20 – Ukuwela uLwandle oluBomvu

₁₇Wathi ukumkani waseJiputa akuwakhulula amaSirayeli, uThixo akawakhokela ngendlela ecanda kwelamaFilistiya, nakuba yayiyeyona imfutshane. Kaloku uThixo wathi: “AmaSirayeli akuzibona egaxeleka emfazweni, angafuna ukubuyela eJiputa.” ₁₈Ngoko ke uThixo wawakhokela ngendlela yasentlango esinga kuLwandle oluBomvu. AmaSirayeli ke aphuma eJiputa exhobele imfazwe.

₁₉Ke kaloku uMosis wawathatha wahamba nawo amathambo kaJosefu, kuba uJosefu wayethe kumaSirayeli: “Ngenye imini uThixo uya kuze anivelele, anikhuphe nimke apha; ngoko ke fungani ukuba niya kuhamba nawo amathambo am.”

₂₀AmaSirayeli ke anduluka eSukoti, aya kuphumla e-Etam enyeleni yentlango. ₂₁Apho ke eluhambeni *uNdikhoyo wayewakhokela ngomqulu welifu emini, aze ebusuku awakhokele ngesithatha somlilo. ₂₂Lo mqulu welifu ke wawuhlala uhamba phambi kwawo emini, nesithatha somlilo sisenjenjalo ebusuku.

₁*UNdikhoyo wayalela uMosis wathi: ₂“Yitsho kumaSirayeli abuye umva, afike athi xha phambi kwePi-hahiroti phakathi kweMigdoli noLwandle oluBomvu ngaseBhali-zefon. ₃Yena ukumkani waseJiputa uza kucinga ukuba niyabhadula, nivalelwe yintlango. ₄Ndisaza kumqaqadekisa anisukele, ndize ndithi ndakumoyisa ndawonye nemikhosi yakhe ndizuze udumo. NamaJiputa aya kutsho aqonde ukuba ndinguNdikhoyo.” Okunene ke amaSirayeli enza ngokomyalelo lowo.

₅Ukumkani ndawonye namaphakathi akhe bathi, bakuva ukuba ngenene amaSirayeli emkile, bajibilika. Ewe, suka bazisola, bathi: “Besingenwe yini kakade, ukuze senze into enje? Bekutheni ukuze siwayeke amakhoboka ethu emke?” ₆Ngoko ke ukumkani waxhoba, wabopha iinqwelo zakhe zokulwa, waphuma nomkhosi wakhe. ₇Wakhupha nezona nqwelo zithembekileyo zimakhulu omathandathu, zibhexeshwa ziingqwayi-ngqwayi ezaziwayo. Akashiyanga nanye kwiinqwelo zaseJiputa. ₈UNdikhoyo wamenza waneenkani ukumkani waseJiputa, wawasukela amaSirayeli; aye wona phofu ehamba ngesibindi. ₉Yaphuma imikhosi yamaJiputa, yasukela ngeenqwelo zamahashe. Yayiziinqwelo nabeenyawo. Yabafumana bephumle ngakuLwandle oluBomvu, kufutshane nePi-hahiroti neBhali-zefon.

₁₀AmaSirayeli athi akubona umkhosi wokumkani waseJiputa ugaleleka, ankwantya, abhenela kuNdikhoyo. ₁₁Abhekisa kuMosis athi: “Kungokuba kungekho mangcwaba na eJiputa, le nto usizisa entlango, ukuze sifele khona? Uyayibona ke into oyenzileyo ngokusikhupha eJiputa? Asiyiyo le nto sasiyithetha kuwe phambi kokuba sinduluke? ₁₂Ewe, sasitshilo kuwe sathi siyeke sibe ngamakhoboka amaJiputa. Bekubhetele ukuba sibe ngamakhoboka awo endaweni yokuba size kufela kule ntlango!”

₁₃Ke yena uMosis wathi kuwo: “Sanukoyika; qinani! Niza kubona; uNdikhoyo uza kunihlangula namhlanje! Ke wona la maJiputa niwabonayo namhlanje soze niphinde niwabone kwakhona! ₁₄Zolani nina; uNdikhoyo uza kunilwela!”

₁₅UNdikhoyo wathetha noMosis, wathi: “Sesani ke esi sikhalo nisenzayo? Yitsho amaSirayeli ahambele phambili. ₁₆Wena yolula ingalo yakho, uphakamise induku phezu kolwandle. Amanzi aya kuhlukana kubini, aze amaSirayeli awele ehamba emhlabeni owomileyo. ₁₇AmaJiputa ndiya kuwenza abe neenkani, atyhudise emva kwamaSirayeli. Ke mna olwam uloyiso luya kuqaqamba phezu kokumkani nemikhosi yakhe, ngokunjalo neenqwelo zakhe. ₁₈Ndiya kuthi ndakumoyisa ukumkani wamaJiputa nomkhosi wakhe, abantu bakhe batsho bandazi ukuba ndinguNdikhoyo.”

₁₉Kwesi sithuba ke isithunywa sikaThixo esasiwakhokele amaSirayeli sajikela ngasemva salandela. Ngokunjalo nomqulu welifu owawuwakhokela ₂₀wajika wema phakathi kwamaSirayeli namaJiputa. Ilifu elo lasitha kwatsho kwasebusuku kumaJiputa, kodwa kwakukhanya kumaSirayeli. Loo nto ke yatsho ayabi nakuhlangana loo mikhosi mibini bonke obo busuku.

₂₁Ngenene ke uMosis wasolula isandla sakhe phezu kolwandle, waza uNdikhoyo wathumela umoya onzima wasempuma, walududula ulwandle, kwavela umhlaba owomileyo. Umoya lowo wabhudla ubusuku bonke, aza ahlukana kubini amanzi. ₂₂AmaSirayeli awela emhlabeni owomileyo, amanzi eziindonga ngapha nangapha. ₂₃Ke kaloku amaJiputa xa ewonke, neenqwelo kunye namahashe okumkani, axhabasha angena elwandle esukela amaSirayeli. ₂₄Ekuzeni kokusa uNdikhoyo ekwelo lifu neso sithatha somlilo wayijonga imikhosi yamaJiputa, yatsho yaphithizela. ₂₅Amavili eenqwelo amomana, baza baba ngathini abaqhubi zaxinga. AmaJiputa akhala athi: “UNdikhoyo uyawalwela amaSirayeli; masiwayeke sisabe.”

₂₆Ke kaloku uNdikhoyo wayalela uMosis wathi: “Yolula isandla sakho phezu kolwandle kwakhona, ukuze amanzi awagubungele amaJiputa kunye neenqwelo zawo.” ₂₇UMosis wenza ngokomyalelo lowo, kwaza kwathi ke ngomsobomvu amanzi athi wayi-wayi abuyela endaweni yawo. Athi ke esaduntsuza ezama ukubaleka amaJiputa, uNdikhoyo wawagubungela ngolwandle. ₂₈Ewe, amanzi adibanisa abuyela kwindawo yawo yesiqhelo, aza ke wona amaJiputa neenqwelo zawo nawo wonke umkhosi kakumkani owawuleqa amaSirayeli wantywiliselwa lulwandle, akwasala nomnqongo lo! ₂₉Kanti ke wona amaSirayeli awela emhlabeni owomileyo, amanzi aludonga ngapha nangapha.

₃₀Ngaloo mini ke uNdikhoyo wawasindisa amaSirayeli kumaJiputa. AmaSirayeli ayibona imizimba yamaJiputa iqungquluze elunxwemeni lolwandle. ₃₁Athi amaSirayeli akukubona ukusebenza kwamandla kaNdikhoyo ngokoyisa amaJiputa, angenelwa luloyiko, amhlonela. Ewe, azinikela kuNdikhoyo, akholelwa kwisicaka sakhe uMosis.