U-Eksodusi 14
1 UThixo wathi kuMosi,
The Lord told 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 set up camp near Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. You are to camp beside the sea, opposite Baal-zephon.
3 UFaro uzacabanga ukuthi abako-Israyeli bayantula nje elizweni besangene ngoba sebesithwe yinkangala.
Pharaoh will conclude about the Israelites: ‘They're wandering about the country in confusion—the desert has blocked them from leaving.’
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.
I will give Pharaoh a stubborn attitude so that he will chase after them to get them back. But I will gain respect through what happens to Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did as they were instructed.
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 found out that the Israelites had left in a hurry, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about what had happened and said, “What have we done? We have let all these Israelite slaves go!”
6 UFaro waselungisa inqola yakhe yamabhiza waphuma lempi yakhe.
So Pharaoh had his chariot made ready and set out with his army.
7 Wathatha izinqola ezikhethekileyo ezingamakhulu ayisithupha zahamba kanye lezinye izinqola zaseGibhithe, yinye ngayinye ilenduna yayo.
He took 600 of his best chariots along with all the other chariots of Egypt, each with their officer-in-charge.
8 UThixo wayenza yaba lukhuni inhliziyo kaFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe, ngakho waxotshana labako-Israyeli ababehamba ngesibindi.
The Lord gave Pharaoh, king of Egypt, a stubborn attitude so he chased after the Israelites, who were leaving with their fists raised in triumph.
9 AmaGibhithe kugoqela wonke amabhiza kaFaro lezinqola, abagadi bamabhiza lamabutho, abaxhuma abako-Israyeli abedlula bemise ngasolwandle eduzane lePhi-Hahirothi malungana leBhali-Zefoni.
The Egyptians set out in pursuit—all Pharaoh's horses and chariots, horsemen and soldiers. They caught up with the Israelites while they were camped beside 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.
The Israelites looked back and saw Pharaoh and the Egyptian army approaching. They were absolutely terrified and cried out to the Lord for help.
11 Bathi kuMosi, “Kambe yikuthi kwakungelamangcwaba yini eGibhithe uze usilethe lapha enkangala ukuba sizofela khona? Manje wenzeni ngokusikhupha eGibhithe?
They complained to Moses, “Were there no graves in Egypt that you had to bring us out here in the desert to die? What have you done to us by making us leave Egypt?
12 Asitshongo kuwe yini siseGibhithe ukuthi siyekele? Satsho sathi siyekele sikhonze amaGibhithe. Kwakuzaba ngcono kithi ukukhonza amaGibhithe kulokufela enkangala!”
Didn't we tell you back in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we can go on being slaves to the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to be Egyptian slaves than to die here in the desert!”
13 UMosi wabaphendula abantu wathi, “Lingesabi. Manini isibindi, lizabona ukuthi uThixo uzalihlenga njani lamuhla. AmaGibhithe eliwabonayo lamuhla kalisoze liphinde liwabone futhi.
But Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand where you are and you will see how the Lord will save you today. The Egyptians you see right now, you will never see again!
14 UThixo uzalilwela; lina manini lithule.”
The Lord is going to fight for you—you don't need to do anything.”
15 Ngakho uThixo wasesithi kuMosi, “Kanti ukhalelani kimi na? Tshela abako-Israyeli baphume bahambe.
The Lord told Moses, “Why are you crying out to me for help? Tell the Israelites to move forward.
16 Phakamisa intonga yakho welulele isandla sakho phezu kolwandle amanzi adabuke phakathi ukuze abako-Israyeli bahambe phakathi kolwandle emhlabathini owomileyo.
You are to pick up your walking stick and hold it out in your hand over the sea. Divide it so the Israelites can walk 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.
I will give Egyptians a stubborn, hard-hearted attitude so that they will chase in after them. Then I will gain respect through what happens to Pharaoh and all his army, 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 gain respect 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,
The angel of God, who had been leading the Israelites, moved behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front of 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 was positioned between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. Though the cloud was in darkness on one side, but it lit up the night on the other. No one from either camp went near the other during the night.
21 Ngakho uMosi waseselulela isandla sakhe phezu kolwandle, ngalobobusuku uThixo wafuqela ulwandle emuva ngomoya wempumalanga olamandla kwasala umhlabathi owomileyo. Amanzi adabukana phakathi,
Then Moses held out his hand over the sea, and all through the night the Lord forced the sea back with a strong east wind, and turned the bottom of the sea into dry land. So the water was divided,
22 abako-Israyeli bazihambela phakathi kolwandle emhlabathini owomileyo amanzi ezindonga ngapha langapha kwabo.
and the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water to their right and left.
23 AmaGibhithe abalandela, amabhiza wonke kaFaro, izinqola labagadi bamabhiza bonke babalandela phakathi kolwandle.
The Egyptians chased after them—all Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and horsemen. They followed the Israelites into the sea.
24 Kwathi ngomlindo wokucina wobusuku uThixo wakhangela phansi esensikeni yomlilo leyezi, wakhangela phansi empini yamaGibhithe wayidunga yasanganiseka.
But at the end of the night the Lord looked down on the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw them into a panic.
25 Wenza ukuthi amavili ezinqola zawo akhumuke okwenza kwaba nzima ukuthi aqhubeke lula. AmaGibhithe asesithi, “Kasehlukaneni labako-Israyeli! UThixo uyabalwela ukuba behlule amaGibhithe.”
He made their chariot wheels get stuck so it was hard for them to drive. The Egyptians shouted out, “Retreat! We must run from the Israelites because the Lord is fighting for them against us!”
26 UThixo wasesithi kuMosi, “Phakamisa isandla sakho phezu kolwandle ukuze amanzi abuyele ambokothe amaGibhithe lezinqola zawo labagadi bamabhiza.”
Then the Lord told Moses, “Hold out your hand over the sea, so that the water will pour 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 held out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea returned to normal. As the Egyptians retreated, 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 water poured back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the whole of Pharaoh's army that had chased after the Israelites into the sea. Not a single 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 to their right and left.
30 Ngalolosuku uThixo wasindisa u-Israyeli ezandleni zamaGibhithe, njalo abako-Israyeli bawabona amaGibhithe ethe dandalazi okhunjini lolwandle esefile.
The Lord saved the Israelites from the threat of the Egyptians—the Israelites saw the Egyptians lying 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 the Israelites saw the great power that the Lord had used against the Egyptians, they were in awe of the Lord, and they trusted in him and in his servant Moses.
