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Ukufa KukaMiriyamu Ehlane
1 Ngenyanga yokuqala, yonke inhlangano yabantu bakwa-Israyeli yafika ehlane iSini. Abantu bahlala eKadeshi, uMiriyamu wafela khona, wangcwatshwa khona futhi.
Amanzi EMeribha
2 Kwakungekho manzi okuba inhlangano iphuze; ngakho-ke bahlangana ndawonye bamelana noMose no-Aroni. 3 Abantu balwa noMose, bakhuluma bathi: “Sengathi ngabe safa ngesikhathi kufa abafowethu phambi kukaSimakade. 4Niyiletheleni kuleli hlane inhlangano kaSimakade ukuba sizofela kulo, thina nemfuyo yethu na? 5 Nasikhuphulelani eGibhithe, ukuze nisilethe kule ndawo embi na? Akusiyo indawo yembewu, noma yamakhiwane, noma yemivini, noma yamahananadi, futhi akukho ngisho amanzi okuphuza.”
6UMose no-Aroni basuka phambi kwebandla baya ngasemnyango wethende lokuhlangana. Bawa ngobuso bathi mbo emhlabathini, base bebona kuvela inkazimulo kaSimakade. 7USimakade wathi kuMose: 8 “Thatha intonga, uqoqe inhlangano, wena no-Aroni umfowenu, ukhulume edwaleni phambi kwamehlo abo ukuba liveze amanzi alo. Uyakubavezela amanzi edwaleni, uyinike inhlangano nezinkomo zayo okokuphuza.”
9UMose wathatha intonga phambi kukaSimakade, njengalokhu ayemyalile. 10UMose no-Aroni baliqoqa ibandla phambi kwedwala; wathi kubo: “Yizwani bahlubuki ndini; sizakunivezela yini amanzi kuleli dwala na?”
11 UMose waphakamisa isandla sakhe, walishaya kabili idwala ngentonga yakhe, kwaphuma amanzi amaningi, yaphuza inhlangano nemfuyo yayo.
12 USimakade wathi kuMose no-Aroni: “Njengalokhu ningakholwanga yimi, futhi ningangingcwelisanga phambi kwamehlo abantu bakwa-Israyeli, ngalokho aniyukulingenisa leli bandla ezweni engilinike lona.”
13 Lawa ngamanzi eMeribha, ngokuba abantu bakwa-Israyeli balwa noSimakade, Yena wazibonakalisa engcwele phakathi kwabo.
Abakwa-Edomi Bavimbela Abakwa-Israyeli
14 UMose eseKadeshi wathumela izithunywa enkosini yakwa-Edomi, wathi: “Usho kanje umfowenu u-Israyeli: ‘Uyabazi bonke ubunzima esihlangabezane nabo, 15ukuthi okhokho bethu behlela eGibhithe, sahlala eGibhithe isikhathi eside; abaseGibhithe basiphatha kabi thina nokhokho bethu. 16 Sakhala kuSimakade, walizwa izwi lethu, wathuma ingelosi, wasikhipha eGibhithe; bheka manje silapha eKadeshi, umuzi osemngceleni wezwe lakho. 17Siyakuncenga sivumele sidabule ezweni lakho; asiyukuhamba emasimini nasezivinini, futhi asiyukuwaphuza amanzi emithonjeni; siyohamba ngomgwaqo wenkosi, asiyukujikela ngakwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo size sidlule ezweni lakho.’ ”
18 U-Edomi wathi kuye: “Aniyukudabula lapha, funa ngiphume ngikusukele ngenkemba.”
19 Abantu bakwa-Israyeli bathi kuye: “Siyakuhamba ngomgwaqo; uma siphuza amanzi akho, mina nemfuyo yami, ngiyakukhokhela imali yawo. Mangidabule nje ngezinyawo zami, kungabi ngokunye.”
20Kepha wathi: “Awuyukudabula.”
U-Edomi waphuma nempi enkulu, eyayihlome iphelele, yamvimba.
21 Wala kanjalo-ke u-Edomi ukuba u-Israyeli adabule ezweni lakhe; u-Israyeli wabe esechezuka.
Ukufa Kuka-Aroni
22 Abantu bakwa-Israyeli basuka eKadeshi baze bayofika entabeni iHori. 23 USimakade wathi kuMose no-Aroni, entabeni iHori esemngceleni wezwe lakwa-Edomi: 24 “U-Aroni uzokufa, akayukungena ezweni engibanike lona abantu bakwa-Israyeli, ngokuba naphambuka ezwini lami emanzini eMeribha. 25 Thatha o-Aroni no-Eleyazare, indodana yakhe, ukhuphukele nabo entabeni iHori. 26 Umkhumule u-Aroni izembatho zakhe, uzigqokise u-Eleyazare indodana yakhe; u-Aroni uyobuyela kwabakubo, afele khona.”
27UMose wenza njengalokhu uSimakade emyalile; bakhuphukela entabeni iHori, inhlangano yonke ibabuka. 28 UMose wamkhumula u-Aroni izembatho zakhe, wazigqokisa u-Eleyazare, indodana yakhe. U-Aroni wafela khona lapho esiqongweni sentaba; oMose no-Eleyazare behla entabeni. 29Inhlangano yonke yabona ukuthi u-Aroni ufile, yamlilela izinsuku ezingama-30, yonke indlu yakwa-Israyeli.