Exodus 1 "But," objected Moses, "suppose they will not believe me, nor listen to my plea? For they may say, 'The LORD did not appear to you.'" 梅瑟回答说:"他们必然不肯相信我,也不肯听我的话,而对我说:上主没有显示给你。" 2 The LORD therefore asked him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he answered. 上主问他说:"你手里拿的是什么?"他回答说:"一根棍杖。" 3 The LORD then said, "Throw it on the ground." When he threw it on the ground it was changed into a serpent, and Moses shied away from it. 上主说:"将棍杖扔在地上!"他便将棍杖扔在地上,棍杖即刻变成了一条蛇;梅瑟一见,就逃避了。 4 "Now, put out your hand," the LORD said to him, "and take hold of its tail." So he put out his hand and laid hold of it, and it became a staff in his hand. 上主向梅瑟说:"伸手捉着蛇的尾巴!──他便伸手捉住,那条蛇在他手里又变成一根棍杖。 5 "This will take place so that they may believe," he continued, "that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, did appear to you." 好叫他们相信上主,他们祖先的天主,亚巴郎的天主,依撒格的天主和雅各伯的天主曾显示给你。" 6 Again the LORD said to him, "Put your hand in your bosom." He put it in his bosom, and when he withdrew it, to his surprise his hand was leprous, like snow. 上主又对他说:"将你的手插在怀里!"他就将手插在怀里;及至抽出手来,见手上患了癞疮,像雪那样白。 7 The LORD then said, "Now, put your hand back in your bosom." Moses put his hand back in his bosom, and when he withdrew it, to his surprise it was again like the rest of his body. 天主又说:"将你的手再插进怀里!──他就把手再插进怀里;及至从怀里抽出时,见手已经恢复原状,像别的肌肉一样。 8 "If they will not believe you, nor heed the message of the first sign, they should believe the message of the second. 如果他们不肯信你,也不信服第一个奇迹,必定信服第二个奇迹。 9 And if they will not believe even these two signs, nor heed your plea, take some water from the river and pour it on the dry land. The water you take from the river will become blood on the dry land." 如果连这两个奇迹也不信,也不听你的话,你就从尼罗河里取些水,倒在旱地上;你从河里取的水必在旱地上变成血。" 10 Moses, however, said to the LORD, "If you please, LORD, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past, nor recently, nor now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and tongue." 梅瑟对上主说:"吾主,请原谅!我不是个有口才的人,以前不是,你向你的仆人说话以后,也不是;我原是笨口结舌的人。" 11 The LORD said to him, "Who gives one man speech and makes another deaf and dumb? Or who gives sight to one and makes another blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 上主回答他说:"是谁给人一个嘴?是谁使人口哑耳聋,眼明眼瞎呢?不是我上主吗? 12 Go, then! It is I who will assist you in speaking and will teach you what you are to say." 现在你去,我要帮助你说话,指教你该说什么。" 13 1 Yet he insisted, "If you please, Lord, send someone else!" 梅瑟回答说:"吾主,请原谅!你要打发谁,就打发谁去吧!" 14 Then the LORD became angry with Moses and said, "Have you not your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know that he is an eloquent speaker. Besides, he is now on his way to meet you. 上主向梅瑟发怒说:"不是有你的哥哥肋未人亚郎吗?我知道他是有口才的,他现在正前来迎接你;他见了你,心中必要快乐。 15 When he sees you, his heart will be glad. You are to speak to him, then, and put the words in his mouth. I will assist both you and him in speaking and will teach the two of you what you are to do. 你可向他说话,将你应该说的话放在他口中。我要帮助你,也帮助他说话,指教你们应做什么。 16 2 He shall speak to the people for you: he shall be your spokesman, and you shall be as God to him. 他要代替你向百姓说话,作你的口舌;你对他是代替天主。 17 3 Take this staff in your hand; with it you are to perform the signs." 你手中要拿着这根棍杖,用来行奇迹。" 18 4 After this Moses returned to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, "Let me go back, please, to my kinsmen in Egypt, to see whether they are still living." Jethro replied, "Go in peace." 于是梅瑟起来回到他岳父耶特洛那里,对他说:"请让我回到埃及我弟兄们那里,看看他们还健在吗?"耶特洛对梅瑟说:"你平安去罢!" 19 In Midian the LORD said to Moses, "Go back to Egypt, for all the men who sought your life are dead." 上主在米德杨对梅瑟说:"起身回埃及去!因为那些想杀害你的人都死了。" 20 So Moses took his wife and his sons, and started back to the 梅瑟遂带着妻子孩子,叫他们骑在驴上,起身回埃及国去了;梅瑟手中拿着天主的棍杖。 21 5 The LORD said to him, "On your return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have put in your power. I will make him obstinate, however, so that he will not let the people go. 上主对梅瑟说:"你回到埃及要将我交于你行的一切奇迹,行于法朗面前;但我要使他心硬,不肯放百姓走。 22 So you shall say to Pharaoh: Thus says the LORD: 你要对法朗说:上主这样说:以色列是我的长子。 23 Hence I tell you: Let my son go, that he may serve me. If you refuse to let him go, I warn you, I will kill your son, your first-born." 我命你,让我的儿子去崇拜我。你若拒绝放他们走,我必要杀你的长子。" 24 6 On the journey, at a place where they spent the night, the Lord came upon Moses and would have killed him. 梅瑟在路上住宿的时候,上主遇着他,要想杀他。 25 But Zipporah took a piece of flint and cut off her son's foreskin and, touching his person, she said, "You are a spouse of blood to me." 漆颇辣急忙拿了一块石刀,将他儿子的包皮割下,拿包皮接触他的脚说:"你真是我的血郎。" 26 Then God let Moses go. At that time she said, "A spouse of blood," in regard to the circumcision. 这样上主就放了他。当时漆颇辣说:"血郎。"是因了割损的原故。 27 The LORD said to Aaron, "Go into the desert to meet Moses." So he went, and when they met at the 其时上主向亚郎说:"你往旷野去迎接梅瑟!"他就去了。在天主的山旁预见了梅瑟,口亲了他。 28 Moses informed him of all the LORD had said in sending him, and of the various signs he had enjoined upon him. 梅瑟把上主打发他所说的一切话和命他行的奇迹,都告诉了亚郎。 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites. 梅瑟和亚郎遂去召集以色列子民所有的长老。 30 Aaron told them everything the LORD had said to Moses, and he performed the signs before the people. 亚郎讲述了上主向梅瑟所说的一切话,也当着百姓行了那些奇迹; 31 The people believed, and when they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their affliction, they bowed down in worship. 百姓就都信了,也都高兴,因为上主眷顾了以色列子民,也垂念了他们的痛苦。他们遂都俯伏叩拜。 Footnotes(注解) 1 [13] Send someone else: literally, "Send by means of him whom you will send," that is, "Send whom you will." 2 [16] Spokesman: literally, "mouth"; Aaron was to serve as a mouthpiece for Moses, as a prophet does for God; hence the relation between Moses and Aaron is compared to that between God and his prophet. Cf Exodus 7:1. 3 [17] This staff: probably the same as that of Exodus 4:2-4; but some understand it here of a new staff now given by God to Moses. 4 [18] Moses did not tell his father-in-law his main reason for returning to Egypt, but this secondary motive which he offered was also true. 5 [21] Make him obstinate: literally, "harden his heart." God permitted Pharaoh to be stubborn in his opposition to the departure of the Israelites. Cf Romans 9:17, 18. 6 [24-26] Apparently God was angry with Moses for having failed to keep the divine command given to Abraham in Genesis 17:10-12. Moses' life is spared when his wife circumcises their son. |