< Kutoka 33 >

1 Kisha Bwana akamwambia Mose, “Ondoka mahali hapa, wewe pamoja na hao watu uliowapandisha kutoka Misri, mpande mpaka nchi niliyomwahidi Abrahamu, Isaki na Yakobo kwa kiapo, nikisema, ‘Nitawapa wazao wenu nchi hii.’
And the Lord said to Moses, Go forward from this place, you and the people whom you have taken up out of the land of Egypt, to that land about which I made an oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, To your seed will I give it.
2 Nitamtuma malaika mbele yenu, naye atawafukuza Wakanaani, Waamori, Wahiti, Waperizi, Wahivi na Wayebusi.
And I will send an angel before you, driving out the Canaanite and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite:
3 Pandeni mwende katika nchi itiririkayo maziwa na asali. Lakini mimi sitakwenda pamoja nanyi, kwa sababu ninyi ni watu wenye shingo ngumu, nisije nikawaangamiza njiani.”
Go up to that land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, for you are a stiff-necked people, for fear that I send destruction on you while you are on the way.
4 Watu waliposikia habari hizo za huzuni, wakaanza kuomboleza wala hakuna mtu aliyevaa mapambo yoyote.
Hearing this bad news the people were full of grief, and no one put on his ornaments.
5 Kwa kuwa Bwana alikuwa amemwambia Mose, “Waambie Waisraeli, ‘Ninyi ni watu wenye shingo ngumu. Kama ningefuatana nanyi hata kwa muda mfupi, ningewaangamiza. Sasa vueni mapambo yenu, nami nitaamua nitakalowatendea.’”
And the Lord said to Moses, Say to the children of Israel, You are a stiff-necked people: if I come among you, even for a minute, I will send destruction on you; so take off all your ornaments, so that I may see what to do with you.
6 Hivyo Waisraeli wakavua mapambo yao katika Mlima wa Horebu.
So the children of Israel took off their ornaments at Mount Horeb, and did not put them on again.
7 Basi Mose alikuwa na desturi ya kuchukua hema na kuliweka wakfu nje ya kambi umbali kiasi, akaliita “Hema la Kukutania.” Kila aliyekuwa akiulizia shauri kwa Bwana, angelikwenda katika Hema la Kukutania nje ya kambi.
Now it was Moses' way to put up the Tent of meeting outside the tent-circle, at some distance away; giving it the name of The Tent of meeting. And everyone desiring to make his prayer to the Lord went to the Tent of meeting outside the tent-circle.
8 Wakati wowote Mose alipokwenda kwenye Hema, watu wote waliinuka na kusimama kwenye maingilio ya mahema yao, wakimwangalia Mose mpaka aingie kwenye Hema.
And whenever Moses went out to the Tent of meeting, all the people got up and everyone went to the door of his tent, looking after Moses till he went inside the Tent.
9 Kila mara Mose alipoingia ndani ya hema, nguzo ya wingu ingeshuka chini na kukaa kwenye ingilio, wakati Mungu akizungumza na Mose.
And whenever Moses went into the Tent, the pillar of cloud came down, and took its place by the door of the Tent, as long as the Lord was talking with Moses.
10 Kila mara watu walipoona hiyo nguzo ya wingu ikiwa imesimama kwenye ingilio la hema, wote walisimama wakaabudu, kila mmoja kwenye ingilio la hema lake.
And all the people saw the cloud at the door of the Tent, and they went down on their faces, everyone at the door of his tent.
11 Bwana angezungumza na Mose uso kwa uso, kama vile mtu azungumzavyo na rafiki yake. Kisha Mose angerudi kambini, lakini msaidizi wake kijana Yoshua mwana wa Nuni hakuondoka mle Hemani.
And the Lord had talk with Moses face to face, as a man may have talk with his friend. And when Moses came back to the tents, his servant, the young man Joshua, the son of Nun, did not come away from the Tent.
12 Mose akamwambia Bwana, “Umekuwa ukiniambia, ‘Ongoza watu hawa,’ lakini hujanifahamisha ni nani utakayemtuma pamoja nami. Umesema, ‘Ninakujua wewe kwa jina lako, nawe umepata kibali mbele zangu.’
And Moses said to the Lord, See, you say to me, Be this people's guide on their journey, but you have not made clear to me whom you will send with me. But you have said, I have knowledge of you by name, and you have grace in my eyes.
13 Ikiwa umependezwa nami, nifundishe njia zako ili nipate kukujua, nami nizidi kupata kibali mbele zako. Kumbuka kuwa taifa hili ni watu wako.”
If then I have grace in your eyes, let me see your ways, so that I may have knowledge of you and be certain of your grace; and my prayer is that you will keep in mind that this nation is your people.
14 Bwana akajibu, “Uso wangu utakwenda pamoja nawe, nami nitakupa raha.”
And he said, I myself will go with you and give you rest.
15 Kisha Mose akamwambia, “Kama Uso wako hauendi pamoja nasi, usituondoe hapa.
And Moses said, If you yourself are not going with us, do not send us on from here.
16 Mtu yeyote atajuaje kuwa mimi pamoja na watu wako tumepata kibali mbele zako, usipokwenda pamoja nasi? Ni nini kingine kitakachoweza kututofautisha mimi na watu wako miongoni mwa watu wengine wote walio katika uso wa dunia?”
For is not the fact of your going with us the sign that I and this people have grace in your eyes, so that we, that is, I and your people, are separate from all other people on the face of the earth?
17 Bwana akamwambia Mose, “Nitakufanyia jambo lile uliloomba, kwa sababu ninapendezwa nawe, nami ninakujua kwa jina lako.”
And the Lord said to Moses, I will do as you say: for you have grace in my eyes, and I have knowledge of you by your name.
18 Kisha Mose akasema, “Basi nionyeshe utukufu wako.”
And Moses said, O Lord, let me see your glory.
19 Ndipo Bwana akasema, “Nitapitisha wema wangu wote mbele yako, nami nitalitangaza Jina langu, Bwana, mbele ya uso wako. Nitamrehemu yeye nimrehemuye, na pia nitamhurumia yeye nimhurumiaye.”
And he said, I will make all the light of my being come before you, and will make clear to you what I am; I will be kind to those to whom I will be kind, and have mercy on those on whom I will have mercy.
20 Lakini Mungu akasema, “Hutaweza kuuona uso wangu, kwa kuwa hakuna mtu yeyote awezaye kuniona akaishi.”
But it is not possible for you to see my face, for no man may see me and still go on living.
21 Kisha Bwana akasema, “Kuna mahali karibu nami ambapo unaweza kusimama juu ya mwamba.
And the Lord said, See, there is a place near me, and you may take your place on the rock:
22 Utukufu wangu unapopita, nitakuweka gengeni kwenye mwamba na kukufunika kwa mkono wangu mpaka nitakapokwisha kupita.
And when my glory goes by, I will put you in a hole in the rock, covering you with my hand till I have gone past:
23 Kisha nitaondoa mkono wangu nawe utaona mgongo wangu; lakini kamwe uso wangu hautaonekana.”
Then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back: but my face is not to be seen.

< Kutoka 33 >