出埃及記 3
1 那時梅瑟為他的岳父，米德楊的司祭耶特洛放羊；一次他趕羊往曠野裏去，到了天主的山曷勒布。
Moses was a shepherd, looking after the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the Midianite priest. He led the flock far into the wilderness until he came to God's mountain, Mount Horeb.
2 上主的使者叢荊棘叢火焰中顯現給他；他遠遠看見那荊棘為火焚燒，而荊棘卻沒有燒毀。
There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from inside a bush. Moses looked carefully and saw that though the bush was on fire, it wasn't being burned up.
3 梅瑟心裏說：「我要到那邊看看這個奇異的現象，為什麼荊棘燒不毀﹖」
“Let me go over and take a look,” Moses said to himself. “It's very odd to see a bush that's not burning up.”
4 上主見他走來觀看，天主便由荊棘叢中叫他說：「梅瑟! 梅瑟! 」他答說：「我在這裏。」
When the Lord saw that Moses was coming to take a look, God called to him from inside the bush, “Moses! Moses!” “I'm here,” Moses replied.
5 天主說：「不可到這邊來! 將你腳上的鞋脫下，因為你所站的地方是聖地。」
“Don't come any closer!” God told him. “Take off your sandals because you're standing on holy ground.”
6 又說：「我是你父親的天主，亞巴郎的天主，依撒格的天主，雅各伯的天主。」梅瑟因為怕看見天主，就把臉遮起來。
Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses covered his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
7 上主說：「我看見我的百姓在埃及所受的痛苦，聽見她們因工頭的壓迫而發出的哀號；我以注意到他們的痛苦。
“I'm completely aware of the misery of my people in Egypt,” the Lord told him. “I have heard them crying out because of their taskmasters. I know how much they're suffering.
8 所以我要下去整救百姓脫離埃及人的手，領他們離開那地方，到一個美麗寬闊的地方，流奶流蜜的地方，就是客納罕人、赫特人、阿摩黎人、培黎齊人、希威人和耶步斯人的地方。
That's why I have come down to rescue them from Egyptian oppression and to take them up from that country to a productive, wide-open land—a land flowing with milk and honey—where currently the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites are living.
9 現在以色列子民的哀號已達於我前，我也親自看見埃及人加於他們的壓迫。
Listen! The cries of the Israelites have reached me, and I have seen how badly the Egyptians are mistreating them.
10 所以你來，我要派你到法朗那裏，率領我的百姓以色列出離埃及。」
Now you must leave, because I'm sending you to Pharaoh to lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”
11 梅瑟對天主說：「我是誰，竟敢去見法朗，率領以色列子民出離埃及﹖」
But Moses said to God, “Why me? I'm a nobody! I couldn't go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt!”
12 上主回答說：「我必與你同在；幾時你將我的百姓由埃及領出來，你們要在這座山上崇拜天主，你要以此作為我派你的憑據。」啟示上主的名字
“I'll be with you,” the Lord replied, “and this will be the sign that it is really me who is sending you: when you have led the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”
13 梅瑟對天主說：「當我到以色列子民那裏，向他們說：你們主先的天主打﹖我到你們這裏來時，他們必要問我：他叫什麼名字﹖我要回答他們什麼呢﹖」
Then Moses said to God, “Look! If I were to go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ —then what should I tell them?”
14 天主向梅瑟說：「我是自有者。」又說：「你要這樣對以色列子民說：那「自有者」打發我到你們這裏來。」
God replied to Moses, “‘I Am’ is who I am. Tell the Israelites this: ‘I Am’ has sent me to you.”
15 天主又對梅瑟說：「你要這樣對以色列子民說：上主，你們祖先的天主，亞巴郎的天主，依撒格的天主和雅各伯的天主，打發我到你們這裏來，這是我的名字，直到永遠；這是我的稱號，直到萬世。
Then God said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my name forever, the name you are to call me for all generations to come.’
16 你去召集以色列的長老，對他們說：上主，你們祖先的天主，亞巴郎的天主，依撒格的天主和雅各伯的天主顯現給我說：我實在注意到你們和你們在埃及所遭遇到的一切。
Go, and call all the elders of Israel to meet with you. Tell them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, has appeared to me—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He said, “I have paid close attention to what's been happening to you in Egypt.
17 因此我決意領你們擺脫埃及人的壓迫，到客納罕人，赫特人，阿摩黎人，培黎齊人，希威人和耶步斯人的地方，即流奶流蜜的地方。
I have decided to take you away from the misery you're having in Egypt and bring you to the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
18 他們必會聽你的話。你要同以色列的長老去見埃及王，對他說：上主，希伯來人的天主遇見了我們；現今請讓我們走三天的路程，到曠野裏向上主我們的天主舉行祭獻。
“The elders of Israel will accept what you say. Then you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews has revealed himself to us. So please let us go three days journey into the desert so we can offer sacrifices to the Lord our God there.’
19 但是我知道，若不用強硬的手段，埃及王決不會讓你們走。
But I know that the king of Egypt won't let you go unless he's forced to do so by a power stronger than him.
20 因此，我要在埃及顯各種奇蹟，打擊那地；以後他才放你們走。
So I will use my power to inflict on Egypt all the terrifying things that I'm about to do to them. After that he'll let you go.
21 我必要使這百姓在埃及人眼中蒙恩，因此，你們離去時不致空手而走。
I will make the Egyptians treat you well as a people, so when you go you won't leave empty-handed.
22 各個婦人應向鄰舍的婦女，向住在自己家中的女人索取金鉓、銀飾和 衣服，穿戴在你們子女身上：這樣你們就剝奪人埃及人。」
Every woman will ask her neighbor as well as any woman living in her house for silver and gold jewelry and clothing, and put them on your sons and daughters. In this way you will take the wealth of the Egyptians with you.”
