Exodus 4
1 “But what if they don't believe me or listen to what I say?” Moses asked. “They could say, ‘The Lord didn't appear to you.’”
UMosi waphendula wathi, “Pho bangayekela ukungikholwa loba ukulalela engikutshoyo bathi, ‘uThixo kazange abonakale kuwe’?”
2 The Lord asked him, “What are you holding in your hand?” “A walking stick,” Moses replied.
UThixo wathi kuye, “Kuyini lokho okusesandleni sakho?” Waphendula wathi, “Yintonga.”
3 “Throw it on the ground,” he told Moses. So Moses did. It turned into a snake and Moses ran away from it.
UThixo wathi, “Iphosele phansi emhlabathini.” UMosi wayiphosa phansi yasiphenduka yaba yinyoka, wayibalekela.
4 “Reach out and grab hold of it by its tail,” the Lord told Moses. Moses did so and it turned back into a walking stick in his hand.
UThixo wasesithi kuye, “Yelula isandla sakho uyibambe ngomsila.” UMosi welula isandla wayibamba inyoka yasiphenduka yaba yintonga esandleni sakhe.
5 “You are to do this so that they will believe that I the Lord did appear to you, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
UThixo wathi, “Lokhu yikwenzela ukuthi bakholwe ukuthi uThixo, uNkulunkulu waboyise, uNkulunkulu ka-Abhrahama, uNkulunkulu ka-Isaka loNkulunkulu kaJakhobe ubonakele kuwe.”
6 Then the Lord told him, “Put your hand inside your clothes close to your chest.” So Moses did as he was told. When he took his hand out, it was white like snow with a skin disease.
UThixo wabuye wathi, “Faka isandla sakho phakathi kwejazi lakho.” UMosi wasefaka isandla sakhe ejazini lakhe, kwathi lapho esesikhupha, sasesimhlophe njengongqwaqwane sesilobulephero.
7 “Now put your hand back inside your clothes,” the Lord said. Moses did so. When he took it out again, his hand had returned to normal.
Wathi njalo, “Sibuyisele isandla sakho ejazini lakho.” UMosi wasifaka isandla sakhe ejazini lakhe, wathi esesikhupha sasesibuyele esimeni saso, sesifanana lejwabu lakhe.
8 “If they don't believe you and they're not convinced by the first sign, they'll believe because of the second sign,” the Lord explained.
UThixo wasesithi, “Nxa bengayikukholwa loba bengananzi izibonakaliso zokuqala, mhlawumbe bazakholwa ezesibili.
9 “But if they still don't believe you or listen to you because of these two signs, then you are to take some water from the Nile and pout it out on the ground. The Nile water will turn into blood on the ground.”
Kodwa nxa bengakholwa izibonakaliso lezi ezimbili loba bengakulaleli, uzathatha amanzi emfuleni uNayili uwathele emhlabathini owomileyo. Amanzi ozawathatha emfuleni azaphenduka abe ligazi emhlabathini owomileyo.”
10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “Pleased excuse me, but I'm not someone who is good with words—not in the past, and not from the time you have been speaking with me, your servant. My speech is slow and I don't say things well.”
UMosi wasesithi kuThixo, “Oh Thixo, ngixolele, angizange ngibe yisikhulumi kusukela emuva kuze kube lakhathesi ukhuluma lenceku yakho. Ngiyagagasa njalo ngilamalimi.”
11 “Who gave people mouths?” the Lord asked him. “Who makes people deaf or dumb, able to see or blind? It's I, the Lord, who does that.
UThixo wathi kuye, “Ngubani owapha umuntu umlomo? Ngubani omenza abe yisacuthe loba abe yisimungulu? Ngubani omenza abone loba abe yisiphofu? Akusimi uThixo na?
12 Now go, and I myself will be your mouth, and I will tell you what you are to say.”
Ngakho hamba, ngizakusiza ukuthi ukhulume njalo ngikufundise lokuthi uthini.”
13 “Please, Lord, send someone else!” Moses responded.
Kodwa uMosi wathi, “Oh Thixo, ngicela uthume omunye ukuthi ayekwenza lokhu.”
14 The Lord got angry with Moses, and told him, “There's your brother Aaron, the Levite. I know he speaks well. He's on his way to meet you, and he'll be very happy to see you.
UThixo wathukuthela, ulaka lwakhe lwavutha kuMosi, wathi, “Umfowenu u-Aroni, ongumLevi ke? Ngiyazi ukuthi uyenelisa ukukhuluma kuhle. Uvele usendleleni ukuzahlangana lawe, njalo inhliziyo yakhe izathokoza ukukubona.
15 Speak to him and tell him what to say. I will be your mouth and his mouth, and I will tell you what you are to do.
Uzakhuluma laye ufake amazwi emlonyeni wakhe. Ngizaliphathisa lobabili ukuthi likhulume njalo ngizalifundisa ukuthi lenzeni.
16 Aaron will speak on your behalf to the people, as if he was your mouth, and you will be in the place of God to him.
Yena uzakukhulumela ebantwini, njalo kuzakuba sengani nguye ongumlomo wakho njalo kube angani wena unguNkulunkulu kuye.
17 Make sure to take your walking stick with you so you can use it to do the signs.”
Kodwa phatha intonga le esandleni sakho ukuze wenze izimangaliso ngayo.”
18 Then Moses returned to Jethro his father-in-law and told him, “Please allow me to go back to my own people in Egypt so I can see if any of them are still alive.” “Go with my blessing,” Jethro replied.
UMosi wasebuyela kuyisezala uJethro wathi kuye, “Bengicela ukubuyela ebantwini bakithi eGibhithe ukuthi ngiyebona kumbe balokhu besaphilile.” UJethro wathi kuye, “Hamba kuhle.”
19 While Moses was in Midian, the Lord told him, “Go back to Egypt because all those who wanted to kill you have died.”
UThixo wayethe kuMosi eMidiyani, “Buyela eGibhithe, ngoba bonke abantu ababefuna ukukubulala sebafa.”
20 Moses put his wife and sons on a donkey and went back to Egypt, carrying the walking stick that God had used to perform miracles.
Ngakho uMosi wathatha umkakhe kanye lamadodana akhe, wabakhweza kubabhemi waqala uhambo lokubuyela eGibhithe. Wathatha intonga kaNkulunkulu wayiphatha ngesandla.
21 The Lord told Moses, “When you get back to Egypt, make sure to go to Pharaoh and carry out the miracles I've given you to do. I will make him stubborn and he will not let the people go.
UThixo wathi kuMosi, “Ekubuyeleni kwakho eGibhithe, bona ukuthi uyazenza zonke izimangaliso engikuphe amandla okuba uzenze phambi kukaFaro. Kodwa ngizakwenza inhliziyo yakhe ibe lukhuni ukuba angabavumeli abantu ukuthi basuke.
22 This is what you are to tell Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says. Israel is my firstborn son.
Uzakuthi kuFaro, ‘uThixo uthi u-Israyeli yindodana yami elizibulo,
23 I ordered you to let my son go so he can worship me. But you refused to release him, so I will now kill your firstborn son.”
njalo ngakutshela ngathi, “Vumela indodana yami ihambe, ukuze iyengikhonza.” Kodwa wena wala ukuyivumela ukuba ihambe; ngakho ngizabulala indodana yakho elizibulo.’”
24 But while they were on their way the Lord came to the place where they were staying, wanting to kill Moses.
Kwathi besesendleleni, endlini yezihambi, uThixo wahlangana loMosi wafuna ukumbulala.
25 However, Zipporah used a flint knife to cut off her son's foreskin. She touched his feet with it, and said to him, “You are a blood-husband to me.”
Kodwa uZiphora wayisoka indodana yakhe, wathatha isikhumba sakhona wasethinta inyawo zikaMosi ngaso. Wathi, “Impela wena ungumyeni wegazi.”
26 (Calling him a blood-husband referred to circumcision.) After this the Lord left Moses alone.
Ngakho uThixo wamyekela. (Ngalesosikhathi uZiphora wathi “umyeni wegazi,” esitsho ukusoka.)
27 The Lord had told Aaron, “Go and meet Moses in the desert.” So Aaron went and met Moses at the mountain of God and greeted him with a kiss.
UThixo wathi ku-Aroni, “Hamba uye enkangala uhlangabezane loMosi.” Ngakho wasuka wayahlangana loMosi entabeni kaThixo wamanga.
28 Then Moses explained to Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say and all the miracles he had ordered him to do.
UMosi wamtshela u-Aroni konke uThixo ayemthume ukuthi akutsho, njalo langazo zonke izibonakaliso ezimangalisayo ayemlaye ukuba azenze.
29 Moses and Aaron traveled to Egypt. There they had all the Israelite elders gather together.
UMosi lo-Aroni bahamba bafika baqoqa bonke abadala bako-Israyeli,
30 Aaron shared with them everything the Lord had told Moses, and Moses carried out the miracles so they could see them.
u-Aroni wasebatshela konke uThixo ayekutshele uMosi. Wenza lezibonakaliso phambi kwabantu,
31 The Israelites were convinced. When they heard that the Lord had come to them, and that he had been touched by their suffering, they bowed their heads and worshiped.
bakholwa. Kwathi besizwa ukuthi uThixo uyabakhathalela, njalo wayelubonile usizi lwabo, bakhothama phansi bamkhonza.
