1Ngenyanga yokuqala, yonke inhlangano yabantu bakwa-Israyeli yafika ehlane iSini. Abantu bahlala eKadeshi, uMiriyamu wafela khona, wangcwatshwa khona futhi.
2Kwakungekho manzi okuba inhlangano iphuze; ngakho-ke bahlangana ndawonye bamelana noMose no-Aroni.
3Abantu balwa noMose, bakhuluma bathi: “Sengathi ngabe safa ngesikhathi kufa abafowethu phambi kukaSimakade.
4Niyiletheleni kuleli hlane inhlangano kaSimakade ukuba sizofela kulo, thina nemfuyo yethu na?
5Nasikhuphulelani 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?”
11UMose waphakamisa isandla sakhe, walishaya kabili idwala ngentonga yakhe, kwaphuma amanzi amaningi, yaphuza inhlangano nemfuyo yayo.
12USimakade wathi kuMose no-Aroni: “Njengalokhu ningakholwanga yimi, futhi ningangingcwelisanga phambi kwamehlo abantu bakwa-Israyeli, ngalokho aniyukulingenisa leli bandla ezweni engilinike lona.”
13Lawa ngamanzi eMeribha, ngokuba abantu bakwa-Israyeli balwa noSimakade, Yena wazibonakalisa engcwele phakathi kwabo.
14UMose 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.
16Sakhala 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.’ ”
18U-Edomi wathi kuye: “Aniyukudabula lapha, funa ngiphume ngikusukele ngenkemba.”
19Abantu 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.
21Wala kanjalo-ke u-Edomi ukuba u-Israyeli adabule ezweni lakhe; u-Israyeli wabe esechezuka.
22Abantu bakwa-Israyeli basuka eKadeshi baze bayofika entabeni iHori.
23USimakade 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.
25Thatha o-Aroni no-Eleyazare, indodana yakhe, ukhuphukele nabo entabeni iHori.
26Umkhumule 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.
28UMose 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.