Amanani 25

1 UIsrayeli wasehlala eShithimi. Abantu basebeqala ukuphinga lamadodakazi akoMowabi.

While the Israelis were camped at a place called Acacia [Grove], some of the men caused themselves to become unacceptable to God by having sex with some of the women of the Moab [people-group who lived in that area].

2 Asebabizela abantu emihlatshelweni yabonkulunkulu bawo, labantu badla, bakhothamela onkulunkulu bawo.

Then those women invited the men to come when the sacrifices were being offered to their gods. The Israeli men [accepted]. They went to the feasts with the women and worshiped the gods of the Moab people-group.

3 UIsrayeli wasezihlanganisa loBhali-Peyori; lolaka lweNkosi lwamvuthela uIsrayeli.

By doing that, those Israeli people joined the women in worshiping the god Baal [add] the Moab people-group thought lived on Peor Mountain. That caused Yahweh to become very angry with his people.

4 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Thatha zonke inhloko zabantu, uziphanyeke phambi kweNkosi maqondana lelanga, ukuze ulaka lweNkosi oluvuthayo lubuye lusuke koIsrayeli.

Yahweh said this to Moses/me: “Seize all the leaders of those men who are doing this and execute them while I am watching. Do that in the daytime. After you do that, I will no longer be angry with the Israeli people.”

5 UMozisi wasesithi kubahluleli bakoIsrayeli: Bulalani, kube ngulowo lalowo amadoda akhe ababezihlanganise loBhali-Peyori.

So Moses/I said to the other Israeli leaders, “Each of you must execute your men who have joined [others] in worshiping Baal.”

6 Khangela-ke, umuntu wabantwana bakoIsrayeli weza waletha kubafowabo umMidiyanikazi phambi kwamehlo kaMozisi laphambi kwamehlo enhlangano yonke yabantwana bakoIsrayeli, besakhala inyembezi emnyango wethente lenhlangano.

[But later], while Moses/I and many [HYP] other people were crying at the entrance of the Sacred Tent, while they/we were watching, one of the Israeli men brought a woman from the Midian people-group into his tent [and started to have sex with her].

7 Kwathi uPhinehasi, indodana kaEleyazare, indodana kaAroni umpristi, ekubona, wasukuma ephuma phakathi kwenhlangano, wathatha umkhonto esandleni sakhe,

When Phinehas, who was the grandson of Aaron, saw that, he grabbed a spear

8 waseyilandela indoda yakoIsrayeli ethenteni, wabagwaza bobabili, indoda yakoIsrayeli lowesifazana esiswini sakhe. Yasimiswa inhlupheko kubantwana bakoIsrayeli.

and rushed into the man’s tent. He thrust the spear completely through the man’s body and into the woman’s belly [and killed both of them]. When he did that, the (plague/serious illness) [that had started to strike the Israelis] stopped.

9 Lalabo abafayo ngenhlupheko babeyizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili lane.

But 24,000 people had already died [from that plague].

10 INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi isithi:

Then Yahweh said to Moses/me,

11 UPhinehasi, indodana kaEleyazare indodana kaAroni umpristi, uphendule ulaka lwami lusuka ebantwaneni bakoIsrayeli, ngoba wayelobukhwele ngobukhwele bami phakathi kwabo; ngakho kangibaqothulanga abantwana bakoIsrayeli ngobukhwele bami.

“Phinehas has caused me to stop being angry with the Israeli people, by being as eager as I am [to stop this sinful behavior]. I was ready to get rid of all the Israeli people because I was extremely angry, but Phinehas has prevented me from doing that.

12 Ngakho utsho: Khangela, ngiyamnika isivumelwano sami sokuthula.

Now tell him that I am making a special peace agreement with him.

13 Njalo uzakuba laso, lenzalo yakhe emva kwakhe, isivumelwano sobupristi obulaphakade, ngenxa yokuthi elobukhwele ngoNkulunkulu wakhe, wabenzela abantwana bakoIsrayeli inhlawulo yokuthula.

In this agreement, I am promising to give to him and to his descendants the right/authority to be priests. I am doing this because [he showed that] he was very eager to honor me, his God, by stopping this sinful behavior. He has caused the Israeli people to become acceptable to me again by causing them to be forgiven for their sin.”

14 Lebizo lendoda yakoIsrayeli eyatshaywayo, eyatshaywa kanye lomMidiyanikazi, lalinguZimri indodana kaSalu, isiphathamandla sendlu kayise phakathi kwabakoSimeyoni.

The Israeli man who was killed with the woman of the Moab people-group was named Zimri. He was the son of Salu, who was the leader of a family from the tribe of Simeon.

15 Ibizo lowesifazana owatshaywayo, umMidiyanikazi, lalinguKozibi indodakazi kaZuri, owayeyinhloko yesizwe sendlu kayise eMidiyani.

The woman’s name was Cozbi. She was the daughter of Zur, who was the leader of one of the clans of the Midian people-group.

16 INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi isithi:

Then Yahweh said to Moses/me,

17 Hluphani amaMidiyani, liwatshaye;

“[Take your men and] attack the Midian people-group and kill them.

18 ngoba aliphethe njengezitha ngobuqili bawo, alikhohlisa ngodaba lukaPeyori langodaba lukaKozibi, indodakazi yesiphathamandla seMidiyani, udadewabo, owatshaywa ngosuku lwenhlupheko ngenxa yodaba lukaPeyori.

They have become your enemies, because they tricked you Israeli people and induced/persuaded many of you to worship Baal, and because [one of your men had sex with] Cozbi, who was the daughter of a leader of the Midian people-group. She was killed at the time the plague [started because the people sinned] at Peor [Mountain].”