Kobima 3
1 Moyize azalaki koleisa bibwele ya Jetro, bokilo na ye mpe Nganga-Nzambe ya Madiani. Amemaki bibwele mosika, kati na esobe, mpe akomaki na Orebi, ngomba ya Nzambe.
Moses/I was taking care of the sheep that belonged to his/my father-in-law Jethro, the priest of the Midian [people]. He/I led the flock across the desert and came to Horeb, [the mountain that was later called Sinai], the (mountain that [had been dedicated to] God/taboo mountain).
2 Kuna, Anjelu ya Yawe abimelaki ye kati na ndemo ya moto oyo ezalaki komata longwa kati na mwa nzete. Moyize amonaki nzete moke yango kopela moto, kasi ezalaki kozika te.
[One day] Yahweh (appeared/revealed himself) to him/me, [looking like] an angel. The angel appeared in a flame of fire in the middle of a bush [that was burning]. Moses/I looked at it, and he/I was surprised that the bush was burning, but it was not burning up.
3 Moyize amilobelaki: « Tika ete nabaluka mpo ete natala emoniseli oyo ya kokamwa mpe nayeba mpo na nini nzete moke oyo ezali kozika te. »
Moses/I thought, “I will go closer and try to see this strange sight! Why is the bush not burning up?”
4 Tango Yawe amonaki ete Moyize azali kobaluka mpo na kotala, Nzambe abengaki ye wuta na nzete moke yango: — Moyize, Moyize! Moyize azongisaki: — Ngai oyo!
When Yahweh saw that he/I had come closer, he called to Moses/me from the middle of the bush, saying, “Moses! Moses!” He/I replied, “[Yes], here I am.”
5 Nzambe alobaki na ye: — Kopusana awa te, longola basandale na yo na makolo na yo, pamba te esika oyo otelemi ezali mabele ya bule.
Yahweh said, “Do not come closer! [Because I am God], the ground on which you are standing is holy/taboo. So take off your sandals [to show respect to me].”
6 Alobaki lisusu: — Nazali Nzambe ya bakoko na yo, Nzambe ya Abrayami, Nzambe ya Izaki, mpe Nzambe ya Jakobi. Boye Moyize abombaki elongi na ye, pamba te abangaki kotala Nzambe.
Then he said, “I am God, whom your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob [worshiped].” So Moses/I covered his/my face, because he/I was afraid [that God would kill him/me] if he/I looked at him.
7 Yawe alobaki: — Namoni pasi ya bato na Ngai kuna na Ejipito; nayoki koganga na bango mpo na misala makasi oyo bakonzi ya misala makasi bazali kopesa bango. Nayebi pasi na bango.
Then Yahweh said, “I have seen how cruelly [they are treating] my people in Egypt. I have heard them (wailing/crying out) [for help] because of what the slave-drivers [are forcing them to do]. I know how my people are suffering.
8 Yango wana nakiti mpo na kokangola bango na maboko ya bato ya Ejipito mpe kobimisa bango na mokili oyo, mpo na kokotisa bango na mokili ya kitoko mpe ya monene, mokili oyo ezali kobimisa miliki mpe mafuta ya nzoyi. Ezali mokili oyo evandaka bato ya Kanana, ya Iti, ya Amori, ya Perizi, ya Evi mpe ya Yebusi.
So I have come down [from heaven] to rescue them from the Egyptians [SYN]. I have come to bring them up from that land [to the highlands in Canaan]. I will bring them to a land that is good/fertile and that has plenty of space. It will be very good for raising livestock and growing crops [MTY]. It is the land where the descendants of Canaan, Heth, Amor, Periz, Hiv, and Jebus [live].
9 Sik’oyo, koganga ya bana ya Isalaele ekomi kino epai na Ngai mpe namoni ndenge nini bato ya Ejipito bazali konyokola bango.
Truly I have now heard my Israeli people crying [PRS]. I have seen how the Egyptians oppress them.
10 Yango wana natindi yo sik’oyo mpo ete okende epai ya Faraon mpo na kobimisa bato na Ngai, Isalaele, na Ejipito.
So you go [back] to Egypt. I am sending you to the king, in order that [he may permit] you to bring my people, the Israeli people, out of Egypt.”
11 Moyize alobaki na Nzambe: — Ngai nazali nani mpo ete nakende epai ya Faraon mpe mpo ete nabimisa bana ya Isalaele na Ejipito?
But Moses/I replied, “I am not a well-known person [RHQ]! (I cannot go to the king and [ask him to permit me] to bring the Israeli people out of Egypt!/How can I go to the king and [ask him to allow me to] bring the Israeli people out of Egypt?)” [RHQ]
12 Nzambe alobaki: — Nakozala na yo elongo. Mpe tala elembo oyo ekolakisa yo ete Ngai nde natindi yo: tango okobimisa bato na Ngai na Ejipito, bokogumbamela Nzambe na ngomba oyo.
God replied, “I will be with you. And when you bring [my] people out of Egypt, all of you will worship me [right] here on this mountain. That will prove that I am the one who sent you [to them].”
13 Moyize alobaki na Nzambe: — Soki nakeyi epai ya bana ya Isalaele mpe nalobi na bango: « Nzambe ya bakoko na bino atindi ngai epai na bino, » bongo soki bango batuni ngai: « Kombo na Ye nani? » Nakoyebisa bango nini?
Moses/I said to God, “If I go to the Israeli people and say to them, ‘God, the one your ancestors [worshiped], has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’, what shall I say to them?”
14 Nzambe alobaki na Moyize: — Ngai nazali oyo akosala. Tala makambo oyo okoloba na bana ya Isalaele: « Nazali atindi ngai epai na bino. »
God replied, “I AM who I AM.” And he said, “Tell the Israeli people that the one who is [named] ‘I AM’ has sent me to you.”
15 Nzambe alobaki lisusu na Moyize: — Loba na bana ya Isalaele: « Yawe Nzambe ya bakoko na bino, Nzambe ya Abrayami, Nzambe ya Izaki, mpe Nzambe ya Jakobi, atindi ngai epai na bino. »
God also said to Moses/me, “Say this to the Israeli people: ‘Yahweh God, the one your ancestors [worshiped], the one that Abraham and Isaac and Jacob [worshiped], has sent me to you.’ This name, [Yahweh], will be my name forever. That is the name that [people in] all future generations [must use when they talk about/to] me.
16 Boye, kende, sangisa bakambi ya Isalaele mpe loba na bango: « Yawe, Nzambe ya bakoko na bino, Nzambe ya Abrayami, ya Izaki mpe ya Jakobi, abimelaki ngai mpe alobi: ‹ Nazwi mokano ya kobundela bino, pamba te namoni pasi na bino na Ejipito. › »
Go [to Egypt] and gather together the elders/leaders of the Israeli people, and say to them, ‘Yahweh God, the one your ancestors [worshiped], the one Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob [worshiped], appeared to me. He said to him/me, “I have been watching closely what the Egyptian people have done to you.
17 Mpe nalobi: « Nakolongola bino na minyoko ya Ejipito mpo na komema bino na mokili ya bato ya Kanana, ya Iti, ya Amori, ya Perizi, ya Evi mpe ya Yebusi, na mokili oyo ezali kobimisa miliki mpe mafuta ya nzoyi. »
I promise that I will rescue you from being oppressed in Egypt, and [I will take you] to the land where the descendants of Canaan, Heth, Amor, Periz, Hiv, and Jebus [live]. It is a land good for raising livestock and growing crops [MTY].”’
18 Bakambi ya Isalaele bakoyokela yo, bongo yo elongo na bakambi, bokokende epai ya mokonzi ya Ejipito mpe bokoloba na ye: « Yawe Nzambe ya Ba-Ebre akutanaki na biso. Sik’oyo, pesa biso nzela ya kotambola mikolo misato kati na esobe mpo ete tokende kotumbela Yawe, Nzambe na biso, mbeka. »
My people will do what you say. Then you and their leaders must go to the king of Egypt, and you must say to him, ‘Yahweh, who is God, the one we Hebrews [worship], has revealed himself to us. So now we ask you to allow us to travel for three days to [a place in] the desert, in order that there we may offer sacrifices to Yahweh, our God.’
19 Kasi nayebi ete mokonzi ya Ejipito akopesa bino te nzela ya kokende, ata soki amoni loboko na Ngai ya nguya.
But I know that the king of Egypt will allow you to go only if he realizes I am [more] powerful [MTY] [than he is].
20 Yango wana, nakosembola loboko na Ngai; nakobeta Ejipito na nzela ya bikamwa na Ngai nyonso oyo nakosala kati na yango. Sima na yango, mokonzi ya Ejipito akotika bino kokende.
So I will use my power [MTY] to strike/punish [the people of] Egypt [MTY] by performing many miracles there. Then he will allow you to leave.
21 Nakosala ete bana ya Isalaele bazwa ngolu na miso ya bato ya Ejipito mpo ete, tango bokolongwa, bokende maboko pamba te.
[When that happens], I will cause the people of Egypt to respect you. [The result will be that] when you leave Egypt, (you will not go empty-handed/they will give you many [valuable] things to take with you).
22 Mwasi nyonso akosenga epai ya moninga na ye mpe epai ya mwasi oyo avandi na ndako na ye: biloko ya palata, ya wolo mpe bilamba. Bokopesa yango epai ya bana na bino ya mibali mpe ya basi mpo ete bamema. Na bongo nde bokosilisa biloko ya bato ya Ejipito.
[At that time], each [Israeli] woman will ask her [Egyptian] neighbors and each [Egyptian] woman who is living in her (OR, her neighbor’s) house to [give her] some silver and gold jewelry and some [nice] clothes. [Each Egyptian woman will give them some], and you will put them on your sons and daughters [to take with you]. In that way you will (take away/confiscate) the wealth of the Egyptian people.”
