Eksodusi
5 Kamuva uMose no-Aroni bangena bathi kuFaro:+ “Yilokhu uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli akushilo, ‘Mukisa abantu bami ukuze bangigubhele umkhosi ehlane.’”+ 2 Kodwa uFaro wathi: “Ungubani uJehova,+ ukuba ngilalele izwi lakhe ngimukise u-Israyeli?+ Angimazi nhlobo uJehova,+ futhi ngaphezu kwalokho, ngeke ngimmukise u-Israyeli.”+ 3 Nokho baqhubeka bathi: “UNkulunkulu wamaHebheru uthintane nathi.+ Siyacela, sifuna ukuthatha uhambo lwezinsuku ezintathu siye ehlane siyokwenzela uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu umhlatshelo;+ ngaphandle kwalokho angase asishaye ngesifo esiwumshayabhuqe noma ngenkemba.”+ 4 Inkosi yaseGibhithe yathi kubo: “Kungani, wena Mose no-Aroni, niyekisa abantu imisebenzi yabo?+ Hambani niyothwala imithwalo yenu!”+ 5 Futhi uFaro waqhubeka wathi: “Bheka! Abantu bezwe baningi manje,+ kodwa nina niyabayekisa ukuthwala imithwalo.”+
6 Ngokushesha ngalolo suku uFaro wayala ababecindezela abantu ngomsebenzi kanye nezikhulu zabo,+ wathi: 7 “Ningabe nisababuthela abantu utshani bokwenza izitini+ njengangaphambili. Bona ngokwabo mabahambe bazibuthele utshani. 8 Ngaphezu kwalokho, nizobanqumela inani elifanayo lezitini ezifunekayo abebezenza ngaphambili. Ningalokothi nibanciphisele, ngoba bayavilapha.+ Yingakho bekhala, bethi, ‘Sifuna ukuhamba, sifuna ukuyokwenzela uNkulunkulu wethu umhlatshelo!’+ 9 Umsebenzi mawube nzima phezu kwabantu, basebenze, futhi bangawanaki amazwi angamanga.”+
10 Ngakho labo ababecindezela abantu ngomsebenzi+ kanye nezikhulu zabo baphuma bathi kubantu: “Yilokhu uFaro akushilo, ‘Ngeke ngisaninika tshani. 11 Hambani nizitholele nina utshani nomaphi lapho ningabuthola khona, ngoba ngeke incishiswe nakancane imisebenzi yenu.’”+ 12 Ngakho abantu basakazeka kulo lonke izwe laseGibhithe bebutha izinhlanga zokusetshenziswa njengotshani. 13 Labo ababecindezela abantu babelokhu bebashusha,+ bethi: “Qedani imisebenzi yenu, yilowo nalowo umsebenzi wakhe, usuku nosuku, njengalapho utshani busatholakala.”+ 14 Kamuva izikhulu+ zabantwana bakwa-Israyeli, lezo izinduna zomsebenzi zikaFaro ezazizimise phezu kwabo, zashaywa,+ izinduna zithi: “Kungani ningawuqedanga umsebenzi wenu eniwabelwe wokwenza izitini+ njengakuqala, kokubili izolo nanamuhla?”+
15 Ngakho izikhulu+ zabantwana bakwa-Israyeli zangena zakhala kuFaro, zathi: “Kungani uziphatha kanje izinceku zakho? 16 Akukho tshani obunikwa izinceku zakho nokho kuthiwa kithi, ‘Yenzani izitini!’ futhi bheka izinceku zakho ziyashaywa, kuyilapho kungabantu bakho abanephutha.”+ 17 Kodwa wathi: “Niyavilapha, niyavilapha!+ Yingakho nithi, ‘Sifuna ukuhamba, sifuna ukwenzela uJehova umhlatshelo.’+ 18 Manje hambani, sebenzani! Nakuba kungekho tshani enizonikwa bona, kodwa kufanele nikhiphe inani elimisiwe lezitini.”+
19 Khona-ke izikhulu zabantwana bakwa-Israyeli zazibona zisesimweni esibi ngenxa yaleli zwi elithi:+ “Akumelwe ninciphise izitini zenu nakancane esilinganisweni sanoma ubani sansuku zonke.”+ 20 Ngemva kwalokho zanqwamana noMose no-Aroni,+ ababemi lapho ukuba bazihlangabeze njengoba ziphuma kuFaro. 21 Ngaso leso sikhathi zathi kubo: “Kwangathi uJehova anganibheka ahlulele,+ njengoba nisenze sanuka kabi+ phambi kukaFaro naphambi kwezinceku zakhe ukuze babeke inkemba esandleni sabo ukuba basibulale.”+ 22 Khona-ke uMose waphendukela kuJehova+ wathi: “Jehova, kungani ubangele ububi kulaba bantu?+ Ungithumeleni?+ 23 Ngoba kusukela esikhathini engangena ngaso phambi kukaFaro ukuba ngikhulume egameni lakho,+ uFaro wenzé okubi kulaba bantu,+ futhi awubakhululanga neze abantu bakho.”+