Eksodus
5 Emva koko uMoses noAron baya kuFaro baza bathi: “Uthi uYehova uThixo kaSirayeli, ‘Khulula abantu bam bahambe ukuze bandenzele itheko entlango.’” 2 Kodwa uFaro wathi: “Ngubani uYehova+ le nto kufuneka ndithobele ilizwi lakhe lokuba ndikhulule uSirayeli?+ Andimazi tu loo Yehova, futhi akukho maSirayeli ndiza kuwakhulula apha.”+ 3 Bona bathi: “UThixo wamaHebhere uye wathetha nathi. Sicela usiyeke sihambe uhambo lweentsuku ezintathu siye entlango ukuze sibingelele kuYehova uThixo wethu,+ ukuba asiyenzi loo nto, uza kusibetha ngesifo okanye ngekrele.” 4 Ukumkani waseYiputa wathi: “Moses nawe Aron, kutheni niyekisa abantu ukusebenza? Phindelani emsebenzini!”*+ 5 Waphinda wathi: “Khanijonge indlela abaninzi ngayo abantu beli lizwe, kodwa nina nithi mabayeke ukusebenza.”
6 Kwangaloo mini, uFaro wathi kubaphathi namagosa abo: 7 “Yekani ukubathuthela iindiza zokwenza izitena aba bantu.+ Mabaziqokelele ngokwabo. 8 Kodwa funani kwa elaa nani lezitena bebezenza ngaphambili. Nize ningalinciphisi, kuba badinga into yokwenza.* Yiloo nto besithi, ‘Sifuna ukuhamba, sifuna ukubingelela kuThixo wethu!’ 9 Basebenziseni nzima nangakumbi, nibaxakekise ukuze bangabi naxesha lokumamela ubuxoki.”
10 Abaphathi+ namagosa abo baphuma baza bathi ebantwini: “Uthi uFaro, ‘Andizukuphinda ndininike iindiza. 11 Hambani niyokuzikhangelela ngokwenu iindiza, nokuba nizikhangele phi. Kodwa wona umsebenzi wenu awuzukuncitshiswa tu.’” 12 Ngoko abantu bathi saa kulo lonke ilizwe laseYiputa, beqokelela iindiza ezishiyekileyo emasimini avuniweyo. 13 Abaphathi babo baqhubeka bebamele ngento enye: “Wonke umntu makawugqibe umsebenzi wakhe wosuku njengangokuya nanisazinikwa iindiza.” 14 Abethwa namagosa angamaSirayeli awayemiselwe ngabaphathi bakaFaro phezu kwabantu.+ Abuzwa kwathiwa: “Kutheni ningenzanga elaa nani lezitena ebeniqhele ukulenza? Khange liphelele izolo nanamhlanje.”
15 Amagosa angamaSirayeli aya kuFaro, akhalaza esithi: “Kutheni uziphethe ngolu hlobo izicaka zakho? 16 Izicaka zakho azinikwa ndiza, kodwa kuthiwa, ‘Yenzani izitena!’ Ziyabethwa izicaka zakho kodwa ngabantu bakho abanetyala.” 17 Yena wathi: “Nidinga into yokwenza,* nidinga into yokwenza!*+ Yiloo nto nisithi, ‘Sifuna ukuhamba, sifuna ukubingelela kuYehova.’+ 18 Hambani, phindelani emsebenzini! Anizukuzinikwa iindiza, kodwa nimele nilenze inani lezitena elifunwayo kuni.”
19 Abona ke amagosa angamaSirayeli ukuba akwenkulu ingxaki, kuba kwakuthiwe: “Nize ningaliphunguli tu inani lezitena ekufuneka nilenze ngosuku.” 20 Emva koko adibana noMoses noAron bewalinde apho njengoko ephuma kuFaro. 21 Athi kubo: “Kwanga uYehova anganibona aze agwebe, kuba nenze uFaro nezicaka zakhe basicaphukela,* yaye nibeke nekrele esandleni sabo ukuze basibulale.”+ 22 UMoses wathetha noYehova esithi: “Yehova, kutheni usizisele intlungu esi sizwana? Undithumele ntoni? 23 Ukususela ngexesha endaya ngalo phambi kukaFaro ukuze ndithethe egameni lakho,+ yena uye waqatsela ukusiphatha kakubi esi sizwana,+ yaye nawe awubahlangulanga tu abantu bakho.”+