< Exodus 4 >
1 Responding, Moses said, “They will not believe me, and they will not listen to my voice, but they will 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 Therefore, he said to him, “What is that you hold in your hand?” He answered, “A staff.”
Pea pehēange ʻe Sihova kiate ia, “Ko e hā ʻena ʻi ho nima? Pea naʻa ne pehē, Ko e tokotoko.”
3 And the Lord said, “Cast it down upon the ground.” He cast it down, and it was turned into a snake, so that Moses fled away.
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 And the Lord said, “Reach out your hand, and take hold of its tail.” He reached out his hand and took hold, and it was turned into a staff.
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 “So may they believe,” he said, “that the Lord 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 And the Lord said again, “Put your hand into your bosom.” And when he had put it into his bosom, he brought it out leprous, resembling 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,” he said, “into your bosom.” He put it back and brought it out again, and it was like the rest of his flesh.
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 “If they will not believe you,” he said, “and will not listen to the sermon of the first sign, then they will believe the word of the subsequent sign.
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 will not believe even these two signs, and they will not listen to your voice: take from the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land, and whatever you will have drawn from the river will be turned into blood.”
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 Moses said: “I beg you, O Lord, I was not eloquent yesterday or the day before. And from the time that you have spoken to your servant, I have a greater impediment and slowness of 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 The Lord said to him: “Who made the mouth of man? And who has formed the mute and the deaf, the seeing and the blind? Was it not I?
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 Go on, therefore, and I will be in your mouth. And I will teach you what you shall 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 he said, “I beg you, O Lord, send whomever else you would send.”
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 The Lord, being angry at Moses, said: “Aaron the Levite is your brother. I know that he is eloquent. Behold, he is going out to meet you, and seeing you, he will rejoice in 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 Speak to him, and put my words in his mouth. And I will be in your mouth and in his mouth, and I will reveal to you what you must 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 for you to the people, and he will be your mouth. But you will be with him in those things that pertain to God.
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 Also, take this staff into your hand; with it you will accomplish the signs.”
Pea te ke ʻave ʻae tokotoko ni ʻi ho nima, ʻaia te ke fai ʻaki ʻae ngaahi fakaʻilonga.”
18 Moses went forth, and he returned to Jethro, his father in law, and he said to him, “I shall go and return to my brothers in Egypt, so that I may see if they are still alive.” And Jethro said to him, “Go in peace.”
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 And so the Lord said to Moses in Midian: “Go, and return to Egypt. For all those who sought your life have died.”
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 Therefore, Moses took his wife and his sons, and he placed them upon a donkey, and he returned into Egypt, carrying 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 And the Lord said to him, as he was returning to Egypt: “See that you accomplish, in the sight of Pharaoh, all the wonders that I have placed in your hand. I will harden his heart, and he will not release the people.
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 And you shall say to him: ‘Thus says the Lord: 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 I have said to you: Release my son, so that he may serve me. And you were not willing to release him. Behold, I will put to death 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 And while he was on the journey, at an inn, the Lord met him, and he was willing 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 For this reason, Zipporah took a very sharp stone, and she circumcised the foreskin of her son, and she touched his feet, and she said, “You are a bloody spouse to me.”
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 And he released him, after she had said, “You are a bloody spouse,” because of 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 Then the Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the desert to meet Moses.” And he went directly to meet him on the mountain of God, and he 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 explained to Aaron all the words of the Lord, by which he had sent him, and the signs which he had commanded.
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 And they arrived at the same time, and they gathered together all the elders of the sons of Israel.
Pea naʻe ʻalu ʻa Mōsese mo ʻElone ʻo fakakātoa ʻae kau mātuʻa kotoa pē ʻoe fānau ʻa ʻIsileli.
30 And Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had said to Moses. And he accomplished the signs in the sight of 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 the people believed. And they heard that the Lord had visited the sons of Israel, and that he had looked with favor upon their affliction. And falling prostrate, they 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.