< 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).
Ɛda bi na Mose rehwɛ nʼase Yetro a ɔyɛ Midian ɔsɔfoɔ nnwan. Ɔde nnwan no wuraa ɛserɛ no mu kɔɔ akyirikyiri kɔduruu Horeb a ɛyɛ Onyankopɔn bepɔ no so.
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.
Prɛko pɛ, na Awurade ɔbɔfoɔ daa ne ho adi sɛ gyaframa wɔ wira no mu kyerɛɛ no. Mose hunuu sɛ wira no redɛre nanso na ɛnhye.
3 Moses/I thought, “I will go closer and try to see this strange sight! Why is the bush not burning up?”
Enti, Mose kaa sɛ, “Mɛkɔ akɔhwɛ anwanwadeɛ yi ahunu deɛ enti a wira no nhye.”
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.”
Ɛberɛ a Awurade hunuu sɛ ɔrekɔhwɛ no, ɔfrɛɛ no firii wira no mu sɛ, “Mose! Mose!” Mose gyee so sɛ, “Me nie.”
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].”
Onyankopɔn ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Mmɛn me. Yi wo nan mu mpaboa na baabi a wogyina no yɛ asase kronkron.”
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.
Ɔtoaa so sɛ, “Mene wʼagyanom Onyankopɔn—Abraham Onyankopɔn, Isak Onyankopɔn ne Yakob Onyankopɔn.” Mose kataa nʼanim, ɛfiri sɛ, na ɔsuro sɛ ɔbɛhwɛ Onyankopɔn anim.
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.
Awurade ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Mahunu amanehunu a me manfoɔ a wɔwɔ Misraim no wɔ mu, na mate wɔn nkotosrɛ a ɛfa wɔn nnwuma wuranom ho, na menim wɔn ahohiahia.
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].
Maba sɛ merebɛgye wɔn afiri Misraimfoɔ nsam na mayi wɔn afiri Misraim asase so de wɔn akɔ asase pa so—asase a ɛtrɛ; asase a ɛwoɔ ne nufosuo wɔ so—asase a Kanaanfoɔ, Hetifoɔ, Amorifoɔ, Perisifoɔ, Hewifoɔ ne Yebusifoɔ te soɔ no so.
9 Truly I have now heard my Israeli people crying [PRS]. I have seen how the Egyptians oppress them.
Mate Israelfoɔ no su, na mahunu nya a Misraimfoɔ di wɔn no.
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.”
Afei, merebɛsoma wo akɔ Farao nkyɛn, akɔyi me ɔman Israel afiri Misraim.”
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 bisaa sɛ, “Mene hwan a mɛtumi akɔ Farao anim akɔka sɛ merebɛyi Israelfoɔ afiri Misraim asase so?”
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].”
Onyankopɔn buaa no sɛ, “Mɛka wo ho. Adansedeɛ a ɛkyerɛ sɛ me na masoma wo no nie. Sɛ woyi nnipa no firi Misraim a, mobɛsom Onyankopɔn wɔ saa bepɔ yi so.”
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 bisaa sɛ, “Sɛ mekɔ Israelfoɔ no nkyɛn kɔka sɛ, wɔn agyanom Onyankopɔn na wasoma me na wɔbisa me sɛ. ‘Onyankopɔn bɛn na mereka ne ho asɛm no’ a, mmuaeɛ bɛn na memfa mma wɔn?”
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.”
Ɔbuaa Mose sɛ, ka sɛ, “Mene deɛ ɔwɔ hɔ daa no. Ka kyerɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Me Ara na wasoma me mo nkyɛn.’”
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.
Onyankopɔn toaa so sɛ, “Awurade a ɔyɛ mo nananom Abraham, Isak ne Yakob Onyankopɔn na wasoma me mo nkyɛn.” Yei ne me edin a wɔde bɛkae me ɛda biara firi awoɔ ntoatoasoɔ so kɔsi awoɔ ntoatoasoɔ so.
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.
Onyankopɔn ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Frɛ Israelfoɔ mpanimfoɔ nyinaa hyia na ka hunu a wohunuu Awurade wɔ wira a na ɛredɛre mu no kyerɛ wɔn. Afei, ka asɛm a meka kyerɛɛ wo sɛ, ‘Makɔsra me nkurɔfoɔ na mahunu deɛ aba wɔn so wɔ Misraim no kyerɛ wɔn.
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].”’
Mehyɛ bɔ sɛ mɛyi wɔn afiri amanehunu ne animguaseɛ a wɔwɔ mu no mu na mede wɔn akɔ asase a Kanaanfoɔ, Hetifoɔ, Amorifoɔ, Perisifoɔ, Hewifoɔ ne Yebusifoɔ te so ɛnnɛ yi a ɛwoɔ ne nufosuo wɔ so no so.’
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.’
“Israelfoɔ mpanimfoɔ bɛtie wʼasɛm na wɔne wo akɔ Misraimhene hɔ akɔka akyerɛ no sɛ, ‘Awurade, Hebrifoɔ Onyankopɔn, ne yɛn ahyia na waka akyerɛ yɛn sɛ, yɛntu nnansa ɛkwan nkɔ ɛserɛ so nkɔbɔ afɔdeɛ mma no. Enti, ma yɛn ɛkwan.’
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].
Nanso, menim sɛ Misraimhene remma mo ɛkwan da, gye sɛ wɔhyɛ no ketee.
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.
Enti, mɛhyɛ no ketee sɛdeɛ ɛsɛ. Menam anwanwakwan so bɛsɛe Misraim na akyire no, wama mo akɔ.
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).
“Mɛma mo anim aba nyam Misraimfoɔ no anim na wɔahyehyɛ akyɛdeɛ ama mo, na moankɔ no nsapan.
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.”
Ɔbaa biara mmisa dwetɛ ne sikakɔkɔɔ adwinneɛ ne ntoma pa mfiri nʼafipamfoɔ ne ne fiefoɔ mmaa nkyɛn na wɔmfa nsiesie wɔn mmammarima ne wɔn mmammaa ho. Wɔnam saa yɛ so bɛpansam Misraimfoɔ ahonyadeɛ te sɛ deɛ wɔafom asadeɛ.”

< Exodus 3 >