U-Eksodusi 32
1 Abantu sebebonile ukuthi uMozisi uphuzile ukwehla entabeni, abantu babuthana kuAroni bathi kuye: Sukuma, usenzele onkulunkulu abazahamba phambi kwethu; ngoba uMozisi lo, indoda eyasikhuphula elizweni leGibhithe, kasazi ukuthi yehlelwe yini.
When the people realized how long Moses was taking before he came back down the mountain, they went together to see Aaron. They told him, “Get up! Make some gods for us who can lead us because this man Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt—we don't know what's happened to him!”
2 UAroni wasesithi kubo: Qamulani amacici egolide asendlebeni zabomkenu, zamadodana enu, lezamadodakazi enu, liwalethe kimi.
“Bring to me the gold earrings that your wives, sons, and daughters are wearing,” Aaron replied.
3 Bonke abantu basebeqamula amacici egolide ayesendlebeni zabo, bawaletha kuAroni.
So everyone took off the gold earrings they were wearing and brought them to Aaron.
4 Wawemukela ezandleni zabo, walibumba ngesikhali sokukhanda, wawenza aba lithole elibunjwe ngokuncibilikisa. Basebesithi: Laba ngonkulunkulu bakho, Israyeli, abakukhuphule elizweni leGibhithe.
He took what they gave him and using a molding tool cast an idol in the shape of a bull calf. They shouted out, “Israel, these are the gods that brought you out of the land of Egypt.”
5 UAroni eselibonile wakha ilathi phambi kwalo; uAroni wamemezela wathi: Kusasa kuzakuba khona umkhosi weNkosi.
When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the golden calf and shouted out, “Tomorrow will be a festival to honor the Lord!”
6 Basebevuka ekuseni kakhulu, banikela iminikelo yokutshiswa, basondeza iminikelo yokuthula; abantu bahlala phansi ukudla lokunatha, basebesukuma ukudlala.
Early the next day they sacrificed burnt offerings and presented peace offerings. Then they sat down to celebrate with eating and drinking. Then they got up to dance, and it became like an orgy.
7 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Hamba wehle, ngoba abantu bakho owabakhuphula elizweni leGibhithe bonakalisile;
Then the Lord told Moses, “Get back down, because your people that you brought out of Egypt are acting immorally.
8 baphambukile masinyane endleleni engabalaya ngayo; bazenzele ithole elibunjwe ngokuncibilikisa, balikhonza, balihlabela, bathi: Laba ngonkulunkulu bakho, Israyeli, abakukhuphule elizweni leGibhithe.
They have been so quick to abandon the way I ordered them to follow. They have made a metal bull calf idol for themselves, bowing before it in worship and offering sacrifices to it. They're saying, ‘These are the gods that brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”
9 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Ngibabonile lababantu, khangela-ke, bangabantu abantamo zilukhuni.
“I know what these people are like,” the Lord continued saying to Moses. “They are so rebellious!
10 Khathesi-ke ngiyekela ukuze ulaka lwami lubavuthele, ngibaqede; kodwa wena ngizakwenza ube yisizwe esikhulu.
Now leave me! I am angry with them—let me finish them off! I will make you into a great nation.”
11 Kodwa uMozisi wancenga ubuso beNkosi uNkulunkulu wakhe wathi: Kungani, Nkosi, ulaka lwakho lubavuthela abantu bakho owabakhupha elizweni leGibhithe ngamandla amakhulu langesandla esiqinileyo?
But Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, saying, “Why are you angry with the people you brought out of the land of Egypt with tremendous power and great strength?
12 Kungani amaGibhithe ezakhuluma athi: Wabakhuphela ububi ukubabulala ezintabeni, lokubaqeda ebusweni bomhlaba? Phenduka ekuvutheni kolaka lwakho, uzisole ngobubi obumelene labantu bakho.
Why should the Egyptians be able to say, ‘He brought them out with the evil purpose of killing them in the mountains, wiping them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger. Please change your mind over the threat against your people.
13 Khumbula uAbrahama, uIsaka loIsrayeli, inceku zakho, owazifunga wena kizo wathi kuzo: Ngizakwandisa inzalo yenu njengezinkanyezi zamazulu, lalelilizwe lonke engikhulume ngalo, ngizalipha inzalo yenu, njalo bazalidla ilifa lalo kuze kube nininini.
Remember you swore a promise your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, telling them, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven, and give you all the land I promised to them, and they shall own it forever.’”
14 INkosi yasizisola ebubini eyayisithi izabenza ebantwini bayo.
The Lord changed his mind over the disaster he threatened to cause his people.
15 UMozisi wasetshibilika wehla entabeni, lezibhebhe ezimbili zobufakazi esandleni sakhe; izibhebhe zazibhalwe inhlangothi zazo zombili; zibhalwe ngapha langapha.
Moses turned and went down the mountain, carrying the two stone tablets of the Law written on both sides.
16 Lezibhebhe zazingumsebenzi kaNkulunkulu, lombhalo wawungumbhalo kaNkulunkulu, ubazwe ezibhebheni.
God had made the tablets, and God had engraved the writing himself.
17 Kwathi uJoshuwa esezwile umsindo wabantu beklabalala, wathi kuMozisi: Kulomsindo wempi enkambeni.
When Joshua heard all the shouting from the camp, he said to Moses, “It sounds like fighting in the camp!”
18 Kodwa wathi: Kakusumsindo wokuklabalala kokunqoba, njalo kakusumsindo wokuklabalala kokunqotshwa; ngizwa umsindo wokuhlabelela.
But Moses replied, “These are not the shouts of victory or of defeat. What I'm hearing is people partying!”
19 Kwasekusithi esesondele enkambeni walibona ithole lokugida; ulaka lukaMozisi lwaseluvutha, wasezilahla izibhebhe ezandleni zakhe, waziphahlazela phansi kwentaba.
As he approached the camp he saw the bull calf idol and the dancing. He got so angry that he threw down the stone tablets and smashed them there at the foot of the mountain.
20 Wathatha ithole ababelenzile, walitshisa emlilweni, walichola laze lacoleka, walivuvuzela emanzini, wabanathisa wona abantwana bakoIsrayeli.
He took the bull calf and burned it, and ground it into powder. Then he mixed this with water and made the Israelites drink it.
21 UMozisi wasesithi kuAroni: Abantu laba benzeni kuwe ukuze ubehlisele isono esikhulu kangaka?
Then Moses asked Aaron, “What did these people do to you that you made them sin so badly?”
22 UAroni wasesithi: Kalungavuthi ulaka lwenkosi yami; wena uyabazi abantu ukuthi batshekele ebubini.
“Please don't get angry with me, my lord,” Aaron replied, “You yourself know how liable these people are to do evil.
23 Ngoba bathi kimi: Senzele onkulunkulu abazahamba phambi kwethu; ngoba uMozisi lo, indoda eyasikhuphula elizweni leGibhithe, kasazi ukuthi yehlelwe yini.
They told me, ‘Make some gods for us who can lead us because this man Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt—we don't know what's happened to him!’
24 Ngasengisithi kubo: Loba ngubani olegolide, kabaliqamule. Basebenginika lona. Ngasengiliphosela emlilweni, kwasekuphuma lelithole.
So I said to them, ‘Anybody who has gold jewelry, take it off and give it to me.’ I threw the gold into the furnace and out came this bull calf.”
25 Kwathi uMozisi esebonile abantu ukuthi babengabambeki (ngoba uAroni wabayekela bangabambeki ukuze bayangeke kwababengabavukela),
Moses saw the people going completely wild because Aaron had let them, and that this had brought ridicule on them from their enemies.
26 uMozisi wasesima esangweni lenkamba, wathi: Loba ngubani ongoweNkosi, keze kimi! Kwasekubuthana kuye wonke amadodana kaLevi.
So he went and stood at the entrance to the camp, and shouted out, “Whoever is on the Lord's side, come and join me!” All the Levites gathered around him.
27 Wasesithi kuwo: Itsho njalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli ithi: Ngulowo lalowo kahlome inkemba yakhe ethangazini lakhe, adabule aphenduke esuka esangweni esiya esangweni enkambeni, langulowo lalowo abulale umfowabo, langulowo lalowo umngane wakhe, langulowo lalowo umakhelwane wakhe.
Moses told them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: Each of you strap on a sword. Then go all through the camp from one end to the other and kill your brothers, friends, and neighbors.”
28 Amadodana kaLevi asesenza njengelizwi likaMozisi; njalo kwawa ebantwini ngalolosuku abantu abangabazinkulungwane ezintathu.
The Levites did what Moses had told them, and that day around 3,000 men were killed.
29 UMozisi wasesithi: Lizehlukanisele iNkosi lamuhla, ngoba ngulowo lalowo ubemelene lendodana yakhe amelane lomfowabo, ukuze aphe isibusiso phezu kwenu lamuhla.
Moses told the Levites, “Today you have dedicated yourselves to the Lord because you took action against your sons and brothers. Today you have gained a blessing for yourselves.”
30 Kwasekusithi kusisa uMozisi wathi ebantwini: Lina lenze isono esikhulu; khathesi sengizakwenyukela eNkosini; mhlawumbe ngingenza inhlawulo yokuthula ngesono senu.
The following day Moses spoke to the people, saying, “You have sinned very badly. But now I will go up to the Lord. Maybe I can get him to forgive your sin.”
31 UMozisi wasebuyela eNkosini wathi: Maye! Lababantu bonile isono esikhulu, bazenzele onkulunkulu begolide.
So Moses went back to the Lord. He said, “Please—the people have sinned very badly by making gods of gold for themselves.
32 Khathesi-ke, uba uthethelela isono sabo - kodwa uba kungenjalo, ake ungesule egwalweni lwakho olubhalileyo.
But now, if you will, forgive their sin. Otherwise just blot me out of the scroll in which you keep your records.”
33 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Owonileyo kimi ngizamesula egwalweni lwami.
But the Lord replied to Moses, “It's those who sinned against me who will be blotted out of my scroll.
34 Kodwa hamba-ke, ukhokhele abantu baye lapho engikhulume lawe ngakho; khangela, ingilosi yami izahamba phambi kwakho. Kanti mhla ngiphindisela ngizaphindisela isono sabo phezu kwabo.
Now go and lead the people to the place I told you about. Look, my angel will go before you, but at the time I decide to punish, I will punish them for their sin.”
35 INkosi yasibatshaya abantu ngoba babenze ithole, uAroni ayelenzile.
The Lord brought a plague on the people because they made Aaron make the bull calf.
