1UMosi gade eluse umhlambi kaJetero, umkhwe wakhe, umphristi weMidiyani. Waragela umhlambi ngaphetjheya kwerhalawumba bewafika eRhorebe intaba kaZimu. 2Khonapho kwavela ingilozi kaZimu ngamalangabi womlilo iphakathi kwesithukghwana. UMosi wabona bonyana nanyana isithukghwaneso sisitjha kodwana besingapheli. 3Yeke uMosi wadlumbana wathi: “Akhe ngiphambuke ngiyokuhlola isimangaliswesi. Kubayini isithukghwanesi sisitjha kodwana singapheli?”
4Lokha uSomnini nabona bonyana uphambukele ukuyohlola bona kwenzakalani, uZimu wambiza asesithukghwanenapho wathi: “Mosi! Mosi!”
UMosi wathi: “Ngilapha!”
5USomnini wathi: “Ungatjhideli lapha, hlubula amapatlagwanakho ngombana lapha ujame khonapho yindawo ecwengileko. 6NginguZimu kayihlo, uZimu ka-Abrahamu, u-Isaka noJakopo.”
UMosi wagubuzesa ubuso bakhe ngombana bekesaba ukuqala uZimu.
7Godu uSomnini wathi: “Ngambala ngibonile amatlhuwiso wabantu bami eGibhide. Ngisizwile isililo sabo ngebanga labatjhotjhozeli. Iye, ngiyalazi isizi labo. 8Ngalokho ngehlile kobana ngibenyele esandleni samaGibhide, ngibakhuphe enarheni leyo ngibase enarheni ehle nevulekileko. Iye, inarha egeleza ibisi neliju, ikhaya lamaKanana, amaRhithi, ama-Amori, amaPerizi, amaRhivi namaJebusi. 9Gadesi nje isililo sama-Israyeli sele sifike eendlebeni zami. Begodu ngibonile indlela amaGibhide awagandelele ngayo. 10Yeke yewize, ngikuthume kuFaro kobana uyokukhupha abantu bami ama-Israyeli eGibhide.”
11Kodwana uMosi wathi kuZimu: “Bengingubani bonyana ngingaya kuFaro ngiyokukhupha ama-Israyeli eGibhide?”
12UZimu wathi: “Mbala ngizakuba nawe. Nasi isibonakaliso esizakuba litshwayo kuwe kobana ngimi engikuthumileko: Nasele ukhuphe abantu eGibhide, nizakudumisa uZimu entabeni le.”
13UMosi wathi kuZimu: “Akhe sithi ngiya kuma-Israyeli bese ngithi, ‘UZimu waboyihlomkhulu ungithume kini’, angibuze-ke athi, ‘Ngubani ibizo lakhe uZimu loyo?’ alo, ngizakuthini kiwo?”
14UZimu wathi kuMosi: “Nginguye enginguye. Nakhu ozakutjela ama-Israyeli, ‘UNginguye ungithume kini.’ ”
15UZimu godu wathi kuMosi: “Yithi kuma-Israyeli, ‘USomnini uZimu waboyihlomkhulu, uZimu ka-Abrahamu, u-Isaka noJakopo ungithume kini.’ Lelo libizo lami lanini nanini, okulibizo engizakuduma ngalo iinzukulwana ngeenzukulwana.
16“Khamba ufese uhlanganise abaphathi bakwa-Israyeli ndawonye bese uthi kibo, ‘USomnini uZimu waboyihlomkhulu, uZimu ka-Abrahamu, u-Isaka noJakopo uzibonakalise kimi wathi: Nginitjhejile bengabona lokho amaGibhide akwenze phezu kwenu. 17Nje-ke sengithembise ukunikhupha esizini leGibhide nginise enarheni yamaKanana, amaRhithi, ama-Amori, amaPerizi, amaRhivi namaJebusi, inarha egeleza ibisi neliju.’ 18Abaphathi bakwa-Israyeli bazakulalela. Wena-ke nabaphathi nizakuya ekosini yeGibhide nithi kiyo, ‘USomnini uZimu wamaHebheru ubonene nathi. Yeke sivumela sikhambe ikhambo lamalanga amathathu erhalawumbeni kobana senzele uSomnini uZimethu imihlabelo.’ 19Kodwana mina ngiyazi bonyana ikosi yeGibhide angeze yanivumela bona nikhambe ngaphandle kokukatelelwa sisandla esinamandla. 20Ngalokho-ke ngizakwelula isandla sami ngimadlhe amaGibhide ngazo zoke iimangaliso engizazenza phakathi kwawo. Ngemva kwalapho izanitjhaphulula.
21“Godu ngizakwenza bonyana amaGibhide abe nesisa ebantwinaba ukuze nithi naniphumako ningakhambi nimkhonoze. 22Woke umfazi akakhombele umakhelwanakhe nanyana omunye nomunye umfazi ahlala ekumbenakhe kobana amuphe iintwanyana zesiliva negolide kanye nezambatho enizazembathisa amadodana namadodakazenu. Ngaleyondlela nizakuphanga amaGibhide.”
