< Exodus 4 >
1 Then Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to my voice? For they may say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’”
Pea naʻe leaange ʻa Mōsese ʻo pehē, “Kae vakai, ʻe ʻikai te nau tui kiate au, pe tokanga ki hoku leʻo: he te nau pehē, naʻe ʻikai hā mai ʻa Sihova kiate koe.”
2 And the LORD asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied.
Pea pehēange ʻe Sihova kiate ia, “Ko e hā ʻena ʻi ho nima? Pea naʻa ne pehē, Ko e tokotoko.”
3 “Throw it on the ground,” said the LORD. So Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a snake, and he ran from it.
Pea pehē ʻe ia, “Si ia ki he kelekele. Pea ne si ia ki he kelekele, pea hoko leva ia ko e ngata; pea hola ʻa Mōsese mei hono ʻao.”
4 “Stretch out your hand and grab it by the tail,” the LORD said to Moses, who reached out his hand and caught the snake, and it turned back into a staff in his hand.
Pea pehē ʻe Sihova kia Mōsese, “Mafao atu ho nima ʻo puke ia ʻi hono iku.” Pea mafao atu ʻe ia hono nima, ʻo ne puke ia, pea liliu ia ko e tokotoko ʻi hono nima.
5 “This is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.”
“Koeʻuhi ke nau tui ko Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻenau ngaahi tamai, ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻEpalahame, ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻAisake, mo e ʻOtua ʻo Sēkope, kuo hā mai kiate koe.”
6 Furthermore, the LORD said to Moses, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, his hand was leprous, white as snow.
Pea toe pehēange ʻe Sihova kiate ia, “Ko eni, ai ho nima ki ho fatafata.” Pea naʻa ne ai hono nima ki hono fatafata: pea ʻi heʻene toʻo ia mei ai, vakai, kuo kilia hono nima pea hangē ko e ʻuha hinehina.
7 “Put your hand back inside your cloak,” said the LORD. So Moses put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his skin.
Pea pehē ʻe ia, “Toe ai ho nima ki ho fatafata.” Pea ne toe ai hono nima ki hono fatafata; pea toe toʻo ia mei hono fatafata, pea vakai, kuo toe liliu ia ke hangē ko e anga ʻo hono sino.
8 And the LORD said, “If they refuse to believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe that of the second.
Pea ʻe pehē, “Kapau ʻe ʻikai te nau tui kiate koe, pe tokanga ki he leʻo ʻoe ʻuluaki fakaʻilonga, te nau tui ki he leʻo ʻoe fakaʻilonga fakamui.
9 But if they do not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. Then the water you take from the Nile will become blood on the ground.”
Pea ʻe pehē, kapau ʻe ʻikai te nau tui foki ki he fakaʻilonga ni ʻe ua, pe tokanga ki ho leʻo, pea te ke ohu ʻae vai mei he vaitafe, ʻo lilingi ia ki he kelekele: pea ko e vai ʻoku ke ohu mei he vaitafe, ʻe liliu ia ko e toto ki he kelekele mōmoa.”
10 “Please, Lord,” Moses replied, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue.”
Pea pehēange ʻe Mōsese kia Sihova, “ʻE hoku ʻEiki, ʻOku ʻikai ko e leʻo afea au talu mei muʻa, pe talu hoʻo folofola ki hoʻo tamaioʻeiki: ka ko e lea tōʻohi au, mo e ʻelelo tōʻohi.”
11 And the LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD?
Pea pehēange ʻe Sihova kiate ia, “Ko hai naʻe ngaohi ʻae ngutu ʻoe tangata? Pea ko hai ʻoku ne ngaohi ʻae noa, pe ko e tuli, pe ko e mata ʻaa, pe ko e kui? ʻIkai ko au Sihova?
12 Now go! I will help you as you speak, and I will teach you what to say.”
Pea ko eni, ke ke ʻalu, pea ko au, teu ʻi ho ngutu, ke ako kiate ko e ʻaia te ke lea ʻaki.”
13 But Moses replied, “Please, Lord, send someone else.”
Pea ne pehē ʻe ia, “ʻE hoku ʻEiki, ʻOku ou kole kiate koe, ke ke fekau ʻi he nima ʻo ia ʻoku ke lelei ke fekau ki ai.”
14 Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well, and he is now on his way to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
Pea naʻe tupu ai ʻae houhau ʻo Sihova kia Mōsese, pea ne pehē, “ʻIkai ko ho taʻokete ʻa ʻElone ʻoe faʻahinga ʻo Livai? ʻOku ou ʻilo ʻoku lea lelei ia. Pea vakai foki, ʻoku haʻu ia ke fakafetaulaki kiate koe: pea ka mamata ia kiate koe, pea ʻe fiefia ia ʻi hono loto.
15 You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth. I will help both of you to speak, and I will teach you what to do.
Pea te ke lea ko e kiate ia, ʻo ʻai ʻae ngaahi lea ki hono ngutu: pea te uʻi ho ngutu mo hono ngutu, ke akoʻi ʻakimoua ʻaia te mo fai.
16 He will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and it will be as if you were God to him.
Pea ʻe hoko ia ko hoʻo tangata lea ki he kakai: pea ʻe hoko ia, ʻio ʻe ʻiate koe ia, ko e ngutu, pea te ke ʻiate ia ko e fetongi ʻoe ʻOtua.
17 But take this staff in your hand so you can perform signs with it.”
Pea te ke ʻave ʻae tokotoko ni ʻi ho nima, ʻaia te ke fai ʻaki ʻae ngaahi fakaʻilonga.”
18 Then Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Please let me return to my brothers in Egypt to see if they are still alive.” “Go in peace,” Jethro replied.
Pea naʻe ʻalu ʻa Mōsese ʻo hoko atu kia Setelo ko ʻene tamai ʻi he fono, ʻo ne pehē kiate ia, “ʻOku ou kole kiate koe ke ke tuku au ke u ʻalu, ʻo foki atu ki hoku ngaahi kāinga ʻoku ʻi ʻIsipite, ʻo vakai pe ʻoku nau kei moʻui.” Pea talaange ʻe Setelo kia Mōsese, “ʻAlu ʻi he fiemālie.”
19 Now the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who sought to kill you are dead.”
Pea pehē ʻe Sihova kia Mōsese ʻi Mitiane, “ʻAlu, ʻo toe foki ki ʻIsipite: he kuo mate ʻae kau tangata kotoa pē naʻa nau fie tāmateʻi koe.”
20 So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and headed back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand.
Pea naʻe ʻave ʻe Mōsese hono uaifi mo hono ongo foha ʻo fakaheka ʻakinautolu ki he ʻasi, pea toe ʻalu ia ki he fonua ko ʻIsipite: pea naʻe toʻo ʻe Mōsese ʻae tokotoko ʻoe ʻOtua ʻi hono nima.
21 The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.
Pea naʻe folofola ʻa Sihova kia Mōsese, “ʻOka ke ka ʻalu ke toe hoko ki ʻIsipite, vakai, ke ke fai ʻae ngaahi mana ni kotoa pē ʻi he ʻao ʻo Felo, ʻaia kuo u ʻai ki ho nima: ka te u fakafefeka hono loto, pea ʻe ʻikai te ne tuku ʻae kakai ke ʻalu:”
22 Then tell Pharaoh that this is what the LORD says: ‘Israel is My firstborn son,
Pea te ke lea kia Felo, “ʻOku pehē mai ʻe Sihova, ‘Ko hoku foha ʻa ʻIsileli, ʻio, ko hoku ʻuluaki.
23 and I told you to let My son go so that he may worship Me. But since you have refused to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son!’”
Pea ʻoku ou tala atu kiate koe, Tukuange hoku foha ke ʻalu, koeʻuhi ke ne tauhi au: pea kapau te ke taʻofi ʻo ʻikai tukuange ia, vakai, Te u tāmateʻi ho foha, ʻio, ʻa ho ʻuluaki.’”
24 Now at a lodging place along the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him.
Pea naʻe hoko ʻo pehē ʻi he hala ʻi he fale talifononga, naʻe fakafetaulaki ʻa Sihova kiate ia, ko e kumi ke tāmateʻi ia.
25 But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin, and touched it to Moses’ feet. “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said.
Pea naʻe toʻo ai ʻe Sipola ʻae maka māsila, ʻo ne kamuʻi ʻene tama, ʻo ne si ia ki hono vaʻe, ʻo ne pehē, “Ko e moʻoni ko e mali pani toto koe kiate au.”
26 So the LORD let him alone. (When she said, “bridegroom of blood,” she was referring to the circumcision.)
Ko ia ne ne tukuange ia ke ʻalu: pea pehē ʻe ia, Ko e mali pani toto koe, ko e meʻa ʻi he kamu.
27 Meanwhile, the LORD had said to Aaron, “Go and meet Moses in the wilderness.” So he went and met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him.
Pea naʻe pehēange ʻe Sihova kia ʻElone, “ʻAlu atu ki he toafa ke fakafetaulaki kia Mōsese.” Pea naʻe ʻalu atu ia, ʻo fakafetaulaki kiate ia ʻi he moʻunga ʻoe ʻOtua, pea ne ʻuma kiate ia.
28 And Moses told Aaron everything the LORD had sent him to say, and all the signs He had commanded him to perform.
Pea naʻe tala ʻe Mōsese kia ʻElone ʻae ngaahi lea kotoa pē ʻa Sihova ʻaia naʻe fekauʻi ia, mo e ngaahi mana kotoa pē naʻa ne fekau kiate ia.
29 Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites,
Pea naʻe ʻalu ʻa Mōsese mo ʻElone ʻo fakakātoa ʻae kau mātuʻa kotoa pē ʻoe fānau ʻa ʻIsileli.
30 and Aaron relayed everything the LORD had said to Moses. And Moses performed the signs before the people,
Pea naʻe lea ʻaki ʻe ʻElone ʻae ngaahi lea kotoa pē ʻaia naʻe folofolaʻaki ʻe Sihova kia Mōsese, pea ne fai ʻae ngaahi mana ʻi he ʻao ʻoe kakai.
31 and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD had attended to the Israelites and had seen their affliction, they bowed down and worshiped.
Pea naʻe tui ʻae kakai: pea ʻi heʻenau fanongo kuo ʻaʻahi ʻa Sihova ki he fānau ʻa ʻIsileli, pea kuo ʻafio ia ki heʻenau mamahi, naʻa nau punou hifo honau mata ʻo hū.