< U-Eksodusi 14 >
1 INkosi yasikhuluma kuMozisi isithi:
Then the LORD said to Moses,
2 Tshela abantwana bakoIsrayeli ukuthi baphenduke, bamise inkamba phambi kwePi-Hahirothi, phakathi kweMigidoli lolwandle, phambi kweBhali-Zefoni, maqondana layo limise inkamba elwandle.
“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 Njalo uFaro uzakuthi ngabantwana bakoIsrayeli: Badidekile elizweni, inkangala ibavalele.
For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ‘They are wandering the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in.’
4 Njalo ngizayenza lukhuni inhliziyo kaFaro, ukuthi axotshane labo, ngibe sengidunyiswa kuFaro lebuthweni lakhe lonke, ukuze amaGibhithe azi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi. Basebesenza njalo.
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 sekubikiwe enkosini yeGibhithe ukuthi abantu babalekile, inhliziyo kaFaro lenhliziyo yenceku zakhe yaguquka mayelana labantu, basebesithi: Kuyini lokho esikwenzileyo, ukuthi siyekele uIsrayeli ahambe angasisebenzeli?
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 Wasebophela inqola yakhe, wathatha abantu bakhe laye.
So Pharaoh prepared his chariot and took his army with him.
7 Wasethatha inqola ezingamakhulu ayisithupha ezikhethiweyo lazo zonke inqola zeGibhithe lenduna eziphezu kwazo zonke.
He took 600 of the best chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them.
8 INkosi yasiyenza lukhuni inhliziyo kaFaro inkosi yeGibhithe, wasexotshana labantwana bakoIsrayeli, kodwa abantwana bakoIsrayeli baphuma ngesandla esiphakemeyo.
And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out defiantly.
9 Kodwa amaGibhithe asexotshana labo, amabhiza wonke, izinqola zikaFaro, labagadi bakhe bamabhiza, lebutho lakhe, abafica bemise inkamba elwandle, eceleni kwePi-Hahirothi phambi kweBhali-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 esesondele, abantwana bakoIsrayeli baphakamisa amehlo abo, khangela-ke, amaGibhithe ehamba ebalandela, basebesesaba kakhulu. Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebekhala eNkosini;
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 kuMozisi: Kungoba kwakungekho mangcwaba yini eGibhithe ukuthi usithethe ukuze sifele enkangala? Kuyini lokhu okwenze kithi, ukusikhupha 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 Kayisilo leli ilizwi esalikhuluma kuwe eGibhithe sisithi: Siyekele ukuthi sisebenzele amaGibhithe? Ngoba bekuzakuba ngcono kithi ukuthi sisebenzele amaGibhithe kulokuthi sifele 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 UMozisi wasesithi ebantwini: Lingesabi; manini liqine, libone usindiso lweNkosi ezalenzela lona lamuhla; ngoba amaGibhithe eliwabonayo lamuhla, kalisayikuwabona futhi kuze kube laphakade.
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 INkosi izalilwela, lina-ke lizathula.
The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
15 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Ukhalelani kimi? Tshela abantwana bakoIsrayeli ukuthi baqhubekele phambili.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to go forward.
16 Wena-ke, phakamisa intonga yakho, welulele isandla sakho phezu kolwandle uludabule, ukuze abantwana bakoIsrayeli 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 Mina-ke, khangela, ngizayenza lukhuni inhliziyo yamaGibhithe ukuze angene ngemva kwabo. Njalo ngizadunyiswa ngoFaro langebutho lakhe lonke, ngezinqola zakhe, langabagadi bamabhiza bakhe.
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 Njalo amaGibhithe azakwazi ukuthi ngiyiNkosi sengidunyiswe ngoFaro, ngezinqola zakhe langabagadi bamabhiza bakhe.
The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I am honored through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”
19 Njalo ingilosi kaNkulunkulu eyayihamba phambi kwebutho lakoIsrayeli yasuka yayahamba ngemva kwabo; lensika yeyezi yasuka phambi kwabo, yema 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 yasisiza phakathi kwebutho lamaGibhithe lebutho lakoIsrayeli. Njalo yayiliyezi lobumnyama, kodwa yakhanyisa ubusuku, okokuthi elinye kalisondelanga kwelinye 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 UMozisi waseselulela isandla sakhe phezu kolwandle; iNkosi yalwenza ulwandle lwahamba ngomoya olamandla wempumalanga ubusuku bonke, yenza ulwandle lwaba ngumhlabathi owomileyo; amanzi asesehlukaniswa.
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 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebengena olwandle emhlabathini owomileyo; njalo amanzi aba ngumduli kubo ngakwesokunene sabo langakwesokhohlo sabo.
and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.
23 AmaGibhithe asexotshana labo, angena ngemva kwabo, wonke amabhiza kaFaro, inqola zakhe labagadi bamabhiza bakhe, phakathi kolwandle.
And the Egyptians chased after them—all Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen—and followed them into the sea.
24 Kwasekusithi ngomlindo wokusa, iNkosi yakhangela phansi ebuthweni lamaGibhithe isensikeni yomlilo leyeyezi, yalidunga ibutho lamaGibhithe;
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 yakhupha amavili ezinqola zawo ukuze zihambe nzima, aze athi amaGibhithe: Asibalekele ubuso bukaIsrayeli, ngoba iNkosi iyabalwela imelene lamaGibhithe.
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 INkosi yasisithi kuMozisi: Yelulela isandla sakho phezu kolwandle ukuze amanzi abuyele phezu kwamaGibhithe, phezu kwenqola zawo laphezu kwabagadi bawo 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 UMozisi waseselulela isandla sakhe phezu kolwandle; ulwandle lwaselubuyela endaweni yalo eyejwayelekileyo emadabukakusa; amaGibhithe asebalekela kulo; iNkosi yasiwathintithela amaGibhithe phakathi kolwandle.
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 asebuyela, asibekela izinqola labagadi bamabhiza, lebutho lonke likaFaro elalingene olwandle ngemva kwabo; kakusalanga 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 abantwana bakoIsrayeli bahamba phezu komhlabathi owomileyo phakathi kolwandle; njalo amanzi aba ngumduli kubo ngakwesokunene sabo langakwesokhohlo sabo.
But the Israelites had walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.
30 Ngokunjalo iNkosi yamsindisa uIsrayeli ngalolosuku esandleni samaGibhithe; njalo uIsrayeli wabona amaGibhithe efile ekhunjini lolwandle.
That day the LORD saved Israel from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore.
31 UIsrayeli wasebona amandla amakhulu iNkosi eyawenzayo kumaGibhithe. Abantu basebeyesaba iNkosi, bakholwa eNkosini, lakuMozisi inceku yayo.
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.