UNumeri 20:1-13

Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, yonke inhlangano, bafika ehlane laseSini ngenyanga yokuqala; abantu bahlala eKadeshi; uMiriyamu wafela khona, wembelwa khona futhi. Kwakungekho manzi lapho kuyo inhlangano; babahlanganyela oMose no-Aroni. Abantu balwa noMose, bakhuluma bathi: “Sengathi ngabe safa ekufeni kwabafowethu phambi kukaJehova. Niletheleni ibandla likaJehova kuleli hlane, ukuze sifele lapha, thina nezinkomo zethu, na? Nasikhuphulelani eGibithe, ukuze silethwe kule ndawo embi, na? Akusiyo indawo yembewu, noma eyamakhiwane, noma eyemivini, noma eyamapomegranati,* kungekho futhi amanzi okuphuza.” OMose no-Aroni basuka ebusweni bebandla ukuya ngasemnyango wetende lokuhlangana, bawa ngobuso babo; inkazimulo kaJehova yabonakala kubo. UJehova wakhuluma kuMose, wathi: “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.” UMose wathabatha intonga phambi kukaJehova, njengalokho eyalile. OMose no-Aroni babutha ibandla phambi kwedwala; wathi-ke kubo: “Yizwani manje nina bahlubuki; siyakunivezela yini amanzi kuleli dwala na?” UMose waphakamisa isandla sakhe, walishaya idwala kabili ngentonga yakhe, kwaphuma amanzi amaningi, inhlangano yaphuza kanye nezinkomo zayo. UJehova wathi kuMose naku-Aroni: “Njengokuba anikholwanga yimi ukungingcwelisa emehlweni abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, ngalokho aniyikungenisa leli bandla ezweni engibanike lona.” Lokhu kwakungamanzi aseMeriba, ngokuba abantwana bakwa-Israyeli balwa noJehova, wangcweliswa kubo.