The Brazen Serpent

¹UmKhanani, inkosi yase-Aradi, owayakhe eningizimu, wezwa ukuthi u-Israyeli uyeza ngendlela yase-Atarimi; walwa no-Israyeli, wathumba abanye kubo.

²U-Israyeli wenza isithembiso kuJehova, wathi: “Uma unikela nokunikela laba bantu esandleni sami, ngiyakuchitha impela imizi yabo.”

³UJehova walilalela izwi lika-Israyeli, wanikela amaKhanani; bawaqothula kanye nemizi yawo; igama laleyo ndawo lathiwa iHorma.

⁴Basuka entabeni yaseHori ngendlela yoLwandle Olubomvu ukuba bazungeze izwe lakwa-Edomi; inhliziyo yabantu yaphela amandla ngenxa yendlela.

⁵Abantu bakhuluma kabi ngoNkulunkulu nangoMose, bathi: “Nisikhuphuleleni eGibithe ukuba sifele ehlane na? Ngokuba akukho sinkwa, akukho manzi; umphefumulo wethu uyanengwa yilesi sinkwa esilulana.”

⁶UJehova wathuma izinyoka ezinesihlungu phakathi kwabantu, zabaluma abantu; abantu abaningi bakwa-Israyeli bafa.

⁷Abantu bafika kuMose, bathi: “Sonile, ngokuba sikhulume kabi ngoJehova nangawe; khuleka kuJehova ukuba asuse izinyoka kithi.” UMose wabakhulekela abantu.

⁸UJehova wathi kuMose: “Zenzele inyoka enesihlungu, uyibeke ensikeni; kuyakuthi yilowo nalowo olunywayo, lapho eyibheka, uyakusinda.”

⁹UMose wenza inyoka yethusi, wayibeka ensikeni; kwathi lapho inyoka imlumile umuntu, uma ebeyibheka inyoka yethusi, wasinda.

¹⁰Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bahamba, bamisa e-Oboti.

¹¹Basuka e-Oboti, bamisa e-Iye Abarimi ehlane elingaphandle kwelakwaMowabi ngasempumalanga.

¹²Basuka lapho, bamisa esiGodini saseZeredi.

¹³Basuka lapho, bamisa ngaphesheya kwe-Arinoni elisehlane, elivela emkhawulweni wama-Amori, ngokuba i-Arinoni lingumkhawulo welakwaMowabi, phakathi kwelakwaMowabi nama-Amori.

¹⁴Ngalokho kuthiwa eNcwadini yeziMpi zikaJehova: “IVahebi laseSufa, nezigodi zase-Arinoni,

¹⁵nomthambeka wezigodi othambeka ngasezweni le-Ari, oncike emkhawulweni wakwaMowabi.”

¹⁶Basuka lapho, baya eBeri; lokhu kungumthombo asho ngawo uJehova kuMose, wathi: “Butha abantu, ngibaphe amanzi.”

¹⁷U-Israyeli wayesehlabelela lesi sihlabelelo sokuthi: “Mpompoza, mthombo, nihlabelele kuwo,

¹⁸umthombo ezawumba izikhulu, abawugubha abakhulu babantu ngentonga yobukhosi nangezindondolo zabo.” Basuka ehlane, baya eMathana.

¹⁹Basuka eMathana, baya eNahaliyeli; basuka eNahaliyeli, baya eBamoti;

²⁰basuka eBamoti, baya esigodini esisezweni lakwaMowabi nasesiqongweni sasePisiga, elibheke ngenzansi ngasehlane.

²¹U-Israyeli wathuma izithunywa kuSihoni inkosi yama-Amori, wathi:

²²“Ake sidabule izwe lakho; asiyikuchezukela emasimini noma ezivinini, singaphuzi amanzi emithombo; siyakuhamba ngomgwaqo wenkosi, size sidlule umkhawulo wakho.”

²³USihoni wayengamvumeli u-Israyeli ukudabula izwe lakhe, kepha uSihoni wabutha bonke abantu bakhe, waphuma eyomhlasela u-Israyeli ehlane, wafika eJahasi, walwa no-Israyeli.

²⁴U-Israyeli wamnqoba ngosiko lwenkemba, wadla izwe lakhe, kusukela e-Arinoni kuze kufike eJaboki nakubo abantwana bakwa-Amoni, ngokuba umkhawulo wabantwana bakwa-Amoni wawunamandla.

²⁵U-Israyeli wathatha yonke le mizi; u-Israyeli wahlala emizini yonke yama-Amori eHeshiboni nasemizini yonke yalo.

²⁶Ngokuba iHeshiboni lalingumuzi kaSihoni inkosi yama-Amori owayelwile nenkosi endala yakwaMowabi, wathatha lonke izwe lakhe esandleni sakhe kwaze kwafika e-Arinoni.

²⁷Ngalokho abakhulu ngezaga basho bathi: “Wozani eHeshiboni; makwakhiwe, umuzi kaSihoni umiswe;

²⁸ngokuba umlilo uphumile eHeshiboni; ilangabi livelile emzini kaSihoni; liqedile i-Ari lakwaMowabi nabakhe emadulini ase-Arinoni.

²⁹Maye kuwena Mowabi! Niphelile, nina bantu bakaKemoshi; unikele amadodana akhe abe ngababaleki, namadodakazi akhe athunjwe kuSihoni inkosi yama-Amori.

³⁰“Sibacibishele; iHeshiboni liphelile kuze kube seDiboni; sichithile kuze kube seNofa elingaseMedeba.”

³¹Kanjalo u-Israyeli wahlala ezweni lama-Amori.

³²UMose wathuma ukuhlola iJazeri, bathatha imizi yalo, baxosha ama-Amori ayelapho.

³³Baphenduka, bakhuphuka ngendlela yaseBashani; u-Ogi inkosi yaseBashani waphuma, wabasukela, yena nabo bonke abantu bakhe, ukuyokulwa ngase-Edireyi.

³⁴UJehova wathi kuMose: “Ningamesabi, ngokuba ngimnikele esandleni sakho kanye nabantu bakhe bonke nezwe lakhe; uyakwenza kuye njengalokho wenza kuSihoni inkosi yama-Amori owahlala eHeshiboni.”

³⁵Base bemnqoba-ke, namadodana akhe, nabo bonke abantu bakhe, waze wangasalelwa muntu; badla izwe lakubo.