Amanani 12

1 UMiriyamu loAroni basebekhuluma bemelene loMozisi ngenxa yowesifazana umEthiyophiyakazi owayemthethe, ngoba wayethethe umfazi umEthiyophiyakazi.

[Moses’/My older sister] Miriam and [his/my older brother] Aaron were saying this: “Is Moses the only one to whom Yahweh has spoken messages to tell to us [RHQ]? Does Yahweh not speak messages to us two also?” [They told people that] they were saying that because Moses/I had married a woman who was a descendant of the Cush people-group, [but they were really saying that because they (were jealous/did not want Moses/me to be the only leader of the Israeli people)]. But Yahweh heard what they were saying.

2 Basebesithi: Kambe, iNkosi ikhulume ngoMozisi kuphela? Kayikhulumanga langathi? LeNkosi yakuzwa.

3 Njalo indoda uMozisi yayimnene kakhulu kulabo bonke abantu abaphezu kobuso bomhlaba.

[The truth was that] Moses/I was very humble. He/I was more humble than anyone else on the earth [and Moses/I had not appointed himself/myself to be their leader].

4 Khona iNkosi yahle yathi kuMozisi lakuAroni lakuMiriyamu: Phumani lobathathu lize ethenteni lenhlangano. Baphuma-ke bona bobathathu.

So immediately Yahweh spoke to Moses/me and to Aaron and Miriam. He said, “All three of you must go and stand at the Sacred Tent.” So they/we did that.

5 INkosi yasisehla isensikeni yeyezi, yema emnyango wethente, yabiza uAroni loMiriyamu; basebephuma bobabili.

Then Yahweh descended to the entrance of the tent in a cloud [that resembled a huge white] pillar. He told Aaron and Miriam to step forward, so they did.

6 Yasisithi: Zwanini-ke amazwi ami; uba kukhona umprofethi phakathi kwenu, mina iNkosi ngizaziveza kuye ngombono, ngikhulume laye ngephupho.

Then he said to them, “Listen to me! When a prophet is among you, I [usually] reveal myself to him by allowing him to see visions, and I speak to him in dreams.

7 Kodwa inceku yami uMozisi kanjalo, uthembekile endlini yami yonke.

But that is not the way I speak to my servant Moses. I trust that he will lead my people [well].

8 Ngikhuluma laye umlomo ngomlomo, langokubona, kungeyisikho ngemizekeliso; futhi ukhangela isimo seNkosi. Ngakho kungani belingesabi ukukhuluma limelene lenceku yami uMozisi?

So I talk to him face-to-face. I speak to him (clearly/using words that he will understand easily), not using parables. He has even seen what I look like. So you should be afraid to criticize my servant Moses!”

9 Njalo ulaka lweNkosi lwabavuthela; yasihamba.

Yahweh was very angry with Miriam and Aaron, and he left.

10 Kwathi lapho iyezi lisuka phezu kwethente, khangela, uMiriyamu wayelobulephero, emhlophe njengeliqhwa elikhithikileyo. UAroni wasemkhangela uMiriyamu, khangela-ke, ulobulephero.

When the cloud rose up from the Sacred Tent, Aaron looked at Miriam, and he saw that her skin was [as white] as snow, because she now had leprosy.

11 UAroni wasesithi kuMozisi: Hawu nkosi yami, akungabeki isono phezu kwethu, okungaso senze ngobuthutha, lokungaso sonile.

Aaron said to Moses/me, “My master, please do not punish us for this sin that we have foolishly committed.

12 Ake angabi njengofileyo, othi nxa ephuma esiswini sikanina ingxenye yenyama yakhe idliwe.

Do not allow Miriam to be like a baby that is already dead when it is born, whose flesh is already half decayed!”

13 UMozisi wasekhala eNkosini esithi: Nkulunkulu, ake umelaphe, ngiyakuncenga.

So Moses/I cried out to Yahweh, saying, “God, I plead with you to heal her!”

14 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Uba uyise ubemkhafulele lokumkhafulela ngamathe ebusweni bakhe, ubengayikuyangeka insuku eziyisikhombisa yini? Kavalelwe ngaphandle kwenkamba insuku eziyisikhombisa; lemva kwalokho emukelwe.

But Yahweh replied, “If her father had [rebuked her for doing something wrong by] spitting in her face, she would have been ashamed for seven days. [She should be ashamed because of what she has done]. So send her outside the camp for seven days. Then [she will not have leprosy any more, and] she may return to the camp.”

15 UMiriyamu wasevalelwa ngaphandle kwenkamba insuku eziyisikhombisa; labantu kabasukanga, waze wemukelwa uMiriyamu.

So they sent her outside the camp for seven days. (The people/We) did not move [to another location] until she returned.

16 Lemva kwalokho abantu basuka eHazerothi, bamisa inkamba enkangala yeParani.

But after [she returned], they/we left Hazeroth and moved [north] in the Paran Desert and set up their/our tents there.