Kutoka 4

1 Musa akajibu, “Lakini itakuwaje wasiponiamini mimi au wasiponisikiliza na kusema, 'Yahwe hajakutokea wewe?”

Then Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to my voice? For they may say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’”

2 Yahwe akamwambia, “Hicho ni nini mkononi mwako?” Musa aksema, “Ni fimbo.”

And the LORD asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied.

3 Yahwe akasema, “Itupe chini.” Musa akaitupa chini ile fimbo, nayo ikageuka na kuwa nyoka. Musa akarudi nyumba.

“Throw it on the ground,” said the LORD. So Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a snake, and he ran from it.

4 Yahwe akamwambia Musa, “Mchukue kwa kumshikia mkia wake.” Hivyo alimchukua yule nyoka. Mara ikaggeuka na kuwa fimbo mkononi mwake tena.

“Stretch out your hand and grab it by the tail,” the LORD said to Moses, who reached out his hand and caught the snake, and it turned back into a staff in his hand.

5 “Hii ni ili wapate kuamini ya kuwa Yahwe, Mungu wa baba zao, Mungu wa wa Abrahamu, Mungu wa Isaka, na Mungu wa Yakobo amekutokea wewe.”

“This is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.”

6 Yahwe pia alimwambia, “Sasaingiza mkono wako ndani ya vazi lako.” Hivyo Musa akaingiza mkono wake ndani ya vazi lake. Na alipoutoa nje, tazama, mkono wake ulikuwa na ukoma, mweupe kama theluji.

Furthermore, the LORD said to Moses, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, his hand was leprous, white as snow.

7 Yahwe akasema, “Ingiza mkono wako ndani ya vazi lako tena.” Hivyo akaingiza mkono wake ndani ya vazi lake, na alipoutoa nje aliona ukiwa mzima tena kama ulivyo mwili wake wote.

“Put your hand back inside your cloak,” said the LORD. So Moses put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his skin.

8 Yahwe akasema, “Kama hawatakuamini wewe - kama hawatazingatia ishara yanggu ya kwanza ya nguvu zangu au kuziamini, basi wataamini ishara ya pili.

And the LORD said, “If they refuse to believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe that of the second.

9 Na ikiwa hawataamini hata ishara hizi zote mbili za nguvu zangu, au wasipokusikiliza wewe, basi chota maji kutoka katika mto na uyamwage katika nchi kavu. Maji utakayoyamwaga yatakuwa damu katika nchi kavu.”

But if they do not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. Then the water you take from the Nile will become blood on the ground.”

10 Ndipo Musa akamwambia Yahwe, “Bwana, mimi ni mzuri wa kuongea, si hapo kwanza au hata baada ya kuwa umeongea na mtumishi wako. Mimi ni mdhaifu wa kuongea na nina kigugumizi.”

“Please, Lord,” Moses replied, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue.”

11 Yahwe akamwambia, “Ni nani anayeumba mdomo wa mwanadamu? Ni nani amfanyaye mwanadamu kuwa bubu au aone au kipofu? Je si mimi Yahwe?

And the LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD?

12 Sasa nenda, nami nitauongoza mdomo wako na nitakufundisha cha kusema.”

Now go! I will help you as you speak, and I will teach you what to say.”

13 Lakini Musa akasema, “Bwana, tafadhali mtume mtu mwingine, yeyote unayependa kumtuma.”

But Moses replied, “Please, Lord, send someone else.”

14 Kisha Yahwe akamkasirikia Musa. Akasema, “Vipi kuhusu Aroni kaka yako yule Mlawi? Najua ya kuwa anaweza kuongea vizuri. Hata hivyo, anakuja kukutana na wewe, na atakapokuona moyo wake utajawa na furaha.

Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well, and he is now on his way to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

15 Wewe utaongea naye na utaweka maneno ya kusema kinywani mwake. Nami nitakiongoza kinywa chako na kinywa chake pia, nami nitaonesha ninyi nyote yawapasayo kutenda.

You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth. I will help both of you to speak, and I will teach you what to do.

16 Yeye ataongea na watu kwa niaba yako. Yeye atakuwa msemaji wako, na wewe utakuwa kama Mungu kwake.

He will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and it will be as if you were God to him.

17 Utachukua hii fimbo pamoja nawe mkononi mwako. Kwa fimbo hii utafanya ishara.”

But take this staff in your hand so you can perform signs with it.”

18 Hivyo Musa alirudi kwa Yethro - baba mkwe wake na kumwambia, “Niruhusu nipate kurudi kwa ndugu zangu walioko Misri ili niweze kuona kama bado wako hai.” Yethro akwambia Musa, “Nenda kwa amani.”

Then Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Please let me return to my brothers in Egypt to see if they are still alive.” “Go in peace,” Jethro replied.

19 Yahwe akamwambia Musa kule Midiani, “Nenda, rudi Misri, kwa kuwa watu wote waliotaka kukuua wameshakufa.”

Now the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who sought to kill you are dead.”

20 Musa akamchukua mke wake na watoto wake wa kiume na kuwapandisha kwenye punda. Akarudi mpaka nchi ya Misri, naye alichukua fimbo ya Mungu pamoja naye mkononi mwake.

So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and headed back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand.

21 Yahwe akamwambia Musa, “Utakaporudi Misri, jitahidi kufanya ishara zote nilizokupa kufanya mbele ya Farao. Lakini nitaufanya moyo wake kuwa mgumu, naye hawatawaacha watu waende.

The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.

22 Lazima umwambie Farao, 'Hivi ndivyo asemavyo Yahwe: Israeli ni mtoto wangu, mzaliwa wa kwanza wangu,

Then tell Pharaoh that this is what the LORD says: ‘Israel is My firstborn son,

23 nami nakuamuru, “Mwache mwanangu aende ili apate kuniabudu mimi.” Lakini kwa kuwa umekataa kumwachia, hakika nitamuua mtoto wako wa kiume, mzaliwa wa kwanza wako.”'

and I told you to let My son go so that he may worship Me. But since you have refused to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son!’”

24 Sasa wakiwa njiani, wakati wa usiku walipopumzika, Yahwe alikutana na Musa na kutaka kumuua.

Now at a lodging place along the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him.

25 Kisha Zipora akachukua kisu kikali na kukata govi la mtoto wake wa kiume na kuligusisha miguuni pake. Kisha akasema, “Hakika wewe ni bwana harusi wangu kwa njia ya damu.”

But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin, and touched it to Moses’ feet. “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said.

26 Hivyo Yahwe akamwachia. Akasema, “Wewe ni bwana harusi wa damu” kwa sababu ya kutahiriwa.

So the LORD let him alone. (When she said, “bridegroom of blood,” she was referring to the circumcision.)

27 Yahwe akamwambia Aroni, “Nenda nyikani ukutane na Musa.” Aroni akaenda na kukutana naye katika mlima wa Mungu, na kumbusu.

Meanwhile, the LORD had said to Aaron, “Go and meet Moses in the wilderness.” So he went and met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him.

28 Musa akwambia Aroni maneno yote ya Yahwe ambayo alimtuma kusema na kwa habari za ishara zote za nguvu za Yahwe ambazo alimwagiza kutenda.

And Moses told Aaron everything the LORD had sent him to say, and all the signs He had commanded him to perform.

29 Kisha Musa na Aroni wakaenda na kuwakusanya wazee wote wa Israeli.

Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites,

30 Aroni akawaambia maneno yote ambayo Yahwe alimwambia Musa. Pia alionesha ishara na miujiza ya nguvu za Yahwe mbele ya watu.

and Aaron relayed everything the LORD had said to Moses. And Moses performed the signs before the people,

31 Watu waliamini. Waliposikia ya kuwa Yahwe aliwaona Waisraeli na ya kwamba aliyaona mateso yao, waliinamisha vichwa vyao na kumwabudu.

and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD had attended to the Israelites and had seen their affliction, they bowed down and worshiped.