U-Eksodusi 14:1-31

UJehova wakhuluma kuMose, wathi: “Yisho kwabakwa-Israyeli ukuba babuyele emuva, bamise ngaphambi kwePhi Hahiroti, ngaphakathi kweMigidoli nolwandle, phambi kweBali Sefoni; anomisa ngaselwandle, nibhekane nalo. UFaro uyakuthi ngabantwana bakwa-Israyeli: ‘Badidekile ezweni, ihlane libavalele.’ Ngiyakuyenza lukhuni inhliziyo kaFaro, abalandele; ngiyakudunyiswa ngoFaro nangebandla lakhe lonke; abaseGibithe bayakwazi ukuthi nginguJehova.” Benze njalo-ke. Inkosi yaseGibithe yabikelwa ukuthi abantu sebebalekile; inhliziyo kaFaro neyezinceku zakhe yabaguqukela abantu, bathi: “Yini lokhu esikwenzileyo, sabavumela abakwa-Israyeli ukuba bahambe, bangasikhonzi, na?” Wabophela inqola yakhe, wahamba nabantu bakhe. Wathatha izinqola ezingamakhulu ayisithupha ezikhethiweyo, nezinqola zonke zaseGibithe, nezinduna zazo zonke. UJehova wayenza lukhuni inhliziyo kaFaro inkosi yaseGibithe; waxosha abakwa-Israyeli; ngokuba abantwana bakwa-Israyeli baphuma ngesandla esiphakamileyo. AbaseGibithe babaxosha, amahhashi onke, nezinqola zikaFaro, nabamahhashi bakhe, nempi yakhe, babafica bemise ngaselwandle ngasePhi Hahiroti ngaphambi kweBali Sefoni. UFaro esesondela, abantwana bakwa-Israyeli baphakamisa amehlo abo; bheka, abaseGibithe babebalandela; base besaba kakhulu; abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bakhala kuJehova. Bathi kuMose: “Kungokuba kwakungekho mathuna eGibithe usikhiphile ukuba sifele ehlane na? Usenzeleni lokhu, wasikhipha eGibithe, na? Leli alisilo izwi esalikhuluma kuwe eGibithe, sithi: ‘Siyeke, sikhonze abaseGibithe,’ na? Ngokuba bekuyakuba ngcono kithi ukubakhonza abaseGibithe kunokuba sifele ehlane.” UMose wathi kubantu: “Ningesabi; qinani, nibone ukusindisa kukaJehova azakunenzela khona namuhla, ngokuba abaseGibithe enibabonile namuhla anisayikubuye nibabone naphakade.” UJehova uzakunilwela, nothula nina. UJehova wayesethi kuMose: “Ukhalelani kimi na? Yisho kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli ukuba bahambe. Phakamisa wena induku yakho, welule isandla sakho phezu kolwandle, ulwahlukanise; abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bazakuhamba phakathi kolwandle emhlabathini owomileyo. Bheka, mina ngiyakuzenza lukhuni izinhliziyo zabaseGibithe, babalandele; ngizakudunyiswa ngoFaro nangempi yakhe yonke, ngezinqola zakhe nangabamahhashi bakhe. AbaseGibithe bazakwazi ukuthi nginguJehova, nxa ngidunyisiwe ngoFaro, ngezinqola zakhe nangabamahhashi bakhe.” Ingelosi kaNkulunkulu eyayihambile phambi kwempi ka-Israyeli yasuka yahamba emva kwabo, nensika yefu yasuka phambi kwabo, yema emva kwabo. Yafika phakathi kwempi yaseGibithe nempi yakwa-Israyeli; kwakukhona ifu nobumnyama, noma ikhanya ebusuku, ukuze izimpi zingakwazi ukusondelana ubusuku bonke. UMose wayeselula isandla sakhe phezu kolwandle; uJehova wamukisa amanzi ngomoya onamandla wasempumalanga ubusuku bonke, waphendula ulwandle lwaba ngumhlabathi owomileyo, amanzi ahlukana. Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bangena phakathi kolwandle emhlabathini owomileyo; amanzi aba lugange kubo ngakwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo. AbaseGibithe babaxosha, bangena emva kwabo ngaphakathi kolwandle, namahhashi onke kaFaro, nezinqola zakhe, nabamahhashi bakhe. Kwathi ngomlindo wokusa uJehova walunguza impi yabaseGibithe, esensikeni yomlilo neyefu, wayidunga impi yabaseGibithe. Wawisa amasondo ezinqola ukuba bahambise kalukhuni, baze bathi abaseGibithe: “Masibaleke ebusweni buka-Israyeli, ngokuba uJehova uyabalwela emelene nabaseGibithe.” Wayesethi uJehova kuMose: “Yelula isandla sakho phezu kolwandle ukuba amanzi abuyele phezu kwabaseGibithe, phezu kwezinqola zabo nabamahhashi babo.” UMose wayeselula isandla sakhe phezu kolwandle, ulwandle lwabuyela endaweni yalo ngokufika kokusa; abaseGibithe balubalekela; uJehova wabathuntuthela abaseGibithe phakathi kolwandle. Amanzi abuyela, asibekela izinqola, nabamahhashi, nayo yonke impi kaFaro eyangena elwandle emva kwazo; akwasala noyedwa kubo. Kepha abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bahamba emhlabathini owomileyo phakathi kolwandle; amanzi aba lugange kubo ngakwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo. Kanjalo uJehova wasindisa u-Israyeli esandleni sabaseGibithe; u-Israyeli wababona abaseGibithe befile ogwini lolwandle. U-Israyeli wabona umsebenzi omkhulu uJehova awenzile phezu kwabaseGibithe; abantu base bemesaba uJehova, bakholwa nguJehova nenceku yakhe uMose.