1 UKhora indodana ka-Izihari, indodana kaKhohathi, indodana kaLevi, labathile abakoRubheni, uDathani kanye lo-Abhiramu, amadodana ka-Eliyabi, kanye lo-Oni indodana kaPhelethi baqala ukuba yiziqholo 2 bavukela uMosi. Bakwenza lokhu bendawonye lamanye amadoda angamakhulu amabili alamatshumi amahlanu (250) ako-Israyeli, abakhokheli abadumileyo babantu bakuleyondawo ababekhethelwe ukuthi babe ngamalunga enkundla. 3 Beza beliqembu ukuzomelana loMosi lo-Aroni bathi kubo, “Seledlulise amalawulo! Abantu bonke bako-Israyeli bangcwele, bonke ngamunye wabo, njalo uThixo uyabasekela. Pho kungani liziphakamisa ngaphezu kwabantu bakaThixo na?”

4 UMosi wathi ekuzwa lokhu, wawela phansi ngobuso. 5 Wasesithi kuKhora lakubalandeli bakhe: “Kusasa ekuseni uThixo uzaveza obala ukuthi ngubani ongowakhe lokuthi ngubani ongcwele, njalo uzamvumela lowomuntu ukuthi asondele kuye. Indoda azayikhetha uzayivumela ukuthi isondele phansi kwakhe. 6 Wena, Khora, kanye labalandeli bakho yenzani lokhu: Thathani indengezi 7 kuthi kusasa libasele umlilo njalo litshisele impepha kuzo phambi kukaThixo. Indoda ezakhethwa nguThixo yiyo engcwele. Lina baLevi seledlulise amalawulo!”

8 UMosi wabuye wathi kuKhora, “Khathesi lalelani-ke, lina baLevi! 9 Kanti akulanelisanga yini ukuthi uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ulikhethile phakathi kwabo bonke abako-Israyeli njalo walisondeza phansi kwakhe ukuze lenze umsebenzi ethabanikeleni likaThixo lokuthi lizakuma phambi kwesizwe lisenzele inkonzo na? 10 Ukusondezile wena kanye labanye bakho abangabaLevi phansi kwakhe, kodwa-ke khathesi selifuna lobuphristi. 11 Ukubambana kwakho kanye labalandeli bakho kuyikumelana loThixo limphikisa. Kambe ungubani u-Aroni elingakhonona ngaye?”

12 Ngakho uMosi wabiza uDathani lo-Abhiramu amadodana ka-Eliyabi. Kodwa bona bathi, “Vele kasibuyi! 13 Kambe bekungenelanga yini ukuthi wasikhipha elizweni eligeleza uchago loluju ukuzasibulalela enkangala na? Khathesi usufuna lokuba yinkosi phezu kwethu? 14 Kunjalo-nje, awukasingenisi elizweni eligeleza uchago loluju kumbe ukusipha ilifa lamasimu kanye lezivini. Ufuna ukukopola amehlo amadoda la na? Hatshi, kasibuyi!”

15 Ngalokho uMosi wathukuthela kakhulu wasesithi kuThixo, “Ungawemukeli umnikelo wabo. Angithathanga lutho kubo ngitsho lobabhemi kodwa lokhu, njalo kakho loyedwa engimoneleyo.”

16 UMosi wathi kuKhora, “Wena kanye labo bonke abalandeli bakho kumele lime phambi kukaThixo kusasa, wena, bona kanye lo-Aroni. 17 Indoda inye nganye kumele ithathe udengezi ifake impepha kulo, indengezi ezingamakhulu amabili alamatshumi amahlanu, (250) njalo iwethule phambi kukaThixo. Wena kanye lo-Aroni lani kufanele liveze ezenu indengezi.” 18 Ngakho indoda inye ngayinye yathatha udengezi lwayo, yafaka umlilo kanye lempepha kulo, njalo yema loMosi lo-Aroni esangweni lethente lokuhlangana. 19 Kwathi uKhora esebaqoqile abalandeli bakhe bephikisana labo esangweni lethente lokuhlangana, inkazimulo kaThixo yabonakala kubo bonke abantu ababebuthene kuleyondawo. 20 UThixo wathi kuMosi lo-Aroni, 21 “Sukani phakathi kwalaba ababutheneyo ukuze ngibabhubhise khathesi.”

22 Kodwa uMosi lo-Aroni bawa phansi ngobuso bakhala bathi, “Oh Nkulunkulu, Nkulunkulu wemiphefumulo yabantu bonke, uzathukuthelela abantu bonke jikelele ngenxa yomuntu oyedwa owonileyo na?”

23 Ngakho uThixo wathi kuMosi, 24 “Tshela ibandla uthi, ‘Sukani eduze kwamathente aboKhora, loDathani lo-Abhiramu.’ ”

25 UMosi wasukuma waya kuDathani lo-Abhiramu, kwathi labadala bako-Israyeli bamlandela. 26 Waqonqosela ibandla wathi, “Buyelani emuva lisuke emathenteni abantu laba ababi! Lingathinti lutho olungolwabo ngoba lingenzenjalo lizakhuculwa ngenxa yezono zabo.” 27 Ngakho basuka emathenteni kaKhora, uDathani lo-Abhiramu. UDathani lo-Abhiramu basebephume phandle bemi labomkabo, labantwababo kanye labancane emasangweni amathente abo.

28 UMosi wasesithi, “Nansi indlela elizabona ngayo ukuthi uThixo ungithumile ukuzokwenza konke lokhu engikwenzayo kanye lokuthi akusingqondo yami. 29 Nxa amadoda la ezazifela ngendlela abantu abazifela ngayo, kumbe nxa bengethekelelwa emva kokwethekelela kwabantu bonke kuzabe kusitsho ukuthi uThixo kangithumanga. 30 Kodwa nxa uThixo ezakwenza esingakaze sikubone okunye okutsha kwenzakale ukuthi umhlaba uvuleke ubaginye kanye lakho konke okungokwabo, bangene bephila engcwabeni, kulapho elizakwazi khona ukuthi amadoda la ameyisile uThixo.”

31 Kwathi eqeda ukutsho lokhu, umhlaba wavuleka ngaphansi kwabo, 32 wavuleka wabaginya bona, kanye labantwababo lamadoda wonke ayekhokhelwa nguKhora kanye lempahla zawo. 33 Batshona engcwabeni bephila, lakho konke okwakungokwabo; umhlabathi wabambokotha, kwaba yikutshabalala kwabo, basuswa kwabakibo. 34 Besizwa ukukhala kwabo, bonke abako-Israyeli ababelapho babaleka, beklabalala besithi, “Umhlaba uzasiginya lathi!”

35 Kwavela umlilo kuThixo watshaya waqothula amadoda angamakhulu amabili alamatshumi amahlanu (250) ayenikela ngempepha.

36 UThixo wathi kuMosi, 37 “Tshela u-Eliyazari indodana ka-Aroni, umphristi, ukuthi athathe indengezi azikhiphe emlotheni achithele amalahle endaweni ekhatshana, ngoba indengezi lezi zingcwele, 38 indengezi zamadoda onileyo aze alahlekelwa yimpilo yawo. Khanda lezondengezi ukuze zendlaleke e-alithareni, ngoba zethulwa phambi kukaThixo zaba ngezingcwele. Azibe yisibonakaliso kwabako-Israyeli.”

39 Ngakho u-Eliyazari umphristi wabutha indengezi zethusi ezazilethwe yilabo abatshayo, walungisa ukuba zikhandwe zendlalwe e-alithareni, 40 njengokulaywa kukaMosi nguThixo. Lokhu kwakuzakhumbuza abako-Israyeli ukuthi kakho ovunyelwayo ukutshisa impepha phambi kukaThixo ngaphandle kuka-Aroni lesizukulwane sakhe, funa abe njengoKhora labalandeli bakhe.

41 Ngosuku olulandelayo abako-Israyeli bonke bakhonona basola uMosi lo-Aroni. Bathi, “Selibulele abantu bakaThixo.”

42 Kodwa kwathi ibandla selibuthene bephikisa uMosi lo-Aroni njalo sebekhangele ethenteni lokuhlangana, masinyane iyezi lalisibekela kwavela inkazimulo kaThixo. 43 Ngakho uMosi lo-Aroni baya phambi kwethente lokuhlangana, 44 uThixo wasesithi kuMosi, 45 “Suka kulelibandla ukuze ngibatshabalalise.” Ngakho bawa phansi ngobuso.

46 Kusenjalo uMosi wathi ku-Aroni, “Thatha udengezi lwakho uthele impepha kulo, ndawonye lomlilo ovela e-alithareni, uphange uye ebandleni ukuze ubenzele indlela yokubuyisana. Ulaka lukaThixo lubonakele; isifo sesiqalisile.” 47 U-Aroni wenza okwakutshiwo nguMosi, waphanga wangena phakathi kwebandla. Isifo sesivele sesiqalisile ebantwini, kodwa u-Aroni wanikela impepha wabenzela indlela yokubuyisana. 48 Wema phakathi kwabaphilayo lasebefile, isifo saphela. 49 Kodwa kwasekufe abantu abazinkulungwane ezilitshumi lane lamakhulu ayisikhombisa (14,700) bebulawa yisifo, phezu kwalabo ababefe ngenxa kaKhora. 50 Ngemva kwalokho u-Aroni wabuyela kuMosi esangweni lethente lokuhlangana, njengoba isifo sasesiphelile.