U-Eksodusi 19
1 Ngenyanga yesithathu emva kokuphuma kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli elizweni leGibhithe, ngalelolanga bafika enkangala yeSinayi.
Two months to the day after they left Egypt, the Israelites arrived at the Sinai desert.
2 Sebesukile eRefidimi, bafika enkangala yeSinayi, bamisa inkamba enkangala; uIsrayeli wamisa-ke inkamba khona phambi kwentaba.
They had set out from Rephidim, and after they entered the Sinai desert they camped there in front of the mountain.
3 UMozisi wasesenyukela kuNkulunkulu. INkosi yasimemeza kuye esentabeni isithi: Uzakutsho njalo kuyo indlu kaJakobe, ubatshele abantwana bakoIsrayeli uthi:
Moses went up the mountain to God. The Lord spoke to Moses from the mountain, and told him, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob, the Israelites:
4 Lina libonile lokho engikwenze kumaGibhithe, lokuthi ngalithwala phezu kwempiko zenkozi, ngaliletha kimi.
‘You saw for yourselves what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles' wings, how I brought you to myself.
5 Ngakho-ke uba lilalela lokulalela ilizwi lami, ligcine isivumelwano sami, khona lizakuba yimfuyo ekhethekileyo kimi kulazo zonke izizwe; ngoba umhlaba wonke ungowami;
Now if you really obey what I say and keep the agreement with me, then out of all the nations you will be a special people that belong to me. While the whole world is mine,
6 njalo lizakuba ngumbuso wabapristi lesizwe esingcwele kimi. Yiwo lamazwi ozawatsho kubantwana bakoIsrayeli.
for me you will be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.’ This is what you are to tell the Israelites.”
7 UMozisi wasesiza wabiza abadala babantu, wabeka phambi kwabo wonke la amazwi iNkosi emlaye wona.
So Moses went back down and summoned the elders of the people, and presented to them everything the Lord had ordered him to say.
8 Bonke abantu basebephendula kanyekanye bathi: Konke iNkosi ekukhulumileyo sizakwenza. UMozisi wasebuyisela amazwi abantu eNkosini.
Everyone answered, “We promise to do everything the Lord says.” Then Moses took the people's answer back to the Lord.
9 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Khangela, ngizakuza kuwe eyezini elinzima ukuze abantu bezwe nxa ngikhuluma lawe, lokuthi bakholwe kuwe kuze kube nininini. UMozisi wasebikela iNkosi amazwi abantu.
The Lord told Moses, “Look! I'm going to come to you in a thick cloud so the people will hear me speaking with you and as a result they will always trust you.” Then Moses reported to the Lord what the people had said.
10 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Hamba uye ebantwini, ubangcwelise lamuhla lakusasa, bawatshe izembatho zabo,
The Lord told Moses, “Go back down and prepare them spiritually today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes
11 babe sebelungele usuku lwesithathu; ngoba ngosuku lwesithathu iNkosi izakwehla phambi kwamehlo abantu bonke phezu kwentaba yeSinayi.
and be ready on the third day because that is when the Lord will descend upon Mount Sinai in the full view of everyone.
12 Uzabamisela abantu umngcele inhlangothi zonke uthi: Ziqapheleni ukukhwela entabeni, lokuthinta ewatheni layo. Wonke othinta intaba uzabulawa lokubulawa.
Set up a boundary for the people all around and warn them, ‘Watch out! Don't try to go up the mountain—don't even touch it! For anyone who touches the mountain will most certainly be killed. Don't touch any person or any animal that has touched the mountain.
13 Kakulasandla esizayithinta, kodwa sibili uzakhandwa ngamatshe loba sibili uzatshokwa; loba inyamazana loba umuntu, kakuyikuphila. Lapho uphondo lwenqama lukhala isikhathi eside bazakwenyukela entabeni.
Make sure they are stoned or shot with arrows—they must not be allowed to live.’ Only when there is a long blast on the ram's horn can the people come up the mountain.”
14 UMozisi wasesehla entabeni waya ebantwini, wangcwelisa abantu, njalo bahlamba izembatho zabo.
Moses went down the mountain and prepared the people spiritually and they washed their clothes.
15 Wathi ebantwini: Lungelani usuku lwesithathu; lingasondeli kowesifazana.
He instructed the people, “Get ready for the third day, and don't be intimate with a woman.”
16 Kwasekusithi ngosuku lwesithathu sekusile, kwakulemidumo lemibane leyezi elinzima phezu kwentaba, lelizwi lophondo olulamandla amakhulu; kwaze kwathi bonke abantu ababesenkambeni bathuthumela.
When morning came on the third day there was thunder and lightning, and a thick cloud covered the mountain. There was the very loud sound of a ram's horn, and everyone in the camp shook with fear.
17 UMozisi wasebakhupha abantu enkambeni ukuyamhlangabeza uNkulunkulu; basebesima ngaphansi kwentaba.
Moses led the people out from the camp to meet God. They stood at the foot of the mountain.
18 Intaba yonke-ke yeSinayi yathunqa intuthu, ngoba iNkosi yehlela phezu kwayo ngomlilo; njalo intuthu yayo yenyuka njengentuthu yesithando; intaba yonke yasizamazama kakhulu.
Smoke poured out over the whole of Mount Sinai because the Lord's presence had come down like fire. The smoke rose up like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain shook furiously.
19 Kwathi ilizwi lophondo liqhubeka lisiba lamandla amakhulu, uMozisi wakhuluma; njalo uNkulunkulu wamphendula ngelizwi.
As the sound of the ram's horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in a loud, thunderous voice.
20 INkosi yasisehlela entabeni yeSinayi, engqongeni yentaba; iNkosi yambizela uMozisi engqongeni yentaba; uMozisi wenyuka-ke.
The Lord descended on the top of Mount Sinai, and he called Moses to come up there. So Moses went up,
21 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Yehla, ubaxwayise abantu hlezi bafohlele eNkosini ukubona, njalo abanengi babo bawe.
and the Lord told him, “Go back down, and warn the people not to force their way across the boundary to try to come to the Lord or they will die.
22 Labapristi labo abasondela eNkosini kabazingcwelise hlezi iNkosi ibadumele.
Even the priests, who come before the Lord, must prepare themselves spiritually, so that the Lord does not punish them.”
23 UMozisi wasesithi eNkosini: Abantu bangenyukele entabeni yeSinayi, ngoba wena usixwayisile usithi: Misa umngcele wentaba, uyingcwelise.
But Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai. You yourself warned us, ‘Set up a boundary around the mountain, and treat it as holy.’”
24 INkosi yasisithi kuye: Hamba wehle, ubuye wenyuke, wena loAroni elawe; kodwa abapristi labantu kabangafohli benyukele eNkosini, hlezi ibadumele.
The Lord told him, “Go down and bring Aaron back up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way to come up to the Lord, or he will punish them.”
25 UMozisi wasesehlela ebantwini, wabatshela.
So Moses went down and explained to the people what the Lord had said.
