< U-Eksodusi 14 >
1 UThixo wathi kuMosi,
2 “Tshela abako-Israyeli ukuthi babuyele emuva bayomisa ePhi-Hahirothi phakathi laphakathi kweMigidoli lolwandle. Kabamise eceleni kolwandle malungana leBhali-Zefoni.
3 UFaro uzacabanga ukuthi abako-Israyeli bayantula nje elizweni besangene ngoba sebesithwe yinkangala.
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.
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!”
6 UFaro waselungisa inqola yakhe yamabhiza waphuma lempi yakhe.
7 Wathatha izinqola ezikhethekileyo ezingamakhulu ayisithupha zahamba kanye lezinye izinqola zaseGibhithe, yinye ngayinye ilenduna yayo.
8 UThixo wayenza yaba lukhuni inhliziyo kaFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe, ngakho waxotshana labako-Israyeli ababehamba ngesibindi.
9 AmaGibhithe kugoqela wonke amabhiza kaFaro lezinqola, abagadi bamabhiza lamabutho, abaxhuma abako-Israyeli abedlula bemise ngasolwandle eduzane lePhi-Hahirothi malungana leBhali-Zefoni.
10 Kwathi uFaro esondela abako-Israyeli bathi bevusa amehlo babona nanko amaGibhithe asebanxwanele. Besaba bathuthumela bakhala kuThixo.
11 Bathi kuMosi, “Kambe yikuthi kwakungelamangcwaba yini eGibhithe uze usilethe lapha enkangala ukuba sizofela khona? Manje wenzeni ngokusikhupha eGibhithe?
12 Asitshongo kuwe yini siseGibhithe ukuthi siyekele? Satsho sathi siyekele sikhonze amaGibhithe. Kwakuzaba ngcono kithi ukukhonza amaGibhithe kulokufela enkangala!”
13 UMosi wabaphendula abantu wathi, “Lingesabi. Manini isibindi, lizabona ukuthi uThixo uzalihlenga njani lamuhla. AmaGibhithe eliwabonayo lamuhla kalisoze liphinde liwabone futhi.
14 UThixo uzalilwela; lina manini lithule.”
15 Ngakho uThixo wasesithi kuMosi, “Kanti ukhalelani kimi na? Tshela abako-Israyeli baphume bahambe.
16 Phakamisa intonga yakho welulele isandla sakho phezu kolwandle amanzi adabuke phakathi ukuze abako-Israyeli bahambe phakathi kolwandle emhlabathini owomileyo.
17 Ngizazenza zibe lukhuni inhliziyo zamaGibhithe ukuze angene abaxhume. Njalo ngizazuza udumo ngoFaro lempi yakhe yonke, langezinqola zakhe labagadi bakhe bamabhiza.
18 AmaGibhithe azakwazi ukuthi mina yimi uThixo nxa sengizuza udumo ngoFaro, langezinqola zakhe labagadi bakhe bamabhiza.”
19 Kwathi khonapho ingilosi kaNkulunkulu eyayikade ihamba phambili kwempi yabako-Israyeli yasuka yabhoda ngemva kwabo. Insika yeyezi layo yasuka phambili yayakuma ngemva kwabo,
20 yehlukanisa impi yamaGibhithe leyabako-Israyeli. Ubusuku bonke iyezi laletha ubumnyama kwelinye icele labuye laletha ukukhanya ngakwelinye icele; ngakho kabakho abasondela kwabanye ubusuku bonke.
21 Ngakho uMosi waseselulela isandla sakhe phezu kolwandle, ngalobobusuku uThixo wafuqela ulwandle emuva ngomoya wempumalanga olamandla kwasala umhlabathi owomileyo. Amanzi adabukana phakathi,
22 abako-Israyeli bazihambela phakathi kolwandle emhlabathini owomileyo amanzi ezindonga ngapha langapha kwabo.
23 AmaGibhithe abalandela, amabhiza wonke kaFaro, izinqola labagadi bamabhiza bonke babalandela phakathi kolwandle.
24 Kwathi ngomlindo wokucina wobusuku uThixo wakhangela phansi esensikeni yomlilo leyezi, wakhangela phansi empini yamaGibhithe wayidunga yasanganiseka.
25 Wenza ukuthi amavili ezinqola zawo akhumuke okwenza kwaba nzima ukuthi aqhubeke lula. AmaGibhithe asesithi, “Kasehlukaneni labako-Israyeli! UThixo uyabalwela ukuba behlule amaGibhithe.”
26 UThixo wasesithi kuMosi, “Phakamisa isandla sakho phezu kolwandle ukuze amanzi abuyele ambokothe amaGibhithe lezinqola zawo labagadi bamabhiza.”
27 UMosi waseselula isandla sakhe phezu kolwandle, kwathi emadabukakusa amanzi abuyela endaweni yawo. AmaGibhithe ayebaleka eqonda emanzini, uThixo wawagubuzela ngamanzi olwandle.
28 Amanzi aqubuka abuyela emuva ambokotha izinqola labagadi bamabhiza, layo yonke impi kaFaro eyalandela abako-Israyeli olwandle. Akusilanga loyedwa kubo.
29 Kodwa abako-Israyeli badabula olwandle emhlabathini owomileyo kulezindonga zamanzi esandleni sokudla lakwesokhohlo.
30 Ngalolosuku uThixo wasindisa u-Israyeli ezandleni zamaGibhithe, njalo abako-Israyeli bawabona amaGibhithe ethe dandalazi okhunjini lolwandle esefile.
31 Kwathi abako-Israyeli bebona amandla amakhulu uThixo awatshengisa kumaGibhithe, abantu bamesaba uThixo babeka ithemba labo kuye lakuMosi inceku yakhe.
