U-Eksodusi 9
1 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Yana kuFaro uthi kuye: Itsho njalo iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wamaHebheru, ithi: Yekela abantu bami bahambe ukuthi bangikhonze.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
2 Ngoba uba usala ukubayekela bahambe, ulokhu ubabambile,
But if you continue to restrain them and refuse to let them go,
3 khangela, isandla seNkosi sizakuba phezu kwezifuyo zakho ezisegangeni, phezu kwamabhiza, phezu kwabobabhemi, phezu kwamakamela, phezu kwenkomo laphezu kwezimvu, umatshayabhuqe wesifo onzima kakhulu.
then the hand of the LORD will bring a severe plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks.
4 Kodwa iNkosi izakwenza umehluko phakathi kwezifuyo zakoIsrayeli lezifuyo zeGibhithe, kuze kuthi kakuyikufa lutho kukho konke okwabantwana bakoIsrayeli.
But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’”
5 INkosi yasimisa isikhathi esimisiweyo, isithi: Kusasa iNkosi izakwenza linto elizweni.
The LORD set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD will do this in the land.”
6 INkosi yayenza-ke linto kusisa; lazo zonke izifuyo zeGibhithe zafa; kodwa kakufanga lesisodwa ezifuyweni zabantwana bakoIsrayeli.
And the next day the LORD did just that. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died.
7 UFaro wasethuma, khangela-ke, kakufanga ngitsho lesisodwa ezifuyweni zakoIsrayeli. Kodwa inhliziyo kaFaro yaba nzima, kasiyekelanga isizwe sihambe.
Pharaoh sent officials and found that none of the livestock of the Israelites had died. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not let the people go.
8 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi lakuAroni: Zithatheleni izandla zenu ezigcweleyo zomlotha weziko, njalo uMozisi awutsahazele emazulwini phambi kwamehlo kaFaro.
Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from the furnace; in the sight of Pharaoh, Moses is to toss it into the air.
9 Njalo uzakuba luthuli olucolekileyo phezu kwelizwe lonke leGibhithe, njalo luzakuba phezu kwabantu laphezu kwezifuyo lube lithumba eliphihlika amathuthuva elizweni lonke leGibhithe.
It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on man and beast throughout the land.”
10 Basebethatha umlotha weziko, bema phambi kukaFaro; uMozisi wasewutsahazela emazulwini, waba lithumba eliphihlika amathuthuva ebantwini lezifuyweni.
So they took soot from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on man and beast.
11 Njalo abalumbi babengeme phambi kukaMozisi ngenxa yamathumba; ngoba amathumba ayephezu kwabalumbi laphezu kwawo wonke amaGibhithe.
The magicians could not stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and on all the Egyptians.
12 Kodwa iNkosi yayenza yaba lukhuni inhliziyo kaFaro, njalo kazabezwa, njengokutsho kweNkosi kuMozisi.
But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said to Moses.
13 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Vuka ekuseni kakhulu, uzimise phambi kukaFaro uthi kuye: Itsho njalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wamaHebheru ithi: Yekela isizwe sami sihambe bangikhonze.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh, and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
14 Ngoba ngalesisikhathi ngizathumela zonke inhlupheko zami enhliziyweni yakho laphezu kwenceku zakho laphezu kwesizwe sakho, ukuze wazi ukuthi kakho onjengami emhlabeni wonke.
Otherwise, I will send all My plagues against you and your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth.
15 Ngoba khathesi ngizaselula isandla sami ukuze ngikutshaye lesizwe sakho ngomatshayabhuqe wesifo, ubusuchitheka usuke emhlabeni.
For by this time I could have stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the earth.
16 Kodwa isibili ngalokhu ngikumisile ukuze ngikutshengise amandla ami lokuze ibizo lami lilandiswe emhlabeni wonke.
But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power to you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.
17 Usaziphakamisa umelana labantu bami, ukuthi ungabayekeli bahambe yini?
Still, you lord it over My people and do not allow them to go.
18 Khangela, kusasa ngalesisikhathi ngizanisa isiqhotho esinzima kakhulu, esingazanga sibe khona esinjalo eGibhithe kusukela ngosuku lisekelwa kuze kube khathesi.
Behold, at this time tomorrow I will rain down the worst hail that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded until now.
19 Khathesi-ke thuma, ubuthe izifuyo zakho lakho konke olakho ensimini; wonke umuntu layo yonke inyamazana okuficwa ensimini okungabuthelwanga ekhaya, nxa isiqhotho siwela phezu kwakho, kuzakufa.
So give orders now to shelter your livestock and everything you have in the field. Every man or beast that remains in the field and is not brought inside will die when the hail comes down upon them.’”
20 Lowo olesabayo ilizwi leNkosi phakathi kwenceku zikaFaro wenza izisebenzi zakhe lezifuyo zakhe zibalekele ezindlini;
Those among Pharaoh’s officials who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their servants and livestock to shelter,
21 kodwa lowo ongabekanga inhliziyo yakhe elizwini leNkosi watshiya izisebenzi zakhe lezifuyo zakhe ensimini.
but those who disregarded the word of the LORD left their servants and livestock in the field.
22 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Yelulela isandla sakho emazulwini, ukuze kube khona isiqhotho elizweni lonke leGibhithe, phezu kwabantu laphezu kwezinyamazana laphezu kwemibhida yonke yensimu elizweni leGibhithe.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that hail may fall on all the land of Egypt—on man and beast and every plant of the field throughout the land of Egypt.”
23 UMozisi waseselulela intonga yakhe emazulwini; iNkosi yasiletha imidumo lesiqhotho; lomlilo wehlela emhlabeni; leNkosi yanisa isiqhotho elizweni leGibhithe.
So Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. So the LORD rained down hail upon the land of Egypt.
24 Kwasekusiba khona isiqhotho, lomlilo uzixubanise esiqhothweni; okunzima kakhulu; okungazanga kube khona okunjengakho elizweni lonke leGibhithe selokhu laba yisizwe.
The hail fell and the lightning continued flashing through it. The hail was so severe that nothing like it had ever been seen in all the land of Egypt from the time it became a nation.
25 Isiqhotho sasesitshaya elizweni lonke leGibhithe konke okusegangeni, kusukela ebantwini kusiya ezinyamazaneni; lesiqhotho satshaya wonke umbhida weganga, sephula sonke isihlahla seganga.
Throughout the land of Egypt, the hail struck down everything in the field, both man and beast; it beat down every plant of the field and stripped every tree.
26 Kuphela elizweni leGosheni lapho ababekhona abantwana bakoIsrayeli kwakungekho isiqhotho.
The only place where it did not hail was in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived.
27 UFaro wasethuma wabiza uMozisi loAroni, wathi kubo: Ngonile ngalesisikhathi; iNkosi ilungile, kanti mina labantu bami sibabi.
Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said. “The LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.
28 Ncengani iNkosi, ngoba sekwanele, ukuze kungabi lemidumo elamandla lesiqhotho; besengiliyekela lihambe, lingabe lisahlala.
Pray to the LORD, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go; you do not need to stay any longer.”
29 UMozisi wasesithi kuye: Nxa sengiphumile emzini, ngizachaya izandla zami eNkosini; kuzaphela imidumo lesiqhotho kasisayikuba khona, ukuze wazi ukuthi umhlaba ungoweNkosi.
Moses said to him, “When I have left the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the LORD’s.
30 Kodwa wena lenceku zakho, ngiyazi ukuthi kalikayesabi iNkosi uNkulunkulu.
But as for you and your officials, I know that you still do not fear the LORD our God.”
31 Kwasekutshaywa ifilakisi lebhali; ngoba ibhali yayisesikwetshini, lefilakisi yayisithela amaluba.
(Now the flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley was ripe and the flax was in bloom;
32 Kodwa ingqoloyi lespelite kakutshaywanga, ngoba kwakungakavuthwa.
but the wheat and spelt were not destroyed, because they are late crops.)
33 UMozisi wasephuma emzini evela kuFaro, wachaya izandla zakhe eNkosini; kwasekusima imidumo lesiqhotho, lezulu kalabe lisathululeka emhlabeni.
Then Moses departed from Pharaoh, went out of the city, and spread out his hands to the LORD. The thunder and hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured down on the land.
34 Kwathi uFaro esebonile ukuthi izulu lesiqhotho lemidumo sekumile, wengezelela ukona, wayenza yaba nzima inhliziyo yakhe, yena lenceku zakhe.
When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart—he and his officials.
35 Njalo inhliziyo kaFaro yaba lukhuni, kazabayekela abantwana bakoIsrayeli bahambe, njengalokhu iNkosi yayitshilo ngesandla sikaMozisi.
So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had said through Moses.
