Itukuthelo kaSomnini kuma-Israyeli nokusekela kwakhe uMosi
1Abantu bakwa-Israyeli bakhola uSomnini ngokumbalabalela ngobudisi abanabo. Kwathi lokha uSomnini nabezwako wavutha khulu ngelaka lakhe. Nje-ke kwaqubuka umlilo kaSomnini hlangana nabantwabo watjhisa amahlangothi wekampa. 2Abantu balila kuMosi, yena wabathandazela kuSomnini, umlilo wacima. 3Bathiya indawo leyo ibizo bona yiTabhera ngombana kwavutha umlilo kaSomnini phakathi kwabo.
4Phakathi kwama-Israyeli bekunecubevange yabantu egade imarhamaru ifuna ukutla. Kanti-ke nama-Israyeli athoma abubula godu athi: “Uyazi bona sikhanuka inyama kangangani! 5Sese sikhumbula neenhlambi ebegade sizidlela zona eGibhide singazithengi, iinkomukomu, amakhabe, imihlobohlobo yama-eyi namakonofula. 6Kodwana kwanjesi khona imiphimbo le sese yome kere, akunanja ngaphandle kwemana esikholileko le.”
7(Imana beyinjengembewu yekhoriyanda, ifana noburegu obunuka kamnandi. 8Abantu bebakhambakhamba bayibuthe bese bayayisila ngelitje lokugaya namkha ngesigigo. Gade bayipheka ngembiza namkha bayenze iimphaphatha. Yona beyizwakala inga litjhatjhatjha elenziwe ngamafutha we-oliva. 9Imana beyikhithika ekampeni lokha nakukhithika umbethe ebusuku.)
10UMosi wezwa ukulila kwabantu kiyo yoke imindenabo kungiloyo naloyo ngaphambi komnyango wetende lakhe. USomnini naye wabhoka khulu ngelaka lakhe. Lokho kwamkhathaza khulu uMosi. 11Nje-ke wabuza uSomnini wathi: “Kubayini uSomnini aphathe incekwakhe ngesihluku esingaka? Somnini awusangithandi na, kobana ungabeze uthwese umthwalo wabantwaba phezu kwami? 12Akhange ngizithwale ngabantwaba begodu ababelethwa ngimi. USomnini utjho njani nakathi ngigone boke abantwaba esifubeni sami njengomdlezana omunyisa umntwana? Alo, kufuze ngibabhebhule ngibase enarheni uSomnini ayithembisa aboyise na? 13Ngizoyifunyanaphi inyama yabantwaba boke nje? Angithi balilela mina bathi, ‘Sipha inyama sidle.’ 14Awa mina, angizukukghona ukuthwala boke abantwaba ngingedwa. Umthwalo lowo ubudisi khulu kimi! 15Nakube mbala Somnini uzongiphatha bunje, dumbana ungibulale nya. Nangabe uSomnini uyangithanda, akenze ngingasabona amatlhuwami la.”
16Nje-ke uSomnini wakhuluma noMosi wathi: “Yewungihlanganisele amadoda amatjhumi alikhomba ebaphathini bakwa-Israyeli owaziko bona babaphathi abakwazi ukwengamela abantu. Atjhideze etendeni lokuhlanganela bese ajame nawe lapho. 17Mina-ke ngizakwehla ngikhulume nawe lapho. Begodu ngizakuthatha ingcenye yommoya ophezu kwakho ngiyithele kiwo. Wona-ke, azakuthwalisa umthwalo wabantwaba ukuze ungasawuthwali uwedwa. 18Bese utjela abantu uthi, ‘Zihlambululeni ngombana kusasa nizokudla inyama. Angithi nililile nakhola uSomnini ngokuthi ngubani ozanipha inyama, godu nathi eGibhide bekungcono, angitjho? Nje-ke uSomnini uzonipha inyamenu leyo bona nidle. 19Anikazuyidla ilanga elilodwa, amabili, amahlanu, alitjhumi namkha amatjhumi amabili, 20kodwana inyanga yoke, ize ininukele beyinigonyulukise ngombana nidele uSomnini ophakathi kwenu ngokubuza bona kubayini naphuma enarheni yeGibhide.’ ”
21UMosi waphendula uSomnini wathi: “Qala, abantu engikhamba phakathi kwabo baziinkulungwana ezimakhulu asithandathu, kodwana khonapho uSomnini uthi uzabapha inyama abazayidla inyanga yoke! 22Imihlambi yezimvu neembuzi kanye neenkomo ezizakuhlatjwa zingabanela na? Namkha kuzakubuthelelwa zoke iinhlambi zelwandle bona zibanele?”
23USomnini wathi kuMosi: “Kanti uSomnini unesandla esifitjhani na? Manje uzokubona-ke bona ilizwi lami liyafezeka namkha awa.”
24Ngalokho uMosi waphuma wafese watjela abantu amezwi kaSomnini. Begodu wahlanganisa amadoda amatjhumi alikhomba ekubaphathi babantu wawajamisa etendeni mazombe. 25Nje-ke uSomnini wehla ngelifu wakhuluma naye, wathatha nengcenye yommoyakhe wawuthela ebaphathini abamatjhumi alikhomba. Kuthe lokha ummoya wehlela phezu kwabo baphorofida. Ngemva kwalokho akhange asaphorofida.
26Ngekampeni bekusele amanye amadoda amabili u-Elidada noMedada egade asesibalweni sabamatjhumi alikhomba. Wona akhange aphumelele ukuya etendeni. Amadoda lawo ehlelwa mumoya, nawo abe aphorofida khona ngekampenapho. 27Isokana elithileko lagijima lafese labikela uMosi lathi: “Kazi ngekampenaphaya, u-Elidada noMedada bayaphorofida!”
28UJotjhuwa umsa kaNuni noyinceku kaMosi ukusukela ebutjheni bakhe, gade angomunye wamadoda akhethiweko, wathi kuMosi: “Kosami, Mosi, bathulise!”
29Kodwana uMosi wathi kuye: “Kanti awufuni ngami na? Mina bengingafisa ngathana boke abantu bakaSomnini bekungaba baphorofidi, nokobana sengasuthi uSomnini bakangathela ummoya ovela kuye phezu kwabo.”
30Nje-ke uMosi nabaphathi bakwa-Israyeli babuyela ngekampeni.
USomnini wathumela iinkwali
31USomnini wavusa ummoya ovela elwandle waphaphisela iinkwali ekampeni, zaphuphuruza pheze ngemitha ukuphakama. Zazigcwele ikampa yoke begodu kulikhambo lelanga mahlangothi woke ukuzibamba. 32Mhlokho abantu baphuma imini yoke nobusuku bakhona kanye nelanga elilandelako bona bayokubutha iinkwalezo. Owabutha kancani ngogade abuthe amaqubi alitjhumi. Nje-ke baneka iinkwalezo magegana nekampa.
33Kuthe inyama yeenkwalezo isese semazinyweni, ingakahlafunywa, ubukhali bakaSomnini bavutha phezu kwabantu. Khonapho uSomnini wamadlha abantu ngehlupheko ekulu. 34Ngebangelo indawo leyo yathiywa bona yiKhibrothi-Hatava, ngombana lapho kwangcwatjwa abantu ebe bamarhamaru.
35Ukusuka eKhibrothi-Hatava ama-Israyeli afudukela eRhatserothi, afese ahlala khona.
