Exodus 4
1 Moses answered, “But what if they do not believe me or listen to me but say instead, 'Yahweh has not appeared 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, “What is that in your hand?” Moses said, “A staff.”
上主問他說：「你手裏拿的是什麼﹖」他回答說：「一根棍杖。」
3 Yahweh said, “Throw it on the ground.” Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a snake. Moses ran back 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 Yahweh said to Moses, “Reach out and take it by the tail.” So he reached out and took hold of the snake. It became a staff in his 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 “This is so they may believe that Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has 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 also said to him, “Now put your hand inside your robe.” So Moses put his hand inside his robe. When he brought it out, behold, his hand was leprous, 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 Yahweh said, “Put your hand inside your robe again.” So Moses put his hand inside his robe, and when he brought it out, he saw that it was made healthy again, like the rest of his flesh.
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 Yahweh said, “If they do not believe you—if they do not pay attention to the first sign of my power or believe in it, then they will believe the second sign.
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 even these two signs of my power, or listen to you, then take some water from the river and pour it on the dry land. The water that you take will become blood on the dry land.”
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 Then Moses said to Yahweh, “Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you spoke to your servant. I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”
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 Yahweh said to him, “Who is it who made man's mouth? Who makes a man mute or deaf or seeing or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh?
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 now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what to say.”
現在你去，我要幫助你說話，指教你該說什麼。」
13 But Moses said, “Lord, please send anyone else, anyone whom you wish to send.”
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 angry with Moses. He said, “What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Moreover, he is coming to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
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 will speak to him and put the words to say into his mouth. I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will show you both what to 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 to the people for you. He will be your mouth, and you will be to him like me, 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 You will take in your hand this staff. With it you will do the signs.”
你手中要拿著這根棍杖，用來行奇蹟。」梅瑟回埃及
18 So Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Let me go so I may return to my relatives who are in Egypt and see if they are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in 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 in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt, for all the men who were trying to take your life are 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 Moses took his wife and his sons and put them on a donkey. He returned to the land of Egypt, and he took the staff of God in his hand.
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, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, and he will not let the people go.
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 You must say to Pharaoh, 'This is what Yahweh says: Israel is my son, my firstborn,
你要對法朗說：上主這樣說：以色列是我的長子。
23 and I say to you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me.” But since you have refused to let him go, I will certainly kill your son, your firstborn.'”
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 Now on the way, when they stopped for the night, Yahweh met Moses and tried to kill him.
梅瑟在路上住宿的時候，上主遇著他，要想殺他。
25 Then Zipporah took a flint knife and cut off the foreskin of her son, and touched it to his feet. Then she said, “Surely you are a bridegroom to me by blood.”
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 So Yahweh let him alone. She said, “You are a bridegroom of blood” because of the circumcision.
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 wilderness to meet Moses.” Aaron went, met him at the mountain of God, and kissed him.
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 told Aaron all the words of Yahweh that he had sent him to say and about all the signs of Yahweh's power that he had commanded him to do.
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 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the Israelites.
梅瑟和亞郎遂去召集了以色列子民所有的長老
30 Aaron spoke all the words that Yahweh had spoken to Moses. He also displayed the signs of Yahweh's power in the sight of the people.
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 The people believed. When they heard that Yahweh had observed the Israelites and that he had seen their oppression, then they bowed their heads and worshiped him.
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。
