< Kutoka 3 >

1 Wakati huu Musa aliendelea kuchunga mifugo ya Yethro baba mkwe wake, kuhani wa Midiani. Musa aliliongoza kundi la mifugo kuelekea upande wa mbali wa jangwa mpaka kufika Horebu, mlima wa Mungu.
Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
2 Akiwa pale malaika wa Yahwe akamtokea kama mwali wa moto katika kichaka. Musa aliangalia, na tazama, kichaka kiliwaka moto lakini hakikuteketea.
There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from within a bush. Moses saw the bush ablaze with fire, but it was not consumed.
3 Musa akasema, “Nitageuka ili nione kitaku hiki cha ajabu, kwa nini kichaka hakiteketei.”
So Moses thought, “I must go over and see this marvelous sight. Why is the bush not burning up?”
4 Yahwe alipoona ya kuwa amegeuka upande ili aone, Mungu alimwita kutoka katika kile kichaka na kusema, “Musa, Musa.” Musa akasema, “Mimi hapa.”
When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from within the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered.
5 Mungu akasema, “Usinikaribie! Vua viatu katika miguu yako, kwa kuwa mahali uliposimama ni mahali palipowekwa wakfu kwa ajili yangu.”
“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
6 Aliongeza kusema, “Mimi ni Mungu wa baba yako, Mungu wa Abrahamu, Mungu wa Isaka, na Mungu wa Yakobo.” Kisha Musa akaufunika uso wake, kwa kuwa aliogopa kumwangalia Mungu.
Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
7 Yahwe akasema, “Hakika nimeyaona mateso ya watu wangu walioko Misri. Nimesikia kelele zao kwa sababu ya mabwana wao, kwa kuwa nayajua mateso yao.
The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.
8 Nimekuja chini kuwaokoa dhidi ya mamlaka ya Wamisri na kuwatoa katika nchi ile na kuwaleta katika nchi nzuri, pana, nchi ijaayo maziwa na asali; kwenye ukanda wa Wakanaani, Wahiti, Waamori, Waperizi, Wahivi, na Wayebusi.
I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
9 Sasa kilio cha watu wa Israeli kimenifikia mimi. Zaidi sana, Mimi nimeyaona mateso ambayo Wamisri wanawatesa.
And now the cry of the Israelites has reached Me, and I have seen how severely the Egyptians are oppressing them.
10 Sasa basi, nitakutuma wewe kwa Farao ili upate kuwatoa watu wangu, wana wa Israeli, kutoka katika nchi ya Misri.”
Therefore, go! I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
11 Lakini Musa akamwambia Mungu, “Mimi ni nani hata niende kwa Farao na kuwatoa Waisraeli kutoka Misri?”
But Moses asked God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
12 Mungu akamjibu, “Hakika nitakuwa pamoja nawe. Hii itakuwa ishara kwako ya kuwa nimekutuma. Utakapokuwa umewatoa watu kutoka Misri, mtaniabubu mimi katika mlima huu.”
“I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain.”
13 Musa akamwambia Mungu, “Nikienda kwa Waisraeli na kuwaambia, 'Mungu wa baba zenu amenituma mimi kwenu,' na kisha wakiniambia, 'jina lake nani?' nitawaambia nini?”
Then Moses asked God, “Suppose I 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?’ What should I tell them?”
14 Mungu akamwambia Musa, “MIMI NIPO AMBAYE NIPO.” Mungu akasema, “Ni lazima uwaambie Waisraeli, “MIMI NIPO amenituma kwenu.”
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
15 Pia Mungu akamwambia Musa, “Lazima uwaambie Waisraeli, 'Yahwe, Mungu wa baba zenu, Mungu wa Abrahamu, Mungu wa Isaka, na Mungu wa Yakobo amenituma mimi kwenu. Hili ndio jina langu milele, na hivi ndivyo nitakavyokumbukwa na vizazi vyote.'
God also told Moses, “Say to 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, and this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.
16 Nenda ukawakusanye wazee wa Israeli pamoja. Waambie, 'Yahwe, Mungu wa baba zenu, Mungu wa Abrahamu, wa Isaka na Yakobo, amenitokea mimi na kusema, “Hakika nimewatazama na nimeona yale mliyotendewa huko Misri.
Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—has appeared to me and said: I have surely attended to you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt.
17 Nimeahidi kuwatoa ninyi katika mateso ya Misri na kuwaleta katika nchi ya Wakanaani, Wahiti, Wamwori, Waperizi, Wahivi, na Wayebusi. Nchi ijaayo maziwa na asali.”
And I have promised to bring you up out of your affliction in Egypt, into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’
18 Watakusikiliza. Wewe pamoja na wazee wa Israeeli itawapasa kwenda kwa mfalme wa Misri, na imewapasa kumwambia, 'Yahwe, Mungu wa Waebrania amekutana nasi. Hivyo tuache sisi twende safari ya siku tatu katika jangwa ili tupate kutoa sadaka kwa Yahwe Mungu wetu.'
The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’
19 Lakini nafahamu ya kuwa mfalme wa Misri hatawaacha ninyi mwende, isipokuwa kwa kulazimishwa.
But I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go unless a mighty hand compels him.
20 Nitainua mkono wangu na kuwapiga Wamisri kwa miujiza yote nitakayoifanya kati yao. Baada ya hayo, atawaacha mwende.
So I will stretch out My hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders I will perform among them. And after that, he will release you.
21 Nitawapa watu hawa kufadhiliwa kutoka kwa Wamisri ili muondokapo msiende mikono mitupu.
And I will grant this people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that when you leave, you will not go away empty-handed.
22 Kila mwanamke ataomba kwa jirani yake Mmisri na kwa kila mwanamke akaaye kwenye nyumba ya jirani yake, vyombo vya fedha na vya dhahabu na nguo. Nanyi mtawavika watoto wenu wa kiume na binti zenu. Kwa njia hii mtawateka nyara Wamisri.”
Every woman shall ask her neighbor and any woman staying in her house for silver and gold jewelry and clothing, and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians.”

< Kutoka 3 >