Exodus 14
1 Then Yahweh said to Moses/me,
UThixo wathi kuMosi,
2 “Tell the Israeli people to turn around and go back and set up their tents in front of Pi-Hahiroth [town]. That town is between Migdol and the sea, across from Baal-Zephon [town]. Set up your tents there, close to the sea.
“Tshela abako-Israyeli ukuthi babuyele emuva bayomisa ePhi-Hahirothi phakathi laphakathi kweMigidoli lolwandle. Kabamise eceleni kolwandle malungana leBhali-Zefoni.
3 When the king [knows you have done that], he will think, ‘The Israeli people are confused. They are wandering around, and the desert blocks their path.’
UFaro uzacabanga ukuthi abako-Israyeli bayantula nje elizweni besangene ngoba sebesithwe yinkangala.
4 But I will make the king stubborn [again], and he will [take his army and] pursue you. Then my people will praise/thank me for winning a victory over the king and his army. And the Egyptians will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].” So [Moses/I told my people that, and] they did what he/I told them to do.
Njalo ngizayenza ibe lukhuni inhliziyo kaFaro abeselandela exotshana labo. Kodwa ngizazizuzela udumo ngoFaro kanye lempi yakhe yonke, lamaGibhithe azakwazi ukuthi mina nginguThixo.” Ngakho abako-Israyeli bakwenza lokhu.
5 When someone told the king that the Israeli people had left [during the night], he and his officials changed their minds and said, “(What have we done?/What we have done was stupid!) [RHQ] The Israeli people will no longer be our slaves!”
Kwathi inkosi yaseGibhithe isitsheliwe ukuthi abantu sebebalekile, uFaro lezikhulu zakhe baguqula ingqondo zabo ngabako-Israyeli bathi, “Sesenzeni manje? Sesiyekele abako-Israyeli bahamba salahlekelwa yikusetshenzelwa yibo!”
6 So the king got his chariot and his army ready.
UFaro waselungisa inqola yakhe yamabhiza waphuma lempi yakhe.
7 Then he selected 600 of the best chariots, and in each chariot he placed a driver, a soldier, and a commander, and they left. Other chariots, with a driver and a soldier in each of them, also went along.
Wathatha izinqola ezikhethekileyo ezingamakhulu ayisithupha zahamba kanye lezinye izinqola zaseGibhithe, yinye ngayinye ilenduna yayo.
8 Because Yahweh made the king of Egypt so stubborn that he and his army went to pursue the Israelis, who were leaving triumphantly,
UThixo wayenza yaba lukhuni inhliziyo kaFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe, ngakho waxotshana labako-Israyeli ababehamba ngesibindi.
9 the Egyptian army, with all the king’s horses and chariots and horsemen, pursued the Israelis. They caught up with them as they were camped near the sea, close to Pi-Hahiroth, in front of Baal-Zephon [town].
AmaGibhithe kugoqela wonke amabhiza kaFaro lezinqola, abagadi bamabhiza lamabutho, abaxhuma abako-Israyeli abedlula bemise ngasolwandle eduzane lePhi-Hahirothi malungana leBhali-Zefoni.
10 When the king’s army got near, the Israeli people were surprised to see that the Egyptians were marching toward them. They were terrified; so they cried out to Yahweh [to help them].
Kwathi uFaro esondela abako-Israyeli bathi bevusa amehlo babona nanko amaGibhithe asebanxwanele. Besaba bathuthumela bakhala kuThixo.
11 Then they said to Moses/me, “Is it because there were no places in Egypt [where we could] be buried that you have brought us here to die in this desert [RHQ]? Look what you have done to us by bringing us out of Egypt [RHQ]!
Bathi kuMosi, “Kambe yikuthi kwakungelamangcwaba yini eGibhithe uze usilethe lapha enkangala ukuba sizofela khona? Manje wenzeni ngokusikhupha eGibhithe?
12 That is what we told you when we were in Egypt! We said, ‘Leave us alone, and let us work for the Egyptians [RHQ]!’ It would have been better for us to be slaves for the Egyptians than to die here in the desert!”
Asitshongo kuwe yini siseGibhithe ukuthi siyekele? Satsho sathi siyekele sikhonze amaGibhithe. Kwakuzaba ngcono kithi ukukhonza amaGibhithe kulokufela enkangala!”
13 Moses/I replied to the people, “Do not be afraid! Be brave, and see how Yahweh will rescue you! He will save you today, and the result will be that the Egyptians that you are looking at today—you will never see them again!
UMosi wabaphendula abantu wathi, “Lingesabi. Manini isibindi, lizabona ukuthi uThixo uzalihlenga njani lamuhla. AmaGibhithe eliwabonayo lamuhla kalisoze liphinde liwabone futhi.
14 Yahweh will fight for you! Just keep quiet. There is nothing else that you will have to do.”
UThixo uzalilwela; lina manini lithule.”
15 Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Tell the people to stop crying out for me [to help them], and tell them to go forward. Lift up your stick and stretch it out toward the sea. The water will divide, so that all you Israeli people can go in the middle of the sea, walking on dry ground.
Ngakho uThixo wasesithi kuMosi, “Kanti ukhalelani kimi na? Tshela abako-Israyeli baphume bahambe.
Phakamisa intonga yakho welulele isandla sakho phezu kolwandle amanzi adabuke phakathi ukuze abako-Israyeli bahambe phakathi kolwandle emhlabathini owomileyo.
17 I will make the Egyptians stubborn, so that they will try to follow you. And then as a result of [what I will do to the] king and his army and his chariots and his horsemen, [my people] will praise/thank me.
Ngizazenza zibe lukhuni inhliziyo zamaGibhithe ukuze angene abaxhume. Njalo ngizazuza udumo ngoFaro lempi yakhe yonke, langezinqola zakhe labagadi bakhe bamabhiza.
18 And when I have won a glorious [victory] over the king and his chariots and his horsemen, the [other] Egyptians will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].”
AmaGibhithe azakwazi ukuthi mina yimi uThixo nxa sengizuza udumo ngoFaro, langezinqola zakhe labagadi bakhe bamabhiza.”
19 Then the angel of God, who had been in front of the Israeli people, moved and went behind them. The tall bright cloud that had been in front of them also moved behind them,
Kwathi khonapho ingilosi kaNkulunkulu eyayikade ihamba phambili kwempi yabako-Israyeli yasuka yabhoda ngemva kwabo. Insika yeyezi layo yasuka phambili yayakuma ngemva kwabo,
20 until it was between the Egyptian army and the Israeli people. The cloud caused the Egyptian army to be in the dark but it gave light for the Israelis. As a result, neither group could come near the other group during the whole night.
yehlukanisa impi yamaGibhithe leyabako-Israyeli. Ubusuku bonke iyezi laletha ubumnyama kwelinye icele labuye laletha ukukhanya ngakwelinye icele; ngakho kabakho abasondela kwabanye ubusuku bonke.
21 [That evening], Moses/I stretched out his/my hand toward the sea. Then Yahweh sent a strong wind from the east. It blew all night and pushed the water apart, and it caused the ground between the water to dry up.
Ngakho uMosi waseselulela isandla sakhe phezu kolwandle, ngalobobusuku uThixo wafuqela ulwandle emuva ngomoya wempumalanga olamandla kwasala umhlabathi owomileyo. Amanzi adabukana phakathi,
22 Then we Israeli people went on the dry land in the middle of the sea. The water was like a wall on each side of us, on the right side and on the left side.
abako-Israyeli bazihambela phakathi kolwandle emhlabathini owomileyo amanzi ezindonga ngapha langapha kwabo.
23 Then the Egyptian army pursued them, and went after them into the middle of the sea, with their horses and their chariots and the chariot-drivers.
AmaGibhithe abalandela, amabhiza wonke kaFaro, izinqola labagadi bamabhiza bonke babalandela phakathi kolwandle.
24 Just before dawn, Yahweh looked down from the fiery cloud, and then he caused the Egyptian army to panic.
Kwathi ngomlindo wokucina wobusuku uThixo wakhangela phansi esensikeni yomlilo leyezi, wakhangela phansi empini yamaGibhithe wayidunga yasanganiseka.
25 He caused the wheels of the chariots to get stuck [in the mud], so that they could hardly move. So the Egyptians said, “Yahweh is fighting for the Israelis and against us; let’s get out of here!”
Wenza ukuthi amavili ezinqola zawo akhumuke okwenza kwaba nzima ukuthi aqhubeke lula. AmaGibhithe asesithi, “Kasehlukaneni labako-Israyeli! UThixo uyabalwela ukuba behlule amaGibhithe.”
26 Then Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Stretch out your arm toward the sea again. Then the water will come back on the Egyptians and on their chariots and their horsemen.”
UThixo wasesithi kuMosi, “Phakamisa isandla sakho phezu kolwandle ukuze amanzi abuyele ambokothe amaGibhithe lezinqola zawo labagadi bamabhiza.”
27 So Moses/I stretched out his/my arm, and as the sun was rising, the water returned to its normal level. The Egyptians tried to escape, but Yahweh hurled them back into the sea.
UMosi waseselula isandla sakhe phezu kolwandle, kwathi emadabukakusa amanzi abuyela endaweni yawo. AmaGibhithe ayebaleka eqonda emanzini, uThixo wawagubuzela ngamanzi olwandle.
28 The water returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen and the whole Egyptian army that had tried to follow us Israelis into the sea. Every one of the Egyptians drowned.
Amanzi aqubuka abuyela emuva ambokotha izinqola labagadi bamabhiza, layo yonke impi kaFaro eyalandela abako-Israyeli olwandle. Akusilanga loyedwa kubo.
29 But we Israeli people had already crossed through the sea by walking on dry ground, with the water being [like two] walls, one on the right side and one on the left side.
Kodwa abako-Israyeli badabula olwandle emhlabathini owomileyo kulezindonga zamanzi esandleni sokudla lakwesokhohlo.
30 That is the way Yahweh saved the Israeli people from the Egyptian army on that day. The Israeli people saw the Egyptians lying dead, [with their bodies washed up] on the shore.
Ngalolosuku uThixo wasindisa u-Israyeli ezandleni zamaGibhithe, njalo abako-Israyeli bawabona amaGibhithe ethe dandalazi okhunjini lolwandle esefile.
31 The Israelis saw what Yahweh did to the Egyptians by his great power [MTY], and they were in awe of Yahweh. They trusted in Yahweh and they also trusted Moses/me.
Kwathi abako-Israyeli bebona amandla amakhulu uThixo awatshengisa kumaGibhithe, abantu bamesaba uThixo babeka ithemba labo kuye lakuMosi inceku yakhe.
