The Cloud and the Fire

¹UJehova wakhuluma kuMose ehlane laseSinayi ngenyanga yokuqala yomnyaka wesibili, sebephumile ezweni laseGibithe, wathi:

²“Futhi abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bayakugcina iphasika ngesikhathi salo esinqunyiweyo.

³Ngosuku lweshumi nane lwaleyo nyanga ngakusihlwa niyakuligcina ngesikhathi salo esinqunyiweyo; ngokwezimiso zalo zonke nangokwemithetho yalo anoligcina.”

⁴UMose wakhuluma kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli ukuthi bolenza iphasika.

⁵Balenza-ke iphasika ngenyanga yokuqala ngosuku lweshumi nane ngakusihlwa ehlane laseSinayi; njengakho konke uJehova amyala ngakho uMose, benze njalo-ke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli.

⁶Kwakukhona amadoda athile ayengcolisiwe yisidumbu somuntu, engenakulenza iphasika ngalolo suku; eza phambi kukaMose naphambi kuka-Aroni ngalowo muhla.

⁷Lawo madoda athi kuye: “Singcolisiwe yisidumbu somuntu; sivinjelelwani ukunikela ngomnikelo kaJehova ngesikhathi sawo esinqunyiweyo phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli na?”

⁸UMose wathi kuwo: “Yimani ukuba ngizwe ukuthi uJehova uyakuyalani ngani.”

⁹UJehova wakhuluma kuMose, wathi:

¹⁰“Yisho kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli, uthi: ‘Uma umuntu wakini noma owezizukulwane zenu engcoliswa yisidumbu noma esekuhambeni, ekude, uyakulenza nokho iphasika kuJehova;

¹¹ngenyanga yesibili ngosuku lweshumi nane ngakusihlwa bayakulenza; bayakulidla nesinkwa esingenamvubelo nemifino ebabayo;

¹²abayikushiya lutho kuze kube sekuseni, bangaphuli thambo lalo; ngokwezimiso zonke zephasika bayakulenza.

¹³Kepha umuntu ohlambulukileyo, engekho ekuhambeni, oyeka ukulenza iphasika, lowo muntu uyakunqunywa kubantu bakubo, ngokuba akanikelanga ngomnikelo kaJehova ngesikhathi esinqunyiweyo; lowo muntu uyakuthwala ububi bakhe.

¹⁴“ ‘Uma umfokazi egogobele phakathi kwenu, ethanda ukulenza iphasika kuJehova ngokwesimiso sephasika nangokomthetho walo, uyakwenze njalo; niyakuba nesimiso sinye kumfokazi nakowokuzalwa ezweni.’ ”

¹⁵Ngosuku itabernakele elamiswa ngalo ifu lalisibekela itabernakele, itende lobufakazi; ngakusihlwa laliphezu kwetabernakele njengokubonakala komlilo kwaze kwaba sekuseni.

¹⁶Kwakunjalo ngesikhathi sonke: ifu lalisibekela, kwabonakala umlilo ebusuku.

¹⁷Nalapho ifu lenyuswa etendeni, base behamba abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, nasendaweni lapho ifu lalima khona, lapho abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bamisa khona.

¹⁸Ngesiyalezo sikaJehova abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bahamba, nangesiyalezo sikaJehova bamisa; ngesikhathi ifu lihlala phezu kwetabernakele bahlala ekamu.

¹⁹Nalapho ifu lihlala phezu kwetabernakele izinsuku eziningi, abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bagcina isiyalezo sikaJehova, abahambanga.

²⁰Ngesinye isikhathi ifu laliphezu kwetabernakele izinsuku eziyingcosana nje; khona ngesiyalezo sikaJehova bahlala ekamu, nangesiyalezo sikaJehova bahamba.

²¹Nangesinye isikhathi ifu lahlala kusihlwa kwaze kwaba sekuseni; nalapho ifu lenyuswa ekuseni, bahamba; noma lahlala ubusuku nemini, bahamba lapho ifu lenyuswa.

²²Noma kwakuyizinsuku ezimbili, noma inyanga, noma isikhathi esingakanani ifu lisahlezi phezu kwetabernakele, abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bahlala ekamu, abahambanga; kepha lapho lenyuswa, bahamba.

²³Ngesiyalezo sikaJehova bamisa, nangesiyalezo sikaJehova bahamba; bagcina inkonzo kaJehova ngesiyalezo sikaJehova ngesandla sikaMose.