The Israelites Cross the Red Sea
1 At Etham the Lord said to Moses:
2 Tell the people of Israel to turn back and camp across from Pi-Hahiroth near Baal-Zephon, between Migdol and the Red Sea. 3 The king will think you were afraid to cross the desert and that you are wandering around, trying to find another way to leave the country. 4 I will make the king stubborn again, and he will try to catch you. Then I will destroy him and his army. People everywhere will praise me for my victory, and the Egyptians will know that I really am the Lord.
The Israelites obeyed the Lord and camped where he told them.
5 When the king of Egypt heard that the Israelites had finally left, he and his officials changed their minds and said, “Look what we have done! We let them get away, and they will no longer be our slaves.”
6 The king got his war chariot and army ready. 7 He commanded his officers in charge of his 600 best chariots and all his other chariots to start after the Israelites. 8 The Lord made the king so stubborn that he went after them, while the Israelites proudly went on their way. 9 But the king's horses and chariots and soldiers caught up with them while they were camping by the Red Sea near Pi-Hahiroth and Baal-Zephon.
10 When the Israelites saw the king coming with his army, they were frightened and begged the Lord for help. 11 They also complained to Moses, “Wasn't there enough room in Egypt to bury us? Is that why you brought us out here to die in the desert? Why did you bring us out of Egypt anyway? 12 While we were there, didn't we tell you to leave us alone? We'd rather be slaves in Egypt than die in this desert!”
13 But Moses answered, “Don't be afraid! Be brave, and you will see the Lord save you today. These Egyptians will never bother you again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you won't have to do a thing.”
15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you keep calling out to me for help? Tell the Israelites to move forward. 16 Then hold your walking stick over the sea. The water will open up and make a road where they can walk through on dry ground. 17 I will make the Egyptians so stubborn that they will go after you. Then I will be praised because of what happens to the king and his chariots and cavalry. 18 The Egyptians will know for sure that I am the Lord.”
19 All this time God's angel had gone ahead of Israel's army, but now he moved behind them. A large cloud had also gone ahead of them, 20 but now it moved between the Egyptians and the Israelites. The cloud gave light to the Israelites, but made it dark for the Egyptians, and during the night they could not come any closer.
21 Moses stretched his arm over the sea, and the Lord sent a strong east wind that blew all night until there was dry land where the water had been. The sea opened up, 22 and the Israelites walked through on dry land with a wall of water on each side.
23 The Egyptian chariots and cavalry went after them. 24 But before daylight the Lord looked down at the Egyptian army from the fiery cloud and made them panic. 25 Their chariot wheels got stuck, and it was hard for them to move. So the Egyptians said to one another, “Let's leave these people alone! The Lord is on their side and is fighting against us.”
26 The Lord told Moses, “Stretch your arm toward the sea—the water will cover the Egyptians and their cavalry and chariots.” 27 Moses stretched out his arm, and at daybreak the water rushed toward the Egyptians. They tried to run away, but the Lord drowned them in the sea. 28 The water came and covered the chariots, the cavalry, and the whole Egyptian army that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them was left alive. 29 But the sea had made a wall of water on each side of the Israelites, so they walked through on dry land.
30 On that day, when the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the shore, they knew that the Lord had saved them. 31 Because of the mighty power he had used against the Egyptians, the Israelites worshiped him and trusted him and his servant Moses.
Baiziraela betjuluka Gungwa Shaba
1 Ipapo Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, 2 “Idwa bathu be Iziraela bashanduke banothibelela pakalingisana ne Pihahiroti, pakati kwe Migidolo ne gungwa, pakalingisana ne Balizefoni. Mukotokele ipapo pa gungwa. 3 Faro unokumbula kuti Baiziraela, banopungayila mu shango bazhaliligwa nge tjilambanyika. 4 Ngono ndowokukutadza moyo wa Faro, ngono unowobatobela, koga imi ndowokudziwa nge kukunda kwangu ndikunda Faro ne bunji gwaanago. Baegipiti banowoziba kuti ndimi Yahwe.” Ndizo Baiziraela bakathama saikoko.
5 Kwati Mambo we Egipiti ebudziwa kuti Baiziraela bayenda, nkumbulo wa Faro ne makombgwa awe ukashandukila bathu be Iziraela, ngono bakazwidwa bakati, “Ini ikoku kwatathama dumbu tiletja Baiziraela beyenda besiya kutishingila?” 6 Ndizo kalulwamisa koloyi dzidze, kayenda ne babhayani babe. 7 Ngono katola koloyi dze ngwa dzakashalugwa dzili mazana ali matathatu (600) ne dzimwe koloyi dzose dze Egipiti dzina batjengeti dzose. 8 Yahwe bakakukutadza moyo wa Faro Mambo we Egipiti ngono katobela bathu be Iziraela bakabe beyenda betshamba se bakundi. 9 Baegipiti bakabatobela, babhayani bose ba Faro, mbizi ne koloyi dze ngwa ne batathi badzo. Bakababhata pa gungwa batji mu mishasha yabo pa Pihahiroti pa kalingisana ne Balizefoni. 10 Faro wakati abe pejo bathu be Iziraela bakamilidza mesho ngono bakabona Baegipiti bakabasala shule, ngono bakazhigwa ngotja kukulu. Baiziraela bakalilila kuna Yahwe. 11 Ngono bakadwa Mushe bakati, “Apa koikhwa nge kuti atina zwikumbu mu Egipiti, ndizo wali watidusa kuwofila mu tjilambanyika kene? Watithamilani nge kutidusa mu Egipiti kene? 12 Apa ate itjo itjetji tjatakakubudza titji mu Egipiti titi, ‘Utiletje, utisiye tishingile Baegipiti kene? Kwabe kungayita kuti tishingile Baegipiti pana kuti tifile mu tjilambanyika.’ 13 Ngono Mushe kadabila bathu kati, ‘Musitje, simani, ngono mowobona jidzo la Yahwe labanowomuthamila nasi, ngoti Baegipiti ibaba bamunobona nasi amutjowobabona kakale. 14 Yahwe banowomugwila, imwi dzikamani koga.’ ”
15 Yahwe bakati kuna Mushe, “Ini mulilila kundili kene? Idwa Baiziraela bayendile mbeli. 16 Milidza ludozo gugo, utambunudzile luboko gugo pezhugwi kwe gungwa ugupalalanye kuti Baiziraela batjuluke gungwa betshamba pasi pakawoma. 17 Koga ndowosimisa mimoyo ye Baegipiti kuti ndizo bangine mu gungwa bebatobela, koga ndowokudziwa nge kukunda Faro ne bunji gwaanago gwe koloyi dze ngwa ne be mbizi dze ngwa. 18 Mukukudziwa kwangu ngo kunda Faro ne koloyi dzidze dze ngwa Baegipiti banowoziba kuti ndimi Yahwe.” 19 Ipapo ntumwa we Ndzimu wakabe akatungamila Baiziraela kabuyila shule kwabo, ndizo gole likadwa mbeli kwabo likanoma shule kwabo, 20 likama pakati kwe Baegipiti ne Baiziraela. Ndizo gole likabe zhalima ku Baegipiti ku Baiziraela likabe tjedza busiku gose bakasitongo shangana.
21 Mushe katambunudzila luboko gugwe pezhugwi kwe gungwa, ngono Yahwe bakasundila vula ye gungwa shule nge phepo yakasima ye ku bhezhuba busiku gose bakathama gungwa kuti gube pasi pakawoma bapalalanya vula. 22 Baiziraela bakangina mu gungwa beyenda pasi pakawoma, vula yakathama makuma mbizho dzabo dzose, ku luji ne ku lumeshwe. 23 Baegipiti bakabatobela, bakangina pakati kwe gungwa, kose ne mbizi dzose dza Faro dze ngwa ne batathi badzo ne koloyi dze ngwa. 24 Ngono kukati nge mazhokuyedza, Yahwe bali mu bibi le moto ne mu shongwe ye gole, bakalinga ngwa ye Baegipiti pasi bakabahwumanya. 25 Yahwe bakasimisa makumbgwana e koloyi akayenda ngolema, ngono Baegipiti bakalebesana beti, “Ngatitizheni Baiziraela ngoti Yahwe banobagwila.” 26 Ipapo Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, “Tambunudzila luboko gugo pezhugwi kwe gungwa kuti vula dzikwitidze Baegipiti ne koloyi dzabo dze ngwa ne batjengeti be mbizi.” 27 Ndizo Mushe katambunudzila luboko gugwe pezhugwi kwe gungwa, ngono gungwa gukabgwilila mu tjimo tjago koyedza. Baegipiti bakatizha mu guli koga Yahwe bakabakubila mu gungwa. 28 Vula ikashanduka ikakwitidza koloyi dze ngwa ne batjengeti be mbizi ne babhayani bose ba Faro bakabe babatobela mu gungwa, kukasibe ne nng'ompela wasala. 29 Koga Baiziraela bakayenda betshamba pasi pakawoma betjuluka gungwa, vula ili makuma ku luboko luji ne ku lumeshwe. 30 Ndiko Yahwe sekwa bakaangula Baiziraela mu Baegipiti mu zhuba ilelo, ngono Baiziraela bakabona zwitumbu zwe Baegipiti mu phili dze gungwa. 31 Baiziraela bakabona nshingo nkulu washingwa ndi Yahwe mu Baegipiti, ngono bakatja Yahwe bakagalamoyo muna Yahwe ne mu nlanda wabo Mushe.