isizwe sephula isivumelwano – “ithole legolide”
uEksodusi 24 no 32
Wakubhala phansi konke uMosi iNkosi eyayimtshela khona. Ngakusasa wavuka wakha iziko lemihlatshelo yokushiswa nelokukhonzela (ialthari) esithendeni sentaba yeNkosi, wemisa amatshe ayishumi nambili ayoba yisikhumbuzo sezizwe eziyishumi nambili zakwaIzrayeli, ngasinye ngasinye. Wajuba izinsizwa ezithile ukuthi zenzele iNkosi lapho umnikelo wokushiswa, zihlabe izinkunzi eziyisithupha egameni lesizwe sonke. Igazi uMosi walicana kabili; elinye walikhongozela ezitshaneni, elinye wachela ngalo ialthari. Wayesethatha incwadi ayebhale kuyo imiyalelo yeNkosi, esefundela isizwe sonke. Saphendula, sathi: “Sizimisele ukuwenza konke iNkosi ekushoyo!” Wayesesichela ke uMosi isizwe ngengazi elalisasele, wathi: „Ngaleli gazi-ke sekuboshwisisa ifindo iNkosi evumelena nani ngalo emiyalweni yayo.”
Yayisithi-ke iNkosi kuMosi: “Yenyuka uzohlala isikhashana lapha kimi entabeni. Ngizokuphathisa lezi zibhebhe zamatshe engiqophé kuzo imiyalelo yami ukuze isizwe sihlale sizikhumbuza njalo.”
UMosi nenceku yakhe uJoshwa bazilungiselela ukwenyukela entabeni kaNkulunkulu. Izethenjwa zakhe wazitshela wathi uMosi: “Lindani lapha ke size sibuye. OAroni noHuri bakhona. Uma kunodaba oludinga isinqumo, thintanani nabo.”
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Kuthé uma abakwaIzrayeli bebona ukuthi uMosi lokhu engakabuyi entabeni, babuthana, baqonda kuAroni, bathi: “Asazi ukuthi useshonephi-ke manje loMosi owasithatha sizihlalele kahle eGibhithe wazosilahla lapha. Usehleziphi manje? Awusibumbele noma usibazele-nje inkosi esizosihola manje!!“
Wathi uAroni kubo: „Khumulani abakenu (= abafazi benu) namadodana namadodakazi enu izindandatho nezindondo namacici, niwaqoqe, niwalethe lapha!“ Bazikhumula izindondo nenzindandatho namacici bawaletha kuAroni. Wawathatha, wawancibilikisa, wabumba umfanekiso wethole legolide. Wahlokoma wonke uIzrayeli, ememeza, ethi: ”Nansi ke eyethu iNkosi thina eyasikhulula kwelaseGibhithe!”
Phambi kwesithixo segolide uAroni wakha ialthari (iziko lokwethulela iminikelo yokushiswa), wamemezela ukuthi ngakusasa kuyogujwa idili kudunyiswe le nkosi. Nebala, ukusa kwaziwa yibo. Baletha izinkomo okuzokwenziwa ngazo umnikelo wokushiswa; abanye beza beqhuba ezinye ezizohlatshelwa ukudliwa nje, kubuswe. Kwahlatshwa, kwadliwa, kwaphuzwa, kwasinwa, kwakuhle kwedlulela!
Wehla-ke uMosi entabeni. Wehla uphethe izibhebhe zombili zamatshe okuqoshwe kuzo imiyalelo yeNkosi. UNkulunkulu wayewalolonge mathupha la matshe nombhalo ewuqophe ngesandla sakhe.
Sekuthi ngokusondela kwabo enkanjini uJoshwa uzwa ubuhhomuhhomu nokuklabalasa, usethi: “Kuyalwiwa! Ihlasele!”
Amphikise uMosi, athi: “Cha! Akuzwakali njengokushweleza nokukloloda. Akusibo ubumaye-maye; kuyabuswa, kweseswe!”
Kuthé sebesondasondele, walibona ithole legolide nezihlwele zabasinayo, kwathi akafe ukuthukuthela! Okuyigugwana lamatshe emiyalelo lokhu kwasakazeka phansi khona lapho, kwaqhekeka. Waqonda kuso isithixo leso, wasethula, wathi asibhidlizwe, sigaywe; uthuli lwaso lucutshelwe emanzini, bawaphuze bawagojele onke abakwaIzrayeli.
Waphendukela kuAroni, wathi: “Sikone ngani isizwe usungaze usethwese icala elingaka?”
Wathi uAroni: ”Musa ukuthukuthelela mina wena; kwawena uyabazi laba bantu ukuthi bonakele kanjani! Bebengigqugqumezela, benganginiké thuba, bethi: `Sibumbele inkosi ezosihola: Asazi ukuthi useshonephi manje loMosi owasilanda le kithi eGibhithe.´ Ngithé uma ngehluleka ukwala, ngagcina sengithé: `Onokokuhloba kwegolide, akakukhumule.´ Banginika-ke igolide, ngaliphonsa emlilweni, kwaphuma leli thole.”
Ngakusasa uMosi wasisola isizwe, ethi: “Nizethwese elikhulu icala ngalesi senzo senu. Kufanele ngiphinde ngenyuke, ngiye eNkosini phezulu entabeni. Mhlawumbe ngiyokwazi ukunishwelezela, inixolele.” Waphindela-ke futhi kuNkulunkulu uMosi, wafike wathi: “Nkosi yami, isizwe sakho sonile – kakhulu impela nje! Sizibumbele isithixo segolide. Ngiyakunxusa, baxolele. Uma kungenjalo, ngicela wesule nelami igama encwadini obhale kuyo bonke abesizwe sakho.”
Yathi iNkosi: “Cha-ke, mina ngesula kuphela-nje igama lalowo ongonileyo. Hamba wena. Sihole isizwe leso usise lapho ngokuthi yiyani khona. Ungakhohlwa, isithunywa sami sihamba phambi kwakho, siyakuhola. Kuyothi uma isikhathi sokwahlulela sesifikile, ngibajezise, ngiziphindisele.”
UMosi wenyuka esuka emathafeni akwelakwaMowabhi, wenyukela entabeni iNebho esempumalanga neJerikho. Yayisimkhombisa-ke iNkosi lonke izwe: imimango yakwelakwaGiliyadi kuze kuyoshaya kwelakwaDani, lonke elakwaNaftali, imimango yelakwaEfrayim nelakwaManase nesifunda sonke sakwaJuda kuze kuyoshaya olwandle entshonalanga, kanye nezwe eliseningizimu namathafa omfula iJoldani kusuka emzini wamasundu iJerikho kuze kuyoshaya eZowa. Wathi uNkulunkulu: „Iyoqhubeka ikuhole njalo iNkosi, ikuhlahlele indlela. Iyokuxhasa, ayisoze yakuyekelela. Ungesabi! Ungethuswa muntu!“