Yahwe banomilidza Baiziraela pa Dombo le Horebu.
1 Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, “Milika iwe ne bathu bawakadusa mu shango ye Egipiti muyende ku shango yandakatuna kuna Abhurahama na Isaki na Jakubo nditi, ‘Ndowoipa bana babo.’ 2 Ndowotuma ntumwa we kudzimu kakutungamila ngono ndowotata Bakanana ne Baamori ne Bahiti ne Baperizi ne Bahivi ne Bajebusi. 3 Yendani ku shango inowunga nkaka ne butji koga anditowoyenda namwi kuyita kuti ndisitongo mulobesa ngoti mu bathu bana misholo yakawoma.”
4 Kukati bathu behwa matama iyawa anogwadza, bakalila, kukasiyite waambala zwinonakisa. 5 Ngoti Yahwe bakabe badwa Mushe bakati, “Idwa Baiziraela uti, ‘Imwi mu bathu basingahwe, ha ndingayenda namwi kene kuli kwe tjibakana, ndingamulobesa. Ndizo ambulani zwinonakisa zwenyu kuti ndizo ndibone kuti ndingatini namwi.’ ” 6 Ndizo Baiziraela bakaambula zwinonakisa zwabo kudwa pa Dombo le Horebu.
Nshasha wa Yahwe
7 Mushe wakabe akawolobela tola nshasha ewubaka kuzhe kwe bukotokelo, kule ne bukotokelo, ebe ewudana eti nshasha we bushanganilo. Ngono mmwe ne mmwe wakabe eshaka Yahwe wakabe ebhuda eyenda ku nshasha we bushanganilo kuzhe kwe bukotokelo. 8 Tjibaka tjimwe ne tjimwe Mushe tjaakabe eyenda ku nshasha, bathu bose bakabe bemilika, nlume mmwe ne mmwe ema pa nkoba we nshasha uwe ebe enlinga kuswikila engina mu nshasha. 9 Kwakabe kuti Mushe engina mu nshasha gole libe lideluka lima pa nkoba we nshasha, Yahwe bebe belebeleka na Mushe. 10 Bathu bakabe beti ha bebona gole lili mile pa nkoba we nshasha bakamilika bakanamata, mmwe ne mmwe ali pa nkoba we nshasha uwe. 11 Yahwe bakabe belebeleka na Mushe bakalingana saikoko se nthu angabe elebeleka ne nzwalani uwe. Mushe wakabe eti eshanduka ebgwilila ku bukotokelo, nlanda uwe, nzhuzha Joshuwa nkololo wa Nuni, esala asingabhude mu nshasha.
Yahwe banogadzabgwe kube ne bathu babo
12 Mushe kadwa Yahwe kati, “Bonani, makandidwa mukati, ‘Tungamila bathu ibaba’, koga amuzondizibisa wamunondituma naye. Koga makati, ‘Ndokuziba nge zina, naiko unodika kundili.’ 13 Ndizo ngwenu, ndomukumbila ha ndidika kumuli, mundilakidze zila dzenyu kuita kuti ndimuzibe ndiamutjilike kumuli. Mukumbule kakale kuti bathu ibaba nge benyu.”
14 Yahwe bakashandula beti, “Ndowoyenda nawe, ngono ndowokupa kunyaluluka.”
15 Mushe kabe eti ku bali, “Ha musingawoyenda nami, musitimilidze kudwa ipapano. 16 Kowozibgwa tjini kuti mondida kene, imi ne bathu benyu? Apa akungazibgwe amayenda naswi kene, kuyita kuti kube ne kuthubukana pakati kwedu ne bathu bamwe bose bamu shango?”
17 Yahwe bakabe bedwa Mushe beti, “Itjetji tjawaleba ndowotjishinga ngoti ndakuda ndokuziba nge zina.”
18 Mushe kabe eti, “Ndomukumbila, mundilakidze tjedza tjenyu ndomukumbila.”
19 Yahwe bakabe beti, “Ndowothama kuti bubuya gwangu gose gupinde mbeli kuko, ngono ndowoleba zina langu ‘Yahwe’ paulipo. Ndowohwila ngoni wandinowohwila ngoni, adwila moyo wandinowodwila moyo. 20 Koga aungabone buso gwangu ngoti nthu aangandibone katjila.” 21 Yahwe bakabe beti, “Bona kuna pathu pamwe pejo nami paunowomapo pezhugwi kwe shongwe. 22 Kowoti tjedza tjangu tjipinda, ndowokulonga mu phaswa dze shongwe ndibe ndikuzwimba nge tjiazha tjangu kuswikila ndapinda. 23 Ipapo ndowodusa tjiazha tjangu ndizo iwe unowobona shule kwangu, koga buso gwangu autogubona.”
The Lord Tells Israel To Leave Mount Sinai
1 The Lord said to Moses:
You led the people of Israel out of Egypt. Now get ready to lead them to the land I promised their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 2-3 It is a land rich with milk and honey, and I will send an angel to force out those people who live there—the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I will not go with my people. They are so rebellious that I would destroy them before they get there.
4-5 Even before the Lord said these harsh things, he had told Moses, “These people really are rebellious, and I would kill them at once, if I went with them. But tell them to take off their fancy jewelry, then I'll decide what to do with them.” So the people started mourning, 6 and after leaving Mount Sinai, they stopped wearing fancy jewelry.
The Lord Is with His People
7 Moses used to set up a tent far from camp. He called it the “meeting tent,” and whoever needed some message from the Lord would go there. 8 Each time Moses went out to this tent, everyone would stand at the entrance to their own tents and watch him enter. 9-11 Then they would bow down because a thick cloud would come down in front of the tent, and the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, just like a friend. Afterwards, Moses would return to camp, but his young assistant Joshua would stay at the tent.
The Lord Promises To Be with His People
12 Moses said to the Lord, “I know that you have told me to lead these people to the land you promised them. But you have not said who will go along to help me. You have said that you are my friend and that you are pleased with me. 13 If this is true, let me know what your plans are, then I can obey and continue to please you. And don't forget that you have chosen this nation to be your own.”
14 The Lord said, “I will go with you and give you peace.”
15 Then Moses replied, “If you aren't going with us, please don't make us leave this place. 16 But if you do go with us, everyone will know that you are pleased with your people and with me. That way, we will be different from the rest of the people on earth.”
17 So the Lord told him, “I will do what you have asked, because I am your friend and I am pleased with you.”
18 Then Moses said, “I pray that you will let me see you in all of your glory.”
19 The Lord answered:
All right. I am the Lord, and I show mercy and kindness to anyone I choose. I will let you see my glory and hear my holy name, 20 but I won't let you see my face, because anyone who sees my face will die. 21 There is a rock not far from me. Stand beside it, 22 and before I pass by in all of my shining glory, I will put you in a large crack in the rock. I will cover your eyes with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take my hand away, and you will see my back. You will not see my face.