< Exodus 3 >

1 And Moses tended the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock behind the wilderness, and came to the mountain of God — to Horeb.
Kwathi uMosi eselusa izimvu zikayisezala uJethro, umphristi waseMidiyani, waseqhuba izimvu zaya kude ohlangothini lwenkangala wasefika eHorebhi, intaba kaNkulunkulu.
2 And the Angel of Jehovah appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a thorn-bush: and he looked, and behold, the thorn-bush burned with fire, and the thorn-bush was not being consumed.
Lapho-ke ingilosi kaThixo yabonakala kuye iphakathi kwamalangabi omlilo esixukwini. UMosi wabona ukuthi loba isixuku sasibhebha kasizange sitshe.
3 And Moses said, Let me now turn aside and see this great sight, why the thorn-bush is not burnt.
Ngakho uMosi wacabanga esithi, “Ngizasondela ngiyebona isimanga lesi ukuba kungani isixuku singatshi silothe.”
4 And Jehovah saw that he turned aside to see, and God called to him out of the midst of the thorn-bush and said, Moses, Moses! And he said, Here am I.
Kwathi uThixo ebona ukuthi usesondele ukuba ayekhangela, uNkulunkulu wasememeza ngelizwi elaliphuma kulesosixuku wathi, “Mosi! Mosi!” UMosi wathi, “Ngilapha.”
5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: loose thy sandals from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
UNkulunkulu wathi, “Ungasondeli. Khupha amanyathela akho, ngoba indawo omi kuyo ingumhlabathi ongcwele.”
6 And he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look at God.
Wasesithi njalo, “NginguNkulunkulu kayihlo, uNkulunkulu ka-Abhrahama, uNkulunkulu ka-Isaka loNkulunkulu kaJakhobe.” Ngalokhu, uMosi wafihla ubuso bakhe ngoba wayesesaba ukukhangela uNkulunkulu.
7 And Jehovah said, I have seen assuredly the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and their cry have I heard on account of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows.
UThixo wasesithi, “Impela ngilubonile usizi lwabantu bami eGibhithe. Ngibazwile bekhala ngenxa yezinduna zezigqili ezibancindezelayo, njalo ngiyakhathazeka ngokuhlupheka kwabo.
8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good and spacious land, unto a land flowing with milk and honey, unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
Ngakho ngehlile ukuzabakhulula ezandleni zamaGibhithe ngibakhuphe kulelolizwe ngibase elizweni elilendawo enengi, ilizwe eligeleza uchago loluju, endaweni yamaKhenani, amaHithi, ama-Amori, amaPherizi, amaHivi lamaJebusi.
9 And now behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me; and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.
Ukukhala kwabako-Israyeli sekufikile kimi, njalo sengibonile lendlela amaGibhithe ababahlukuluza ngayo.
10 And now come, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
Ngakho suka uhambe. Ngikuthuma kuFaro ukuthi uyekhupha abantu bami abako-Israyeli elizweni laseGibhithe.”
11 And Moses said to God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
Kodwa uMosi wathi kuNkulunkulu, “Kambe ngingubani ukuba ngiye kuFaro ukuyakhupha abako-Israyeli elizweni laseGibhithe na?”
12 And he said, For I will be with thee; and this shall be the sign to thee that I have sent thee: when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
UNkulunkulu wasesithi, “Ngizakuba lawe. Lesi sizakuba yisibonakaliso sokuthi yimi engikuthumileyo: Nxa usubakhuphile abantu eGibhithe, lizakhonza uNkulunkulu kuyonale intaba.”
13 And Moses said to God, Behold, [when] I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
UMosi wathi kuNkulunkulu, “Aluba ngifika kwabako-Israyeli ngithi kubo, ‘UNkulunkulu waboyihlo ungithumile kini,’ besebengibuza bathi, ‘Ungubani ibizo lakhe?’ Ngizakuthini kubo?”
14 And God said to Moses, I AM THAT I AM. And he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: I AM hath sent me unto you.
UNkulunkulu wathi kuMosi, “Nginguye Onguye. Lokhu yikho ozakutsho kwabako-Israyeli ukuthi, ‘Unguye ungithumile kini.’”
15 And God said moreover to Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you. This is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
UNkulunkulu wabuye wathi kuMosi, “Tshono kwabako-Israyeli uthi, ‘uThixo, uNkulunkulu waboyihlo, uNkulunkulu ka-Abhrahama, uNkulunkulu ka-Isaka, loNkulunkulu kaJakhobe ungithumile kini.’ Leli libizo lami laphakade, ibizo engizakhunjulwa ngalo kusukela kusizukulwane kusiya kwesinye isizukulwane.
16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, Jehovah the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, hath appeared to me, saying, I have indeed visited you, and [seen] that which is done unto you in Egypt;
Hamba uyebuthanisa abadala bako-Israyeli uthi kubo, ‘uThixo, uNkulunkulu waboyihlo, uNkulunkulu ka-Abhrahama, ka-Isaka loJakhobe, ubonakele kimi wathi: Bengilikhangele njalo ngikubonile okwenziwe kini eGibhithe.
17 and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt, unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.
Futhi ngithembisile ukulikhupha osizini lwenu elikulo eGibhithe ngilise elizweni lamaKhenani, amaHithi, ama-Amori, amaPherizi, amaHivi lamaJebusi, ilizwe eligeleza uchago loluju.’
18 And they shall hearken to thy voice. And thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, hath met with us; and now, let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Jehovah our God.
Abadala bako-Israyeli bazakulalela. Kuzakuthi wena kanye labadala liye enkosini yaseGibhithe lithi kuyo, ‘uThixo, uNkulunkulu wamaHebheru uhlangane lathi. Sivumele sithathe uhambo lwezinsuku ezintathu siye enkangala ukuyanikela imihlatshelo kuThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.’
19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a powerful hand.
Kodwa ngiyakwazi ukuthi inkosi yaseGibhithe ayiyikulivumela ukuthi lihambe ngaphandle kokuba incindezelwe yisandla esilamandla.
20 And I will stretch out my hand and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof; and after that he will let you go.
Ngakho ngizakwelula isandla sami ngiwatshaye amaGibhithe ngazozonke izimanga engizazenza phakathi kwawo. Ngemva kwalokho, izalivumela lihambe.
21 And I will give this people favour in the eyes of the Egyptians, and it shall come to pass, when ye go out, that ye shall not go out empty;
Njalo ngizakwenza amaGibhithe abe lomusa kulababantu, ukuze kuthi mhla lisuka lingahambi lingaphethe lutho.
22 but every woman shall ask of her neighbour, and of her that is the inmate of her house, utensils of silver, and utensils of gold, and clothing; and ye shall put [them] on your sons and on your daughters, and shall spoil the Egyptians.
Wonke owesifazane kacele kumakhelwane wakhe lakuye wonke owesifazane ohlala endlini yakhe izinto eziligugu ezenziwe ngesiliva legolide kanye lezigqoko ezizagqokwa ngamadodana lamadodakazi enu. Ngaleyondlela lizawemuka impahla amaGibhithe.”

< Exodus 3 >