UMose No-Aroni Baya KukaFaro
1Emveni kwalokho, uMose no-Aroni baya kuFaro, bathi kuye: “Usho kanje uSimakade, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: ‘Dedela abantu bami bahambe, ukuze bayogubha umkhosi wami ehlane.’ ”
2Kepha uFaro wathi: “Ungubani uSimakade ukuthi ngingalalela izwi lakhe, ngivumele u-Israyeli ahambe na? Angimazi uSimakade, futhi anginakumdedela u-Israyeli ahambe.”
3Base bethi: “UNkulunkulu wamaHebheru ubonakele kithi; sidedele sihambe uhambo lwezinsuku ezintathu, siye ehlane, siyokwenzela uSimakade uNkulunkulu wethu umhlatshelo, funa asehlisele ngobhubhane, noma asiqothe ngenkemba.”
4Kepha inkosi yaseGibhithe yathi kubo: “Mose no-Aroni, nibasuselani abantu emisebenzini yabo na? Hambani niye emisebenzini yenu.”
5UFaro waqhubeka wathi: “Laba bantu sebebaningi kakhulu kunabantu bakuleli lizwe, nokho nifuna ukuba bayeke ukwenza imisebenzi yabo enzima.”
6Ngalolo lusuku uFaro wayala izinduna zabantu nabaphathi babo, wathi: 7“Ningabe nisabanika abantu utshani bokwenza izitini, njengoba benenza kuqala; mabahambe bazilandele utshani ngokwabo. 8Kepha inani lezitini abazenzayo kufanele lifane nelezitini abazenze ngayizolo; ningalehlisi, ngokuba bayavilapha. Yingakho bekhala bethi: ‘Masihambe siyokwenzela uNkulunkulu wethu umhlatshelo.’ 9Mawenziwe nzima umsebenzi kubo yikhona bezonaka wona, bangawalaleli amazwi adukisayo.”
10Izinduna nabaphathi babantu baphuma, bathi kubantu: “Nakhu okushiwo nguFaro uthi: ‘Angizukuninika utshani.’ 11Hambani nizifunele nina utshani noma kuphi lapho nibuthola khona, kodwa umsebenzi wenu awuzukuncishiswa nakancane.”
12Ngakho-ke abantu bahlakazeka kulo lonke iGibhithe ukuyoqoqa izinhlanga esikhundleni sotshani. 13Izinduna zazibakhaca zithi: “Qedani umsebenzi ngesilinganiso sansuku zonke ebenisenza ngesikhathi nisanikwa utshani.”
14Abaphathi babakwa-Israyeli ababebekwe yizinduna zikaFaro ukubaphatha, bashaywa, babuzwa ukuthi: “Aniwuqedanga ngani umsebenzi wezitini ebeniwunqunyelwe izolo nanamuhla, njengoba benenza nsuku zonke na?”
15Izinduna zabakwa-Israyeli zaya kuFaro, zakhala zathi: “Uziphathelani izinceku zakho kanje na? 16Izinceku zakho azisanikwa tshani, nokho bathi kithi: ‘Yenzani izitini!’ Futhi kunjalo nje izinceku zakho ziyashaywa, kepha icala likubantu bakho.”
17Wathi: “Niyavilapha, yingakho nithi: ‘Sidedele sihambe siyokwenzela uSimakade umhlatshelo.’ 18Hambani manje niyosebenza, ngokuba anizukunikwa tshani, kodwa nisazokwenza inani elifanayo lezitini.”
19Izinduna zabakwa-Israyeli zazibonela ukuthi zisengxakini engakanani lapho kuthiwa kuzo: “Aniyukulehlisa inani lezitini enilenza ngosuku.”
20Zahlangana noMose no-Aroni ababemi bezozihlangabeza ngesikhathi zisuka kuFaro. 21Zathi kubo: “USimakade makanibheke anehlulele. Nisenze sanuka iququ phambi kukaFaro nezinceku zakhe, nabanika inkemba ezandleni zabo ukuba basibulale.”
22UMose wabuyela kuSimakade, wathi: “Nkosi, yini wenze okubi kulaba bantu na? Ungithumeleni mina kubo na? 23Selokhu ngaya kuFaro ukuyokhuluma egameni lakho, ubaphatha kabi laba bantu, futhi awubakhululi abantu bakho.”
