Exodus 4

1 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.’”

1 Mose akamjibu, “Itakuwaje kama hawataniamini au kunisikiliza, waseme, ‘Bwana hakukutokea’?”

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

2 Ndipo Bwana akamwambia, “Ni nini hicho kilicho mkononi mwako?” Akajibu, “Fimbo.”

3 “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.

3 Bwana akasema, “Itupe chini.” Mose akaitupa chini hiyo fimbo nayo ikawa nyoka, naye akaikimbia.

4 “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.

4 Kisha Bwana akamwambia, “Nyoosha mkono wako umkamate mkiani.” Basi Mose akanyoosha mkono akamkamata yule nyoka, naye akabadilika tena kuwa fimbo mkononi mwake.

5 “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.”

5 Bwana akasema, “Hivi ndivyo Waisraeli watakavyoamini kuwa Bwana, Mungu wa baba zao, Mungu wa Abrahamu, Mungu wa Isaki, na Mungu wa Yakobo, amekutokea wewe.”

6 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.

6 Kisha Bwana akamwambia, “Weka mkono wako ndani ya joho lako.” Basi Mose akaweka mkono wake ndani ya joho lake, naye alipoutoa, ulikuwa na ukoma, mweupe kama theluji.

7 “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.

7 Mungu akamwambia, “Sasa urudishe tena huo mkono ndani ya joho lako.” Basi Mose akaurudisha mkono wake ndani ya joho lake na alipoutoa, ulikuwa mzima, kama sehemu zingine za mwili wake.

8 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.

8 Ndipo Bwana akamwambia, “Kama hawatakuamini wewe, au kutojali ishara ya kwanza, wataamini ishara ya pili.

9 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.”

9 Lakini kama hawataamini ishara hizi mbili au hawatawasikiliza ninyi, chukua kiasi cha maji kutoka Mto Naili uyamimine juu ya ardhi kavu. Maji mtakayotoa mtoni yatakuwa damu juu ya ardhi.”

10 “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.”

10 Mose akamwambia Bwana, “Ee Bwana, kamwe sijapata kuwa msemaji kwa ufasaha wakati uliopita wala tangu ulipoanza kuzungumza na mtumishi wako. Ulimi wangu ni mzito kuzungumza.”

11 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?

11 Bwana akamwambia, “Ni nani aliyempa mwanadamu kinywa? Ni nani aliyemfanya mtu kuwa kiziwi au bubu? Ni nani anayempa mtu kuona au upofu? Je, si mimi, Bwana?

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

12 Sasa nenda, nitakusaidia kusema, nami nitakufundisha jambo la kusema.”

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

13 Lakini Mose akasema, “Ee Bwana, tafadhali mtume mtu mwingine kufanya kazi hiyo.”

14 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.

14 Ndipo hasira ya Bwana ikawaka dhidi ya Mose, akamwambia, “Vipi kuhusu ndugu yako, Aroni Mlawi? Ninajua yeye anaweza kuzungumza vizuri. Naye yuko tayari njiani kukulaki, na moyo wake utafurahi wakati atakapokuona.

15 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.

15 Utazungumza naye na kuweka maneno kinywani mwake. Nitawasaidia ninyi wawili kusema, nami nitawafundisha jambo la kufanya.

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

16 Aroni ataongea na watu badala yako na itakuwa kwamba yeye amekuwa kinywa chako nawe utakuwa kama Mungu kwake.

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

17 Lakini chukua fimbo hii mkononi mwako ili uweze kuitumia kufanya ishara hizo za ajabu.”

18 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.

18 Kisha Mose akarudi kwa Yethro mkwewe akamwambia, “Niruhusu nirudi kwa watu wangu Misri kuona kama yuko hata mmoja wao ambaye bado anaishi.” Yethro akamwambia, “Nenda, nami nakutakia mema.”

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

19 Basi Bwana alikuwa amemwambia Mose huko Midiani, “Rudi Misri kwa maana watu wote waliotaka kukuua wamekufa.”

20 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.

20 Basi Mose akamchukua mkewe na wanawe, akawapandisha juu ya punda na kuanza safari kurudi Misri. Naye akaichukua ile fimbo ya Mungu mkononi mwake.

21 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.

21 Bwana akamwambia Mose, “Utakaporudi Misri, hakikisha kwamba utafanya mbele ya Farao maajabu yote niliyokupa uwezo wa kuyafanya. Lakini nitafanya moyo wake kuwa mgumu ili kwamba asiwaruhusu watu waende.

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

22 Kisha mwambie Farao, ‘Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana: Israeli ni mwanangu mzaliwa wa kwanza,

23 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!’”

23 nami nilikuambia, “Ruhusu mwanangu aondoke, ili aweze kuniabudu mimi.” Lakini ukakataa kumruhusu kwenda, basi nitaua mwana wako mzaliwa wa kwanza.’”

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

24 Mose alipokuwa mahali pa kulala wageni akiwa njiani kurudi Misri, Bwana akakutana naye, akataka kumuua.

25 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.

25 Lakini Sipora akachukua jiwe gumu, akakata govi la mwanawe na kugusa nalo miguu ya Mose. Sipora akasema, “Hakika wewe ni bwana arusi wa damu kwangu.”

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

26 Sipora alipomwita Mose, “Bwana arusi wa damu,” alikuwa anamaanisha ile tohara. Baada ya hayo Bwana akamwacha.

27 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.

27 Bwana akamwambia Aroni, “Nenda jangwani ukamlaki Mose.” Basi akakutana na Mose kwenye mlima wa Mungu, akambusu.

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

28 Kisha Mose akamwambia Aroni kila kitu Bwana alichomtuma kusema, vilevile habari za ishara na maajabu alizokuwa amemwamuru kufanya.

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

29 Mose na Aroni wakawakusanya wazee wote wa Waisraeli,

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

30 naye Aroni akawaambia kila kitu Bwana alichokuwa amemwambia Mose. Pia akafanya ishara mbele ya watu,

31 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.

31 nao wakaamini. Nao waliposikia kuwa Bwana anajishughulisha nao, na kwamba ameona mateso yao, walisujudu na kuabudu.