< Kutoka 10 >
1 Ndipo Bwana akamwambia Mose, “Nenda kwa Farao, kwa kuwa nimeufanya moyo wake kuwa mgumu na mioyo ya maafisa wake ili kwamba nipate kutenda ishara hizi zangu za ajabu miongoni mwao
The Lord told Moses, “Go and see Pharaoh, because it was me who gave him and his officials a stubborn attitude so that I may perform my miracles before them.
2 ili upate kuwaeleza watoto wako na wajukuu wako jinsi nilivyowatendea Wamisri kwa ukali na jinsi nilivyofanya ishara zangu miongoni mwao, nanyi mpate kujua kuwa Mimi ndimi Bwana.”
This is so you can tell your children and grandchildren how I made the Egyptians look foolish by doing these miracles among them, and so that you may know that I am the Lord.”
3 Kwa hiyo Mose na Aroni wakaenda kwa Farao na kumwambia, “Hili ndilo Bwana, Mungu wa Waebrania, asemalo: ‘Utaendelea hata lini kukataa kunyenyekea mbele yangu? Waachie watu wangu waende, ili wapate kuniabudu.
Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long are you going to refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they can worship me.
4 Kama ukikataa kuwaachia waende, kesho nitaleta nzige katika nchi yako.
If you refuse to let my people leave, tomorrow I will send a plague of locusts into your country.
5 Nao watafunika uso wa ardhi hata usionekane. Watatafuna mabaki machache yaliyobakizwa baada ya ile mvua ya mawe, yaani pamoja na kila mti unaoota katika mashamba yenu.
There will be so many of them that they'll cover the ground so no one can see it. They will eat whatever crops were left by the hail, as well as every tree growing in your fields.
6 Nzige hao watajaza nyumba zako, za maafisa wako wote na za Wamisri wote. Jambo ambalo baba zenu wala babu zenu hawajapata kuona tangu siku ile walipoanza kuishi katika nchi hii mpaka leo hii.’” Ndipo Mose akageuka na kumwacha Farao.
They will swarm into your houses and into the houses of all your officials—in fact into the houses of every Egyptian. This is something that none of your forefathers ever saw from the time they arrived in this country.’” Then Moses and Aaron turned and left Pharaoh.
7 Maafisa wa Farao wakamwambia, “Mpaka lini huyu mtu atakuwa tanzi kwetu? Waachie hao watu waende zao, ili wapate kumwabudu Bwana Mungu wao. Je, bado hutambui kuwa Misri imeangamia?”
Pharaoh's officials came to him and asked, “How long are you going to let this man cause us trouble? Let these people go so they can worship the Lord their God. Don't you realize that Egypt has been destroyed?”
8 Ndipo Mose na Aroni wakaletwa kwa Farao. Farao akawaambia, “Nendeni, mkamwabudu Bwana Mungu wenu. Lakini ni nani hasa watakaokwenda?”
Moses and Aaron were brought back to see Pharaoh. “Go and worship the Lord your God,” he told them. “But who of you will be going?”
9 Mose akajibu, “Tutakwenda na vijana wetu na wazee, pamoja na wana wetu na binti zetu, pia pamoja na kondoo zetu, ngʼombe, mbuzi, farasi na punda kwa sababu tutaadhimisha sikukuu kwa Bwana.”
“We will all go,” Moses replied. “Young and old, sons and daughters—and we'll take our flocks and herds with us, for we're going to have a religious festival for the Lord.”
10 Farao akasema, “Bwana awe pamoja nanyi, kama nikiwaruhusu mwondoke pamoja na wanawake wenu na watoto wenu! Ni wazi kwamba mna makusudi mabaya.
“The Lord really would have to be with you if I let your children go with you!” Pharaoh answered. “Clearly you're planning some kind of evil trick!
11 La hasha! Wanaume peke yao na waende, wakamwabudu Bwana, kwa kuwa hilo ndilo mmekuwa mkiomba.” Kwa hiyo Mose na Aroni wakaondolewa mbele ya Farao.
So no! Only the men can go and worship the Lord, because that's what you've been asking for.” Then he had Moses and Aaron thrown out.
12 Basi Bwana akamwambia Mose, “Nyoosha mkono wako juu ya Misri ili kundi la nzige liweze kuingia juu ya nchi na kutafuna kila kitu kiotacho katika mashamba na kila kitu kilichosazwa na ile mvua ya mawe.”
The Lord told Moses, “Lift up your hand over Egypt, so that the locusts may swarm over it and eat every plant in the country—everything that was left by the hail.”
13 Kwa hiyo Mose akanyoosha fimbo yake juu ya Misri, Bwana akauleta upepo wa mashariki ukavuma katika nchi yote mchana wote na usiku kucha, kufikia asubuhi upepo ukawa umeleta nzige.
Moses held out his staff over Egypt, and all through that day and night the Lord sent an east wind blowing over the land. By the time morning came the east wind had brought in the locusts.
14 Wakaivamia Misri yote na kukaa kila eneo la nchi kwa wingi. Kamwe hapajapata kuwepo pigo la nzige kama hilo, wala halitakuwepo tena.
The locusts swarmed across the land and settled in every part of the country. There had never been such a swarm of locusts ever before, and there won't be ever again.
15 Wakafunika ardhi yote mpaka ardhi ikawa nyeusi. Wakatafuna kile chote kilichokuwa kimebakizwa na ile mvua ya mawe, kila kitu kiotacho mashambani pamoja na matunda kwenye miti. Hakuna kitu chochote cha kijani kilichosalia katika miti au mmea katika nchi yote ya Misri.
They covered the ground until it looked black, and they ate up all the plants in the fields and all the fruit on the trees that had been left by the hail. Not a single green leaf was left on any tree or plant anywhere in Egypt.
16 Farao akawaita Mose na Aroni kwa haraka na kuwaambia, “Nimetenda dhambi dhidi ya Bwana Mungu wenu na dhidi yenu pia.
Pharaoh called urgently for Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you.
17 Sasa unisamehe dhambi yangu mara moja tena na umwombe Bwana Mungu wako aondoe pigo hili baya kwangu.”
So please forgive my sin just this one time and plead with the Lord your God, asking him to at least take away this deathly plague from me.”
18 Kisha Mose akaondoka kwa Farao akamwomba Bwana.
Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord.
19 Naye Bwana akaugeuza upepo ukavuma kutoka magharibi, wenye nguvu nyingi, ambao uliwaondoa wale nzige na kuwapeleka kwenye Bahari ya Shamu. Hakuna nzige hata mmoja aliyebaki popote katika nchi ya Misri.
The Lord changed the direction of the wind so that a strong westerly wind blew the locusts into the Red Sea. There wasn't a single locust left anywhere in Egypt.
20 Lakini Bwana akaufanya moyo wa Farao kuwa mgumu, wala hakuwaachia Waisraeli waondoke.
But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn, and he would not let the Israelites go.
21 Kisha Bwana akamwambia Mose, “Nyoosha mkono wako kuelekea angani ili giza litande katika nchi ya Misri, giza ambalo watu wanaweza kulipapasa na kulihisi.”
The Lord told Moses, “Lift your hand toward the sky so that darkness will fall over Egypt, darkness so thick that it can be felt.”
22 Kwa hiyo Mose akaunyoosha mkono wake kuelekea angani, na giza nene likafunika pote katika nchi ya Misri kwa muda wa siku tatu.
Moses lifted up his hand toward heaven, and the whole of Egypt went completely dark for three days.
23 Hakuna mtu yeyote aliyeweza kumwona mwenzake, wala kuondoka mahali alipokuwa kwa muda wa siku tatu. Lakini Waisraeli wote walikuwa na mwanga katika maeneo yao waliyokuwa wanaishi.
No one could see anyone else, and no one moved from where they were for three days. But there was still light where all the Israelites lived.
24 Ndipo Farao akamwita Mose na kusema, “Nendeni, mkamwabudu Bwana. Hata wanawake na watoto wenu mwaweza kwenda nao pia, lakini kondoo, mbuzi na ngʼombe wenu waacheni.”
Eventually Pharaoh called for Moses. “Go and worship the Lord,” he said. “Just leave your flocks and herds here. You can even take your children with you.”
25 Lakini Mose akasema, “Huna budi kuturuhusu tuwe na dhabihu na sadaka za kuteketezwa za kutoa mbele za Bwana Mungu wetu.
But Moses replied, “You must also let us have animals for sacrifices and burnt offerings, so we can offer them to the Lord our God.
26 Sisi ni lazima tuondoke na mifugo yetu pia, wala hakuna ukwato utakaoachwa nyuma. Inatupasa kutumia baadhi ya hiyo mifugo katika kumwabudu Bwana Mungu wetu, kwa kuwa mpaka tutakapofika huko hatutakuwa tumefahamu ni nini tutakachotumia katika kumwabudu Bwana.”
Our livestock have to go with us too—not a single animal will be left behind. We'll need some of them to worship the Lord our God, and we won't know how we are to worship the Lord until we get there.”
27 Lakini Bwana akaufanya moyo wa Farao kuwa mgumu, hakuwa radhi kuwaachia waondoke.
But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn, and he would not let them go.
28 Farao akamwambia Mose, “Ondoka mbele yangu! Hakikisha kuwa hutakuja mbele yangu tena! Siku ile utakapouona uso wangu utakufa.”
Pharaoh shouted at Moses, “Get out of here! I don't want to see you ever again! If I ever do see you again you'll die!”
29 Mose akamjibu, “Iwe kama ulivyosema! Kamwe sitauona uso wako tena.”
“May it be as you say,” Moses replied. “I won't see you again.”