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).
Gbe ɖeka la, Mose nɔ toa Reuel, ame si wogayɔna be Yetro, ame si nye Midian nunɔla la ƒe alẽwo dzi kpɔm le gbedzi si te ɖe Horeb, Mawu ƒe to la ŋu.
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.
Tete Yehowa ƒe dɔla aɖe ɖe eɖokui fiae le ŋuve aɖe si nɔ bibim, gake menɔ fiafiam o la me. Esi Mose kpɔ be ŋuve la nɔ bibim, gake menɔ fiafiam o la,
3 Moses/I thought, “I will go closer and try to see this strange sight! Why is the bush not burning up?”
Mose ɖo ta me be, “Mayi makpɔ nu wɔnuku sia, nu si ta ŋuve la menɔ fiafiam o la ɖa.”
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.”
Esi Yehowa kpɔ be Mose yi be yeakpɔe ɖa la, Mawu yɔe tso ŋuve bibi la me be, “Mose, Mose!” Eye Mose tɔ be, “Nye nye esi.”
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].”
Mawu gblɔ nɛ be, “Mègate va afi sia o. Ɖe wò afɔkpawo da ɖi, elabena anyigba kɔkɔe dzie nèle tsitre ɖo.
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.
Nyee nye fofowòwo ƒe Mawu, Abraham ƒe Mawu, Isak ƒe Mawu kple Yakob ƒe Mawu.” Mose tsyɔ mo anyi, elabena enɔ vɔvɔ̃m na Mawu kpɔkpɔ.
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.
Yehowa gblɔ nɛ be, “Mekpɔ nye amewo ƒe fukpekpe le Egipte, mese woƒe avifafa le woƒe dɔnunɔlawo ƒe ŋutasesẽ ta. Metsɔ ɖe le woƒe fukpekpe la me,
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].
eya ta meɖi va be maɖe wo tso Egiptetɔwo ƒe asi me, eye makplɔ wo adzoe le Egiptenyigba dzi, woayi anyigba nyui, gã aɖe dzi, afi si notsi kple anyitsi bɔ ɖo la. Anyigba sia dzie Kanaantɔwo, Hititɔwo, Amoritɔwo, Perizitɔwo, Hivitɔwo kple Yebusitɔwo le fifia.
9 Truly I have now heard my Israeli people crying [PRS]. I have seen how the Egyptians oppress them.
Ɛ̃, Israelviwo ƒe konyifaɣliwo ɖi va ɖo gbɔnye le dziƒo. Mekpɔ dɔ sesẽ siwo Egiptetɔwo ɖona na wo hetsɔ tea wo ɖe toe.
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.”
Fifia mele dɔ wò ge ɖe Farao gbɔ be nàna be wòaɖe asi le nye dukɔ Israelviwo ŋu, eye nàkplɔ wo ado goe le Egipte.”
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]
Mose gblɔ na Mawu be, “Ame ka menye aɖatsi tsitre ɖe Farao ŋkume, agblɔ nɛ be meva Israelviwo ɖe ge tso Egipte?”
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].”
Mawu gblɔ nɛ be, “Manɔ anyi kpli wò, eye esia anye dzesi si afia be nyee nye ame si le dɔwòm. Ne èkplɔ Israelviwo do goe le Egiptenyigba dzi la, miasubɔ Mawu le to sia dzi.”
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?”
Ke Mose biae be, “Ne meyi Israelviwo gbɔ, eye megblɔ na wo be, ‘Mia fofowo ƒe Mawue ɖom ɖa’ la, woabia be, ‘Mawu sia ŋkɔ ɖe?’ Ekema nya ka magblɔ na wo?”
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.”
Mawu ɖo eŋu na Mose be, “Menye ame si Menye. Gblɔ na Israelviwo ko be, ‘Menyee dɔm ɖa.’”
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.
Mawu gblɔ kpe ɖe eŋu na Mose be, “Gblɔ na Israelviwo be, ‘Yehowa, mia fofowo ƒe Mawu, Abraham kple Isak kple Yakob ƒe Mawue dɔm ɖe mia gbɔ.’ “Esiae nye nye ŋkɔ tegbee, ŋkɔ si woayɔ nam tso dzidzime yi dzidzime si ŋu dɔ woawɔ.
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.
“Mawu yi edzi be, ‘Yɔ Israel ƒe ametsitsiwo katã ƒo ƒu, eye nàƒo nu na wo tso ale si Yehowa, mia fofowo ƒe Mawu, Abraham, Isak kple Yakob ƒe Mawu la ɖe eɖokui fia wò le afi sia gblɔ be, Mekpɔ mi ɖa. Mekpɔ nu si le dzɔdzɔm ɖe mia dzi le Egipte.
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].”’
Mele ŋugbe dom be maɖe mi tso miaƒe fukpekpewo me le Egipte, eye makplɔ mi ayi anyigba si dzi Kanaantɔwo, Hititɔwo, Amoritɔwo, Perizitɔwo, Hivitɔwo kple Yebusitɔwo le fifia la dzi, anyigba si dzi anyitsi kple notsi bɔ ɖo.’
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.’
“Israelviwo ƒe dumegãwo axɔ wò nya la, ekema woakplɔ wò ayi Egipte fia Farao gbɔ, eye nàgblɔ nɛ be, ‘Yehowa, Hebritɔwo ƒe Mawu, va do go mí, eye wòbia tso mía si be míazɔ mɔ ŋkeke etɔ̃ ayi gbedzi aɖasa vɔ na Yehowa, míaƒe Mawu la le afi ma.’
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].
Ke menya be Egipte fia mana mɔ mi be miayi o, negbe ɖeko asi sesẽ aɖe zi edzi hafi.
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.
Eya ta mado nye asi ɖa ɖe Egipte ŋu, atsrɔ̃ wo kple nye nukunu siwo mawɔ le wo dome, ekema ana miayi.
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).
“Makpɔ egbɔ be Egiptetɔwo tsɔ nunanawo na mi gleglegle le miaƒe dzodzoɣi ale be miadzo kple asi gbɔlo o!
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.”
Nyɔnu ɖe sia ɖe axɔ klosalo, sikanuwo kple avɔ nyuiwo le eƒe amegã, Egiptetɔ, srɔ̃a kple eŋumewo si. Miado Egiptetɔwo ƒe nu nyuitɔwo kekeake na mia viŋutsuwo kple mia vinyɔnuwo! Ale miaha Egiptetɔwo.”
