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.
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 Akiwa pale malaika wa Yahwe akamtokea kama mwali wa moto katika kichaka. Musa aliangalia, na tazama, kichaka kiliwaka moto lakini hakikuteketea.
[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 Musa akasema, “Nitageuka ili nione kitaku hiki cha ajabu, kwa nini kichaka hakiteketei.”
Moses/I thought, “I will go closer and try to see this strange 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 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 Mungu akasema, “Usinikaribie! Vua viatu katika miguu yako, kwa kuwa mahali uliposimama ni mahali palipowekwa wakfu kwa ajili yangu.”
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 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 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 Yahwe akasema, “Hakika nimeyaona mateso ya watu wangu walioko Misri. Nimesikia kelele zao kwa sababu ya mabwana wao, kwa kuwa nayajua mateso yao.
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 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.
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 Sasa kilio cha watu wa Israeli kimenifikia mimi. Zaidi sana, Mimi nimeyaona mateso ambayo Wamisri wanawatesa.
Truly I have now heard my Israeli people crying [PRS]. I have seen how the Egyptians oppress them.
10 Sasa basi, nitakutuma wewe kwa Farao ili upate kuwatoa watu wangu, wana wa Israeli, kutoka katika nchi ya Misri.”
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 Lakini Musa akamwambia Mungu, “Mimi ni nani hata niende kwa Farao na kuwatoa Waisraeli kutoka Misri?”
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 Mungu akamjibu, “Hakika nitakuwa pamoja nawe. Hii itakuwa ishara kwako ya kuwa nimekutuma. Utakapokuwa umewatoa watu kutoka Misri, mtaniabubu mimi katika mlima huu.”
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 Musa akamwambia Mungu, “Nikienda kwa Waisraeli na kuwaambia, 'Mungu wa baba zenu amenituma mimi kwenu,' na kisha wakiniambia, 'jina lake nani?' nitawaambia 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 Mungu akamwambia Musa, “MIMI NIPO AMBAYE NIPO.” Mungu akasema, “Ni lazima uwaambie Waisraeli, “MIMI NIPO amenituma kwenu.”
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 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 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 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 [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 Nimeahidi kuwatoa ninyi katika mateso ya Misri na kuwaleta katika nchi ya Wakanaani, Wahiti, Wamwori, Waperizi, Wahivi, na Wayebusi. Nchi ijaayo maziwa na asali.”
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 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.'
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 Lakini nafahamu ya kuwa mfalme wa Misri hatawaacha ninyi mwende, isipokuwa kwa kulazimishwa.
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 Nitainua mkono wangu na kuwapiga Wamisri kwa miujiza yote nitakayoifanya kati yao. Baada ya hayo, atawaacha mwende.
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 Nitawapa watu hawa kufadhiliwa kutoka kwa Wamisri ili muondokapo msiende mikono mitupu.
[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 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.”
[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.”
