Exodus 3
1 Moses/I was taking care of the sheep that belonged to his/my father-in-law Jethro, the priest of the Midian [people]. He/I led the flock across the desert and came to Horeb, [the mountain that was later called Sinai], the (mountain that [had been dedicated to] God/taboo mountain).
Tsono Mose amaweta ziweto za mpongozi wake Yetero, wansembe uja wa ku Midiyani. Tsiku lina iye anazitsogolera kupita ku chipululu ndipo anafika ku phiri la Mulungu lotchedwa Horebu.
2 [One day] Yahweh (appeared/revealed himself) to him/me, [looking like] an angel. The angel appeared in a flame of fire in the middle of a bush [that was burning]. Moses/I looked at it, and he/I was surprised that the bush was burning, but it was not burning up.
Kumeneko mngelo wa Yehova anaonekera kwa iye mʼmalawi amoto mʼchitsamba. Mose anaona kuti ngakhale chitsambacho chimayaka koma sichimanyeka.
3 Moses/I thought, “I will go closer and try to see this strange sight! Why is the bush not burning up?”
Tsono Mose anati mu mtima mwake, “Ine ndipita komweko ndikaone zodabwitsazi, chitsamba sichikunyeka chifukwa chiyani?”
4 When Yahweh saw that he/I had come closer, he called to Moses/me from the middle of the bush, saying, “Moses! Moses!” He/I replied, “[Yes], here I am.”
Yehova ataona kuti Mose anapatuka kuti adzaonetsetse, Mulungu anamuyitana Mose kuchokera mʼchitsambamo nati, “Mose! Mose!” Ndipo anayankha, “Wawa.”
5 Yahweh said, “Do not come closer! [Because I am God], the ground on which you are standing is holy/taboo. So take off your sandals [to show respect to me].”
Mulungu anati, “Usayandikire kuno. Vula nsapato zako, pakuti malo amene wayimapo ndi opatulika.”
6 Then he said, “I am God, whom your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob [worshiped].” So Moses/I covered his/my face, because he/I was afraid [that God would kill him/me] if he/I looked at him.
Mulungu anati, “Ine ndine Mulungu wa makolo ako, Mulungu wa Abrahamu, Mulungu wa Isake, ndi Mulungu wa Yakobo.” Atamva zimenezi, Mose anaphimba nkhope yake chifukwa anaopa kuona Mulungu.
7 Then Yahweh said, “I have seen how cruelly [they are treating] my people in Egypt. I have heard them (wailing/crying out) [for help] because of what the slave-drivers [are forcing them to do]. I know how my people are suffering.
Yehova anati, “Ine ndaona ndithu mazunzo a anthu anga amene ali ku Igupto. Ndamva kulira kwawo chifukwa cha anthu amene akuwapsinja, ndipo ndakhudzidwa ndi masautso awo.
8 So I have come down [from heaven] to rescue them from the Egyptians [SYN]. I have come to bring them up from that land [to the highlands in Canaan]. I will bring them to a land that is good/fertile and that has plenty of space. It will be very good for raising livestock and growing crops [MTY]. It is the land where the descendants of Canaan, Heth, Amor, Periz, Hiv, and Jebus [live].
Choncho ndabwera kuti ndiwapulumutse mʼdzanja la Aigupto, kuwatulutsa mʼdzikolo ndi kukawalowetsa mʼdziko labwino ndi lalikulu, dziko loyenda mkaka ndi uchi, kwawo kwa Akanaani, Ahiti, Aamori, Aperezi, Ahivi ndi Ayebusi.
9 Truly I have now heard my Israeli people crying [PRS]. I have seen how the Egyptians oppress them.
Ine ndamva ndithu kulira kwa Aisraeli, ndipo ndaona mmene Aigupto akuwazunzira.
10 So you go [back] to Egypt. I am sending you to the king, in order that [he may permit] you to bring my people, the Israeli people, out of Egypt.”
Kotero tsopano, pita. Ine ndikukutuma kwa Farao kuti ukatulutse anthu anga, Aisraeli mʼdziko la Igupto.”
11 But Moses/I replied, “I am not a well-known person [RHQ]! (I cannot go to the king and [ask him to permit me] to bring the Israeli people out of Egypt!/How can I go to the king and [ask him to allow me to] bring the Israeli people out of Egypt?)” [RHQ]
Koma Mose anafunsa Mulungu, “Ine ndine yani kuti ndipite kwa Farao ndi kukatulutsa Aisraeli mʼdziko la Igupto?”
12 God replied, “I will be with you. And when you bring [my] people out of Egypt, all of you will worship me [right] here on this mountain. That will prove that I am the one who sent you [to them].”
Ndipo Mulungu anati, “Ine ndidzakhala nawe, ndipo ichi chidzakhala chizindikiro kwa iwe kuti ndine amene ndakutuma; Ukadzatulutsa anthu anga mʼdziko la Igupto, udzapembedza Mulungu pa phiri lino.”
13 Moses/I said to God, “If I go to the Israeli people and say to them, ‘God, the one your ancestors [worshiped], has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’, what shall I say to them?”
Mose anati kwa Mulungu, “Ngati ndipita kwa Aisraeli ndi kukawawuza kuti, ‘Mulungu wa makolo anu wandituma kwa inu,’ ndipo iwo nʼkukandifunsa kuti ‘Dzina lake ndi ndani?’ Tsono ine ndikawawuze chiyani?”
14 God replied, “I AM who I AM.” And he said, “Tell the Israeli people that the one who is [named] ‘I AM’ has sent me to you.”
Mulungu anati kwa Mose, “NDINE AMENE NDILI. Izi ndi zimene ukanene kwa Aisraeli: ‘NDINE wandituma kwa inu.’”
15 God also said to Moses/me, “Say this to the Israeli people: ‘Yahweh God, the one your ancestors [worshiped], the one that Abraham and Isaac and Jacob [worshiped], has sent me to you.’ This name, [Yahweh], will be my name forever. That is the name that [people in] all future generations [must use when they talk about/to] me.
Mulungu anatinso kwa Mose, “Ukanene kwa Aisraeli kuti ‘Yehova, Mulungu wa makolo anu, Mulungu wa Abrahamu, Mulungu wa Isake, ndi Mulungu wa Yakobo, wandituma kwa inu.’ Ili ndilo dzina langa mpaka muyaya, ndipo mibado ya mʼtsogolomo izidzanditchula ndi dzina limeneli.
16 Go [to Egypt] and gather together the elders/leaders of the Israeli people, and say to them, ‘Yahweh God, the one your ancestors [worshiped], the one Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob [worshiped], appeared to me. He said to him/me, “I have been watching closely what the Egyptian people have done to you.
“Pita, ukawasonkhanitse akuluakulu a Israeli ndipo ukati kwa iwo, ‘Yehova, Mulungu wa makolo anu, Mulungu wa Abrahamu, Isake ndi Yakobo, anandionekera ndipo akuti Iye wadzakuyenderani ndipo waona mmene Aigupto akukuzunzirani.
17 I promise that I will rescue you from being oppressed in Egypt, and [I will take you] to the land where the descendants of Canaan, Heth, Amor, Periz, Hiv, and Jebus [live]. It is a land good for raising livestock and growing crops [MTY].”’
Choncho wanenetsa kuti adzakutulutsani mʼdziko la Igupto, dziko la masautsoli kupita ku dziko la Akanaani, Ahiti, Aamori Aperezi, Ahivi ndi Ayebusi, dziko loyenda mkaka ndi uchi.’
18 My people will do what you say. Then you and their leaders must go to the king of Egypt, and you must say to him, ‘Yahweh, who is God, the one we Hebrews [worship], has revealed himself to us. So now we ask you to allow us to travel for three days to [a place in] the desert, in order that there we may offer sacrifices to Yahweh, our God.’
“Akuluakulu a Israeli akakumvera. Kenaka iwe ndi akuluakuluwo mukapite kwa mfumu ya Igupto ndipo mukanene kuti, ‘Yehova, Mulungu wa Ahebri, wakumana nafe. Tsono tikukupemphani kuti mutilole tipite pa ulendo wa masiku atatu mʼchipululu kuti tikapereke nsembe kwa Yehova Mulungu wathu.’
19 But I know that the king of Egypt will allow you to go only if he realizes I am [more] powerful [MTY] [than he is].
Koma Ine ndikudziwa kuti mfumu ya Igupto sikakulolani kuti mupite pokhapokha Ine nditayikakamiza.
20 So I will use my power [MTY] to strike/punish [the people of] Egypt [MTY] by performing many miracles there. Then he will allow you to leave.
Tsono Ine ndidzatambasula dzanja langa ndi kukantha Aigupto ndi zodabwitsa zanga zimene ndidzazichita pakati pawo. Zikadzatha izi, Iye adzakulolani kuti mupite.
21 [When that happens], I will cause the people of Egypt to respect you. [The result will be that] when you leave Egypt, (you will not go empty-handed/they will give you many [valuable] things to take with you).
“Ndipo ine ndidzafewetsa mtima wa Aigupto pa anthu anga, kotero kuti mukadzatuluka simudzapita wopanda kanthu.
22 [At that time], each [Israeli] woman will ask her [Egyptian] neighbors and each [Egyptian] woman who is living in her (OR, her neighbor’s) house to [give her] some silver and gold jewelry and some [nice] clothes. [Each Egyptian woman will give them some], and you will put them on your sons and daughters [to take with you]. In that way you will (take away/confiscate) the wealth of the Egyptian people.”
Mkazi aliyense adzapemphe Mwigupto woyandikana naye ndiponso mkazi amene akukhala mʼnyumba yake, kuti amupatse ziwiya za siliva ndi golide ndiponso zovala zimene mudzaveka ana anu aamuna ndi aakazi. Ndipo potero mudzawalanda zonse Aiguptowo.”
