< Exodus 3 >
1 Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to God’s mountain, to Horeb.
Basi Mose alikuwa anachunga mifugo ya Yethro mkwewe, kuhani wa Midiani. Mose akapeleka mifugo mbali nyuma ya jangwa, naye akafika Horebu, mlima wa Mungu.
2 Yahweh’s angel appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the middle of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
Huko malaika wa Bwana akamtokea Mose katika mwali wa moto kutoka kichakani. Mose akaona kwamba ingawa kile kichaka kilikuwa kinawaka moto, kilikuwa hakiteketei.
3 Moses said, “I will go now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.”
Ndipo Mose akawaza, “Nitageuka sasa nione kitu hiki cha ajabu, nami nione ni kwa nini kichaka hiki hakiteketei.”
4 When Yahweh saw that he came over to see, God called to him out of the middle of the bush, and said, “Moses! Moses!” He said, “Here I am.”
Bwana alipoona kuwa amegeuka ili aone, Mungu akamwita kutoka ndani ya kile kichaka, “Mose! Mose!” Naye Mose akajibu, “Mimi hapa.”
5 He said, “Don’t come close. Take off your sandals, for the place you are standing on is holy ground.”
Mungu akamwambia, “Usikaribie zaidi. Vua viatu vyako, kwa maana mahali unaposimama ni patakatifu.”
6 Moreover he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.
Kisha akamwambia, “Mimi ni Mungu wa baba yako, Mungu wa Abrahamu, Mungu wa Isaki, na Mungu wa Yakobo.” Mose aliposikia hayo, akafunika uso wake kwa sababu aliogopa kumtazama Mungu.
7 Yahweh said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.
Bwana akamwambia, “Hakika nimeona mateso ya watu wangu katika Misri. Nimesikia kilio chao kwa sababu ya wasimamizi wao, nami naguswa na mateso yao.
8 I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
Basi nimeshuka niwaokoe kutoka mkono wa Wamisri, niwatoe na kuwapandisha kutoka nchi hiyo, niwapeleke katika nchi nzuri na kubwa, nchi itiririkayo maziwa na asali, nchi ya Wakanaani, Wahiti, Waamori, Waperizi, Wahivi na Wayebusi.
9 Now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to me. Moreover I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.
Sasa kilio cha Waisraeli kimenifikia, nami nimeona jinsi Wamisri wanavyowatesa.
10 Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”
Basi, sasa nenda. Ninakutuma kwa Farao ili kuwatoa watu wangu Waisraeli kutoka Misri.”
11 Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
Lakini Mose akamwambia Mungu, “Mimi ni nani hata niende kwa Farao kuwatoa Waisraeli nchini Misri?”
12 He said, “Certainly I will be with you. This will be the token to you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
Naye Mungu akasema, “Mimi nitakuwa pamoja nawe. Hii itakuwa ishara kwako kwamba ni Mimi nimekutuma: Hapo utakapokuwa umewatoa watu Misri, mtamwabudu Mungu katika mlima huu.”
13 Moses said to God, “Behold, when I come to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what should I tell them?”
Mose akamwambia Mungu, “Ikiwa nitawaendea Waisraeli na kuwaambia, ‘Mungu wa baba zenu amenituma kwenu,’ nao wakiniuliza, ‘Jina lake ni nani?’ Nitawaambia nini?”
14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said, “You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
Mungu akamwambia Mose, “Mimi niko ambaye niko. Hivyo ndivyo utakavyowaambia Waisraeli: ‘Mimi niko amenituma kwenu.’”
15 God said moreover to Moses, “You shall tell the children of Israel this, ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations.
Vilevile Mungu akamwambia Mose, “Waambie Waisraeli, ‘Bwana, Mungu wa baba zenu, Mungu wa Abrahamu, Mungu wa Isaki, na Mungu wa Yakobo amenituma kwenu.’ Hili ndilo Jina langu milele, Jina ambalo mtanikumbuka kwalo kutoka kizazi hadi kizazi.
16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and tell them, ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt.
“Nenda, ukawakusanye wazee wa Israeli, uwaambie, ‘Bwana, Mungu wa baba zenu, Mungu wa Abrahamu, Isaki na Yakobo, alinitokea akaniambia: Nimewatazama, nami nimeona mliyofanyiwa katika Misri.
17 I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’
Nami nimeahidi kuwapandisha kutoka mateso yenu katika nchi ya Misri, niwapeleke nchi ya Wakanaani, Wahiti, Waamori, Waperizi, Wahivi na Wayebusi, nchi itiririkayo maziwa na asali.’
18 They will listen to your voice. You shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and you shall tell him, ‘Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Yahweh, our God.’
“Wazee wa Israeli watakusikiliza. Kisha wewe na wazee mtakwenda kwa mfalme wa Misri na kumwambia, ‘Bwana, Mungu wa Waebrania ametutokea. Turuhusu twende safari ya siku tatu huko jangwani kutoa dhabihu kwa Bwana Mungu wetu.’
19 I know that the king of Egypt won’t give you permission to go, no, not by a mighty hand.
Lakini nafahamu kwamba mfalme wa Misri hatawaruhusu kwenda, mpaka mkono wenye nguvu umlazimishe.
20 I will reach out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do among them, and after that he will let you go.
Kwa hiyo nitaunyoosha mkono wangu na kuwapiga Wamisri kwa maajabu yote nitakayofanya miongoni mwao. Baada ya hayo, atawaruhusu mwondoke.
21 I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, and it will happen that when you go, you shall not go empty-handed.
“Nami nitawapa hawa watu upendeleo mbele ya Wamisri, kwa hiyo mtakapoondoka nchini hamtaondoka mikono mitupu.
22 But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who visits her house, jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and clothing. You shall put them on your sons, and on your daughters. You shall plunder the Egyptians.”
Kila mwanamke Mwisraeli atamwomba jirani yake Mmisri na mwanamke yeyote anayeishi nyumbani kwake ampe vyombo vya fedha, dhahabu na nguo, ambavyo mtawavika wana wenu na binti zenu. Hivyo mtawateka nyara Wamisri.”