Pharaoh Refuses

¹Ngasemuva oMose no-Aroni bafika, bathi kuFaro: “Usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: ‘Bavumele abantu bami ukuba bahambe, bangenzele umkhosi ehlane.’ ”

²Wathi uFaro: “Ngubani uJehova ukuba ngilalele izwi lakhe, ngimyeke u-Israyeli ukuba ahambe na? Angimazi uJehova, futhi angiyikumvumela u-Israyeli ukuba ahambe.”

³Base bethi: “UNkulunkulu wamaHeberu uhlangene nathi; ake sihambe ibanga lezinsuku ezintathu, siye ehlane, sihlabele uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu, funa asehlele ngesifo nangenkemba.”

⁴Inkosi yaseGibithe yathi kubo: “Nibakhumulelani abantu emithwalweni yabo nina Mose no-Aroni na? Hambani, niye emisebenzini yenu.”

⁵UFaro wathi: “Bheka, abantu sebebaningi ezweni, nokho niyabaphumuza emithwalweni yabo.”

⁶Ngalona lolo suku uFaro wayala abaphathi babantu nezinduna zabo, wathi:

⁷“Anisayikubanika abantu utshani bokwenza izitini njengaphambili; mabahambe bazibuthele utshani.

⁸Kepha isilinganiso sezitini ekade besenza, bamiseleni sona, ningasinciphisi, ngokuba bayenqena; ngalokho bayakhala bathi: ‘Masihambe sihlabele uNkulunkulu wethu.’

⁹Mayenziwe ibe nzima imisebenzi phezu kwabantu, bayisebenze, banganakekeli amazwi okukhohlisa.”

¹⁰Baphuma-ke abaphathi babantu nezinduna zabo, bakhuluma kubantu, bathi: “UFaro usho uthi: ‘Angisayikuninika utshani.’

¹¹Hambani nina, nizifunele utshani, lapho ningabuthola khona, ngokuba imisebenzi yenu ayiyikuncishiswa ngalutho.”

¹²Base behlakazeka abantu ezweni lonke laseGibithe ukuyobutha izinhlanga zibe yibona tshani babo.

¹³Abaphathi babaqhuba, bathi: “Qedani imisebenzi yenu, imisebenzi yemihla ngemihla, njengasezinsukwini kusekhona utshani.”

¹⁴Izinduna zabantwana bakwa-Israyeli abazibeke phezu kwabo abaphathi bakaFaro zashaywa, zabuzwa ukuthi: “Aniqedanga ngani umsebenzi wenu izolo nanamuhla ukubumba izitini njengaphambili na?”

¹⁵Zase zifika izinduna zabantwana bakwa-Israyeli, zakhala kuFaro, zathi: “Uziphathelani izinceku zakho kanje na?

¹⁶Izinceku zakho aziphiwanga tshani; nokho bathi kithi: ‘Bumbani izitini.’ Futhi bheka, izinceku zakho ziyashaywa, kepha icala likubantu bakho.”

¹⁷Kepha wathi: “Yinina enenqena, yebo, niyenqena; ngalokho nithi: ‘Ake sihambe sihlabele uJehova.’

¹⁸Ngalokho hambani nisebenze, ngokuba aniyikuphiwa tshani, kepha isilinganiso sezitini niyakusiqeda.”

¹⁹Izinduna zabantwana bakwa-Israyeli zabona ukuthi basekuhluphekeni, lapho kuthiwa: “Aniyikunciphisa izitini zenu esilinganisweni semihla ngemihla.”

²⁰Zahlangana noMose no-Aroni ababemi khona ukuzihlangabeza zisaphuma kuFaro.

²¹Zathi kubo: “UJehova makanibheke, ahlulele, ngokuba nilenzile iphunga lethu linuke kabi emehlweni kaFaro nasemehlweni ezinceku zakhe, nibeke inkemba esandleni sabo ukuba basibulale.”

²²UMose wayesebuyela kuJehova, wathi: “Nkosi, wenzeleni okubi kulaba bantu na? Ungithumeleni mina na?

²³Selokhu ngafika kuFaro ukukhuluma egameni lakho, ubaphathe kabi laba bantu, nawe awubophulanga nakanci abantu bakho.”