosi, “Kulokuhlokoma kwempi ezihonqweni.”
When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is the noise of war in the camp.”
18 UMosi waphendula wathi: “Akusiyo nhlokomo yokunqoba, akusiyo nhlokomo yokunqotshwa; yinhlokomo yokuhlabela mina engiyizwayo.”
He said, “It isn’t the voice of those who shout for victory. It is not the voice of those who cry for being overcome; but the noise of those who sing that I hear.”
19 Kwathi uMosi esebanga ezihonqweni ebona ithole kanye lokugida okwakusenziwa, ulaka lwakhe lwavutha, walahla izibhebhedu ezazisezandleni zakhe, zahlephuka zaba yizicucu ewatheni lwentaba.
As soon as he came near to the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. Then Moses’ anger grew hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mountain.
20 Wathatha ithole abebelenzile walitshisa emlilweni; walichola laba yimpuphu, wayiphosela emanzini, wathi bawanathe abako-Israyeli.
He took the calf which they had made, and burnt it with fire, ground it to powder, and scattered it on the water, and made the children of Israel drink it.
21 Wasesithi ku-Aroni, “Abantu laba benzeni kuwe uze ubakhokhelele esonweni esikhulu kangaka na?”
Moses said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you have brought a great sin on them?”
22 U-Aroni waphendula wathi, “Ungathukutheli nkosi yami. Uyakwazi ukuthi abantu laba bathanda ububi.
Aaron said, “Don’t let the anger of my lord grow hot. You know the people, that they are set on 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 gods, which shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him.’
24 Ngakho mina ngathi kubo, ‘Loba ngubani olomceciso wegolide kawukhuphe.’ Basebengipha-ke igolide ngaliphosa emlilweni, kwasekuphuma ithole leli.”
I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them take it off.’ So they gave it to me; and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”
25 UMosi wabona ukuthi abantu babengasabambeki kanye lokuthi u-Aroni wayesebaxhwalisile baze baba yinhlekisa ezitheni zabo.
When Moses saw that the people were out of control, (for Aaron had let them lose control, causing derision amongst their enemies),
26 Ngakho wema esangweni lezihonqo wathi, “Wonke ongokaThixo, keze kimi.” Wonke amadodana kaLevi ayabuthana kuye.
then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the LORD’s side, come to me!” All the sons of Levi gathered themselves 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.’”
He said to them, “The LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘Every man put his sword on his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and every man kill his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.’”
28 Amadodana kaLevi enza njengokulaywa kwawo nguMosi. Ngakho ngalolosuku kwafa abantu ababengaba zinkulungwane ezintathu.
The sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. About three thousand men fell of the people that day.
29 UMosi wasesithi kubo, “Lamuhla lina selahlukaniselwe uThixo ngoba limelane lamadodana enu labafowenu, ngalokho uselibusisile lamhla.”
Moses said, “Consecrate yourselves today to the LORD, for every man was against his son and against his brother, that he may give you a blessing today.”
30 Ngelanga elalandelayo uMosi wathi ebantwini, “Lenze isono esikhulu kakhulu. Kodwa khathesi ngizaqansa ngiye phezulu kuThixo, mhlawumbe ngingenza inhlawulelo yesono senu.”
On the next day, Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. Now I will go up to the LORD. Perhaps I shall make atonement for your sin.”
31 Ngakho uMosi wabuyela kuThixo wathi kuye, “Awu, abantu laba sebenze isono esikhulu kakhulu. Bazenzele onkulunkulu ngegolide.
Moses returned to the LORD, and said, “Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made themselves gods of gold.
32 Ake ubathethelele izono zabo kodwa nxa kungenjalo, ngesula ogwalweni olulobileyo.”
Yet now, if you will, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out of your book which you have written.”
33 UThixo wamphendula uMosi wathi, “Lowo owenze isono kimi ngizamesula ogwalweni lwami.
The LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot him 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.”
Now go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.”
35 UThixo wabajezisa abantu ngesifo ngenxa yalokho abakwenza ngethole elalenziwe ngu-Aroni.
The LORD struck the people, because of what they did with the calf, which Aaron made.
