Amanani 11
1 Kwasekusithi abantu besola kwakukubi endlebeni zeNkosi. Kwathi iNkosi isikuzwile, ulaka lwayo lwavutha, lomlilo weNkosi wavutha phakathi kwabo, waqothula emngceleni wenkamba.
Meanwhile, there arose a murmur among the people against the Lord, as if they were grief-stricken because of their labors. And when the Lord had heard it, he was angry. And when the fire of the Lord was enflamed against them, it devoured those who were at the extreme end of the camp.
2 Abantu basebekhala kuMozisi; uMozisi wasekhuleka eNkosini, lomlilo wadeda.
And when the people had cried out to Moses, Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire was consumed.
3 Ngakho wabiza ibizo laleyondawo iTabera, ngoba umlilo weNkosi wavutha phakathi kwabo.
And he called the name of that place, ‘The Burning,’ because the fire of the Lord had burned against them.
4 Ududu lwabantu olwaluphakathi kwabo lwaloyisa isiloyiso; ngakho labantwana bakoIsrayeli baphinde bakhala inyembezi, bathi: Ngubani ozasipha inyama ukuthi sidle?
So then, the mix of common people, who had ascended with them, were enflamed with desire, and sitting and weeping, with the sons of Israel joining them, they said, “Who will give us flesh to eat?
5 Siyazikhumbula inhlanzi esasizidla ngesihle eGibhithe, amakhomane, lamakhabe, lamaliki, lesandindima, legalikhi.
We remember the fish that we ate freely in Egypt; we call to mind the cucumbers, and melons, and leeks, and onions, and garlic.
6 Kodwa khathesi umphefumulo wethu womile, kakulalutho ngitsho, ngaphandle kwale imana phambi kwamehlo ethu.
Our life is dry; our eyes look out to see nothing but manna.”
7 Njalo imana yayinjengenhlanyelo yekhoriyanderi, lokukhangeleka kwayo kwakunjengokukhangeleka kwebedola.
Now the manna was like coriander seed, but with the color of bdellium.
8 Abantu bahambahamba bayibutha bayichola ematsheni okuchola, loba bayigiga engigeni, bayipheka ezimbizeni, benza amaqebelengwana ngayo; lokunambitheka kwayo kwakunjengokunambitheka komhluzi wamafutha.
And the people wandered about, gathering it, and they crushed it with a millstone, or ground it with a mortar; then they boiled it in a pot, and made biscuits out of it, with a taste like bread made with oil.
9 Lapho amazolo esehlela phezu kwenkamba ebusuku, imana yehla phezu kwawo.
And when the dew descended in the night over the camp, the manna descended together with it.
10 Njalo uMozisi wezwa abantu bekhala inyembezi ngokwensapho zabo, ngulowo lalowo emnyango wethente lakhe. Lolaka lweNkosi lwavutha kakhulu; futhi kwaba kubi emehlweni kaMozisi.
And so, Moses heard the people weeping by their families, each one at the door of his tent. And the fury of the Lord was greatly enflamed. And to Moses also the matter seemed intolerable.
11 UMozisi wasesithi eNkosini: Wenzeleni okubi encekwini yakho? Njalo kungani ngingatholanga umusa emehlweni akho ukuthi ubeke umthwalo walababantu bonke phezu kwami?
And so he said to the Lord: “Why have you afflicted your servant? Why do I not find favor before you? And why have you imposed the weight of this entire people upon me?
12 Mina ngakhulelwa yibo bonke lababantu yini? Kumbe mina ngabazala yini, ukuze uthi kimi: Basingathe esifubeni sakho, njengomlizane owesilisa esingatha umntwana omunyayo, kuze kube selizweni owalifungela oyise?
Could I have conceived this entire multitude, or have given birth to them, so that you might say to me: Carry them in your bosom, as a nursemaid usually carries a little infant, and bring them into the land, about which you have sworn to their fathers?
13 Ngingayithatha ngaphi inyama ukuthi ngibaphe bonke lababantu? Ngoba bayakhala inyembezi kimi besithi: Siphe inyama ukuze sidle.
From where would I obtain the flesh to give to so great a multitude? They weep against me, saying, ‘Give us flesh, so that we may eat.’
14 Mina kangilamandla okuthwala bonke lababantu ngedwa, ngoba kunzima kakhulu kimi.
I alone am unable to sustain this entire people, because it is too heavy for me.
15 Uba-ke usenza njalo kimi, ake ungibulale lokungibulala, uba ngithole umusa emehlweni akho, njalo kangingaboni usizi lwami.
But if it seems to you otherwise, I beg you to put me to death, and so may I find grace in your eyes, lest I be afflicted with such evils.”
16 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Buthela kimi amadoda angamatshumi ayisikhombisa abadala bakoIsrayeli, owaziyo ngawo ukuthi angabadala babantu lenduna zabo, uwalethe ethenteni lenhlangano ukuze eme khona lawe.
And the Lord said to Moses: “Gather to me seventy men from the elders of Israel, whom you know to be elders, as well as teachers, of the people. And you shall lead them to the door of the tabernacle of the covenant, and you shall cause them to stand there with you,
17 Njalo ngizakwehla, ngikhulume lawe khona; ngizagodla okomoya ophezu kwakho ngikufake phezu kwabo; njalo bazathwala kanye lawe umthwalo wabantu, ukuze ungawuthwali wedwa.
so that I may descend and speak to you. And I will take from your spirit, and I will deliver it to them, so that, with you, they may sustain the burden of the people, and so that you will not be weighed down alone.
18 Tshono-ke ebantwini uthi: Zingcweliseleleni ikusasa, lizakudla inyama; ngoba likhalile inyembezi endlebeni zeNkosi lisithi: Ngubani ozasipha inyama ukuze sidle? Ngoba kwakukuhle kithi eGibhithe. Ngakho iNkosi izalipha inyama njalo lidle.
You shall also say to the people: Be sanctified. Tomorrow you will eat flesh. For I have heard you say: ‘Who will give us flesh to eat? It was well with us in Egypt.’ So then, may the Lord give you flesh. And you will eat,
19 Kaliyikudla usuku olulodwa, loba insuku ezimbili, loba insuku ezinhlanu, loba insuku ezilitshumi, kumbe insuku ezingamatshumi amabili,
not for one day, nor for two, nor for five, nor for ten, nor even for twenty,
20 kuze kube yinyanga yonke, ize iphume emakhaleni enu, ilitshiphele, ngenxa yokuthi liyalile iNkosi ephakathi kwenu, lakhala inyembezi phambi kwayo lisithi: Kanti saphumelani eGibhithe?
but for up to a month of days, until it exits from your nostrils, and until it turns into nausea for you, because you have slipped away from the Lord, who is in your midst, and because you have wept before him, saying: ‘Why did we go forth out of Egypt?’”
21 Kodwa uMozisi wathi: Abantu abahamba ngenyawo engiphakathi kwabo bazinkulungwane ezingamakhulu ayisithupha; wena-ke uthe: Ngizabanika inyama ukuze badle inyanga yonke.
And Moses said: “There are six hundred thousand footmen of this people, and yet you say, ‘I will give them flesh to eat for a whole month.’
22 Bazahlatshelwa izimvu lezinkomo yini ukuze zibanele? Loba bazabuthelwa yini inhlanzi zonke zolwandle ukuze zibanele?
Could a multitude of sheep and oxen be slain, so that there would be enough food? Or will the fishes of the sea be gathered together, in order to satisfy them?”
23 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Isandla seNkosi sifinyeziwe yini? Khathesi uzabona ukuthi ilizwi lami lizakwenzeka kuwe kumbe hatshi.
And the Lord answered him: “Can the hand of the Lord be ineffective? Soon now, you shall see whether my word will be fulfilled in this work.”
24 UMozisi wasephuma, wabatshela abantu amazwi eNkosi; wabutha amadoda angamatshumi ayisikhombisa ebadaleni babantu, wawamisa ehanqe ithente.
And so, Moses went and explained the words of the Lord to the people. Gathering together seventy men from the elders of Israel, he caused them to stand around the tabernacle.
25 INkosi yasisehla ngeyezi, yakhuluma kuye, yagodla okomoya ophezu kwakhe, yakubeka phezu kwamadoda angamatshumi ayisikhombisa, abadala. Kwasekusithi lapho uMoya ehlala phezu kwabo, baprofetha, kodwa kabakuphindanga.
And the Lord descended in a cloud, and he spoke to him, taking from the Spirit which was in Moses, and giving to the seventy men. And when the Spirit had rested in them, they prophesied; nor did they cease afterwards.
26 Njalo kwakusele amadoda amabili enkambeni, ibizo lenye lalinguElidadi lebizo lenye linguMedadi; loMoya wahlala phezu kwawo. Njalo ayephakathi kwalabo ababhaliweyo, kodwa kawaphumanga ukuya ethenteni, njalo aprofetha enkambeni.
Now there had remained in the camp two of the men, of whom one was called Eldad, and the other Medad, upon whom the Spirit rested; for they also had been enrolled, but they did not go forth to the tabernacle.
27 Kwagijima ijaha labika kuMozisi lathi: UElidadi loMedadi bayaprofetha enkambeni.
And when they were prophesying in the camp, a boy ran and reported to Moses, saying: “Eldad and Medad prophesy in the camp.”
28 UJoshuwa indodana kaNuni, inceku kaMozisi, omunye wabatsha bakhe, wasephendula wathi: Nkosi yami, Mozisi, benqabele.
Promptly, Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses and chosen from many, said: “My lord Moses, prohibit them.”
29 Kodwa uMozisi wathi kuye: Ulobukhwele ngenxa yami yini? Kungathi bonke abantu beNkosi bangaba ngabaprofethi, ukuze iNkosi ifake uMoya wayo phezu kwabo!
But he said, “Why are you jealous on my behalf? Who decides that any of the people may prophesy and that God may give to them his Spirit?”
30 UMozisi wasezibuthela enkambeni, yena labadala bakoIsrayeli.
And Moses returned, with those greater by birth of Israel, into the camp.
31 Kwasekusuka umoya ovela eNkosini, waletha izagwaca zivela elwandle, wazehlisela phezu kwenkamba, phose uhambo losuku ngapha, njalo phose uhambo losuku ngapha, zizingelezele inkamba, njalo okungaba zingalo ezimbili phezu komhlabathi.
Then a wind, going out from the Lord and moving forcefully across the sea, brought quails and cast them into the camp, across a distance of one day’s journey, in every part of the camp all around, and they flew in the air two cubits high above the ground.
32 Abantu basebesukuma lolosuku lonke, lobusuku bonke, losuku lonke olulandelayo, bebutha izagwaca. Lowo owayelezinlutshwana wayebuthe amahomeri alitshumi; bazichayela zona inhlangothi zonke zenkamba.
Therefore, the people, rising up, gathered quails all that day and night, and the next day; he who did least well gathered ten homers. And they dried them throughout the camp.
33 Inyama isesephakathi kwamazinyo abo ingakahlafunwa, intukuthelo yeNkosi yabavuthela abantu, njalo iNkosi yabatshaya abantu ngenhlupheko enkulu kakhulu.
The flesh was still between their teeth, neither had this kind of food ceased, and behold, the fury of the Lord was provoked against the people, and he struck them with an exceedingly great scourge.
34 Ngakho ibizo laleyondawo lathiwa yiKibirothi-Hathava, ngoba lapho bangcwaba abantu abakhanukayo.
And that place was called, ‘The Graves of Lust.’ For there, they buried the people who had desired.
35 Abantu basuka eKibirothi-Hathava baya eHazerothi; bahlala eHazerothi.
Then, departing from the Graves of Lust, they arrived in Hazeroth, and they stayed there.
