1. Ke kaloku uMosis noAron baya kukumkani waseJiputa, bathetha naye bathi: “Wenjenje ukuthetha *uNdikhoyo uThixo wamaSirayeli: ‘Khulula abantu bam bahambe baye kundenzela itheko entlango.’ ”
2. Ukumkani ke yena waphendula wathi: “Kanti kuxa engubani uNdikhoyo ukuba ndingade ndimthobele ndiwakhulule amaSirayeli? Hayi bo! Andazani naye mna; ngoko ke amaSirayeli àkahamb' apha.”
3. Ke bona bathi: “Sibonene naye uThixo wamaHebhere. Siyakubongoza ke ngoko ukuba usivumele sithathe uhambo lweentsuku ezintathu, siye entlango, siyokwenzela uNdikhoyo uThixo wethu idini; kungenjalo úya kusihlasela ngezibetho okanye ngekrele.”
4. Ukumkani wabaphendula ooMosis noAron wathi: “Kutheni ke ngoku nibaphazamisa nje aba bantu emsebenzini wabo? Buyelani emsebenzini!”
5. Waza ukumkani waleka ngelithi: “Niyabona ukuba olu hlanga lwenu selwande kakhulu, kodwa nina nithi maluyeke lungasebenzi!”
6. Kwangaloo mini ukumkani wabhekisa kwiinduna kunye namagosa abasebenzi,
7. wathi: “Ze ningabi sabanika ingca yokwenza izitena abasebenzi njengangaphambili, koko mabazizabalazele ngokwabo,
8. kodwa lona inani lezitena abazenzayo lingabi ngaphantsi nakancinci kwelesiqhelo, kuba bangenwe bubuvila, yiyo le nto sebekhala ngokuya kubingelela kuThixo wabo.
9. Ngamampunge lawo; baqhubeni basebenze bathi nca, khon' ukuze bangabi nalo ithuba lokuphulaphula imbudede yobuxoki.”
10. Ngoko ke iinduna namagosa zabaxelela abasebenzi zathi: “Ukumkani uthi anisazukuyinikwa ingca yokwenza izitena,
11. koko noyichola-chola ngokwenu naphi na apho ninokuyizuza khona; kambe ke lona inani lezitena akufuneki lihle nakancinci.”
12. Abasebenzi ke bathi saa kulo lonke elaseJiputa, berhugula ingca.
13. Ke zona iinduna zazingabaphi thuba, zisithi: “Wugqibeni umsebenzi wosuku ngalunye ngokwesiqhelo, njengangokuya beniyinikwa ingca.”
14. Amagosa angamaSirayeli awayemiselwe ziinduna ezingamaJiputa ayekatswa zizo, kusithiwa: “Kutheni izitena zingafikeleli nje kwinani lesiqhelo?”