U-Eksodusi 16
1 Basebesuka eElimi, lenhlangano yonke yabantwana bakoIsrayeli yafika enkangala yeSini, ephakathi kweElimi leSinayi, ngosuku lwetshumi lanhlanu lwenyanga yesibili emva kokuphuma kwabo elizweni leGibhithe.
The whole Israelite community left Elim and went to the Desert of Sin, between Elim and Sinai. This was on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the land of Egypt.
2 Lenhlangano yonke yabantwana bakoIsrayeli yakhonona imelana loMozisi loAroni enkangala.
There in the desert they complained to Moses and Aaron.
3 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesithi kubo: Kungathi ngabe safa ngesandla seNkosi elizweni leGibhithe lapho sasihlezi embizeni zenyama, lapho sadla isinkwa sasutha; ngoba lisikhuphele kulinkangala ukuze libulale lelibandla lonke ngendlala.
“The Lord should've killed us back in Egypt!” the Israelites told them. “At least there we could sit down beside stewpots of meat and eat bread until we were full. But you had to bring all of us out here in the desert to starve us all to death!”
4 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Khangela, ngizalinisela isinkwa sivela emazulwini; labantu bazaphuma ukubutha isabelo sosuku ngosuku lwaso, ukuze ngibalinge ukuthi bazahamba ngomlayo wami yini kumbe hayi.
The Lord told Moses, “Just watch! I'm going to rain down bread from heaven for you! Each day the people are to go out and collect enough for that day. I'm going to test them by this to find out whether they'll follow my instructions or not.
5 Kuzakuthi-ke ngosuku lwesithupha bazalungisa lokho abakulethileyo, njalo kuzabe kuphindwe kabili kulokho abakubuthayo insuku ngensuku.
On the sixth day they are to collect twice as much as usual and prepare it.”
6 UMozisi loAroni basebesithi kubo bonke abantwana bakoIsrayeli: Kusihlwa, khona lizakwazi ukuthi iNkosi ilikhuphile elizweni leGibhithe;
So Moses and Aaron explained to all the Israelites, “This evening you will have the proof that it was the Lord who led you out of Egypt,
7 njalo kusisa, khona lizabona inkazimulo yeNkosi, ngoba izwile ukukhonona kwenu limelene leNkosi. Thina-ke siyini ukuthi lisikhononele?
and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord displayed as he responds to the complaints he's heard you making against him. For why should you be complaining to us? We're nobodies!”
8 UMozisi wasesithi: Lapho iNkosi ilinika inyama yokudla kusihlwa, lesinkwa ekuseni, ukuze lisuthe, kungoba iNkosi izwile ukukhonona kwenu elikukhonona limelene layo. Ngoba thina siyini? Ukukhonona kwenu kakumelananga lathi, kodwa kumelene leNkosi.
Then Moses continued, “The Lord is going to give you meat to eat this evening and as much bread as you want in the morning, for he has heard your complaints against him. Why are you complaining to us nobodies? Your complaints aren't directed against us, but against the Lord.”
9 UMozisi wasesithi kuAroni: Tshono kunhlangano yonke yabantwana bakoIsrayeli uthi: Sondelani phambi kweNkosi, ngoba izwile ukukhonona kwenu.
Then Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole Israelite community, ‘Present yourselves before the Lord, because he has heard your complaints.’”
10 Kwasekusithi uAroni esakhuluma kunhlangano yonke yabantwana bakoIsrayeli, bakhangela ngasenkangala, khangela-ke, inkazimulo yeNkosi yabonakala eyezini.
While Aaron was still speaking to all the Israelites, they looked toward the desert and saw the glory of the Lord appear in a cloud.
11 INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi isithi:
The Lord told Moses,
12 Sengizwile ukukhonona kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli; batshele uthi: Kusihlwa lizakudla inyama, lekuseni lisuthe isinkwa, njalo lizakwazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu.
“I have heard the complaints of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘In the evening you will eat meat, and in the morning you will have as much bread as you want. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’”
13 Kwasekusithi ntambama kwenyuka izagwaca, zasibekela inkamba; lakusisa kwakulomlalela wamazolo uzingelezele inkamba.
That evening quail flew in and landed, filling the camp. In the morning dew covered the ground all around the camp.
14 Kwathi umlalela wamazolo usuwenyukile, khangela-ke, phezu kobuso benkangala into eyisigaqa encinyane, incinyane njengongqwaqwane emhlabathini.
Once the dew had gone, there was something thin and flaky on the desert, looking like frost crystals on the ground.
15 Kwathi abantwana bakoIsrayeli bezibona bathi omunye komunye: Yimana. Ngoba babengazi ukuthi kuyini. UMozisi wasesithi kubo: Kuyisinkwa iNkosi elinike sona ukuze lidle.
When the Israelites saw it, they asked each another, “What is it?” because they had no idea what it was. So Moses explained to them, “It's the bread the Lord has provided for you to eat.
16 Le yinto iNkosi elilaye ngayo yathi: Ngulowo lalowo kabuthe kuyo okulingene ukudla kwakhe, i-omeri ngekhanda, njengenani lemiphefumulo yenu, ngulowo uzathathela abasethenteni lakhe.
This is what the Lord has ordered you to do: ‘All of you shall collect as much as is needed. Take an omer for each person in your tent.’”
17 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesenza njalo, babutha, omunye okunengi lomunye okulutshwana.
So the Israelites did as they were told. Some collected more, while others collected less.
18 Sebelinganise nge-omeri, lowo owayebuthe okunengi kabanga lokusalayo, lowayebuthe okulutshwana kaswelanga; babutha, ngulowo lalowo okulingene ukudla kwakhe.
But when they measured it out in omers, those who had collected a lot didn't have any left over, while those who had only collected a little still had enough. Each person collected gathered as much as they needed to eat.
19 UMozisi wasesithi kubo: Kakungabi lamuntu otshiya kukho kuze kube sekuseni.
Then Moses said to them, “No one is to leave any of it until the morning.”
20 Kodwa kabamlalelanga uMozisi; kodwa abanye batshiya kukho kwaze kwaba sekuseni, kwasekuphethuza impethu, kwaba levumba. Ngakho uMozisi wabathukuthelela.
But some didn't listen to Moses. They did leave some of it until the morning, and it was full of maggots and smelled bad. Moses became angry with them.
21 Bakubutha ukusa ngokusa, ngulowo lalowo okulingene ukudla kwakhe; lapho ilanga selitshisa, kwancibilika.
So each morning everyone collected as much as they needed, and when the sun became hot, it melted away to nothing.
22 Kwasekusithi ngosuku lwesithupha babutha isinkwa esiphindwe kabili, ama-omeri amabili ngamunye. Njalo zonke izinduna zenhlangano zeza zamtshela uMozisi.
However, on the sixth day, they collected twice as much of this food, two omers for each person. All the Israelite leaders came and told Moses what they had done.
23 Wasesithi kuzo: Lokhu yikho iNkosi ekutshiloyo: Kusasa yikuphumula, isabatha elingcwele leNkosi. Bhakani elizakubhaka, lipheke elizakupheka, konke lokho okuseleyo lizibekele kugcinwe kuze kube sekuseni.
Moses replied, “These are the Lord's instructions: ‘Tomorrow is a special day of rest, a holy Sabbath to honor the Lord. So bake what you want, and boil what you want. Then put to one side what's left and keep it until morning.’”
24 Basebekubeka kwaze kwaba sekuseni njengokulaya kukaMozisi. Njalo kakubanga levumba, kwakungelampethu kukho.
So they kept it until morning as Moses had ordered, and it didn't smell bad or have any maggots.
25 UMozisi wasesithi: Dlanini lokhu lamuhla, ngoba lamuhla kulisabatha leNkosi; lamuhla kaliyikukuthola egangeni.
Moses told them, “Eat it today, because today is a Sabbath to honor the Lord. Today you won't find anything out there.
26 Lizakubutha insuku eziyisithupha; kodwa ngosuku lwesikhombisa, isabatha, kakuyikuba khona kulo.
You can go out collecting for six days, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, it won't be there.”
27 Kwasekusithi ngosuku lwesikhombisa abanye babantu baphuma ukubutha, kodwa kabakutholanga.
However, on the seventh day some people still went out collecting, but they did not find anything.
28 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Koze kube nini lisala ukugcina imilayo yami lemithetho yami?
The Lord told Moses, “How long are you going to refuse to obey my commands and instructions?
29 Bonani, ngoba iNkosi ilinikile isabatha, ngakho ilinika ngosuku lwesithupha isinkwa sensuku ezimbili; hlalani kube ngulowo lalowo endaweni yakhe, kakungaphumi muntu endaweni yakhe ngosuku lwesikhombisa.
You need to understand that the Lord has given you the Sabbath, so on the sixth day he will provide you with food for two days. On the seventh day, everyone has to stay where they are—no one needs to go out.”
30 Ngakho abantu baphumula ngosuku lwesikhombisa.
So the people did no work on the seventh day.
31 Indlu yakoIsrayeli yasibiza ibizo lakho ngokuthi yimana; njalo kwakunjengenhlanyelo yekhoriyanderi emhlophe, lokunambitheka kwayo kwakunjengezinkwana eziyizipatalala eziloluju.
The Israelites called the food manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers with honey.
32 UMozisi wasesithi: Le yinto iNkosi elaye ngayo ukuthi: Gcwalisani i-omeri ngayo igcinelwe izizukulwana zenu, ukuze zibone isinkwa engalinika sona ukuthi lidle enkangala ekulikhupheni kwami elizweni leGibhithe.
Moses said, “This is what the Lord has ordered: ‘Keep an omer of manna as a reminder for future generations, so that they can see the food I used to feed you in the desert when I led you out of Egypt.’”
33 UMozisi wasesithi kuAroni: Thatha inqayi eyodwa, ufake kuyo i-omeri eligcwele imana, uyibeke phambi kweNkosi, igcinelwe izizukulwana zenu.
So Moses told Aaron, “Take a jar and put an omer of manna in it. Then place it before the Lord to be kept as a reminder for future generations.”
34 Njengokulaya kweNkosi kuMozisi, uAroni wayibeka phambi kobufakazi ukuze igcinwe.
Aaron did so and placed the jar in front of the Testimony, to be preserved just as the Lord had ordered Moses.
35 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli-ke badla imana iminyaka engamatshumi amane baze bafika elizweni elakhiweyo. Badla imana baze bafika emngceleni welizwe leKhanani.
The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to the land where they would settle down—they ate manna until they arrived at the border of Canaan.
36 I-omeri-ke ingokwetshumi kwe-efa.
(An omer is a tenth of an ephah.)
