Exodus 4
1 Moses/I replied, “But what if [the Israeli people] (do not believe me/are not convinced) or not do what I tell them? What if they say, ‘Yahweh did not appear to you!’”
梅瑟回答說：「他們必然不肯相信我，也不肯聽我的話，而對我說：上主沒有顯示給你。」
2 Yahweh said to him/me, “[Look at] that thing you are holding in your hand. What is it?” He/I replied, “A (walking stick/shepherd’s stick).”
上主問他說：「你手裏拿的是什麼﹖」他回答說：「一根棍杖。」
3 He said, “Throw it down on the ground!” So, he/I threw it on the ground, and it became a snake! And he/I ran/jumped away from it.
上主說：「將棍杖扔在地上! 」他便將棍杖扔在地上，棍杖即刻變成了一條蛇；梅瑟一見，就逃避了。
4 But Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Reach down and pick it up by its tail!” So he/I reached down and caught it, and [when he/I picked it up], it became a stick in his/my hand [again.]
上主向梅瑟說：「伸手捉著蛇的尾巴! ─他便伸手捉住，那條蛇在他手裏又變成一根棍杖。─
5 Yahweh said, “[Do the same thing in front of the Israeli people], in order that they may believe that [I], Yahweh God, the one Abraham and Isaac and Jacob worshiped, truly appeared to you.”
好叫他們相信上主，他們主先的天主，亞巴郎的天主，依撒格的天主和雅各伯的天主曾顯示給你。」
6 Yahweh spoke to Moses/me again, saying “Put your hand inside your robe [MTY]!” He/I did that. And when he/I took it out again, [surprisingly], his/my hand was white. It had a skin disease [that made it] as white as snow.
上主又對他說：「將你的手插在懷裏! 」他就將手插在懷裏；及至抽出手來，見手上患了癩瘡，向雪那樣白。
7 Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your robe [MTY]!” So he/I did that, and when he/I took it out again, surprisingly, it was normal again, just like the rest of his/my body!
天主又說：「將你的手再插進懷裏! ─他就把手再插進懷裏；及至從懷裏抽出時，見手已經恢復原狀，像別的肌肉一樣。─
8 God said, “[You can do that in front of the Israeli people, too]. If they do not pay attention to what you say because of [seeing] the first miracle, they will (believe [you/be convinced) when you perform] the second miracle.
如果他們不肯信你，也不信服第一個奇蹟，必定信服第二個奇蹟。
9 If they do not believe you or do what you say, even [after you perform] those two miracles, get some water from the Nile [River] and pour it on the ground. [When you do that], the water from the river that you pour on the ground will become blood [MTY] (OR, [red like] blood).”
如果連這兩個奇蹟也不信，也不聽你的話，你就從尼羅河裏取些水，倒在旱地上；你從河裏取的水必在旱地上變成血。」
10 Moses/I replied, “O Yahweh! I am not an eloquent [speaker]! I was not an eloquent speaker before, and I have not become one since you started talking to me! I am not a good speaker [MTY], and I speak very slowly.”
梅瑟對上主說：「吾主，請原諒! 我不是個有口才的人，以前不是，你向你的僕人說話以後，也不是；我原是笨口結舌的人。」
11 Then Yahweh said to him/me, “[You seem to forget] who it is that makes people able to speak [RHQ]! Who is it that enables people to be unable to speak or unable to hear, or able to see or not to see? It is I, Yahweh [RHQ]!
上主回答他說：「是誰給人一個嘴﹖是誰給人口啞耳聾，眼明眼瞎呢﹖不是我上主嗎﹖
12 So start going [to Egypt], and I will help you to speak [MTY], and I will tell you what you should say.”
現在你去，我要幫助你說話，指教你該說什麼。」
13 But he/I replied, “O, Yahweh, I ask you, please send someone else [instead]!”
梅瑟回答說：「吾主，請原諒! 你要打發誰，就打發誰去吧! 」
14 Then Yahweh became very angry with Moses/me. He said, “[What about] your [older] brother Aaron, who is [also] a descendant of Levi? I know that he is a very good/eloquent speaker. He is actually on his way here [right now], and he will be very happy to see you.
上主向梅瑟發怒說：「不是有你的哥哥肋末人亞郎嗎﹖我知道他是有口才的，他現在正前來迎接你；他見了你，心中必要快樂。
15 You can talk to him and tell him what to say [MTY], and I will help both of you [SYN] to know what to say [MTY]. And I will tell you both what you should do.
你可向他說話，將你應該說的話放在他口中。我要幫助你，也幫助他說話，指教你們應做什麼。
16 He will speak for you to the [Israeli] people. He will be (your spokesman/as though he was your mouth) [MET], and you will be to him as though you are [his] god.
他要代替你向百姓說話，作你的口舌；你對他是代替天主。
17 [Be sure] to take with you the walking/shepherd’s stick [that is in your hand], because you will perform miracles with it.”
你手中要拿著這根棍杖，用來行奇蹟。」梅瑟回埃及
18 Moses/I returned to his/my father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Please let me go back to Egypt, to see my fellow Israelis there. I want to know if they are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses/me, “Go, and may [God give you inner] peace.”
於是梅瑟起來回到他岳父耶特洛那裏，對他說：「請讓我回到埃及我兄弟那裏，看看他們還健在嗎﹖」耶特洛對梅瑟說：「你平安去罷! 」
19 Yahweh said to Moses/me [before he/I left] Midian, “You can [safely] return to Egypt, because the men who were wanting to kill you [MTY] are [now] dead.”
上主在米德揚對梅瑟說：「起身回埃及去! 因為那些想殺害你的人都死了。」
20 So Moses/I took his/my wife and sons and put them on donkeys, and they/we returned to Egypt. And Moses/I took in his/my hand the stick that God [told him/me to take along].
梅瑟遂帶著妻子孩子，叫他們騎在驢上，起身回埃及國去了；梅瑟手中拿著天主的棍杖。
21 Yahweh said to Moses/me, “When you return to Egypt, be sure to perform all the miracles that I have given you power [to do], while the king is watching. But I will make him stubborn [IDM], with the result that he will not let the Israeli people leave [Egypt].
上主對梅瑟說：「你回到埃及，要將我交於你行的一切奇蹟，行於法朗面前；但我要使他心硬，不肯放百姓走。
22 Then say to him, ‘This is what Yahweh says: “The Israeli [people] [MTY] are [as dear to] me as firstborn sons [MET].
你要對法朗說：上主這樣說：以色列是我的長子。
23 I told you to let my people [MTY] leave [Egypt], in order that they may worship me [in the desert]. If you refuse to let them go, I warn you, I will kill your firstborn son!”’”
我命你，讓我的兒子去崇拜我。你若拒絕放他們走，我必要殺你的長子。」
24 [One night], as they were camping on the way [to Egypt], Yahweh appeared to Moses/me. He wanted/threatened to kill Moses/me [for disobeying his command that boys/sons be circumcised].
梅瑟在路上住宿的時候，上主遇著他，要想殺他。
25 Then [his/my wife] Zipporah took a flint knife and circumcised her son. Then she touched the boy’s feet (OR, genitals) with the piece of skin [she had cut off], and she said, “The blood [which flowed when I circumcised you] will protect you [from being harmed by Yahweh] [MET].”
漆頗辣急忙拿了一塊石刀，將他兒子的包皮割下，拿包皮接觸他的腳說：「你真是我的血郎。」
26 She said to him, “You are safe now [MET] because you have been circumcised.” So Yahweh did not harm her son.
這樣上主就放了他。當時漆頗辣說：「血郎。」是因了割損的原故。
27 Yahweh said to Aaron, “Go into the desert to meet/see Moses!” So he went [there from Egypt] and met him/me at [Sinai], the mountain dedicated to God, and [greeted him/me by] kissing him/me [on the cheek].
其時上主向亞郎說：「你往曠野去迎接梅瑟! 」他就去了。在天主的山旁預見了梅瑟，口親了他。
28 Moses/I told Aaron everything that Yahweh had said to him/me when he told him/me to return to Egypt. He/I also told Aaron about all the miracles that Yahweh told him/me to perform.
梅瑟把上主打發他所說的一切話和命他行的奇蹟，都告訴了亞郎。
29 [So Aaron and Moses/I] returned [to Egypt]. There they/we gathered together all the Israeli elders/leaders.
梅瑟和亞郎遂去召集了以色列子民所有的長老
30 Aaron told them everything that Yahweh had told Moses/me, and Aaron performed [all] the miracles as the people watched.
亞郎講述了上主向梅瑟所說的一切話，也當著百姓行了那些奇蹟；
31 They believed [that what they/we were saying was true]. When they heard that Yahweh had seen how the Israeli people were being cruelly oppressed and that he was going to help them, they bowed down and worshiped [Yahweh].
百姓就都信了，也都高興，因為上主眷顧了以色列子民，也垂念了他們的痛苦。他們遂都俯伏叩拜。
