1UKhora indodana ka-Izihari, indodana kaKhohathi, indodana kaLevi, labathile abakoRubheni, uDathani kanye lo-Abhiramu, amadodana ka-Eliyabi, kanye lo-Oni indodana kaPhelethi baqala ukuba yiziqholo
2bavukela uMosi. Bakwenza lokhu bendawonye lamanye amadoda angamakhulu amabili alamatshumi amahlanu (250) ako-Israyeli, abakhokheli abadumileyo babantu bakuleyondawo ababekhethelwe ukuthi babe ngamalunga enkundla.
3Beza beliqembu ukuzomelana loMosi lo-Aroni bathi kubo, “Seledlulise amalawulo! Abantu bonke bako-Israyeli bangcwele, bonke ngamunye wabo, njalo uThixo* uyabasekela. Pho kungani liziphakamisa ngaphezu kwabantu bakaThixo* na?”
4UMosi wathi ekuzwa lokhu, wawela phansi ngobuso.
5Wasesithi kuKhora lakubalandeli bakhe: “Kusasa ekuseni uThixo* uzaveza obala ukuthi ngubani ongowakhe lokuthi ngubani ongcwele, njalo uzamvumela lowomuntu ukuthi asondele kuye. Indoda azayikhetha uzayivumela ukuthi isondele phansi kwakhe.
6Wena, Khora, kanye labalandeli bakho yenzani lokhu: Thathani indengezi
7kuthi kusasa libasele umlilo njalo litshisele impepha kuzo phambi kukaThixo*. Indoda ezakhethwa nguThixo* yiyo engcwele. Lina baLevi seledlulise amalawulo!”
8UMosi wabuye wathi kuKhora, “Khathesi lalelani-ke, lina baLevi!
9Kanti akulanelisanga yini ukuthi uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ulikhethile phakathi kwabo bonke abako-Israyeli njalo walisondeza phansi kwakhe ukuze lenze umsebenzi ethabanikeleni likaThixo* lokuthi lizakuma phambi kwesizwe lisenzele inkonzo na?
10Ukusondezile wena kanye labanye bakho abangabaLevi phansi kwakhe, kodwa-ke khathesi selifuna lobuphristi.
11Ukubambana kwakho kanye labalandeli bakho kuyikumelana loThixo* limphikisa. Kambe ungubani u-Aroni elingakhonona ngaye?”
12Ngakho uMosi wabiza uDathani lo-Abhiramu amadodana ka-Eliyabi. Kodwa bona bathi, “Vele kasibuyi!
13Kambe bekungenelanga yini ukuthi wasikhipha elizweni eligeleza uchago loluju ukuzasibulalela enkangala na? Khathesi usufuna lokuba yinkosi phezu kwethu?
14Kunjalo-nje, awukasingenisi elizweni eligeleza uchago loluju kumbe ukusipha ilifa lamasimu kanye lezivini. Ufuna ukukopola amehlo amadoda la na? Hatshi, kasibuyi!”
15Ngalokho uMosi wathukuthela kakhulu wasesithi kuThixo*, “Ungawemukeli umnikelo wabo. Angithathanga lutho kubo ngitsho lobabhemi kodwa lokhu, njalo kakho loyedwa engimoneleyo.”
16UMosi wathi kuKhora, “Wena kanye labo bonke abalandeli bakho kumele lime phambi kukaThixo* kusasa, wena, bona kanye lo-Aroni.
17Indoda inye nganye kumele ithathe udengezi ifake impepha kulo, indengezi ezingamakhulu amabili alamatshumi amahlanu, (250) njalo iwethule phambi kukaThixo*. Wena kanye lo-Aroni lani kufanele liveze ezenu indengezi.”
18Ngakho indoda inye ngayinye yathatha udengezi lwayo, yafaka umlilo kanye lempepha kulo, njalo yema loMosi lo-Aroni esangweni lethente lokuhlangana.
19Kwathi uKhora esebaqoqile abalandeli bakhe bephikisana labo esangweni lethente lokuhlangana, inkazimulo kaThixo* yabonakala kubo bonke abantu ababebuthene kuleyondawo.
20UThixo* wathi kuMosi lo-Aroni,
21“Sukani phakathi kwalaba ababutheneyo ukuze ngibabhubhise khathesi.”
22Kodwa uMosi lo-Aroni bawa phansi ngobuso bakhala bathi, “Oh Nkulunkulu, Nkulunkulu wemiphefumulo yabantu bonke, uzathukuthelela abantu bonke jikelele ngenxa yomuntu oyedwa owonileyo na?”
23Ngakho uThixo* wathi kuMosi,
24“Tshela ibandla uthi, ‘Sukani eduze kwamathente aboKhora, loDathani lo-Abhiramu.’ ”
25UMosi wasukuma waya kuDathani lo-Abhiramu, kwathi labadala bako-Israyeli bamlandela.
26Waqonqosela ibandla wathi, “Buyelani emuva lisuke emathenteni abantu laba ababi! Lingathinti lutho olungolwabo ngoba lingenzenjalo lizakhuculwa ngenxa yezono zabo.”
27Ngakho basuka emathenteni kaKhora, uDathani lo-Abhiramu. UDathani lo-Abhiramu basebephume phandle bemi labomkabo, labantwababo kanye labancane emasangweni amathente abo.
28UMosi wasesithi, “Nansi indlela elizabona ngayo ukuthi uThixo* ungithumile ukuzokwenza konke lokhu engikwenzayo kanye lokuthi akusingqondo yami.
29Nxa amadoda la ezazifela ngendlela abantu abazifela ngayo, kumbe nxa bengethekelelwa emva kokwethekelela kwabantu bonke kuzabe kusitsho ukuthi uThixo* kangithumanga.
30Kodwa nxa uThixo* ezakwenza esingakaze sikubone okunye okutsha kwenzakale ukuthi umhlaba uvuleke ubaginye kanye lakho konke okungokwabo, bangene bephila engcwabeni, kulapho elizakwazi khona ukuthi amadoda la ameyisile uThixo*.”
31Kwathi eqeda ukutsho lokhu, umhlaba wavuleka ngaphansi kwabo,
32wavuleka wabaginya bona, kanye labantwababo lamadoda wonke ayekhokhelwa nguKhora kanye lempahla zawo.
33Batshona engcwabeni bephila, lakho konke okwakungokwabo; umhlabathi wabambokotha, kwaba yikutshabalala kwabo, basuswa kwabakibo.
34Besizwa ukukhala kwabo, bonke abako-Israyeli ababelapho babaleka, beklabalala besithi, “Umhlaba uzasiginya lathi!”
35Kwavela umlilo kuThixo* watshaya waqothula amadoda angamakhulu amabili alamatshumi amahlanu (250) ayenikela ngempepha.
36UThixo* wathi kuMosi,
37“Tshela u-Eliyazari indodana ka-Aroni, umphristi, ukuthi athathe indengezi azikhiphe emlotheni achithele amalahle endaweni ekhatshana, ngoba indengezi lezi zingcwele,
38indengezi zamadoda onileyo aze alahlekelwa yimpilo yawo. Khanda lezondengezi ukuze zendlaleke e-alithareni, ngoba zethulwa phambi kukaThixo* zaba ngezingcwele. Azibe yisibonakaliso kwabako-Israyeli.”
39Ngakho u-Eliyazari umphristi wabutha indengezi zethusi ezazilethwe yilabo abatshayo, walungisa ukuba zikhandwe zendlalwe e-alithareni,
40njengokulaywa kukaMosi nguThixo*. Lokhu kwakuzakhumbuza abako-Israyeli ukuthi kakho ovunyelwayo ukutshisa impepha phambi kukaThixo* ngaphandle kuka-Aroni lesizukulwane sakhe, funa abe njengoKhora labalandeli bakhe.
41Ngosuku olulandelayo abako-Israyeli bonke bakhonona basola uMosi lo-Aroni. Bathi, “Selibulele abantu bakaThixo*.”
42Kodwa kwathi ibandla selibuthene bephikisa uMosi lo-Aroni njalo sebekhangele ethenteni lokuhlangana, masinyane iyezi lalisibekela kwavela inkazimulo kaThixo*.
43Ngakho uMosi lo-Aroni baya phambi kwethente lokuhlangana,
44uThixo* wasesithi kuMosi,
45“Suka kulelibandla ukuze ngibatshabalalise.” Ngakho bawa phansi ngobuso.
46Kusenjalo uMosi wathi ku-Aroni, “Thatha udengezi lwakho uthele impepha kulo, ndawonye lomlilo ovela e-alithareni, uphange uye ebandleni ukuze ubenzele indlela yokubuyisana. Ulaka lukaThixo* lubonakele; isifo sesiqalisile.”
47U-Aroni wenza okwakutshiwo nguMosi, waphanga wangena phakathi kwebandla. Isifo sesivele sesiqalisile ebantwini, kodwa u-Aroni wanikela impepha wabenzela indlela yokubuyisana.
48Wema phakathi kwabaphilayo lasebefile, isifo saphela.
49Kodwa kwasekufe abantu abazinkulungwane ezilitshumi lane lamakhulu ayisikhombisa (14,700) bebulawa yisifo, phezu kwalabo ababefe ngenxa kaKhora.