Exodus 3

1 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).

Pea ko eni, naʻe tauhi ʻe Mōsese ʻae fanga manu ʻa ʻene tamai ʻi he fono ko Setelo, ko e taulaʻeiki ʻo Mitiane: pea naʻa ne tataki atu ʻae fanga manu ki he tukuʻuta ʻoe toafa, ʻo aʻu ki he moʻunga ʻoe ʻOtua, ki Holepi.

2 [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.

Pea naʻe hā mai ʻae ʻāngelo ʻa Sihova kiate ia ʻi he ulo afi ʻi he lotolotonga ʻoe ʻuluʻakau: pea sio ia, pea vakai, naʻe ulo ʻae ʻuluʻakau ʻi he afi, ka naʻe ʻikai ʻosi ai ʻae ʻuluʻakau.

3 Moses/I thought, “I will go closer and try to see this strange sight! Why is the bush not burning up?”

Pea pehē ʻe Mōsese, “Ko eni, te u afe atu ʻo mamata ki he meʻa lahi ni, pe ko e hā ʻoku ʻikai vela ai ʻae ʻuluʻakau.”

4 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.”

Pea naʻe ʻafioʻi ʻe Sihova ki heʻene afe ke mamata, pea folofola ʻae ʻOtua kiate ia mei he lotolotonga ʻoe ʻuluʻakau, ʻo pehē, “Mōsese, Mōsese.” Pea pehē ʻe ia, “Ko au eni.”

5 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].”

Pea pehē ʻe ia, ‘ʻOua naʻa ke ofi mai ki heni; toʻo ho topuvaʻe mei ho vaʻe, he ko e potu ʻoku ke tuʻu ai ko e kelekele tapu.”

6 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.

Pea naʻa ne pehē foki, “Ko au ko e ʻOtua ʻo hoʻo tamai, ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻEpalahame, ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻAisake, pea ko e ʻOtua ʻo Sēkope.” Pea naʻe fufū ʻe Mōsese hono mata; he naʻe manavahē ia ke sio atu ki he ʻOtua.

7 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.

Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Sihova, “Ko e moʻoni kuo u mamata ki he mamahi ʻa hoku kakai, ʻaia ʻoku ʻi ʻIsipite, pea kuo u ongoʻi ʻenau tangi ko e meʻa ʻi honau kau enginaki ngāue: pea ʻoku ou ʻiloʻi ʻenau ngaahi mamahi:

8 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].

Pea kuo u ʻalu hifo ke fakamoʻui ʻakinautolu mei he nima ʻoe kakai ʻIsipite, pea ke ʻomi ʻakinautolu mei he fonua ko ia ki ha fonua lelei mo lahi, ko e fonua ʻoku mahu tāfea ʻi he huʻahuhu mo e honi; ki he fonua ʻoe kau Kēnani mo e kau Heti, mo e kau ʻAmoli, mo e kau Pelesi, mo e kau Hevi, mo e kau Sepusi.

9 Truly I have now heard my Israeli people crying [PRS]. I have seen how the Egyptians oppress them.

Pea ko eni, vakai, ko e tangi ʻae fānau ʻa ʻIsileli kuo ongo mai kiate au: pea kuo u mamata foki ki he mamahi ʻaia ʻoku fakamamahi ʻaki ʻakinautolu ʻe he kakai ʻIsipite.

10 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.”

Pea ko eni, ke ke haʻu, pea te u fekau koe kia Felo, koeʻuhi ke ke ʻomi hoku kakai ko e fānau ʻa ʻIsileli mei ʻIsipite.”

11 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]

Pea pehēange ʻe Mōsese ki he ʻOtua, “Ko hai au, koeʻuhi ke u ʻalu kia Felo, pea koeʻuhi ke u ʻomi ʻae fānau ʻa ʻIsileli mei ʻIsipite?”

12 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].”

Pea pehē ʻe ia, “Ko e moʻoni, Te u ʻiate koe; pea ko e fakaʻilonga eni kiate koe, kuo u fekauʻi koe: Hili haʻo ʻomi ʻae kakai mei ʻIsipite, te mou tauhi ʻae ʻOtua ʻi he moʻunga ni.”

13 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?”

Pea pehēange ʻe Mōsese ki he ʻOtua, “Vakai, ʻo kau ka hoko atu ki he fānau ʻa ʻIsileli, pea u pehē kiate kinautolu, ‘Ko e ʻOtua ʻo hoʻomou ngaahi tamai kuo ne fekau au kiate kimoutolu; pea te nau pehē mai kiate au, ‘Ko hai hono huafa?’ Pea ko e hā te u tala kiate kinautolu?”

14 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.”

Pea pehē ʻe he ʻOtua kia Mōsese, “KO AU, KO E KO AU: pea pehē ʻe ia, Te ke lea pehē ki he fānau ʻa ʻIsileli, ‘Kuo fekau au ʻe he KO AU kiate kimoutolu.’”

15 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.

Pea toe pehē ʻe he ʻOtua kia Mōsese, “Pea ke lea ʻo pehē ki he fānau ʻa ʻIsileli, Ko Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo hoʻomou ngaahi tamai, ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻEpalahame, ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻAisake, mo e ʻOtua ʻo Sēkope, kuo ne fekau au kiate kimoutolu: ko hoku huafa eni ke taʻengata, pea ko hoku fakaʻilonga eni ki he ngaahi toʻutangata kotoa pē.

16 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.

‌ʻAlu, ʻo fakataha ʻae kau mātuʻa ʻo ʻIsileli, mo ke pehē kiate kinautolu, ‘Ko Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo hoʻomou ngaahi tamai, ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻEpalahame, ʻo ʻAisake, mo Sēkope, naʻe hā mai ia kiate au, ʻo ne pehē mai, ‘Kuo u ʻaʻahi atu moʻoni kiate kimoutolu, [ʻo mamata ]ki he meʻa ʻoku fai kiate kimoutolu ʻi ʻIsipite.’

17 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].”’

Pea ne u pehē, ‘Te u ʻomi ʻakimoutolu mei he ngaahi mamahi ʻo ʻIsipite, ki he fonua ʻoe kau Kēnani, mo e kau Heti, mo e kau ʻAmoli, mo e kau Pelesi, mo e kau Hevi, mo e kau Sepusi, ki he fonua ʻoku mahu tāfea ʻi he huʻahuhu mo e honi.’

18 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.’

“Pea te nau tokanga ki ho leʻo: pea te ke haʻu, ʻa koe mo e kau mātuʻa ʻo ʻIsileli ki he tuʻi ʻo ʻIsipite, pea te mou lea kiate ia, ‘Ko Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻoe kakai Hepelū kuo haʻu kiate kimautolu: pea ko eni, ʻoku mau kole kiate koe, tuku ke mau ʻalu ʻi he fonongaʻanga ʻoe ʻaho ʻe tolu ki he toafa, koeʻuhi ke mau fai ʻae feilaulau kia Sihova ko homau ʻOtua.’

19 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].

Pea ʻoku ou ʻilo pau ʻe ʻikai fie tukuange ʻakimoutolu ʻe he tuʻi ʻo ʻIsipite ke mou ʻalu, ka ʻi he nima mālohi.

20 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.

Pea te u mafao atu hoku nima ʻo taaʻi ʻa ʻIsipite ʻaki ʻa ʻeku ngaahi meʻa mana kotoa pē, ʻaia te u fai ʻi he lotolotonga ʻo ia: pea hili ia, te ne toki tuku ke mou ʻalu.

21 [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).

“Pea te u fakaʻofeina ʻae kakai ni ʻi he ʻao ʻoe kakai ʻIsipite: pea ʻe hoko ʻo pehē, ʻoka mou ka ʻalu, ʻe ʻikai te mou ʻalu masiva.

22 [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.”

Ka ʻe kole ʻae fefine kotoa pē ki hono kaungāʻapi, pea mo ia ʻoku ʻāunofo ʻi hono fale, ʻae ngaahi teunga siliva, mo e teunga koula, mo e ngaahi kofu: pea te mou ʻai ia ki homou ngaahi foha, pea ki homou ngaahi ʻofefine; pea te mou fakamasivaʻi ʻae kakai ʻIsipite.