U-Eksodusi 19
1 Ngenyanga yesithathu emva kokuphuma kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli elizweni leGibhithe, ngalelolanga bafika enkangala yeSinayi.
The Israeli people then left Rephidim, and exactly two months after leaving Egypt, they/we came to the desert near Sinai [Mountain]. They/We set up their/our tents at the base of the mountain.
2 Sebesukile eRefidimi, bafika enkangala yeSinayi, bamisa inkamba enkangala; uIsrayeli wamisa-ke inkamba khona phambi kwentaba.
3 UMozisi wasesenyukela kuNkulunkulu. INkosi yasimemeza kuye esentabeni isithi: Uzakutsho njalo kuyo indlu kaJakobe, ubatshele abantwana bakoIsrayeli uthi:
Moses/I climbed up the mountain [to talk with] God. Yahweh called to [him/me] from [the top of] the mountain and said, “This is what I want you to say to the Israeli people, the descendants of Jacob:
4 Lina libonile lokho engikwenze kumaGibhithe, lokuthi ngalithwala phezu kwempiko zenkozi, ngaliletha kimi.
‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. You have seen [what I did for all of you] and how I brought you here to me. It was as though I [lifted you up as] an eagle [carries its young eaglets] on its wings [MET].
5 Ngakho-ke uba lilalela lokulalela ilizwi lami, ligcine isivumelwano sami, khona lizakuba yimfuyo ekhethekileyo kimi kulazo zonke izizwe; ngoba umhlaba wonke ungowami;
So now, if you will do what I tell you and obey all that I command you, you will be my own people. All the people-groups on the earth are mine, but you will be (dearer/more special) to me than all the other people-groups.
6 njalo lizakuba ngumbuso wabapristi lesizwe esingcwele kimi. Yiwo lamazwi ozawatsho kubantwana bakoIsrayeli.
You will be people over whom I will rule, and you will all (be like priests/represent me to other nations as priests represent me to one nation) [MET], and you will be completely dedicated to me.’ That is what you must tell the Israeli people.”
7 UMozisi wasesiza wabiza abadala babantu, wabeka phambi kwabo wonke la amazwi iNkosi emlaye wona.
So Moses/I went [down the mountain] and summoned the elders/leaders of the people. He/I told them everything that Yahweh had told him/me to tell them.
8 Bonke abantu basebephendula kanyekanye bathi: Konke iNkosi ekukhulumileyo sizakwenza. UMozisi wasebuyisela amazwi abantu eNkosini.
The people all said, “We will do everything that Yahweh has told us to do.” Then Moses/I [climbed back up the mountain and] reported to Yahweh what the people had said.
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.
Then Yahweh said to Moses/me, “[Listen carefully]: I am going to appear to you from inside a thick cloud. When I am speaking to you, the people will hear it, and they will always trust in you.” Then Moses/I went [down the mountain and reported to the people what Yahweh said. Then he/I went back up the mountain and] told Yahweh what the people replied.
10 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Hamba uye ebantwini, ubangcwelise lamuhla lakusasa, bawatshe izembatho zabo,
Then Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Go [back down] to the people [again]. [Tell them to] purify themselves today and tomorrow. [Tell them to] wash their clothes, too.
11 babe sebelungele usuku lwesithathu; ngoba ngosuku lwesithathu iNkosi izakwehla phambi kwamehlo abantu bonke phezu kwentaba yeSinayi.
They must do that to be ready on the day after tomorrow. On that day I will come down to Sinai Mountain to where all the people can see me.
12 Uzabamisela abantu umngcele inhlangothi zonke uthi: Ziqapheleni ukukhwela entabeni, lokuthinta ewatheni layo. Wonke othinta intaba uzabulawa lokubulawa.
You must make a boundary around the base of the mountain, and tell them, ‘Be sure that you do not climb the mountain or even go near it. Anyone who even touches the base of the mountain must be executed.’
13 Kakulasandla esizayithinta, kodwa sibili uzakhandwa ngamatshe loba sibili uzatshokwa; loba inyamazana loba umuntu, kakuyikuphila. Lapho uphondo lwenqama lukhala isikhathi eside bazakwenyukela entabeni.
Do not let anyone touch any person or any animal that touches the mountain. You must [kill any person or animal that touches the mountain] by throwing stones at it or shooting it [with arrows]. But when you hear a long [loud] trumpet sound, the people can come close to the [base of the] mountain.”
14 UMozisi wasesehla entabeni waya ebantwini, wangcwelisa abantu, njalo bahlamba izembatho zabo.
So Moses/I went down the mountain [again] and told the people to purify themselves. They did what Moses/I told them to do, and they also washed their clothes.
15 Wathi ebantwini: Lungelani usuku lwesithathu; lingasondeli kowesifazana.
Then Moses/I said to the people, “Be ready on the day after tomorrow. And [you men] must not have sex with [EUP] [your wives] until after then.”
16 Kwasekusithi ngosuku lwesithathu sekusile, kwakulemidumo lemibane leyezi elinzima phezu kwentaba, lelizwi lophondo olulamandla amakhulu; kwaze kwathi bonke abantu ababesenkambeni bathuthumela.
Two days later, during the morning, there was thunder and lightning, and a very dark cloud on the mountain. A trumpet sounded very loudly, with the result that the people in the camp shook/trembled because they [were very afraid].
17 UMozisi wasebakhupha abantu enkambeni ukuyamhlangabeza uNkulunkulu; basebesima ngaphansi kwentaba.
Then Moses/I led the people outside the camp to meet with God. They stood at the base 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.
All of Sinai Mountain was covered in smoke, because Yahweh had descended on it, surrounded by a fire. The smoke rose up like the smoke from [the chimney of] a furnace, and the whole mountain shook violently.
19 Kwathi ilizwi lophondo liqhubeka lisiba lamandla amakhulu, uMozisi wakhuluma; njalo uNkulunkulu wamphendula ngelizwi.
As the sound of the trumpet continued to become louder, Moses/I spoke [to Yahweh], and Yahweh answered [him/me] in [a loud voice that sounded like] thunder.
20 INkosi yasisehlela entabeni yeSinayi, engqongeni yentaba; iNkosi yambizela uMozisi engqongeni yentaba; uMozisi wenyuka-ke.
Then Yahweh came down [again] onto the top of Sinai Mountain, and he summoned Moses/me to come up to the top of the mountain. So Moses/I went up.
21 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Yehla, ubaxwayise abantu hlezi bafohlele eNkosini ukubona, njalo abanengi babo bawe.
Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Go down again and warn the people not to cross the boundary in order to look [at me]. If they [do] that, many of them will die.
22 Labapristi labo abasondela eNkosini kabazingcwelise hlezi iNkosi ibadumele.
Also, the priests who habitually come near me must purify themselves. If they do not do that, I will punish them.”
23 UMozisi wasesithi eNkosini: Abantu bangenyukele entabeni yeSinayi, ngoba wena usixwayisile usithi: Misa umngcele wentaba, uyingcwelise.
Then Moses/I said to Yahweh, “The people will not climb the mountain, because you commanded them, saying, ‘Set a boundary around the mountain, to make it sacred/taboo.’”
24 INkosi yasisithi kuye: Hamba wehle, ubuye wenyuke, wena loAroni elawe; kodwa abapristi labantu kabangafohli benyukele eNkosini, hlezi ibadumele.
Yahweh replied, “Go down the mountain, and bring Aaron back up with you. But do not allow the priests or other people to cross the boundary to come up to me. If they cross it, I will punish them.”
25 UMozisi wasesehlela ebantwini, wabatshela.
So Moses/I went down the mountain [again] and told the people [what Yahweh had said].
