U-Eksodusi 4
1 UMosi waphendula wathi, “Pho bangayekela ukungikholwa loba ukulalela engikutshoyo bathi, ‘uThixo kazange abonakale kuwe’?”
Moses answered, “But, behold, they will not believe me, nor listen to my voice; for they will say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’”
2 UThixo wathi kuye, “Kuyini lokho okusesandleni sakho?” Waphendula wathi, “Yintonga.”
The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.”
3 UThixo wathi, “Iphosele phansi emhlabathini.” UMosi wayiphosa phansi yasiphenduka yaba yinyoka, wayibalekela.
He said, “Throw it on the ground.” He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses ran away from it.
4 UThixo wasesithi kuye, “Yelula isandla sakho uyibambe ngomsila.” UMosi welula isandla wayibamba inyoka yasiphenduka yaba yintonga esandleni sakhe.
The LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand, and take it by the tail.” He stretched out his hand, and took hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand.
5 UThixo wathi, “Lokhu yikwenzela ukuthi bakholwe ukuthi uThixo, uNkulunkulu waboyise, uNkulunkulu ka-Abhrahama, uNkulunkulu ka-Isaka loNkulunkulu kaJakhobe ubonakele kuwe.”
“This is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”
6 UThixo wabuye wathi, “Faka isandla sakho phakathi kwejazi lakho.” UMosi wasefaka isandla sakhe ejazini lakhe, kwathi lapho esesikhupha, sasesimhlophe njengongqwaqwane sesilobulephero.
The LORD said furthermore to him, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” He put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.
7 Wathi njalo, “Sibuyisele isandla sakho ejazini lakho.” UMosi wasifaka isandla sakhe ejazini lakhe, wathi esesikhupha sasesibuyele esimeni saso, sesifanana lejwabu lakhe.
He said, “Put your hand inside your cloak again.” He put his hand inside his cloak again, and when he took it out of his cloak, behold, it had turned again as his other flesh.
8 UThixo wasesithi, “Nxa bengayikukholwa loba bengananzi izibonakaliso zokuqala, mhlawumbe bazakholwa ezesibili.
“It will happen, if they will not believe you or listen to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
9 Kodwa nxa bengakholwa izibonakaliso lezi ezimbili loba bengakulaleli, uzathatha amanzi emfuleni uNayili uwathele emhlabathini owomileyo. Amanzi ozawathatha emfuleni azaphenduka abe ligazi emhlabathini owomileyo.”
It will happen, if they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river, and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take out of the river will become blood on the dry land.”
10 UMosi wasesithi kuThixo, “Oh Thixo, ngixolele, angizange ngibe yisikhulumi kusukela emuva kuze kube lakhathesi ukhuluma lenceku yakho. Ngiyagagasa njalo ngilamalimi.”
Moses said to the LORD, “O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”
11 UThixo wathi kuye, “Ngubani owapha umuntu umlomo? Ngubani omenza abe yisacuthe loba abe yisimungulu? Ngubani omenza abone loba abe yisiphofu? Akusimi uThixo na?
The LORD said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn’t it I, the LORD?
12 Ngakho hamba, ngizakusiza ukuthi ukhulume njalo ngikufundise lokuthi uthini.”
Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.”
13 Kodwa uMosi wathi, “Oh Thixo, ngicela uthume omunye ukuthi ayekwenza lokhu.”
Moses said, “Oh, Lord, please send someone else.”
14 UThixo wathukuthela, ulaka lwakhe lwavutha kuMosi, wathi, “Umfowenu u-Aroni, ongumLevi ke? Ngiyazi ukuthi uyenelisa ukukhuluma kuhle. Uvele usendleleni ukuzahlangana lawe, njalo inhliziyo yakhe izathokoza ukukubona.
The LORD’s anger burnt against Moses, and he said, “What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he is coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
15 Uzakhuluma laye ufake amazwi emlonyeni wakhe. Ngizaliphathisa lobabili ukuthi likhulume njalo ngizalifundisa ukuthi lenzeni.
You shall speak to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do.
16 Yena uzakukhulumela ebantwini, njalo kuzakuba sengani nguye ongumlomo wakho njalo kube angani wena unguNkulunkulu kuye.
He will be your spokesman to the people. It will happen that he will be to you a mouth, and you will be to him as God.
17 Kodwa phatha intonga le esandleni sakho ukuze wenze izimangaliso ngayo.”
You shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”
18 UMosi wasebuyela kuyisezala uJethro wathi kuye, “Bengicela ukubuyela ebantwini bakithi eGibhithe ukuthi ngiyebona kumbe balokhu besaphilile.” UJethro wathi kuye, “Hamba kuhle.”
Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”
19 UThixo wayethe kuMosi eMidiyani, “Buyela eGibhithe, ngoba bonke abantu ababefuna ukukubulala sebafa.”
The LORD said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return into Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.”
20 Ngakho uMosi wathatha umkakhe kanye lamadodana akhe, wabakhweza kubabhemi waqala uhambo lokubuyela eGibhithe. Wathatha intonga kaNkulunkulu wayiphatha ngesandla.
Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. Moses took God’s rod in his hand.
21 UThixo wathi kuMosi, “Ekubuyeleni kwakho eGibhithe, bona ukuthi uyazenza zonke izimangaliso engikuphe amandla okuba uzenze phambi kukaFaro. Kodwa ngizakwenza inhliziyo yakhe ibe lukhuni ukuba angabavumeli abantu ukuthi basuke.
The LORD said to Moses, “When you go back into Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your hand, but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go.
22 Uzakuthi kuFaro, ‘uThixo uthi u-Israyeli yindodana yami elizibulo,
You shall tell Pharaoh, ‘The LORD says, Israel is my son, my firstborn,
23 njalo ngakutshela ngathi, “Vumela indodana yami ihambe, ukuze iyengikhonza.” Kodwa wena wala ukuyivumela ukuba ihambe; ngakho ngizabulala indodana yakho elizibulo.’”
and I have said to you, “Let my son go, that he may serve me;” and you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’”
24 Kwathi besesendleleni, endlini yezihambi, uThixo wahlangana loMosi wafuna ukumbulala.
On the way at a lodging place, the LORD met Moses and wanted to kill him.
25 Kodwa uZiphora wayisoka indodana yakhe, wathatha isikhumba sakhona wasethinta inyawo zikaMosi ngaso. Wathi, “Impela wena ungumyeni wegazi.”
Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me.”
26 Ngakho uThixo wamyekela. (Ngalesosikhathi uZiphora wathi “umyeni wegazi,” esitsho ukusoka.)
So he let him alone. Then she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.
27 UThixo wathi ku-Aroni, “Hamba uye enkangala uhlangabezane loMosi.” Ngakho wasuka wayahlangana loMosi entabeni kaThixo wamanga.
The LORD said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” He went, and met him on God’s mountain, and kissed him.
28 UMosi wamtshela u-Aroni konke uThixo ayemthume ukuthi akutsho, njalo langazo zonke izibonakaliso ezimangalisayo ayemlaye ukuba azenze.
Moses told Aaron all the LORD’s words with which he had sent him, and all the signs with which he had instructed him.
29 UMosi lo-Aroni bahamba bafika baqoqa bonke abadala bako-Israyeli,
Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel.
30 u-Aroni wasebatshela konke uThixo ayekutshele uMosi. Wenza lezibonakaliso phambi kwabantu,
Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.
31 bakholwa. Kwathi besizwa ukuthi uThixo uyabakhathalela, njalo wayelubonile usizi lwabo, bakhothama phansi bamkhonza.
The people believed, and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
