UNUMERI 20

₁Kwathi ngenyanga yokuthoma woke umkhambathi wama-Israyeli wafika erhalawumbeni leTsini wahlala eKhadetjhi. UMiriyamu wahlongakalela lapho bewabekwa.

₂Nje-ke lapho umkhambathi bewunganamanzi wokusela. Abantu bakghuthana ndawonye bajamelana noMosi no-Aroni. ₃Basola uMosi bathi: “Bekungcono ukube ngathana sesafa nabafowethu lokha nabafa ngelaka lakaSomnini! ₄Niyiletheleni ihlangano kaSomnini erhalawumbenapha? Benenzelela bonyana sizokufela lapha, thina nefuywethu, yi! ₅Njekhona nisenyuleleni enarheni yeGibhide bona nisilethe endaweni embikazi le? Indawo enganamabele, imithi yamakhiwani, isidiribe nemithi yamarharinada; namanzi tle wokusela, awekho!”

₆Nje-ke uMosi no-Aroni basuka ehlanganweni banqomba emnyango wetende lokuhlanganela, bafese bahloma iinhloko phasi. Khonapho kwabonakala kibo iphazimulo kaSomnini. ₇USomnini wathi kuMosi: ₈“Thatha idondolo lakho bese wena no-Aroni umfowenu nihlanganise umkhambathi. Khulumani edwaleni phambi kwawo bona likhuphe amanzi akilo. Ngendlela leyo nizawuvezela amanzi edwaleni ukuze usele wona nefuywawo.”

₉Khonapho uMosi wathatha idondolo lakhe endaweni ecwengileko njengombana uSomnini amyalile. ₁₀Mbala uMosi no-Aroni babuthelela ihlangano ndawonye phambi kwedwala, wathi kiyo: “Nje-ke lalelani nina mahlubuka ndina! Siniphundlusele amanzi edwaleneli na?”

₁₁Yeke uMosi waphakamisa isandla sakhe wabetha idwala ngedondolo kabili; kwagobhoza amanzi amanengi kwasela umkhambathi kanye nefuywawo.

₁₂Kodwana uSomnini wathi kuMosi no-Aroni: “Njengombana ningakhange ningethembe, nikhombise ukungihlonipha emehlweni wama-Israyeli, angeze nayingenisa ihlangano leyo enarheni engiyinikela yona.”

₁₃Lawo bekumamanzi weMeriba lapha abantu bakwa-Israyeli basola khona uSomnini; nalapha uSomnini waziveza khona kibo ngobumsulwa bakhe.

₁₄UMosi wathuma iinthunywa zisuka eKhadetjhi, zaya ekosini yakwa-Edomu zafese zathi: “Nakhu okutjhiwo ngumfowenu u-Israyeli, ‘Wena uyabazi boke ubunzima obasehlelako. ₁₅Abobamkhulu behlela eGibhide, sahlala khona isikhathi eside. AmaGibhide asiphatha kumbi njengombana aphatha abobamkhulu. ₁₆Kwathi lokha nasilila kuSomnini, uSomnini wasizwa bewathumela ingilozi bonyana isenyule eGibhide. Kwanjesi, singapha ngeKhadetjhi ekumumuzi ongemkhawulwenakho. ₁₇Yeke sibawa usivumele bonyana sidlule enarhenakho. Angeze satlaya emasimini namkha esidiribeni begodu asizukusela amanzi wemithombakho. Sizokukhamba endleleni ekhanjwa makhosi, singaphambukeli ngesidleni namkha ngesinceleni size sidlule emkhawulwenakho.’ ”

₁₈Kodwana u-Edomu waphendula wathi: “Awa, ningadluli lapha, nakungasinjalo, ngizanihlangabeza ngesabula.”

₁₉Nje-ke ama-Israyeli amphendula athi: “Awa hle, sizokukhamba kwaphela endleleni ekulu. Nakungenzeka bona thina namkha ifuywethu isele amanzakho, sizakukukhokhela. Esikubawako sekudlula ngeenyawo kwaphela, akukho okhunye.”

₂₀Godu waphendula wathi: “Ngithi, ningakhe ningadlula lapha!”

Nje-ke u-Edomu waphuma wawakhandela ngamadoda amanengi ekulibutho elinamandla. ₂₁Ngendlela leyo u-Edomu walela u-Israyeli bona adlule emkhawulwenakhe. Nje-ke u-Israyeli wajika, wamgadunga.

₂₂Woke umkhambathi wama-Israyeli wasuka eKhadetjhi, wakhamba wabe wafika entabeni yeHori. ₂₃USomnini wakhuluma noMosi no-Aroni entabeni yeHori ngemkhawulweni wenarha yakwa-Edomu wathi: ₂₄“Nakungu-Aroni uzakulandela aboyisemkhulu. Angeze angena enarheni engiyinikela ama-Israyeli ngombana nafulathela umyalwami emanzini weMeriba. ₂₅Thatha u-Aroni no-Elazara indodanakhe wenyukele nabo entabeni yeHori, ₂₆uhlubulise u-Aroni izambatho zakhe zobuphristi bese uzembesa indodanakhe u-Elazara. U-Aroni uzakuhlongakalela lapho, abekwe.”

₂₇UMosi wenza njengombana uSomnini amyalile. Bakhuphuka intaba yeHori umkhambathi woke ubaqalile. ₂₈Mbala uMosi wahlubulisa u-Aroni izambatho zobuphristi wazembesa indodanakhe u-Elazara. U-Aroni wahlongakalela lapho esiqongolweni sentaba. Nje-ke uMosi no-Elazara bewuka intaba. ₂₉Kuthe lokha umkhambathi woke nawubona bonyana u-Aroni uhlongakele, indlu yoke yakwa-Israyeli yamlilela amalanga amatjhumi amathathu.