Verse 1: Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, yonke inhlangano, bafika ehlane laseSini ngenyanga yokuqala; abantu bahlala eKadeshi; uMiriyamu wafela khona, wembelwa khona futhi.
Verse 2: Kwakungekho manzi lapho kuyo inhlangano; babahlanganyela oMose no-Aroni.
Verse 3: Abantu balwa noMose, bakhuluma bathi: “Sengathi ngabe safa ekufeni kwabafowethu phambi kukaJehova.
Verse 4: Niletheleni ibandla likaJehova kuleli hlane, ukuze sifele lapha, thina nezinkomo zethu, na?
Verse 5: Nasikhuphulelani eGibithe, ukuze silethwe kule ndawo embi, na? Akusiyo indawo yembewu, noma eyamakhiwane, noma eyemivini, noma eyamapomegranati, kungekho futhi amanzi okuphuza.”
Verse 6: OMose no-Aroni basuka ebusweni bebandla ukuya ngasemnyango wetende lokuhlangana, bawa ngobuso babo; inkazimulo kaJehova yabonakala kubo.
Verse 7: UJehova wakhuluma kuMose, wathi:
Verse 8: “Thabatha intonga, ubuthe inhlangano, wena no-Aroni umfowenu, nikhulume kulo idwala eliphambi kwamehlo abo ukuba liveze amanzi alo; uyakubavezela amanzi edwaleni, ukuze unike inhlangano nezinkomo zayo ukuphuza.”
Verse 9: UMose wathabatha intonga phambi kukaJehova, njengalokho eyalile.
Verse 10: OMose no-Aroni babutha ibandla phambi kwedwala; wathi-ke kubo: “Yizwani manje nina bahlubuki; siyakunivezela yini amanzi kuleli dwala na?”
Verse 11: UMose waphakamisa isandla sakhe, walishaya idwala kabili ngentonga yakhe, kwaphuma amanzi amaningi, inhlangano yaphuza kanye nezinkomo zayo.
Verse 12: UJehova wathi kuMose naku-Aroni: “Njengokuba anikholwanga yimi ukungingcwelisa emehlweni abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, ngalokho aniyikungenisa leli bandla ezweni engibanike lona.”
Verse 13: Lokhu kwakungamanzi aseMeriba, ngokuba abantwana bakwa-Israyeli balwa noJehova, wangcweliswa kubo.
Verse 14: UMose wathuma izithunywa enkosini yakwa-Edomi, zisuka eKadeshi, wathi: “Usho kanje umfowenu u-Israyeli: ‘Uyazazi zonke izinkathazo ezisehlele
Verse 15: ukuthi obaba behlela eGibithe, sahlala eGibithe isikhathi eside; abaseGibithe basiphatha kabi thina nawobaba;
Verse 16: lapho sakhala kuJehova, walizwa izwi lethu, wathuma ingelosi, wasikhipha eGibithe; bheka sesiseKadeshi, umuzi oseceleni komkhawulo wakho;
Verse 17: ake sidabule izwe lakho; asiyikudabula amasimu nezivini, singaphuzi amanzi emithombo; siyakuhamba ngomgwaqo wenkosi, singajiki ngakwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo size sidlule umkhawulo wakho.’ ”
Verse 18: U-Edomi wathi kuye: “Awuyikudabula kimi, funa ngikusukele ngenkemba.”
Verse 19: Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bathi kuye: “Siyakukhuphuka ngomgwaqo; uma siphuza amanzi akho, mina nezinkomo zami, ngiyakukhokhela imali yawo. Mangidabule nje ngezinyawo zami, kungabi ngokunye.”
Verse 20: Kepha wathi: “Awuyikudabula.” U-Edomi wayesephuma wamsukela nabantu abaningi nesandla esinamandla.
Verse 21: Kanjalo u-Edomi wala ukuba u-Israyeli adabule izwe lakhe; ngalokho u-Israyeli wachezuka kuye.
Verse 22: Basuka eKadeshi; abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, inhlangano yonke, bafika entabeni yaseHori.
Verse 23: UJehova wakhuluma kuMose naku-Aroni entabeni yaseHori ngasemkhawulweni wezwe lakwa-Edomi, wathi:
Verse 24: “U-Aroni uyakubuthelwa kubantu bakhe, ngokuba akayikungena ezweni engibanike lona abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, lokhu nahlubuka ezwini lami ngasemanzini aseMeriba.
Verse 25: Thabatha o-Aroni no-Eleyazare, indodana yakhe, ubakhuphulele entabeni yaseHori,
Verse 26: umkhumule u-Aroni izambatho zakhe, uzifake ku-Eleyazare indodana yakhe; u-Aroni uyakubuthelwa kubantu bakhe, afele khona.”
Verse 27: UMose wenza njengalokho uJehova eyalile; bakhuphukela entabeni yaseHori emehlweni enhlangano yonke.
Verse 28: UMose wamkhumula u-Aroni izambatho zakhe, wazifaka ku-Eleyazare indodana yakhe; u-Aroni wafela khona esiqongweni sentaba; oMose no-Eleyazare behla entabeni.
Verse 29: Lapho inhlangano yonke ibona ukuthi u-Aroni ufile, bamlilela u-Aroni izinsuku ezingamashumi amathathu, yonke indlu yakwa-Israyeli.