Exodus 3
1 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.
Basi Mose alikuwa anachunga mifugo ya Yethro mkwewe, kuhani wa Midiani. Mose akapeleka mifugo mbali nyuma ya jangwa, naye akafika Horebu, mlima wa Mungu.
2 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.
Huko malaika wa Bwana akamtokea Mose katika mwali wa moto kutoka kichakani. Mose akaona kwamba ingawa kile kichaka kilikuwa kinawaka moto, kilikuwa hakiteketei.
3 “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.”
Ndipo Mose akawaza, “Nitageuka sasa nione kitu hiki cha ajabu, nami nione ni kwa nini kichaka hiki hakiteketei.”
4 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.
Bwana alipoona kuwa amegeuka ili aone, Mungu akamwita kutoka ndani ya kile kichaka, “Mose! Mose!” Naye Mose akajibu, “Mimi hapa.”
5 “Don't come any closer!” God told him. “Take off your sandals because you're standing on holy ground.”
Mungu akamwambia, “Usikaribie zaidi. Vua viatu vyako, kwa maana mahali unaposimama ni patakatifu.”
6 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.
Kisha akamwambia, “Mimi ni Mungu wa baba yako, Mungu wa Abrahamu, Mungu wa Isaki, na Mungu wa Yakobo.” Mose aliposikia hayo, akafunika uso wake kwa sababu aliogopa kumtazama Mungu.
7 “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.
Bwana akamwambia, “Hakika nimeona mateso ya watu wangu katika Misri. Nimesikia kilio chao kwa sababu ya wasimamizi wao, nami naguswa na mateso yao.
8 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.
Basi nimeshuka niwaokoe kutoka mkono wa Wamisri, niwatoe na kuwapandisha kutoka nchi hiyo, niwapeleke katika nchi nzuri na kubwa, nchi itiririkayo maziwa na asali, nchi ya Wakanaani, Wahiti, Waamori, Waperizi, Wahivi na Wayebusi.
9 Listen! The cries of the Israelites have reached me, and I have seen how badly the Egyptians are mistreating them.
Sasa kilio cha Waisraeli kimenifikia, nami nimeona jinsi Wamisri wanavyowatesa.
10 Now you must leave, because I'm sending you to Pharaoh to lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”
Basi, sasa nenda. Ninakutuma kwa Farao ili kuwatoa watu wangu Waisraeli kutoka Misri.”
11 But Moses said to God, “Why me? I'm a nobody! I couldn't go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt!”
Lakini Mose akamwambia Mungu, “Mimi ni nani hata niende kwa Farao kuwatoa Waisraeli nchini Misri?”
12 “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.”
Naye Mungu akasema, “Mimi nitakuwa pamoja nawe. Hii itakuwa ishara kwako kwamba ni Mimi nimekutuma: Hapo utakapokuwa umewatoa watu Misri, mtamwabudu Mungu katika mlima huu.”
13 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?”
Mose akamwambia Mungu, “Ikiwa nitawaendea Waisraeli na kuwaambia, ‘Mungu wa baba zenu amenituma kwenu,’ nao wakiniuliza, ‘Jina lake ni nani?’ Nitawaambia nini?”
14 God replied to Moses, “‘I Am’ is who I am. Tell the Israelites this: ‘I Am’ has sent me to you.”
Mungu akamwambia Mose, “Mimi niko ambaye niko. Hivyo ndivyo utakavyowaambia Waisraeli: ‘Mimi niko amenituma kwenu.’”
15 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.’
Vilevile Mungu akamwambia Mose, “Waambie Waisraeli, ‘Bwana, Mungu wa baba zenu, Mungu wa Abrahamu, Mungu wa Isaki, na Mungu wa Yakobo amenituma kwenu.’ Hili ndilo Jina langu milele, Jina ambalo mtanikumbuka kwalo kutoka kizazi hadi kizazi.
16 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.
“Nenda, ukawakusanye wazee wa Israeli, uwaambie, ‘Bwana, Mungu wa baba zenu, Mungu wa Abrahamu, Isaki na Yakobo, alinitokea akaniambia: Nimewatazama, nami nimeona mliyofanyiwa katika Misri.
17 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.”
Nami nimeahidi kuwapandisha kutoka mateso yenu katika nchi ya Misri, niwapeleke nchi ya Wakanaani, Wahiti, Waamori, Waperizi, Wahivi na Wayebusi, nchi itiririkayo maziwa na asali.’
18 “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.’
“Wazee wa Israeli watakusikiliza. Kisha wewe na wazee mtakwenda kwa mfalme wa Misri na kumwambia, ‘Bwana, Mungu wa Waebrania ametutokea. Turuhusu twende safari ya siku tatu huko jangwani kutoa dhabihu kwa Bwana Mungu wetu.’
19 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.
Lakini nafahamu kwamba mfalme wa Misri hatawaruhusu kwenda, mpaka mkono wenye nguvu umlazimishe.
20 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.
Kwa hiyo nitaunyoosha mkono wangu na kuwapiga Wamisri kwa maajabu yote nitakayofanya miongoni mwao. Baada ya hayo, atawaruhusu mwondoke.
21 I will make the Egyptians treat you well as a people, so when you go you won't leave empty-handed.
“Nami nitawapa hawa watu upendeleo mbele ya Wamisri, kwa hiyo mtakapoondoka nchini hamtaondoka mikono mitupu.
22 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.”
Kila mwanamke Mwisraeli atamwomba jirani yake Mmisri na mwanamke yeyote anayeishi nyumbani kwake ampe vyombo vya fedha, dhahabu na nguo, ambavyo mtawavika wana wenu na binti zenu. Hivyo mtawateka nyara Wamisri.”
