Numbers 20
1 In March/April [of the next year], the Israeli people traveled/walked to the Zin Desert and (camped/set up their tents) near Kadesh [town]. While they/we were there, [Moses’/my older sister] Miriam died and was buried there.
Ngenyanga yakuqala abantu bonke bako-Israyeli bafika enkangala yaseZini, basebehlala eKhadeshi. UMiriyemu wafela lapho njalo wangcwatshelwa khona.
2 There was no water for the people to drink there, so they came to Aaron and Moses/me.
Abantu baswela amanzi, ngakho babambana ekuphikiseni uMosi lo-Aroni.
3 They complained and said, “We wish that we had died in front of Yahweh’s Sacred Tent when our fellow Israelis died!
Baxabana loMosi kanye lo-Aroni bathi, “Ngabe lathi sahle sazifela mhla abafowethu besifa phambi kukaThixo!
4 (Did you bring us, who are Yahweh’s people, into this desert to die along with our livestock?/You brought us, who are Yahweh’s people, into this desert to die along with our livestock!) [RHQ]
Labalethelani abantu bakaThixo kule inkangala na? Ukuze thina kanye lezifuyo zethu sizefela lapha na?
5 Why did you bring us from Egypt to this miserable place [RHQ]? There is no grain, there are no figs, no grapes, and no pomegranates here. And there is no water for us to drink!”
Lasikhuphelani eGibhithe lisiletha endaweni le embi kangaka na? Ayilamabele kumbe imikhiwa, amavini loba amaphomegranathi. Njalo akulamanzi okunatha!”
6 Aaron and Moses/I turned away from the people and went to the entrance of the Sacred Tent and prostrated themselves/ourselves on the ground. Then Yahweh appeared to them/us with his bright glory,
UMosi lo-Aroni basuka embuthanweni wabantu baya esangweni lethente lokuhlangana bawa phansi ngobuso, inkazimulo kaThixo yasibonakala kubo.
7 and he said to Moses/me,
UThixo wathi kuMosi,
8 “You and Aaron must take Aaron’s walking stick with you and gather all the people together. While the people are watching, command that water will flow out of that [large] rock over there. Water for the people will flow from it; all they and all their livestock will have enough water to drink.”
“Thatha intonga kuthi wena lomfowenu u-Aroni libizele abantu ndawonye. Khulumani elitsheni phambi kwabo ngakho lona lizakhupha amanzi alo. Lizathatha amanzi aphuma edwaleni liphe abantu ukuze banathe bona kanye lezifuyo zabo.”
9 So Moses/I did what Yahweh told him/me to do. He/I took Aaron’s walking stick from the place in the Sacred Tent where it was kept.
Ngakho uMosi wathatha intonga phambi kukaThixo, njengokulaywa kwakhe nguThixo.
10 Then Aaron and he/I summoned all the people to gather at the rock. Then Moses/I shouted to them, “All you rebellious people, listen! Is it necessary for us to give you water from this rock?”
UMosi lo-Aroni basebebizela abantu ndawonye phambi kwedwala, uMosi wasesithi kubo, “Lalelani, lina bahlamuki. Silikhuphele amanzi kulelidwala na?”
11 Then Moses/I raised his/my hand and [instead of speaking to the rock], he/I struck the rock two times with the walking stick. And water gushed/poured out. So all the people and their livestock drank all the water that they wanted.
Ngakho uMosi waphakamisa ingalo yakhe watshaya idwala kabili ngentonga yakhe. Amanzi antshantshaza ephuma edwaleni, Kwathi abantu kanye lezifuyo zabo banatha.
12 But Yahweh said to Aaron and Moses/me, “You did not believe that I could demonstrate my power to the Israeli people [and give them water without your striking the rock]. So you will not lead them into the land that I am giving to them!”
Kodwa uThixo wathi kuMosi lo-Aroni, “Ngenxa yokuthi kalingethembanga okokungipha udumo njengongcwele phambi kwabako-Israyeli, kaliyikukhokhelela lababantu ekungeneni elizweni engibapha lona.”
13 Later this place was called Meribah, [which means ‘arguing’], because there the Israeli people argued with Yahweh, and there he showed his power to them [by giving them water].
La ngamanzi aseMeribha, lapho abako-Israyeli abaphikisana khona loThixo njalo kulapho uThixo abonakalisa ubungcwele bakhe phakathi kwabo.
14 [While the people were] at Kadesh [town], Moses/I sent messengers to the king of Edom to tell him this: “Your relatives, the Israeli people, are sending you this message. You know the many troubles/hardships that have happened to us.
UMosi wathumela izithunywa enkosini yase-Edomi zisuka eKhadeshi, esithi: “Nanku okutshiwo ngumfowenu u-Israyeli: Uyabazi bonke ubunzima obusehleleyo.
15 You know that our ancestors went down to Egypt. You know that they stayed there for many years. They suffered because the [rulers of] Egypt caused them to become their slaves [and to work very hard].
Okhokho bethu basuka baya eGibhithe, sahlala khona okweminyaka eminengi. AmaGibhithe asiphatha ngochuku kanye labobaba,
16 “But when they called out to Yahweh, he heard them and sent an angel who brought them out of Egypt. Now we have set up our tents here at Kadesh, a town at the border of your land.
kodwa sakhala kuThixo wezwa ukukhala kwethu wasithumela ingilosi yasikhipha eGibhithe. Khathesi silapha eKhadeshi idolobho elisemngceleni welizwe lakho.
17 Please allow us to travel through your country. We will [be careful to] not walk through your fields and your vineyards. We will not even drink water from your wells. As we travel, we will stay on the king’s highway, [the main road that goes from the south to the north], and we will not leave that road until we have crossed the border [of your country in the north].”
Ake usivumele sidlule elizweni lakho. Kasiyikudabula phakathi lakuwaphi amasimu loba isivini sakho, kumbe ukunatha amanzi loba kuwuphi umthombo. Sizahamba silandela umgwaqo wenkosi njalo kasiyikuphambukela kwesokudla kumbe kwesokunxele size sedlule elizweni lakho.”
18 But the king of Edom refused. He replied, “Stay out of my country! If you try [to enter it], I will [send my army to] attack you!”
Kodwa u-Edomi waphendula wathi: “Ngeke lidlule lapha, lingake lilinge, sizaphuma silihlasele ngenkemba.”
19 The Israeli messengers replied, “[If we travel through your country], we will stay on the main road. If we and any of our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We want only to travel through your country. We do not want anything else.”
Abako-Israyeli baphendula bathi: “Sizahamba ngomgwaqo omkhulu, njalo thina loba izifuyo zethu singanatha amanzi enu, sizawabhadala. Sifuna ukuzedlulela ngenyawo kuphela nje.”
20 But the king replied, “No! Stay out of our country! We will not [allow you] to travel through our land!” Then he sent the strongest soldiers in his army to prevent the Israelis [from entering his country].
Abase-Edomi baphendula njalo bathi: “Lingadluli lapha.” Ngakho u-Edomi waphuma kanye lebutho elikhulu elilamandla ukuyahlasela abako-Israyeli.
21 So, because [the king of] Edom refused to allow the Israelis to travel through his country, the Israelis turned [and traveled a different way].
Njengoba u-Edomi wala ukuthi badabule elizweni labo, abako-Israyeli baphenduka bahamba ngenye indlela.
22 The Israeli people left Kadesh. They went to Hor Mountain,
Isizwe sonke sako-Israyeli sasuka eKhadeshi sahamba saze sayafika entabeni yaseHori.
23 [which is at the border of Edom]. While they were there, Yahweh said to Aaron and Moses/me,
Sebesentabeni yaseHori, eduze lomngcele wase-Edomi, uThixo wathi kuMosi lo-Aroni,
24 “It is time for Aaron to die [EUP]. He will not enter the land that I am giving to you Israelis, because the two of you disobeyed me [when I told you to speak to the rock to cause] the water [to flow] at Meribah.
“U-Aroni usezakufa angcwatshwe. Akayikungena elizweni engilinika abako-Israyeli, ngoba lina lobabili langihlamukela emanzini aseMeribha.
25 Now you, Moses, take Aaron and his son Eleazar up on Hor Mountain.
Biza u-Aroni kanye lendodana yakhe u-Eliyazari ukhwele labo entabeni yaseHori.
26 There you must remove Aaron’s robes [that he wears when he does the work of a priest], and put them on his son, Eleazar. Aaron will die up there.”
Uhlubule u-Aroni izembatho zakhe uzigqokise indodana yakhe u-Eliyazari, ngoba u-Aroni uzalandela abakibo; uzafela khona.”
27 So Moses/I did what Yahweh commanded. The three of them/us climbed up Hor Mountain, while all the Israeli people watched.
UMosi wenza njengokulaywa kwakhe kuThixo: Bakhwela entabeni yaseHori isizwe sonke sibakhangele.
28 At the top of the mountain, Moses/I took off the robes that Aaron wore [while he did the work of a priest] and put them on Eleazar. Then Aaron died there on the top of the mountain, and Eleazar and Moses/I went back down.
UMosi wamhlubula u-Aroni izembatho zakhe wazigqokisa indodana yakhe u-Eliyazari. Ngakho u-Aroni wafela khonapho phezu kwentaba. Ngemva kwalokhu uMosi lo-Eliyazari behla entabeni,
29 When the Israeli people realized that Aaron had died, they all mourned for him for 30 days.
Kwathi abantu bonke sebezwile ukuthi u-Aroni wayesefile, yonke indlu ka-Israyeli yamlilela okwensuku ezingamatshumi amathathu.
