Numbers 21
1 UmKhanani, inkosi yase-Aradi, owayakhe eningizimu, wezwa ukuthi u-Israyeli uyeza ngendlela ese-Atharimi. Walwa no-Israyeli, wathumba abanye kubo.
2 U-Israyeli wenza isifungo kuSimakade, wathi: “Uma ubanikela nokubanikela laba bantu esandleni sami, ngiyakuyichitha impela imizi yabo.”
3 USimakade walilalela izwi lika-Israyeli, wanikela kuye amaKhanani, bawaqothula nemizi yawo; igama laleyo ndawo kwathiwa yiHorma.
4 Basuka entabeni iHori ngendlela yoLwandle Lomhlanga ukuba bazungeze izwe lakwa-Edomi; inhliziyo yabantu yadikibala ngenxa yendlela.
5 Abantu bagxibha uNkulunkulu noMose, bathi: “Nisikhuphuleleni eGibhithe ukuba sizofela ehlane na? Akukho sinkwa, namanzi lapha, futhi sesidiniwe yilesi sinkwa esiludlana.”
6 USimakade wathumela izinyoka ezinesihlungu phakathi kwabantu bakwa-Israyeli, zabaluma, kwafa abantu abaningi kwa-Israyeli.
7 Abantu baya kuMose, bathi: “Sonile, ngokuba sikhulume kabi ngawe nangoSimakade; sikhulekele kuSimakade ukuba asuse izinyoka kithi.” UMose wabakhulekela abantu.
8 USimakade wathi kuMose: “Zenzele inyoka enesihlungu, uyiphanyeke ensikeni. Kuyothi lowo olunywe yinyoka, lapho eyibheka, asinde.”
9 UMose wenza inyoka yethusi, wayiphanyeka ensikeni. Kwakuthi lapho umuntu elunywe yinyoka, bese ebheka inyoka yethusi, asinde.
10 Abakwa-Israyeli basuka baze bayokanisa e-Obhothi.
11 Basuka e-Obhothi, bakanisa e-Iye Abharimi ehlane elingaphambi kwelakwaMowabi lapho ilanga liphuma ngakhona.
12 Basuka lapho baze bayokanisa esigodini iZeredi.
13 Basuka nalapho baze bayokanisa maqondana ne-Arinoni, ehlane elize liyofika endaweni yama-Amori. I-Arinoni lalingumngcele owehlukanisa elakwaMowabi nelama-Amori.
14 Yingakho eNcwadini yeziMpi zikaSimakade kuthiwa: “IWahebi eseSufa, nezigodi ezise-Arinoni,
15 nomthambeka wezigodi oholela e-Ari, oncike emngceleni wakwaMowabi.”
16 Basuka lapho, baya eBheri; lowo ngumthombo athi ngawo uSimakade kuMose: “Qoqa abantu ukuze ngibaphe amanzi.”
17 U-Israyeli wayesehlabelela leli culo elithi: “Mpompoza, mthombo! Hlabelelani ngawo!
18 Ngumthombo owambiwa ngamakhosana, wambiwa ngabaholi ngezintonga zazo zobukhosi nangezindondolo zabo.” Basuka ehlane, baya eMathana.
19 Basuka eMathana, baya eNahaliyeli; basuka eNahaliyeli, baya eBhamothi.
20 Basuka eBhamothi, baya esifundeni sakwaMowabi nasesiqongweni iPhisiga, elibheke ezansi ngasehlane.
21 U-Israyeli wathuma izithunywa kuSihoni, inkosi yama-Amori, wathi:
22 “Ake usivumele sidabule ezweni lakho; asiyukuchezukela emasimini noma ezivinini, futhi asiyukuphuza manzi emithonjeni yakho. Siyakuhamba ngomgwaqo wenkosi, size siphume emngceleni wezwe lakho.”
23 USihoni akamvumelanga u-Israyeli ukuba adabule ezweni lakhe. USihoni waqoqa bonke abantu esifundeni sakhe, waphuma wayohlasela u-Israyeli ehlane. Wafika eJahazi, walwa no-Israyeli.
24 Abakwa-Israyeli bamnqoba ngenkemba, badla izwe lakhe kusukela e-Arinoni kuze kufike eJabhoki, baye bangquleka kwa-Amoni, ngoba umngcele wabakwa-Amoni uqinile.
25 U-Israyeli wayidla yonke leyo mizi; wahlala emizini yonke yama-Amori eHeshibhoni nasemizini yonke yalo.
26 IHeshibhoni kwakungumuzi kaSihoni inkosi yama-Amori owayewuthathe enkosini endala yakwaMowabi, wadla lonke izwe lakhe kwaze kwayofika e-Arinoni.
27 Kungakho abakhuluma ngezaga bethi: “Wozani eHeshibhoni lakhiwe kabusha; umuzi kaSihoni mawuvuselelwe,
28 ngokuba kwaqubuka umlilo eHeshibhoni, kwalavuka amalangabi emzini kaSihoni, alishaya aliqothula i-Ari lakwaMowabi, nezakhamuzi zasezindaweni eziphakeme e-Arinoni.
29 Maye kuwe, Mowabi! Nibhubhile nina bantu bakaKhemoshi. Wenze amadodana akhe aba ngabakhoseli, amadodakazi akhe aba ngabathunjwa benkosi yama-Amori, uSihoni.
30 “Sibacibe ngemicibisholo; iHeshibhoni siyibhubhisile saze sayofinyelela eDibhoni. Sibabhubhise saze sayofika eNofa elendlalekele eMedeba.”
31 Wahlala kanjalo-ke u-Israyeli ezweni lama-Amori.
32 UMose wathumela izinhloli ukuhlola iJazeri, balidla, bathatha imizi yalo, bawaxosha ama-Amori ayelapho.
33 Baphenduka, balibhekisa ngaseBhashani. U-Ogi inkosi yaseBhashani waphuma, wabahlasela yena nabo bonke abantu bakhe, balwa nabo empini yase-Edireyi.
34 USimakade wathi kuMose: “Ungamesabi, ngokuba ngimnikele esandleni sakho nabantu bakhe bonke nezwe lakhe. Uyokwenza kuye njengalokhu wenza kuSihoni, inkosi yama-Amori, owayehlala eHeshibhoni.”
35 Bambulala yena namadodana akhe, nabo bonke abantu bakhe, kwangasala muntu; balidla izwe lakhe.