Eksodusi
32 Phakathi naleso sikhathi, abantu babona ukuthi uMose wayethatha isikhathi eside ukwehla entabeni. + Ngakho abantu baqoqana ku-Aroni bathi kuye: “Sukuma usenzele unkulunkulu ozohamba phambi kwethu, + ngoba asazi ukuthi kwenzekeni kulo Mose, umuntu owasihola wasikhipha ezweni laseGibhithe.” 2 U-Aroni wathi kubo: “Khumulani amacici egolide + ezindlebeni zomkenu, zamadodana namadodakazi enu niwalethe kimi.” 3 Ngakho bonke abantu bakhumula amacici egolide ayesezindlebeni zabo bawaletha ku-Aroni. 4 Khona-ke walithatha igolide kubo, walibumba ngethuluzi wenza isithombe sethole. *+ Baqala ukuthi: “Lona uNkulunkulu wakho, Israyeli, owakuhola wakukhipha ezweni laseGibhithe.” +
5 Lapho u-Aroni ebona lokhu, wakha i-altare phambi kwaso. U-Aroni wabe esememeza: “Kukhona umkhosi wokuhlonipha uJehova kusasa.” 6 Ngakho ngakusasa bavuka kusesekuseni kakhulu, baqala ukunikela iminikelo eshiswayo, baletha nemihlatshelo ehlanganyelwayo. Ngemva kwalokho abantu bahlala phansi badla baphuza. Base besukuma bazijabulisa. +
7 UJehova manje wathi kuMose: “Hamba, yehla ngoba abantu bakho owabahola wabakhipha ezweni laseGibhithe benze ngokukhohlakala. + 8 Baphambuke ngokushesha endleleni engabayala ukuba bahambe ngayo. + Bazenzele isithombe sethole,* balokhu besikhothamela, benza umhlatshelo kuso bethi, ‘Lona uNkulunkulu wakho, Israyeli, owakuhola wakukhipha ezweni laseGibhithe.’” 9 UJehova waqhubeka wathi kuMose: “Ngibonile ukuthi laba abantu abanenkani. *+ 10 Ngithukuthele kakhulu. Ngakho ngiyeke ukuze ngibaqothule, ngenze wena ube isizwe esikhulu.” +
11 UMose wamncenga uJehova* uNkulunkulu wakhe + wathi: “Kungani Jehova uvumela intukuthelo yakho ukuba ikwenze ufune ukwenza lokhu kubantu bakho, ngemva kokubakhipha ezweni laseGibhithe ngamandla amakhulu nangesandla esinamandla? + 12 Kungani kufanele abaseGibhithe bathi, ‘Wayenezinhloso ezimbi lapho ebakhipha. Wayefuna ukubabulalela ezintabeni futhi abaqothule emhlabeni’? + Ngicela ushintshe isinqumo* sakho sokuqothula abantu bakho. 13 Khumbula izinceku zakho u-Abrahama, u-Isaka no-Israyeli, owafunga kuzo ngokwakho wathi, ‘Ngiyokwandisa inzalo* yenu ibe ngangezinkanyezi zamazulu + futhi ngiyonika inzalo* yenu lonke leli zwe engilikhethile, ukuze libe elayo unomphela.’” +
14 Ngakho uJehova waqala ukucabanga kabusha* ngenhlekelele ayethe uzoyilethela abantu bakhe. +
15 Ngemva kwalokho uMose waphenduka wehla entabeni ephethe + amatshe amabili obuFakazi ayizicaba. + La matshe ayebhalwe nhlangothi zombili; ayebhalwe ngaphambili nangemuva. 16 La matshe ayizicaba ayewumsebenzi kaNkulunkulu, nombhalo kwakuwumbhalo kaNkulunkulu uqoshwe ematsheni ayizicaba. + 17 Lapho uJoshuwa ezwa umsindo wabantu ngenxa yokumemeza kwabo, wathi kuMose: “Kukhona umsindo wempi ekamu.” 18 Kodwa uMose wathi:
“Akuwona umsindo wokucula ngenxa yokunqoba,*
Futhi akuwona umsindo wesililo ngenxa yokwehlulwa;
Ngizwa umsindo wolunye uhlobo lokucula.”
19 Kwathi ngokushesha nje lapho uMose esondela ekamu futhi ebona ithole + nabantu bedansa, wathukuthela kakhulu, wawalahla phansi amatshe ayizicaba ayewaphethe wawaphihliza phansi kwentaba. + 20 Wathatha ithole ababelenzile walishisa ngomlilo waligaya laze laba yimpuphu; + ngemva kwalokho walisakaza phezu kwamanzi wayala ama-Israyeli ukuba awaphuze. + 21 Ngemva kwalokho uMose wathi ku-Aroni: “Bakwenzeni laba bantu uze ulethe lesi sono esikhulu kangaka phezu kwabo?” 22 U-Aroni waphendula: “Ungathukutheli nkosi yami. Wazi kahle ukuthi laba bantu bathambekele ekwenzeni okubi. + 23 Bathe kimi, ‘Senzele unkulunkulu ozohamba phambi kwethu ngoba asazi ukuthi kwenzekeni kulo Mose, umuntu owasihola wasikhipha ezweni laseGibhithe.’ + 24 Ngakho ngithe kubo, ‘Noma ubani onegolide kumele alikhumule anginike lona.’ Ngibe sengiliphonsa emlilweni kwaphuma leli thole.”
25 UMose wabona ukuthi abantu babedlubulundile ngoba u-Aroni wayebayekile badlubulunda kangangokuba baba ihlazo kwabamelene nabo. 26 UMose wabe esema esangweni lekamu wathi: “Ubani ongakuJehova? Makeze kimi!” + Wonke amaLevi aqoqanela kuye. 27 Wathi kuwo: “Yilokhu uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli akushilo, ‘Yilowo nalowo makagaxe inkemba yakhe anqamule lonke ikamu kusukela esangweni kuya kwelinye, abulale umfowabo, umakhelwane wakhe nomngani wakhe omkhulu.’” + 28 AmaLevi enza lokho uMose ayekushilo. Ngakho kwabulawa abantu abangaba ngu-3 000 ngalolo suku. 29 UMose wathi: “Zihlukaniseleni uJehova* namuhla, ngoba ngamunye wenu umelane nendodana yakhe nomfowabo; + namuhla uzoninika isibusiso.” +
30 Ngalo kanye usuku olulandelayo, uMose wathi kubantu: “Nenze isono esikhulu kakhulu, manje ngizokhuphukela entabeni ngincenge uJehova mhlawumbe uzosithethelela isono senu.” + 31 Ngakho uMose wabuyela kuJehova wathi: “Laba bantu benze isono esikhulu! Bazenzele unkulunkulu wegolide! + 32 Kodwa manje uma uzimisele, thethelela isono sabo; + uma ungazimisele, ngicela ungesule encwadini yakho oyibhalile.” + 33 Nokho, uJehova wathi kuMose: “Noma ubani owonile kimi, nguye engizomesula encwadini yami. 34 Manje hamba, uhole abantu ubayise endaweni engikhulume ngayo kuwe. Bheka! Ingelosi yami izohamba phambi kwakho, + futhi ngosuku engiyobenza balandise ngalo, ngiyobajezisa ngenxa yesono sabo.” 35 UJehova wajezisa abantu ngenhlupho ngoba babenze ithole, lelo u-Aroni ayelenzile.