< Exodus 33 >

1 And the Lord said unto Moses, Depart, go up from here, thou and the people that thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I swore unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it; —
Kisha Bwana akamwambia Mose, “Ondoka mahali hapa, wewe pamoja na hao watu uliowapandisha kutoka Misri, mpande mpaka nchi niliyomwahidi Abrahamu, Isaki na Yakobo kwa kiapo, nikisema, ‘Nitawapa wazao wenu nchi hii.’
2 And I will send before thee an angel; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Emorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; —
Nitamtuma malaika mbele yenu, naye atawafukuza Wakanaani, Waamori, Wahiti, Waperizi, Wahivi na Wayebusi.
3 Unto a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in the midst of thee, because thou art a stiffnecked people; lest I consume thee on the way.
Pandeni mwende katika nchi itiririkayo maziwa na asali. Lakini mimi sitakwenda pamoja nanyi, kwa sababu ninyi ni watu wenye shingo ngumu, nisije nikawaangamiza njiani.”
4 And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned; and no man did put his ornaments on him.
Watu waliposikia habari hizo za huzuni, wakaanza kuomboleza wala hakuna mtu aliyevaa mapambo yoyote.
5 For the Lord had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people; should I go up one moment in the midst of thee, I would consume thee; now therefore put off thy ornaments from thee, and I shall know what I will do unto thee.
Kwa kuwa Bwana alikuwa amemwambia Mose, “Waambie Waisraeli, ‘Ninyi ni watu wenye shingo ngumu. Kama ningefuatana nanyi hata kwa muda mfupi, ningewaangamiza. Sasa vueni mapambo yenu, nami nitaamua nitakalowatendea.’”
6 The children of Israel then stripped themselves of their ornaments [they wore] from [the time they were at] mount Horeb.
Hivyo Waisraeli wakavua mapambo yao katika Mlima wa Horebu.
7 And Moses took the tent, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it, Tabernacle of the congregation; and it came to pass, that every one who sought [instruction of] the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.
Basi Mose alikuwa na desturi ya kuchukua hema na kuliweka wakfu nje ya kambi umbali kiasi, akaliita “Hema la Kukutania.” Kila aliyekuwa akiulizia shauri kwa Bwana, angelikwenda katika Hema la Kukutania nje ya kambi.
8 And it came to pass, that when Moses went out unto the tent, all the people would rise up, and stand every man at the door of his tent, and look after Moses, until he was gone into the tent.
Wakati wowote Mose alipokwenda kwenye Hema, watu wote waliinuka na kusimama kwenye maingilio ya mahema yao, wakimwangalia Mose mpaka aingie kwenye Hema.
9 And it came to pass, that as Moses entered into the tent, the pillar of cloud descended, and stood at the door of the tent, and spoke with Moses.
Kila mara Mose alipoingia ndani ya hema, nguzo ya wingu ingeshuka chini na kukaa kwenye ingilio, wakati Mungu akizungumza na Mose.
10 And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud stand at the door of the tent: then all the people rose up and prostrated themselves, every man at the door of his tent.
Kila mara watu walipoona hiyo nguzo ya wingu ikiwa imesimama kwenye ingilio la hema, wote walisimama wakaabudu, kila mmoja kwenye ingilio la hema lake.
11 And the Lord spoke unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend; and then he returned into the camp; but his servant, Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tent.
Bwana angezungumza na Mose uso kwa uso, kama vile mtu azungumzavyo na rafiki yake. Kisha Mose angerudi kambini, lakini msaidizi wake kijana Yoshua mwana wa Nuni hakuondoka mle Hemani.
12 And Moses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people; but thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me: and yet thou hast said, I have chosen thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my eyes.
Mose akamwambia Bwana, “Umekuwa ukiniambia, ‘Ongoza watu hawa,’ lakini hujanifahamisha ni nani utakayemtuma pamoja nami. Umesema, ‘Ninakujua wewe kwa jina lako, nawe umepata kibali mbele zangu.’
13 Now, therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy eyes, do make me know thy way, that I may know thee, in order that I may find grace in thy eyes; and consider that this nation is thy people.
Ikiwa umependezwa nami, nifundishe njia zako ili nipate kukujua, nami nizidi kupata kibali mbele zako. Kumbuka kuwa taifa hili ni watu wako.”
14 And he said, My presence shall go in advance, and I will give thee rest.
Bwana akajibu, “Uso wangu utakwenda pamoja nawe, nami nitakupa raha.”
15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not [with us, ] carry us not up from here.
Kisha Mose akamwambia, “Kama Uso wako hauendi pamoja nasi, usituondoe hapa.
16 For wherein shall it be known in any wise that I have found grace in thy eyes, I with thy people? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be distinguished, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
Mtu yeyote atajuaje kuwa mimi pamoja na watu wako tumepata kibali mbele zako, usipokwenda pamoja nasi? Ni nini kingine kitakachoweza kututofautisha mimi na watu wako miongoni mwa watu wengine wote walio katika uso wa dunia?”
17 And the Lord said unto Moses, Also this thing that thou hast spoken will I do; for thou hast found grace in my eyes, and I have chosen thee by name.
Bwana akamwambia Mose, “Nitakufanyia jambo lile uliloomba, kwa sababu ninapendezwa nawe, nami ninakujua kwa jina lako.”
18 And he said, Let me see, I beseech thee, thy glory.
Kisha Mose akasema, “Basi nionyeshe utukufu wako.”
19 And he said, I will cause all my goodness to pass before thy face, and I will proclaim, by name, the Lord before thee; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.
Ndipo Bwana akasema, “Nitapitisha wema wangu wote mbele yako, nami nitalitangaza Jina langu, Bwana, mbele ya uso wako. Nitamrehemu yeye nimrehemuye, na pia nitamhurumia yeye nimhurumiaye.”
20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face; for no man can see me, and live.
Lakini Mungu akasema, “Hutaweza kuuona uso wangu, kwa kuwa hakuna mtu yeyote awezaye kuniona akaishi.”
21 And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock:
Kisha Bwana akasema, “Kuna mahali karibu nami ambapo unaweza kusimama juu ya mwamba.
22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in the cleft of the rock, and I will cover thee with my hand, until I have passed by.
Utukufu wangu unapopita, nitakuweka gengeni kwenye mwamba na kukufunika kwa mkono wangu mpaka nitakapokwisha kupita.
23 And then I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back parts; but my face shall not be seen.
Kisha nitaondoa mkono wangu nawe utaona mgongo wangu; lakini kamwe uso wangu hautaonekana.”

< Exodus 33 >