UMoses noAron baya kuxelela uFaro lo myalezo kaThixo: ‘Ukuba akubakhululi abantu bam, ndiza kuthumela izibawu kweli lizwe.’ Ibubu lezibawu lahlasela imizi yamaYiputa, azizityebi nangamahlwempu. Lonke ilizwe laba nezibawu. Kodwa zange zibekho kwilizwe laseGoshen, apho ayehlala khona amaSirayeli. Esi sibetho se-4 sahlasela amaYiputa kuphela. UFaro wacenga esithi: ‘Cela uYehova asuse ezi zibawu. Abantu bakho bangahamba.’ Kodwa wathi akuzisusa uYehova, uFaro watshintsha iingqondo. Ngaba ikho into awayifundayo?

UYehova wathi: ‘Ukuba uFaro akabakhululi abantu bam, imfuyo yamaYiputa iza kugula ize ife.’ Ngosuku olulandelayo, imfuyo yafa, ngaphandle kweyamaSirayeli. Nangoku, uFaro wayesenenkani, akazange abakhulule.

UYehova waxelela uMoses ukuba abuyele kuFaro aze aphose uthuthu emoyeni. Olo thuthu lwaba luthuli olwagcwalisa umoya lwaza lwahlala kuwo onke amaYiputa. Olo thuli lwabangela ukuba amaYiputa abe nezilonda ezibuhlungu kunye nemfuyo yawo. Kwanangoko, uFaro akazange awavumele amaSirayeli ukuba ahambe.

UYehova waphinda wathumela uMoses kuFaro ukuba aye kumxelela lo myalezo: ‘Usala ukubakhulula abantu bam nangoku? Ngomso, kuza kuwa isichotho esikhulu.’ Ngemini elandelayo uYehova wanethisa isichotho, kwagqekreza iindudumo, kwabakho nomlilo. Eso yaba sesona saqhwithi sakha sasikhulu kwimbali yaseYiputa. Sonakalisa yonke imithi nezityalo, kodwa asizange sonakalise eGoshen. UFaro wathi: ‘Cenga uYehova ayekise esi saqhwithi! Emva koko ningahamba.’ Kodwa kwathi kwakuzola, uFaro wajibilika.

Emva koko uMoses wathi: ‘Ngoku zonke izityalo ezisinde kwisaqhwithi ziza kutyiwa ziintethe.’ Kwabakho iintethe ezininzi ezatshabalalisa konke okwakushiyeke emasimini nasemithini. UFaro waphinda wacenga: ‘Khawucele uYehova asuse ezi ntethe.’ Kwanasemva kokuba uYehova ezisusile, uFaro wayeselukhuni.

UYehova wathi kuMoses: ‘Yolulela isandla sakho esibhakabhakeni.’ Ngoko nangoko, isibhakabhaka saba mnyama thsu. Iintsuku eziyi-3 amaYiputa ayengaboni kwanto, nawo engabonani. Yayizizindlu zamaSirayeli kuphela ezazikhanya.

UFaro wathi kuMoses: ‘Hamba kunye nabantu bakho kodwa nishiye imfuyo yenu.’ UMoses wathi: ‘Simele sihambe nemfuyo yethu ukuze sinikele ngayo kuThixo wethu.’ UFaro waba lugcwabevu ngumsindo. Wamkhwaza esithi: ‘Phum’ uphel’ apha! Ukuba ndiphinde ndakubona, ndakubulala.’

UMoses wathembisa uFaro ukuba akazi kuphinda aze kuye. Kodwa ngaphambi kokuba amshiye wathi: ‘Ezinzulwini zobusuku, onke amazibulo aseYiputa, unyana kaFaro noonyana bamakhoboka, aza kufa.’

UYehova wathi kumaSirayeli makazenzele isidlo esikhethekileyo. Wathi: ‘Ngamnye makaxhele inkunzi yegusha okanye eyebhokhwe enonyaka izelwe, aze aqabe igazi layo kumphezulu womnyango. Yojeni loo nyama nize niyitye ngezonka ezingenagwele. Ninxibe neembadada ezinyaweni zenu, nilungele ukuhamba. Ngobu busuku ndiza kunikhulula eYiputa.’ Inoba ayevuya nyhani amaSirayeli!

Ezinzulwini zobusuku ingelosi kaYehova yaya kwindlu nganye yaseYiputa. Kwizindlu ezazingaqatywanga gazi kumphezulu womnyango, amazibulo afa. Kodwa kwezo zaziqatywe igazi, ingelosi yadlula nje. Zonke iintsapho zamaYiputa, ezizizityebi nezihlwempuzekileyo, zafelwa ngabantwana. Kodwa akukho nomnye umntwana womSirayeli owafayo.

Kwafa nonyana kaFaro. Ngoku zaphela tu iinkani kuFaro. Engachithanga xesha wathi kuMoses noAron: ‘Sukani. Phumani niphele apha. Hambani niye kukhonza uThixo wenu. Nihambe nemfuyo yenu!’

AmaSirayeli aphuma ngobusuku eYiputa inyanga iqaqambile, iziintsapho nezizwana zawo. Kwaphuma amadoda, abafazi nabantwana abayi-600 000. Nabanye abantu abaninzi bahamba nawo ukuze baye kukhonza uYehova. Ekugqibeleni amaSirayeli akhululeka!

Ukuze akhumbule indlela uYehova awawasindisa ngayo, nyaka ngamnye ayeza kwenza isidlo esikhethekileyo esifana neso ayeyalelwe ukuba asenze. Sasibizwa ngokuba yiPasika.