Exodus 4
1 Mosi mah, Toe, khenah, nihcae mah kai na tang o ai moe, ka lok tahngai ai ah, nang khaeah Angraeng angphong ai, tiah na naa o nahaeloe? tiah a naa.
Moses/I replied, “But what if [the Israeli people] (do not believe me/are not convinced) or not do what I tell them? What if they say, ‘Yahweh did not appear to you!’”
2 To naah Angraeng mah, anih khaeah, Na ban ah timaw na tawnh? tiah a naa. Anih mah, Cunghet, tiah pathim pae.
Yahweh said to him/me, “[Look at] that thing you are holding in your hand. What is it?” He/I replied, “A (walking stick/shepherd’s stick).”
3 Angraeng mah, Long ah va tathuk ah, tiah a naa. Mosi mah cunghet to long ah vah tathuk naah, pahui ah angcoeng, to naah Mosi mah cawnhtak ving.
He said, “Throw it down on the ground!” So, he/I threw it on the ground, and it became a snake! And he/I ran/jumped away from it.
4 Angraeng mah, anih khaeah, Na ban to payangh loe, tamai ah naeh ah, tiah a naa. To pongah Mosi mah a ban to payangh moe, pahui to naeh, to naah a ban pongah cunghet ah angcoeng let.
But Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Reach down and pick it up by its tail!” So he/I reached down and caught it, and [when he/I picked it up], it became a stick in his/my hand [again.]
5 Angraeng mah, To tiah na sak nahaeloe ampanawk ih Angraeng Sithaw, Abraham Sithaw, Isaak Sithaw, Jakob Sithaw loe nang khaeah angphong tangtang, tiah tanghaih tawn o tih, tiah a naa.
Yahweh said, “[Do the same thing in front of the Israeli people], in order that they may believe that [I], Yahweh God, the one Abraham and Isaac and Jacob worshiped, truly appeared to you.”
6 To pacoengah Angraeng mah, Vaihi laihaw thungah na ban to tapawh ah, tiah a naa. Mosi mah laihaw thungah a ban to tapawh; khenah, a ban azuh let naah, a ban loe dantui baktih kanglung, ngansae ah angcoeng.
Yahweh spoke to Moses/me again, saying “Put your hand inside your robe [MTY]!” He/I did that. And when he/I took it out again, [surprisingly], his/my hand was white. It had a skin disease [that made it] as white as snow.
7 Laihaw thungah na ban to tapawh let ah, tiah a naa. To pongah Mosi mah laihaw thungah a ban to tapawh let; a ban to lak let naah, khenah, a ban loe angmah ih ngan baktih toengah oh let.
Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your robe [MTY]!” So he/I did that, and when he/I took it out again, surprisingly, it was normal again, just like the rest of his/my body!
8 To pacoengah Angraeng mah, Nang to tang o ai moe, kaom hmaloe ih angmathaih to tang o ai cadoeh, hnukkhuem ih angmathaih loe nihcae mah tang o tih.
God said, “[You can do that in front of the Israeli people, too]. If they do not pay attention to what you say because of [seeing] the first miracle, they will (believe [you/be convinced) when you perform] the second miracle.
9 Toe vai hnetto haih angmathaih to ni nihcae mah tang o ai moe, na lok to tahngai o ai nahaeloe, Vapui ih tui to doh ah loe, karoem long ah krai ah; to naah vapui ah na dok ih tui to karoem long nuiah athii ah angcoeng tih, tiah a naa.
If they do not believe you or do what you say, even [after you perform] those two miracles, get some water from the Nile [River] and pour it on the ground. [When you do that], the water from the river that you pour on the ground will become blood [MTY] (OR, [red like] blood).”
10 Mosi mah Angraeng khaeah, Aw Angraeng, kai loe lok ka thui thai ai; canghniah, na tamna khaeah lok nang thuih pacoengah doeh, lok hae ka thui thai ai; ka lok hae tongaah moe, lok ka pae thai ai, tiah a naa.
Moses/I replied, “O Yahweh! I am not an eloquent [speaker]! I was not an eloquent speaker before, and I have not become one since you started talking to me! I am not a good speaker [MTY], and I speak very slowly.”
11 Angraeng mah anih khaeah, Kami ih pakha, to tih ai boeh loe lokaa hoi naapang, to tih ai boeh loe kamtueng mik hoi mikmaeng to mi mah maw sak? Kai, Angraeng mah na ai maw sak?
Then Yahweh said to him/me, “[You seem to forget] who it is that makes people able to speak [RHQ]! Who is it that enables people to be unable to speak or unable to hear, or able to see or not to see? It is I, Yahweh [RHQ]!
12 To pongah vaihi caeh ah, na pakha ah Ka oh moe, timaw thuih han tito kang patuk han, tiah a naa.
So start going [to Egypt], and I will help you to speak [MTY], and I will tell you what you should say.”
13 Toe Mosi mah, Aw Angraeng, minawk kalah patoeh halat ah, tiah a naa.
But he/I replied, “O, Yahweh, I ask you, please send someone else [instead]!”
14 To naah Mosi nuiah Angraeng palungphui moe, Levi kami, nam ya Aaron oh maw? Anih loe lokthuih thaih, tiah ka panoek. Khenah, anih loe nang tongh hanah loklam ah angzoh li vop; anih mah nang to hnuk naah anghoe tih.
Then Yahweh became very angry with Moses/me. He said, “[What about] your [older] brother Aaron, who is [also] a descendant of Levi? I know that he is a very good/eloquent speaker. He is actually on his way here [right now], and he will be very happy to see you.
15 Anih hoi lok aram hoiah loe, a thuih han koi lok to thui paeh; kai loe na pakha hoi anih ih pakha ah ka oh moe, na sak hoi han koi hmuen to kang patuuk han.
You can talk to him and tell him what to say [MTY], and I will help both of you [SYN] to know what to say [MTY]. And I will tell you both what you should do.
16 Anih loe kaminawk hmaa ah nang han lokthui kami ah om tih; anih loe na pahni zuengah om ueloe, nang doeh anih han Sithaw zuengah om tih.
He will speak for you to the [Israeli] people. He will be (your spokesman/as though he was your mouth) [MET], and you will be to him as though you are [his] god.
17 Dawnrai angmathaih hmuennawk na sak hanah, hae cunghet hae na ban ah sin ah, tiah a naa.
[Be sure] to take with you the walking/shepherd’s stick [that is in your hand], because you will perform miracles with it.”
18 Mosi loe amsae Jethro khaeah amlaem moe, anih khaeah, Izip prae ah kaimah ih nawkamyanawk hing o vop maw, tiah khet hanah, na caehsak raeh, tiah a naa. Jethro mah, Lunghoihta hoi caeh ah, tiah a naa.
Moses/I returned to his/my father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Please let me go back to Egypt, to see my fellow Israelis there. I want to know if they are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses/me, “Go, and may [God give you inner] peace.”
19 Midian prae ah oh naah, Angraeng mah Mosi khaeah, Izip prae ah caeh let ah, na hinghaih pakrong kaminawk loe duek o boih boeh, tiah a naa.
Yahweh said to Moses/me [before he/I left] Midian, “You can [safely] return to Egypt, because the men who were wanting to kill you [MTY] are [now] dead.”
20 To pongah Mosi mah a zu hoi a capanawk to kawk moe, Laa hrang pongah angthuengsak, Sithaw ih cunghet to a ban ah sin moe, Izip prae ah amlaem let.
So Moses/I took his/my wife and sons and put them on donkeys, and they/we returned to Egypt. And Moses/I took in his/my hand the stick that God [told him/me to take along].
21 Angraeng mah Mosi khaeah, Izip prae ah nam laem let naah, Na ban ah kang suek ih dawnrai hmuennawk to Faro hmaa ah sah paeh; toe anih mah Israel kaminawk caehsak han ai ah, anih ih palung to kam taksak han.
Yahweh said to Moses/me, “When you return to Egypt, be sure to perform all the miracles that I have given you power [to do], while the king is watching. But I will make him stubborn [IDM], with the result that he will not let the Israeli people leave [Egypt].
22 To naah Faro khaeah, Angraeng mah, Israel loe ka capa hoi ka calu ah oh;
Then say to him, ‘This is what Yahweh says: “The Israeli [people] [MTY] are [as dear to] me as firstborn sons [MET].
23 Ka capa mah ka tok to sak hanah, prawt ah, tiah lok kang thuih; to tiah na prawt ai nahaeloe, na capa, na calu to ka hum han, tiah thui paeh, tiah Mosi khaeah a thuih pae.
I told you to let my people [MTY] leave [Egypt], in order that they may worship me [in the desert]. If you refuse to let them go, I warn you, I will kill your firstborn son!”’”
24 A ohhaih im loklam ah caeh naah, Angraeng mah Mosi to hnuk moe, anih to hum hanah patoem.
[One night], as they were camping on the way [to Egypt], Yahweh appeared to Moses/me. He wanted/threatened to kill Moses/me [for disobeying his command that boys/sons be circumcised].
25 Toe Zipporah mah thlung kanoe to lak moe, a capa ih tangzat hin to aah pacoengah, Mosi khokkung ah akuep moe, Nang loe athii kalong ka sava ah na oh, tiah a naa.
Then [his/my wife] Zipporah took a flint knife and circumcised her son. Then she touched the boy’s feet (OR, genitals) with the piece of skin [she had cut off], and she said, “The blood [which flowed when I circumcised you] will protect you [from being harmed by Yahweh] [MET].”
26 To pongah Angraeng mah Mosi to loihsak; tangzat hin aahhaih athii pongah ni, a zu mah nang loe athii kalong ka sava ah na oh, tiah a naa.
She said to him, “You are safe now [MET] because you have been circumcised.” So Yahweh did not harm her son.
27 Angraeng mah Aaron khaeah, Mosi tongh hanah praezaek ah caeh ah, tiah a naa. To pongah anih loe caeh, Mosi to Sithaw mae ah tongh moe, anih to mok.
Yahweh said to Aaron, “Go into the desert to meet/see Moses!” So he went [there from Egypt] and met him/me at [Sinai], the mountain dedicated to God, and [greeted him/me by] kissing him/me [on the cheek].
28 To naah Mosi mah Aaron khaeah, Anih patoehkung Angraeng mah thuih ih loknawk boih, a sak han koi dawnrai hmuennawk to a thuih pae boih.
Moses/I told Aaron everything that Yahweh had said to him/me when he told him/me to return to Egypt. He/I also told Aaron about all the miracles that Yahweh told him/me to perform.
29 Mosi hoi Aaron loe caeh hoi moe, Israel kacoehtanawk to kawk boih pacoengah, nawnto amkhuengsak.
[So Aaron and Moses/I] returned [to Egypt]. There they/we gathered together all the Israeli elders/leaders.
30 Angraeng mah Mosi khaeah thuih ih loknawk to Aaron khaeah a thuih pae boih, kaminawk hmaa ah dawnrai hmuennawk doeh a sak pae.
Aaron told them everything that Yahweh had told Moses/me, and Aaron performed [all] the miracles as the people watched.
31 To naah kaminawk mah tang o; Angraeng loe Israel kaminawk khet hanah angzoh, tiah panoek o moe, nihcae patangkhanghaih to a hnuk pae, tiah a thaih o naah, nihcae mah long ah lu akuephaih hoiah bok o.
They believed [that what they/we were saying was true]. When they heard that Yahweh had seen how the Israeli people were being cruelly oppressed and that he was going to help them, they bowed down and worshiped [Yahweh].
