Mose 2 3

1 Gbe ɖeka la, Mose nɔ toa Reuel, ame si wogayɔna be Yetro, ame si nye Midian nunɔla la ƒe alẽwo dzi kpɔm le gbedzi si te ɖe Horeb, Mawu ƒe to la ŋu.

Moses was a shepherd, looking after the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the Midianite priest. He led the flock far into the wilderness until he came to God's mountain, Mount Horeb.

2 Tete Yehowa ƒe dɔla aɖe ɖe eɖokui fiae le ŋuve aɖe si nɔ bibim, gake menɔ fiafiam o la me. Esi Mose kpɔ be ŋuve la nɔ bibim, gake menɔ fiafiam o la,

There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from inside a bush. Moses looked carefully and saw that though the bush was on fire, it wasn't being burned up.

3 Mose ɖo ta me be, “Mayi makpɔ nu wɔnuku sia, nu si ta ŋuve la menɔ fiafiam o la ɖa.”

“Let me go over and take a look,” Moses said to himself. “It's very odd to see a bush that's not burning up.”

4 Esi Yehowa kpɔ be Mose yi be yeakpɔe ɖa la, Mawu yɔe tso ŋuve bibi la me be, “Mose, Mose!” Eye Mose tɔ be, “Nye nye esi.”

When the Lord saw that Moses was coming to take a look, God called to him from inside the bush, “Moses! Moses!” “I'm here,” Moses replied.

5 Mawu gblɔ nɛ be, “Mègate va afi sia o. Ɖe wò afɔkpawo da ɖi, elabena anyigba kɔkɔe dzie nèle tsitre ɖo.

“Don't come any closer!” God told him. “Take off your sandals because you're standing on holy ground.”

6 Nyee nye fofowòwo ƒe Mawu, Abraham ƒe Mawu, Isak ƒe Mawu kple Yakob ƒe Mawu.” Mose tsyɔ mo anyi, elabena enɔ vɔvɔ̃m na Mawu kpɔkpɔ.

Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses covered his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

7 Yehowa gblɔ nɛ be, “Mekpɔ nye amewo ƒe fukpekpe le Egipte, mese woƒe avifafa le woƒe dɔnunɔlawo ƒe ŋutasesẽ ta. Metsɔ ɖe le woƒe fukpekpe la me,

“I'm completely aware of the misery of my people in Egypt,” the Lord told him. “I have heard them crying out because of their taskmasters. I know how much they're suffering.

8 eya ta meɖi va be maɖe wo tso Egiptetɔwo ƒe asi me, eye makplɔ wo adzoe le Egiptenyigba dzi, woayi anyigba nyui, gã aɖe dzi, afi si notsi kple anyitsi bɔ ɖo la. Anyigba sia dzie Kanaantɔwo, Hititɔwo, Amoritɔwo, Perizitɔwo, Hivitɔwo kple Yebusitɔwo le fifia.

That's why I have come down to rescue them from Egyptian oppression and to take them up from that country to a productive, wide-open land—a land flowing with milk and honey—where currently the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites are living.

9 Ɛ̃, Israelviwo ƒe konyifaɣliwo ɖi va ɖo gbɔnye le dziƒo. Mekpɔ dɔ sesẽ siwo Egiptetɔwo ɖona na wo hetsɔ tea wo ɖe toe.

Listen! The cries of the Israelites have reached me, and I have seen how badly the Egyptians are mistreating them.

10 Fifia mele dɔ wò ge ɖe Farao gbɔ be nàna be wòaɖe asi le nye dukɔ Israelviwo ŋu, eye nàkplɔ wo ado goe le Egipte.”

Now you must leave, because I'm sending you to Pharaoh to lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”

11 Mose gblɔ na Mawu be, “Ame ka menye aɖatsi tsitre ɖe Farao ŋkume, agblɔ nɛ be meva Israelviwo ɖe ge tso Egipte?”

But Moses said to God, “Why me? I'm a nobody! I couldn't go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt!”

12 Mawu gblɔ nɛ be, “Manɔ anyi kpli wò, eye esia anye dzesi si afia be nyee nye ame si le dɔwòm. Ne èkplɔ Israelviwo do goe le Egiptenyigba dzi la, miasubɔ Mawu le to sia dzi.”

“I'll be with you,” the Lord replied, “and this will be the sign that it is really me who is sending you: when you have led the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”

13 Ke Mose biae be, “Ne meyi Israelviwo gbɔ, eye megblɔ na wo be, ‘Mia fofowo ƒe Mawue ɖom ɖa’ la, woabia be, ‘Mawu sia ŋkɔ ɖe?’ Ekema nya ka magblɔ na wo?”

Then Moses said to God, “Look! If I were to go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ —then what should I tell them?”

14 Mawu ɖo eŋu na Mose be, “Menye ame si Menye. Gblɔ na Israelviwo ko be, ‘Menyee dɔm ɖa.’”

God replied to Moses, “‘I Am’ is who I am. Tell the Israelites this: ‘I Am’ has sent me to you.”

15 Mawu gblɔ kpe ɖe eŋu na Mose be, “Gblɔ na Israelviwo be, ‘Yehowa, mia fofowo ƒe Mawu, Abraham kple Isak kple Yakob ƒe Mawue dɔm ɖe mia gbɔ.’ “Esiae nye nye ŋkɔ tegbee, ŋkɔ si woayɔ nam tso dzidzime yi dzidzime si ŋu dɔ woawɔ.

Then God said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘The Lord, 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, the name you are to call me for all generations to come.’

16 “Mawu yi edzi be, ‘Yɔ Israel ƒe ametsitsiwo katã ƒo ƒu, eye nàƒo nu na wo tso ale si Yehowa, mia fofowo ƒe Mawu, Abraham, Isak kple Yakob ƒe Mawu la ɖe eɖokui fia wò le afi sia gblɔ be, Mekpɔ mi ɖa. Mekpɔ nu si le dzɔdzɔm ɖe mia dzi le Egipte.

Go, and call all the elders of Israel to meet with you. Tell them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, has appeared to me—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He said, “I have paid close attention to what's been happening to you in Egypt.

17 Mele ŋugbe dom be maɖe mi tso miaƒe fukpekpewo me le Egipte, eye makplɔ mi ayi anyigba si dzi Kanaantɔwo, Hititɔwo, Amoritɔwo, Perizitɔwo, Hivitɔwo kple Yebusitɔwo le fifia la dzi, anyigba si dzi anyitsi kple notsi bɔ ɖo.’

I have decided to take you away from the misery you're having in Egypt and bring you to the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

18 “Israelviwo ƒe dumegãwo axɔ wò nya la, ekema woakplɔ wò ayi Egipte fia Farao gbɔ, eye nàgblɔ nɛ be, ‘Yehowa, Hebritɔwo ƒe Mawu, va do go mí, eye wòbia tso mía si be míazɔ mɔ ŋkeke etɔ̃ ayi gbedzi aɖasa vɔ na Yehowa, míaƒe Mawu la le afi ma.’

“The elders of Israel will accept what you say. Then you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews has revealed himself to us. So please let us go three days journey into the desert so we can offer sacrifices to the Lord our God there.’

19 Ke menya be Egipte fia mana mɔ mi be miayi o, negbe ɖeko asi sesẽ aɖe zi edzi hafi.

But I know that the king of Egypt won't let you go unless he's forced to do so by a power stronger than him.

20 Eya ta mado nye asi ɖa ɖe Egipte ŋu, atsrɔ̃ wo kple nye nukunu siwo mawɔ le wo dome, ekema ana miayi.

So I will use my power to inflict on Egypt all the terrifying things that I'm about to do to them. After that he'll let you go.

21 “Makpɔ egbɔ be Egiptetɔwo tsɔ nunanawo na mi gleglegle le miaƒe dzodzoɣi ale be miadzo kple asi gbɔlo o!

I will make the Egyptians treat you well as a people, so when you go you won't leave empty-handed.

22 Nyɔnu ɖe sia ɖe axɔ klosalo, sikanuwo kple avɔ nyuiwo le eƒe amegã, Egiptetɔ, srɔ̃a kple eŋumewo si. Miado Egiptetɔwo ƒe nu nyuitɔwo kekeake na mia viŋutsuwo kple mia vinyɔnuwo! Ale miaha Egiptetɔwo.”

Every woman will ask her neighbor as well as any woman living in her house for silver and gold jewelry and clothing, and put them on your sons and daughters. In this way you will take the wealth of the Egyptians with you.”