< U-Eksodusi 5 >
1 Emva kwalokho-ke uMozisi loAroni bahamba bathi kuFaro: Itsho njalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli: Bayekele abantu bami bahambe, bangigcinele umkhosi enkangala.
2 Kodwa uFaro wathi: Ingubani iNkosi ukuthi ngilalele ilizwi layo, ngiyekele uIsrayeli ahambe? Kangiyazi iNkosi, futhi kangiyikumyekela uIsrayeli ahambe.
3 Basebesithi: UNkulunkulu wamaHebheru uhlangane lathi; ake usiyekele sihambe uhambo lwensuku ezintathu enkangala, siyihlabele iNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, hlezi isehlele ngomatshayabhuqe wesifo kumbe ngenkemba.
4 Kodwa inkosi yeGibhithe yathi kubo: Kungani, Mozisi loAroni, lisusa abantu emisebenzini yabo? Yanini emithwalweni yenu!
5 UFaro wasesithi: Khangelani, abantu belizwe sebebanengi, kanti liyabaphumuza emithwalweni yabo.
6 Ngalolosuku uFaro waselaya abaqhubi besibhalo besizwe lezinduna zaso, esithi:
7 Lingabe lisabanika abantu amahlanga okwenza izitina njengamandulo; kabahambe bona bayezibuthela amahlanga;
8 lenani lezitina abalenze mandulo lizabamisela lona, lingaphunguli kulo; ngoba bayavilapha; yikho bekhala besithi: Siyekeleni siyehlabela uNkulunkulu wethu.
9 Yenzani umsebenzi ube nzima kakhulu phezu kwamadoda, ukuze basebenze kuwo, bangalaleli amazwi enkohliso.
10 Abaqhubi besibhalo babantu baphuma, lezinduna zabo, bakhuluma ebantwini besithi: Utsho njalo uFaro: Kangiyikulinika amahlanga;
11 hambani lina, lizithathele amahlanga lapho elingawathola khona; kodwa umsebenzi wenu kakuyikuphungulwa lutho kuwo.
12 Abantu basebehlakazeka elizweni lonke leGibhithe ukuze babuthe izidindi zibe ngamahlanga.
13 Abaqhubi besibhalo babahaluzelisa besithi: Qedani imisebenzi yenu, umlandu wosuku ngosuku lwawo, njengamhla kulamahlanga.
14 Njalo izinduna zabantwana bakoIsrayeli, abaqhubi besibhalo bakaFaro abababekela zona, zatshaywa, kuthiwa: Kaliqedanga ngani umsebenzi wenu omisiweyo wokwenza izitina njengamandulo, layizolo lalamuhla?
15 Izinduna zabantwana bakoIsrayeli zasezisiza, zakhala kuFaro zathi: Wenzelani kanje ezincekwini zakho?
16 Amahlanga kawanikwa inceku zakho, kanti bathi kithi: Yenzani izitina. Khangela-ke, inceku zakho ziyatshaywa; kodwa icala ngelabantu bakho.
17 Kodwa wathi: Lina lingamavila, lingamavila; ngalokhu lithi: Siyekeleni siyehlabela iNkosi.
18 Khathesi-ke hambani, lisebenze; kodwa amahlanga kaliyikuwanikwa, kanti lizaletha inani lezitina.
19 Izinduna zabantwana bakoIsrayeli zasezibona ukuthi zazisebubini, nxa kuthiwa: Kaliyikuphungula ezitineni zenu, umlandu wosuku ngosuku lwawo.
20 Zasezihlangana loMozisi loAroni ababemi ukubahlangabeza ekuphumeni kwabo kuFaro;
21 zasezisithi kubo: INkosi ilibone yahlulele; ngoba lenze iphunga lethu libe livumba emehlweni kaFaro lemehlweni enceku zakhe; linike inkemba esandleni sabo ukuze basibulale.
22 UMozisi wasebuyela eNkosini wathi: Nkosi, wenzeleni okubi kulesisizwe? Kungani ungithumile?
23 Ngoba selokhu ngaya kuFaro ukukhuluma ebizweni lakho, wenzile okubi kulesisizwe; futhi kawusikhululanga lokusikhulula isizwe sakho.