U-Eksodusi 3
1 UMozisi wayeselusa-ke umhlambi kaJetro uyisezala, umpristi weMidiyani; waqhuba umhlambi waya ngaphambili kwenkangala waze wafika entabeni kaNkulunkulu, eHorebe.
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 Njalo ingilosi yeNkosi yabonakala kuye elangabini lomlilo liphuma phakathi kwesihlahla; wasebona, khangela-ke, isihlahla sivutha umlilo, kodwa isihlahla sasingapheli.
Huko malaika wa Bwana akamtokea Mose katika mwali wa moto kutoka kichakani. Mose akaona kwamba ingawa kile kichaka kilikuwa kinawaka moto, kilikuwa hakiteketei.
3 UMozisi wasesithi: Ngizaphambuka-ke ngibone lo umbono omkhulu, ukuthi kungani isihlahla singatshi.
Ndipo Mose akawaza, “Nitageuka sasa nione kitu hiki cha ajabu, nami nione ni kwa nini kichaka hiki hakiteketei.”
4 Kwathi iNkosi isibonile ukuthi uphambukile ukuyabona, uNkulunkulu wambiza ephakathi kwesihlahla, wathi: Mozisi, Mozisi! Wasesithi: Khangela ngilapha.
Bwana alipoona kuwa amegeuka ili aone, Mungu akamwita kutoka ndani ya kile kichaka, “Mose! Mose!” Naye Mose akajibu, “Mimi hapa.”
5 Wasesithi: Ungasondeli lapha; khupha amanyathela akho enyaweni zakho, ngoba indawo omi kuyo ingumhlabathi ongcwele.
Mungu akamwambia, “Usikaribie zaidi. Vua viatu vyako, kwa maana mahali unaposimama ni patakatifu.”
6 Wathi futhi: NginguNkulunkulu kayihlo, uNkulunkulu kaAbrahama, uNkulunkulu kaIsaka, loNkulunkulu kaJakobe. UMozisi wasefihla ubuso bakhe, ngoba esesaba ukukhangela uNkulunkulu.
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 INkosi yasisithi: Isibili ngibonile ukuhlupheka kwesizwe sami esiseGibhithe, ngizwile ukukhala kwabo ngenxa yabaqhubi besibhalo babo; ngoba ngiyazazi insizi zabo;
Bwana akamwambia, “Hakika nimeona mateso ya watu wangu katika Misri. Nimesikia kilio chao kwa sababu ya wasimamizi wao, nami naguswa na mateso yao.
8 njalo ngehlile ukusikhulula ezandleni zamaGibhithe, lokusenyusa kulelolizwe, ngisise elizweni elihle elibanzi, siye elizweni eligeleza uchago loluju, siye endaweni yamaKhanani lamaHethi lamaAmori lamaPerizi lamaHivi lamaJebusi.
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 Khathesi-ke, khangela, ukukhala kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli sekufikile kimi; njalo lami ngibonile ucindezelo amaGibhithe abacindezela ngalo.
Sasa kilio cha Waisraeli kimenifikia, nami nimeona jinsi Wamisri wanavyowatesa.
10 Khathesi-ke, woza, ngizakuthuma kuFaro ukuze ukhuphe isizwe sami, abantwana bakoIsrayeli, eGibhithe.
Basi, sasa nenda. Ninakutuma kwa Farao ili kuwatoa watu wangu Waisraeli kutoka Misri.”
11 Kodwa uMozisi wathi kuNkulunkulu: Ngingubani mina ukuthi ngiye kuFaro, lokuthi ngikhuphe abantwana bakoIsrayeli eGibhithe?
Lakini Mose akamwambia Mungu, “Mimi ni nani hata niende kwa Farao kuwatoa Waisraeli nchini Misri?”
12 Wasesithi: Isibili ngizakuba lawe; lalokhu kuzakuba yisibonakaliso kuwe sokuthi mina ngikuthumile; lapho ususikhuphile isizwe eGibhithe, lizamkhonza uNkulunkulu kulintaba.
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 UMozisi wasesithi kuNkulunkulu: Khangela, nxa ngifika kubantwana bakoIsrayeli ngisithi kubo: UNkulunkulu waboyihlo ungithumile kini; bazakuthi kimi: Ungubani ibizo lakhe? Ngizathini kubo?
Mose akamwambia Mungu, “Ikiwa nitawaendea Waisraeli na kuwaambia, ‘Mungu wa baba zenu amenituma kwenu,’ nao wakiniuliza, ‘Jina lake ni nani?’ Nitawaambia nini?”
14 UNkulunkulu wasesithi kuMozisi: NGINGUYE ENGINGUYE. Wathi futhi: Uzakutsho njalo kubantwana bakoIsrayeli ukuthi: UNGINGUYE ungithumile kini.
Mungu akamwambia Mose, “Mimi niko ambaye niko. Hivyo ndivyo utakavyowaambia Waisraeli: ‘Mimi niko amenituma kwenu.’”
15 UNkulunkulu wasesithi njalo kuMozisi: Uzakutsho njalo kubantwana bakoIsrayeli ukuthi: INkosi uNkulunkulu waboyihlo, uNkulunkulu kaAbrahama, uNkulunkulu kaIsaka, loNkulunkulu kaJakobe ungithumile kini; leli libizo lami kuze kube nininini, njalo lesi yisikhumbuzo sami kusizukulwana kusiya kusizukulwana.
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 Hamba, ubuthanise abadala bakoIsrayeli, uthi kubo: INkosi uNkulunkulu waboyihlo ibonakele kimi, uNkulunkulu kaAbrahama, kaIsaka, lokaJakobe, isithi: Ngokulihambela ngilihambele, lalokho elikwenziwe eGibhithe;
“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 futhi ngathi ngizalenyusa enhluphekweni yeGibhithe, ngilise elizweni lamaKhanani lelamaHethi lelamaAmori lelamaPerizi lelamaHivi lelamaJebusi, liye elizweni eligeleza uchago loluju.
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 Njalo bazalalela ilizwi lakho. Futhi uzakuya, wena labadala bakoIsrayeli, enkosini yeGibhithe, lithi kuyo: INkosi, uNkulunkulu wamaHebheru, ihlangene lathi; khathesi-ke, ake usiyekele sihambe ummango wensuku ezintathu siye enkangala ukuze sihlabele iNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu.
“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 Kodwa mina ngiyazi ukuthi inkosi yeGibhithe kayiyikuliyekela lihambe, ngitsho langesandla esilamandla.
Lakini nafahamu kwamba mfalme wa Misri hatawaruhusu kwenda, mpaka mkono wenye nguvu umlazimishe.
20 Ngakho ngizakwelula isandla sami ngilitshaye iGibhithe ngezimangaliso zami zonke engizazenza phakathi kwalo; njalo emva kwalokho izaliyekela lihambe.
Kwa hiyo nitaunyoosha mkono wangu na kuwapiga Wamisri kwa maajabu yote nitakayofanya miongoni mwao. Baada ya hayo, atawaruhusu mwondoke.
21 Njalo ngizanika lesisizwe umusa emehlweni amaGibhithe. Kuzakuthi-ke mhla lisukayo, kaliyikusuka lingelalutho,
“Nami nitawapa hawa watu upendeleo mbele ya Wamisri, kwa hiyo mtakapoondoka nchini hamtaondoka mikono mitupu.
22 kodwa wonke owesifazana uzacela kumakhelwane wakhe, lakuye ohlezihleziyo endlini yakhe, izinto zesiliva, lezinto zegolide, lemvunulo; lizazifaka emadodaneni enu lemadodakazini enu; lizawaphanga amaGibhithe.
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.”
