< U-Eksodusi 14 >
Then the LORD said to Moses,
2 “Tshela abako-Israyeli ukuthi babuyele emuva bayomisa ePhi-Hahirothi phakathi laphakathi kweMigidoli lolwandle. Kabamise eceleni kolwandle malungana leBhali-Zefoni.
“Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. You are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal-zephon.
3 UFaro uzacabanga ukuthi abako-Israyeli bayantula nje elizweni besangene ngoba sebesithwe yinkangala.
For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ‘They are wandering the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in.’
4 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.
And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will pursue them. But I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” So this is what the Israelites did.
5 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!”
When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.”
6 UFaro waselungisa inqola yakhe yamabhiza waphuma lempi yakhe.
So Pharaoh prepared his chariot and took his army with him.
7 Wathatha izinqola ezikhethekileyo ezingamakhulu ayisithupha zahamba kanye lezinye izinqola zaseGibhithe, yinye ngayinye ilenduna yayo.
He took 600 of the best chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them.
8 UThixo wayenza yaba lukhuni inhliziyo kaFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe, ngakho waxotshana labako-Israyeli ababehamba ngesibindi.
And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out defiantly.
9 AmaGibhithe kugoqela wonke amabhiza kaFaro lezinqola, abagadi bamabhiza lamabutho, abaxhuma abako-Israyeli abedlula bemise ngasolwandle eduzane lePhi-Hahirothi malungana leBhali-Zefoni.
The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops—pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi-hahiroth, opposite Baal-zephon.
10 Kwathi uFaro esondela abako-Israyeli bathi bevusa amehlo babona nanko amaGibhithe asebanxwanele. Besaba bathuthumela bakhala kuThixo.
As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians marching after them, and they were terrified and cried out to the LORD.
11 Bathi kuMosi, “Kambe yikuthi kwakungelamangcwaba yini eGibhithe uze usilethe lapha enkangala ukuba sizofela khona? Manje wenzeni ngokusikhupha eGibhithe?
They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us into the wilderness to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?
12 Asitshongo kuwe yini siseGibhithe ukuthi siyekele? Satsho sathi siyekele sikhonze amaGibhithe. Kwakuzaba ngcono kithi ukukhonza amaGibhithe kulokufela enkangala!”
Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”
13 UMosi wabaphendula abantu wathi, “Lingesabi. Manini isibindi, lizabona ukuthi uThixo uzalihlenga njani lamuhla. AmaGibhithe eliwabonayo lamuhla kalisoze liphinde liwabone futhi.
But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again.
14 UThixo uzalilwela; lina manini lithule.”
The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
15 Ngakho uThixo wasesithi kuMosi, “Kanti ukhalelani kimi na? Tshela abako-Israyeli baphume bahambe.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to go forward.
16 Phakamisa intonga yakho welulele isandla sakho phezu kolwandle amanzi adabuke phakathi ukuze abako-Israyeli bahambe phakathi kolwandle emhlabathini owomileyo.
And as for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.
17 Ngizazenza zibe lukhuni inhliziyo zamaGibhithe ukuze angene abaxhume. Njalo ngizazuza udumo ngoFaro lempi yakhe yonke, langezinqola zakhe labagadi bakhe bamabhiza.
And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. Then I will gain honor by means of Pharaoh and all his army and chariots and horsemen.
18 AmaGibhithe azakwazi ukuthi mina yimi uThixo nxa sengizuza udumo ngoFaro, langezinqola zakhe labagadi bakhe bamabhiza.”
The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I am honored through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
19 Kwathi khonapho ingilosi kaNkulunkulu eyayikade ihamba phambili kwempi yabako-Israyeli yasuka yabhoda ngemva kwabo. Insika yeyezi layo yasuka phambili yayakuma ngemva kwabo,
And the angel of God, who had gone before the camp of Israel, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from before them and stood behind them,
20 yehlukanisa impi yamaGibhithe leyabako-Israyeli. Ubusuku bonke iyezi laletha ubumnyama kwelinye icele labuye laletha ukukhanya ngakwelinye icele; ngakho kabakho abasondela kwabanye ubusuku bonke.
so that it came between the camps of Egypt and Israel. The cloud was there in the darkness, but it lit up the night. So all night long neither camp went near the other.
21 Ngakho uMosi waseselulela isandla sakhe phezu kolwandle, ngalobobusuku uThixo wafuqela ulwandle emuva ngomoya wempumalanga olamandla kwasala umhlabathi owomileyo. Amanzi adabukana phakathi,
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind that turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided,
22 abako-Israyeli bazihambela phakathi kolwandle emhlabathini owomileyo amanzi ezindonga ngapha langapha kwabo.
and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.
23 AmaGibhithe abalandela, amabhiza wonke kaFaro, izinqola labagadi bamabhiza bonke babalandela phakathi kolwandle.
And the Egyptians chased after them—all Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen—and followed them into the sea.
24 Kwathi ngomlindo wokucina wobusuku uThixo wakhangela phansi esensikeni yomlilo leyezi, wakhangela phansi empini yamaGibhithe wayidunga yasanganiseka.
At morning watch, however, the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians from the pillar of fire and cloud, and He threw their camp into confusion.
25 Wenza ukuthi amavili ezinqola zawo akhumuke okwenza kwaba nzima ukuthi aqhubeke lula. AmaGibhithe asesithi, “Kasehlukaneni labako-Israyeli! UThixo uyabalwela ukuba behlule amaGibhithe.”
He caused their chariot wheels to wobble, so that they had difficulty driving. “Let us flee from the Israelites,” said the Egyptians, “for the LORD is fighting for them against Egypt!”
26 UThixo wasesithi kuMosi, “Phakamisa isandla sakho phezu kolwandle ukuze amanzi abuyele ambokothe amaGibhithe lezinqola zawo labagadi bamabhiza.”
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.”
27 UMosi waseselula isandla sakhe phezu kolwandle, kwathi emadabukakusa amanzi abuyela endaweni yawo. AmaGibhithe ayebaleka eqonda emanzini, uThixo wawagubuzela ngamanzi olwandle.
So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal state. As the Egyptians were retreating, the LORD swept them into the sea.
28 Amanzi aqubuka abuyela emuva ambokotha izinqola labagadi bamabhiza, layo yonke impi kaFaro eyalandela abako-Israyeli olwandle. Akusilanga loyedwa kubo.
The waters flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had chased the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.
29 Kodwa abako-Israyeli badabula olwandle emhlabathini owomileyo kulezindonga zamanzi esandleni sokudla lakwesokhohlo.
But the Israelites had walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.
30 Ngalolosuku uThixo wasindisa u-Israyeli ezandleni zamaGibhithe, njalo abako-Israyeli bawabona amaGibhithe ethe dandalazi okhunjini lolwandle esefile.
That day the LORD saved Israel from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore.
31 Kwathi abako-Israyeli bebona amandla amakhulu uThixo awatshengisa kumaGibhithe, abantu bamesaba uThixo babeka ithemba labo kuye lakuMosi inceku yakhe.
When Israel saw the great power that the LORD had exercised over the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and believed in Him and in His servant Moses.