Amanani 17
1 INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi isithi:
Then Yahweh said to Moses/me,
2 Tshono kubantwana bakoIsrayeli, njalo uthathe induku kulowo lalowo wabo, ngokwendlu kayise, kuzo zonke iziphathamandla zabo, ngokwezindlu zaboyise, induku ezilitshumi lambili. Bhala ibizo laleyo laleyondoda endukwini yayo,
“Tell the Israeli people to bring to you twelve walking sticks. They should bring one from each of the leaders of the twelve tribes. You should carve each leader’s name on his stick.
3 ubhale ibizo likaAroni endukwini kaLevi. Ngoba induku eyodwa izakuba ngeyenhloko yendlu yaboyise.
There must be one stick for the leader of each tribe, so you must carve Aaron’s name on the stick for the tribe of Levi.
4 Njalo uzazibeka ethenteni lenhlangano phambi kobufakazi, lapho engizahlangana lawe khona.
Put those sticks inside the Sacred Tent, in front of the sacred chest that has in it the tablets on which the Ten Commandments are written. That is the place where I always talk with you.
5 Kuzakuthi-ke induku yendoda engizayikhetha izahluma; njalo ngizathulisa kusuke kimi ukusola kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, abalisola ngakho.
Buds will sprout on the stick of the man whom I have chosen [to be the priest]. [When the people see that], they will stop their constantly complaining about you [because they will realize that you are the one whom I have chosen].”
6 UMozisi wasekhuluma ebantwaneni bakoIsrayeli; zonke-ke iziphathamandla zabo zamnika izinduku, yabanye kuleso lalesosiphathamandla, njengezindlu zaboyise, induku ezilitshumi lambili; lenduku kaAroni yayiphakathi kwenduku zazo.
So Moses/I told the people what Yahweh had said. Then each of the twelve Israeli leaders, including Aaron, brought his walking stick to Moses/me.
7 UMozisi wasezibeka induku phambi kweNkosi ethenteni lobufakazi.
Moses/I placed the sticks inside the Sacred Tent in front of the sacred chest.
8 Kwasekusithi kusisa uMozisi wangena ethenteni lobufakazi, khangela-ke, induku kaAroni eyendlu kaLevi yayihlumile, yakhupha amahlumela, yakhahlela impoko, yathela ama-alimondi.
The following morning, when he/I went into the tent, he/I saw that Aaron’s stick, which represented the tribe of Levi, had sprouted, it had produced leaves and blossoms, and it had also produced almonds that were ripe!
9 UMozisi wasezikhuphela phandle zonke induku zivela phambi kweNkosi, kubo bonke abantwana bakoIsrayeli; basebekhangela, bathatha ngulowo lalowo induku yakhe.
Moses/I brought all the sticks out of the Sacred Tent and showed them to the people. Each of the twelve leaders took back his own stick.
10 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Buyisela induku kaAroni phambi kobufakazi, igcinwe, ibe yisibonakaliso kwabahlamukayo, ukuze ususe ukusola kwabo kimi, ukuze bangafi.
Then Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Put Aaron’s stick in front of the sacred chest, and let it stay there permanently. That will be a warning to people who want to rebel [against me]. Then no more people will die [because of complaining against me].”
11 UMozisi wasesenza; njengalokho iNkosi yamlaya, wenza njalo.
So Moses/I did what Yahweh had commanded.
12 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebekhuluma kuMozisi besithi: Khangela, siyafa, siyabhubha, sonke siyabhubha!
Then the Israeli people said to Moses/me, “We are going to die! All of us are surely going to die!
13 Wonke osondela lokusondela ethabhanekeleni leNkosi uzakufa. Sizaphela ngokufa yini?
Everyone who comes close to Yahweh’s Sacred Tent dies. Are the rest of us going to die, also?” [RHQ]
