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!’”
Ke Mose gblɔ be, “Womaxɔ dzinye ase o! Womawɔ nu si magblɔ na wo be woawɔ o. Woagblɔ be, ‘Yehowa meɖe eɖokui fia wò o!’”
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).”
Yehowa biae be, “Nu kae nye ema le asiwò?” Mose ɖo eŋu be, “Alẽkplɔla ƒe atikplɔe.”
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.
Yehowa gblɔ nɛ be, “Ɖe asi le eŋu da ɖe anyigba.” Mose ɖe asi le eŋu da ɖe anyigba, eye wòtrɔ zu da; tete Mose si le egbɔ.
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.]
Yehowa gblɔ nɛ be, “Lé eƒe asike!” Mose lé da la ƒe asike, eye wògazu atikplɔ ɖe esi!
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.”
Yehowa gblɔ nɛ be, “Wɔ esia ekema woaxɔ dziwò ase, ekema woadze sii be Yehowa, wo fofowo, Abraham, Isak kple Yakob ƒe Mawue ɖe eɖokui fia wò nyateƒe.”
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.
Azɔ Yehowa gblɔ be, “Tsɔ wò asi de wò axatome.” Eye Mose tsɔ eƒe asi de axatome. Esi wòɖe asi ɖa la, eƒe asi dze kpodɔ hefu kpĩi.
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!
Yehowa gagblɔ nɛ be, “Gatsɔ wò asi de wò axatome.” Esi wògawɔ esia, eye wògaɖe asi ɖa la, dɔvɔ̃ɖi la bu le eŋu; eƒe asi ganɔ abe tsã ene!
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.
Yehowa gblɔ be, “Ne womexɔ nukunu gbãtɔ dzi se o la, woaxɔ evelia dzi ase.
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).”
Ne womeɖo to wò le dzesi eve siawo megbe o la, ekema ku tsi tso Nil tɔsisi la me kɔ ɖe anyigba ƒuƒui dzi, eye wòatrɔ azu ʋu.”
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.”
Ke Mose ɖe kuku na Yehowa be, “O, nye Aƒetɔ, nyemeƒoa nu nyuie o. Nyemeƒo nu nyuie kpɔ o; nyemenye nuƒola nyui aɖeke fifia hã o, togbɔ be èƒo nu nam gɔ̃ hã, elabena nye aɖe metrɔna ɖe nya ŋu tututu o.”
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]!
Yehowa biae be, “Ame kae wɔ nuwo na amewo? Menye nye, Yehowae oa? Ame kae wɔ aɖetututɔ alo tokunɔ, alo nukpɔla, alo ŋkuagbãtɔ? Alo menye nye Yehowae oa?
12 So start going [to Egypt], and I will help you to speak [MTY], and I will tell you what you should say.”
Azɔ la, yii, elabena makpe ɖe ŋuwò be nàƒo nu nyuie, eye magblɔ nu si nàgblɔ la na wò.”
13 But he/I replied, “O, Yahweh, I ask you, please send someone else [instead]!”
Ke Mose gagblɔ be, “Aƒetɔ, meɖe kuku, ɖo ame bubu aɖe ɖa.”
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.
Tete Yehowa do dɔmedzoe ɖe Mose ŋu, eye wògblɔ nɛ be, “Enyo, nɔviwò Aron, Levitɔ la, ƒoa nu nyuie, egbɔna ava di wò le afi sia. Akpɔ dzidzɔ ŋutɔ ne ekpɔ wò,
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.
eya ta magblɔ nu si nàgblɔ nɛ la na wò. Makpe ɖe mi ame evea ŋu be miaƒo nu nyuie, eye magblɔ nu si miagblɔ la na mi.
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.
Eyae anɔ tewòƒe, eye wòaƒo nu na ameawo. Wò la, ànɔ nɛ abe Mawu ene,
17 [Be sure] to take with you the walking/shepherd’s stick [that is in your hand], because you will perform miracles with it.”
gake tsɔ wò atikplɔ la ɖe asi ale be nàte ŋu awɔ nukunu siwo mefia wò la kplii.”
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.”
Mose trɔ yi aƒe me; edzro nya la me kple toa, Yetro, hegblɔ nɛ be, “Meɖe kuku, ɖe mɔ nam matrɔ ayi nye ƒometɔwo gbɔ le Egipte ne makpɔe ɖa be wogale agbe mahã?” Yetro ɖo eŋu be, “Yi faa, nye yayrawo le yowòme.”
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.”
Hafi Mose nadzo le Midian la, Yehowa gblɔ nɛ be, “Trɔ nàyi Egipte, elabena ame siwo katã di be yewoawu wò la, ku xoxo.”
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].
Ale Mose kplɔ srɔ̃a kple via ŋutsuviwo da ɖe tedzi dzi, eye wòdze mɔ yina ɖe Egipte. Elé “Mawu ƒe atikplɔ” la ɖe asi goŋgoŋgoŋ!
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].
Yehowa gblɔ nɛ be, “Ne èɖo Egipte la, ele na wò be nàdo ɖe Farao ŋkume, eye nàwɔ nukunu siwo mena ŋusẽ wò be nàwɔ. Ke mana wòasẽ dzi me: maɖe asi le ameawo ŋu be woadzo o.
22 Then say to him, ‘This is what Yahweh says: “The Israeli [people] [MTY] are [as dear to] me as firstborn sons [MET].
Ekema, ele na wò be nàgblɔ na Farao be, ‘Yehowa be, Israel dukɔ lae nye nye ŋutsu ŋgɔgbevi.
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!”’”
Meɖoe na wò be nàna wòadzo aɖasubɔm, ke ègbe toɖoɖo. Kpɔ ɖa, mawu wò ŋgɔgbevi.’”
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].
Esi Mose kple srɔ̃a kpakple wo viwo nɔ mɔa zɔm la, wotsi teƒe aɖe dɔ. Yehowa ɖe eɖokui fia Mose, eye wòdo ŋɔdzi nɛ be yeawui.
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].”
Ke Zipora tsɔ kpe ɖaɖɛ aɖe lã via ƒe aʋanuyi, eye wòtsɔe ka Mose ƒe afɔwo ŋu hegblɔ be, “Nyateƒee, ènye ʋuŋugbetɔsrɔ̃ nam.”
26 She said to him, “You are safe now [MET] because you have been circumcised.” So Yahweh did not harm her son.
Ale Yehowa ɖe asi le eŋu. (Ɣe ma ɣie Zipora gblɔ be, “Ʋuŋugbetɔsrɔ̃,” eye nu si gblɔm wòle lae nye aʋatsotso.)
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].
Azɔ la, Yehowa gblɔ na Aron be, “Yi gbedzi ne nàkpe Mose.” Ale Aron zɔ mɔ yi Mawu ƒe to, Horeb gbɔ ɖado go Mose le afi ma, eye wògbugbɔ nu nɛ.
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.
Mose gblɔ nu siwo Yehowa ɖo na wo be woawɔ kple nya siwo woagblɔ la na Aron. Eƒo nu tso nukunu siwo woawɔ le Farao ŋkume la hã ŋu nɛ.
29 [So Aaron and Moses/I] returned [to Egypt]. There they/we gathered together all the Israeli elders/leaders.
Ale Mose kple Aron wotrɔ va Egipte. Wowɔ takpekpe kple Israel ƒe dumegãwo.
30 Aaron told them everything that Yahweh had told Moses/me, and Aaron performed [all] the miracles as the people watched.
Aron gblɔ nu siwo Yehowa gblɔ na Mose la na wo, eye Mose wɔ nukunuawo wokpɔ.
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].
Dumegãwo xɔe se be Yehowae ɖo wo ɖa nyateƒe. Esi wose be Yehowa va kpɔ wo ɖa, kpɔ woƒe nublanuitɔnyenye, eye wòɖo ta me be yeaɖe wo la, wode ta agu, eye wosubɔe.
