Amanani 14
1 Lenhlangano yonke yasiziphakamisa, yazwakalisa ilizwi layo; abantu basebekhala inyembezi ngalobobusuku.
And so, crying out, the entire crowd wept throughout that night.
2 Bonke abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebengunguna bemelene loMozisi loAroni; lenhlangano yonke yathi kubo: Kungathi ngabe safela elizweni leGibhithe, kumbe kungathi ngabe safela kule inkangala!
And all the sons of Israel were murmuring against Moses and Aaron, saying:
3 Njalo kungani iNkosi isilethe kulelilizwe ukuthi siwe ngenkemba? Omkethu labantwanyana bethu bazakuba yimpango. Bekungebe ngcono kithi ukubuyela eGibhithe yini?
“If only we had died in Egypt,” and, “If only we would perish in this vast wilderness,” and, “May the Lord not lead us into this land, lest we fall by the sword, and our wives, as well as our children, be led away as captives. Is it not better to return to Egypt?”
4 Basebesithi omunye komunye: Asimiseni inhloko, sibuyele eGibhithe.
And they said to one another, “Let us appoint our leader, and so return to Egypt.”
5 UMozisi loAroni basebesithi mbo ngobuso babo phambi kwebandla lonke lenhlangano yabantwana bakoIsrayeli.
And when Moses and Aaron heard this, they fell prone on the ground in the sight of the multitude of the sons of Israel.
6 UJoshuwa indodana kaNuni loKalebi indodana kaJefune ababengabalabo abahlola ilizwe, basebedabula izembatho zabo,
Yet truly, Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who themselves had also viewed the land, tore their garments,
7 bakhuluma kunhlangano yonke yabantwana bakoIsrayeli besithi: Ilizwe esadabula kulo ukuze silihlole yilizwe elihle kakhulukazi.
and they said to the entire multitude of the sons of Israel: “The land that we circled through is very good.
8 Uba iNkosi ithokoza ngathi, izasingenisa kulelilizwe, isinike lona, ilizwe eligeleza uchago loluju.
If the Lord will be gracious to us, he will lead us into it, and he will give us the land flowing with milk and honey.
9 Kuphela lingayivukeli iNkosi; futhi lina lingesabi abantu belizwe, ngoba bayikudla kwethu. Umthunzi wabo usukile kubo; leNkosi ilathi; lingabesabi.
Do not choose to be rebellious against the Lord. And do not fear the people of this land, for, like bread, so are we able to devour them. All protection has withdrawn from them. The Lord is with us. Do not be afraid.”
10 Kodwa inhlangano yonke yathi kabakhandwe ngamatshe. Inkazimulo yeNkosi yasibonakala ethenteni lenhlangano kubo bonke abantwana bakoIsrayeli.
And when the entire multitude cried out, and they wanted to crush them with stones, the glory of the Lord appeared, over the roof of the covenant, to all the sons of Israel.
11 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Koze kube nini lababantu bengidelela? Koze kube nini bengangikholwa, ngazo zonke izibonakaliso engizenze phakathi kwabo?
And the Lord said to Moses: “How long will this people disparage me? How long will they refuse to believe me, despite all the signs that I have wrought before them?
12 Ngizabatshaya ngomatshayabhuqe wesifo, ngibathathele ilifa, ngikwenze ube yisizwe esikhulu lesilamandla kulabo.
Therefore, I will strike them with a pestilence, and so I will consume them. But you I will make the ruler over a great nation, and one which is mightier than this one.”
13 UMozisi wasesithi eNkosini: Khona amaGibhithe azakuzwa; ngoba wenyuse lababantu phakathi kwawo ngamandla akho.
And Moses said to the Lord: “But then the Egyptians, from whose midst you led out this people,
14 Njalo azatshela abahlali balelilizwe. Bazwile ukuthi wena Nkosi uphakathi kwalababantu, ukuthi wena Nkosi ubonwa ubuso ngobuso, lokuthi iyezi lakho lima phezu kwabo, uhamba phambi kwabo usensikeni yeyezi emini lensikeni yomlilo ebusuku.
and the inhabitants of this land, who have heard that you, O Lord, are among this people, and that you are seen face to face, and that your cloud protects them, and that you go before them with a column of cloud by day, and a column of fire by night,
15 Uba ubulala lababantu njengomuntu oyedwa, izizwe ezizwe ngendumela yakho zizakhuluma zisithi:
may hear that you have killed so great a multitude, as if they were one man, and they may say:
16 Ngoba iNkosi yayingelakho ukungenisa lababantu elizweni eyabafungela lona, ngakho ibabulele enkangala.
‘He was not able to lead the people into the land about which he had sworn. Therefore, he slew them in the wilderness.’
17 Khathesi-ke, ngiyancenga, kawabe makhulu amandla eNkosi yami, njengokutsho kwakho usithi:
Therefore, may the strength of the Lord be magnified, just as you swore, saying:
18 INkosi iyaphuza ukuthukuthela, njalo inkulu emuseni, ithethelela ububi leziphambeko, kodwa engayikumyekela lokumyekela olecala, iphindisela ububi baboyise phezu kwabantwana kwesesithathu lesesine isizukulwana.
‘The Lord is patient and full of mercy, taking away iniquity and wickedness, and forsaking no one who is harmless. He visits the sins of the fathers upon the sons, to the third and fourth generation.’
19 Thethelela, ngiyancenga, ububi balababantu njengobukhulu bomusa wakho, lanjengalokho ubathethelele lababantu kusukela eGibhithe kuze kube khathesi.
Forgive, I beg you, the sins of this people, according to the greatness of your mercy, just as you have been gracious to them in their journey from Egypt to this place.”
20 INkosi yasisithi: Sengibathethelele njengokwelizwi lakho.
And the Lord said: “I have forgiven them according to your word.
21 Kodwa isibili, njengalokhu ngiphila, umhlaba wonke uzagcwala ngenkazimulo yeNkosi.
Also, as I live, the entire world shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.
22 Ngoba wonke amadoda abone inkazimulo yami lezibonakaliso zami engazenza eGibhithe lenkangala, langilingileyo lezizikhathi ezilitshumi, kawezwanga ilizwi lami,
And yet, all the men who have seen my majesty, and the signs that I have wrought in Egypt and in the wilderness, and who have tested me ten times already, and yet have not obeyed my voice,
23 isibili kabayikubona ilizwe engalifungela oyise; futhi kakho owalabo abangideleleyo ozalibona.
these shall not see the land, about which I swore to their fathers, neither shall any of those who detracted me gaze upon it.
24 Kodwa inceku yami uKalebi, ngoba omunye umoya ubulaye, wangilandela ngokupheleleyo; ngakho ngizamngenisa elizweni ayengene kilo; lenzalo yakhe izakudla ilifa lalo.
My servant Caleb, who, being full of another spirit, has followed me, I will lead into this land, through which he has wandered, and his offspring shall possess it.
25 (AmaAmaleki lamaKhanani ahlala-ke esigodini.) Kusasa phendukani, lisuke liziyele enkangala ngendlela yoLwandle oluBomvu.
For the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys. Tomorrow, move the camp and return into the wilderness, by the way of the Red Sea.”
26 INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi lakuAroni isithi:
And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:
27 Koze kube nini ngilalinhlangano embi, engingungunelayo? Ngizwile ukungunguna kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli abangunguna ngakho bemelene lami.
“How long will this very wicked multitude murmur against me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel.
28 Tshono kibo uthi: Sibili njengoba ngiphila, kutsho iNkosi, njengalokhu likhulume endlebeni zami, ngizakwenza njalo kini.
Therefore, say to them: As I live, says the Lord, as you spoke in my hearing, so will I do to you.
29 Izidumbu zenu zizawela enkangala le, labo bonke ababaliweyo benu, njengokwenani lonke lenu, kusukela koleminyaka engamatshumi amabili langaphezulu, lina abangingunguneleyo;
In the wilderness, here shall your carcasses lie. All you who were numbered from twenty years and above, and who have murmured against me,
30 sibili lina kaliyikungena elizweni engiliphakamisele isandla sami ukulihlalisa kulo, ngaphandle kukaKalebi indodana kaJefune loJoshuwa indodana kaNuni.
you shall not enter into the land, over which I lifted up my hand to cause you to live there, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
31 Kodwa abantwanyana benu elathi ngabo bazakuba yimpango, ngizabangenisa, bazalazi ilizwe elalilahlayo.
But your little ones, about whom you said that they would be a prey to the enemies, I will lead them in, so that they may see the land that has displeased you.
32 Lina-ke, izidumbu zenu zizawela kulinkangala.
Your carcasses shall lie in the wilderness.
33 Labantwana benu bazakuba ngabelusi enkangala iminyaka engamatshumi amane, bathwale ukuphinga kwenu, izidumbu zenu zize ziphele enkangala.
Your sons shall wander in the desert for forty years, and they shall bear your fornication, until the carcasses of their fathers are consumed in the desert.
34 Njengokwenani lezinsuku elahlola ngazo ilizwe, insuku ezingamatshumi amane, usuku ngomnyaka, usuku ngomnyaka, lizathwala ububi benu, iminyaka engamatshumi amane, lazi ukufulathela kwami.
According to the number of the forty days, during which you examined the land, one year shall be charged for each day. And so, for forty years you shall take back your iniquities, and you shall know my retribution.
35 Mina Nkosi ngikhulumile. Isibili ngizakwenza lokhu kulinhlangano yonke embi ebuthene imelene lami; kulinkangala bazaphela, bafele khona.
For just as I have spoken, so shall I do, to this entire most wicked multitude, which has risen up together against me. In the wilderness, here shall it fade away and die.”
36 Njalo amadoda uMozisi awathumayo ukuhlola ilizwe, esephenduka, enza inhlangano yonke yamngungunela ngokuletha umbiko omubi mayelana lelizwe,
Therefore, all the men, whom Moses had sent to contemplate the land, and who, having returned, had caused the entire multitude to murmur against him, disparaging the land as if it were evil,
37 lamadoda aletha umbiko omubi ngelizwe afa ngenhlupheko phambi kweNkosi.
suffered death and were struck down in the sight of the Lord.
38 Kodwa uJoshuwa indodana kaNuni loKalebi indodana kaJefune, kulawomadoda ayeyehlola ilizwe, asala ephila.
But only Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive, out of all those who had journeyed to examine the land.
39 Njalo uMozisi wakhuluma la amazwi kubo bonke abantwana bakoIsrayeli; abantu basebelila kakhulu.
And Moses spoke all these words to all the sons of Israel, and the people mourned exceedingly.
40 Basebevuka ekuseni kakhulu, benyukela engqongeni yentaba, besithi: Khangelani silapha, sizakwenyukela endaweni iNkosi eyithembisileyo; ngoba sonile.
And behold, rising up at first light, they climbed to the top of the mountain, and they said, “We are prepared to ascend to the place, about which the Lord has spoken, for we have sinned.”
41 Kodwa uMozisi wathi: Kungani-ke liseqa umlayo weNkosi? Ngoba kakuyikuphumelela.
And Moses said to them: “Why do you transgress the word of the Lord, merely because it will not result in prosperity for you?
42 Lingenyuki, ngoba iNkosi kayikho phakathi kwenu, ukuze lingatshaywa phambi kwezitha zenu.
Do not ascend, for the Lord is not with you, lest you be overthrown before your enemies.
43 Ngoba amaAmaleki lamaKhanani alapho phambi kwenu; njalo lizakuwa ngenkemba, ngoba njengoba liphendukile ekulandeleni iNkosi, iNkosi kayiyikuba lani.
The Amalekite and the Canaanite are before you, by whose sword you shall be ruined, for you were not willing to consent to the Lord, and so the Lord is not with you.”
44 Kodwa ngokuziqhenya benyukela engqongeni yentaba, kodwa umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi loMozisi kawuphumanga phakathi kwenkamba.
But they, having been darkened, ascended to the top of the mountain. But the ark of the testament of the Lord, and Moses, did not withdraw from the camp.
45 AmaAmaleki asesehla, lamaKhanani ahlala kulezozintaba, abatshaya, abahlakaza kwaze kwaba seHorma.
And the Amalekites descended, along with those Canaanites who were living in the mountains. And so, striking and cutting them down, they pursued them all the way to Hormah.
