出谷紀 Exodus Chapter 4
1梅瑟回答說:「他們必然不肯相信我,也不肯聽我的話,而對我說:上主沒有顯示給你。」 1Moses answered and said: They will not believe me, nor hear my voice, but they will say: The Lord hath not appeared to thee.
2上主問他說:「你手裡拿的是什麼?」他回答說:「一根棍杖。」 2Then he said to him: What is that thou holdest in thy hand? He answered: A rod.
3上主說:「將棍杖扔在地上!」他便將棍杖扔在地上,棍杖即刻變成了一條蛇;梅瑟一見,就逃避了。 3And the Lord said: Cast it down upon the ground. He cast it down, and it was turned into a serpent: so that Moses fled from it.
4上主向梅瑟說:「伸手捉著蛇的尾巴!──他便伸手捉住,那條蛇在他手裡又變成一根棍杖。── 4And the Lord said: Put out thy hand and take it by the tail. He put forth his hand, and took hold of it, and it was turned into a rod.
5好叫他們相信上主,他們祖先的天主,亞巴郎的天主,依撒格的天主和雅各伯的天主曾顯示給你。」 5That they may believe, saith he, that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared to thee.
6上主又對他說:「將你的手插懷裡!」他就將手插在懷裡;及至抽出手來,見手上患了癩瘡,像雪那樣白。 6And the Lord said again: Put thy hand into thy bosom. And when he had put it into his bosom, he brought it forth leprous as snow.
7天主又說:「將你的手再插進懷裡!──他就把手再插入懷裡;及至從懷裡抽出時,見手已經恢復原狀,像別的肌肉一樣。── 7And he said: Put back thy hand into thy bosom. He put it back, and brought it out again, and it was like the other flesh.
8如果他們不肯信你,也不信服第一個奇蹟,必定信服第二個奇蹟。 8If they will not believe thee, saith he, nor hear the voice of the former sign, they will believe the word of the latter sign.
9如果連這兩個奇蹟也不信,也不聽你的話,你就從尼羅河裡取些水,倒在旱地上;你從河裡取的水必在旱地上變成血。」 9But if they will not even believe these two signs, nor hear thy voice: take of the river water, and pour it out upon the dry land, and whatsoever thou drawest out of the river shall be turned into blood.
10梅瑟對上主說:「吾主,請原諒!我不是個有口才的人,以前不是,你向你的僕人說話以後,也不是;我原是笨口結舌的人。」 10Moses said: I beseech thee, Lord. I am not eloquent from yesterday and the day before: and since thou hast spoken to thy servant, I have more impediment and slowness of tongue.
11上主回答他說:「是誰給人一個嘴?是誰使人口啞耳聾,眼明眼瞎呢?不是我上主嗎? 11The Lord said to him: Who made man's mouth? or who made the dumb and the deaf, the seeing and the blind? did not I?
12現在你去,我要幫助你說話,指教你該說什麼。」 12Go therefore and I will be in thy mouth: and I will teach thee what thou shalt speak.
13梅瑟回答說:「吾主,請原諒!你要打發誰,就打發誰去罷!」 13But he said: I beseech thee, Lord send whom thou wilt send.
14上主向梅瑟發怒說:「不是有你的哥哥肋未人亞郎嗎?我知道他是有口才的,他現在正前來迎接你;他見了你,心中必要快樂。 14The Lord being angry at Moses, said Aaron the Levite is thy brother, I know that he is eloquent: behold he cometh forth to meet thee, and seeing thee shall be glad at heart.
15你可向他說話,將你應該說的話放在他口中。我要幫助你,也幫助他說話,指教你們應做什麼。 15Speak to him, and put my words in his mouth: and I will be in thy mouth, and in his mouth, and will shew you what you must do.
16他要代替你向百姓說話,作你的口舌;你對他是代替天主。 16He shall speak in thy stead to the people, and shall be thy mouth: but thou shalt be to him in those things that pertain to God.
17你手中要拿著這根棍杖,用來行奇蹟。」 17And take this rod in thy hand, wherewith thou shalt do the signs.
18於是梅瑟起來回到他岳父耶特洛那裡,對他說:「請讓我回到埃及我弟兄們那裡,看看他們還健在嗎?」耶特洛對梅瑟說:「你平安去罷!」 18Moses went his way, and returned to Jethro his father in law and said to him: I will go and return to my brethren into Egypt, that I may see if they be yet alive. And Jethro said to him: Go in peace.
19上主在米德楊對梅瑟說:「起身回埃及去!因為那些想殺害你的人都死了。」 19And the Lord said to Moses, in Madian: Go, and return into Egypt: for they are all dead that sought thy life.
20梅瑟遂帶著妻子孩子,叫他們騎在驢上,起身回埃及國去了;梅瑟手中拿著天主的棍杖。 20Moses therefore took his wife, and his sons, and set them upon an ass: and returned into Egypt, carrying the rod of God in his hand.
21上主對梅瑟說:「你回到埃及,要將我交於你行的一切奇蹟,行於法郎面前;但我要使他心硬,不肯放百姓走。 21And the Lord said to him as he was returning into Egypt: See that thou do all the wonders before Pharao, which I have put in thy hand: I shall harden his heart, and he will not let the people go.
22你要對法郎說:上主這樣說:以色列是我的長子。 22And thou shalt say to him: Thus saith the Lord: Israel is my son, my firstborn.
23我命你,讓我的兒子去崇拜我。你若拒絕放他們走,我必要殺你的長子。」 23I have said to thee: Let my son go, that he may serve me, and thou wouldst not let him go: behold I will kill thy son, thy firstborn.
24梅瑟在路上住宿的時候,上主遇著他,要想殺他。 24And when he was in his journey, in the inn, the Lord met him, and would have killed him.
25漆頗辣急忙拿了一塊石刀,將他兒子的包皮割下,拿包皮接觸他的腳說:「你真是我的血郎。」 25Immediately Sephora took a very sharp stone, and circumcised the fore skin of her son, and touched his feet and said: A bloody spouse art thou to me.
26這樣上主就放了他。當時漆頗辣說:「血郎。」是因了割損的原故。 26And he let him go after she had said A bloody spouse art thou to me, because of the circumcision.
27其時上主向亞郎說:「你往曠野去迎接梅瑟!」他就去了。在天主的山旁遇見了梅瑟,口親了他。 27And the Lord said to Aaron: Go into the desert to meet Moses. And he went forth to meet him in the mountain of God, and kissed him.
28梅瑟把上主打發他所說的一切話和命他行的奇蹟,都告訴了亞郎。 28And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord, by which he had sent him, and the signs that he had commanded.
29梅瑟和亞郎遂去召集以色列子民所有的長老。 29And they came together, and they assembled all the ancients of the children of Israel.
30亞郎講述了上主向梅瑟所說的一切話,也當著百姓行了那些奇蹟; 30And Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had said to Moses: and he wrought the signs before the people,
31百姓就都信了,也都高興,因為上主眷顧了以色列子民,也垂念了他們的痛苦。他們遂都俯伏叩拜。 31And the people believed. And they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel: and that he had looked upon their affliction: and falling down they adored.



4:1-9
天主行奇迹是为坚固人的信仰,取信於人;并且奇迹与天主的启示是分不开的,因为行神迹是叫人信服天主的话,证明是天主说的话(申13:2-6;户14:11;依38:7;耶44:29;若2:11; 10:36-38; 11:40-42; 12:28-30,37,40; 20:30,31)。

4:13
13节梅瑟的意思是说:你愿意派遣谁就派遣谁,只不要派遣我。

4:14-16
16节亚郎作梅瑟的舌人,如同先知作天主的舌人一样。「梅瑟的棍杖」在20节又称为「天主的棍杖」,是说梅瑟藉天主的能力,棍杖才能大显神能。

4:21-22
「我要使他心硬」,即谓:天主让法郎任意运用自己的自主之权,并不阻止他行恶。天主既知未来,所以将梅瑟行事的结果预先说出(依6:9-13;罗9:18)。「以色列是我的长子」一句,表示天主锺爱以色列,在万民中特别简选了他们。

4:23-26
23-26节一段不易解说,最切合的解释可能是由於梅瑟未曾受过割损,在他回埃及的途中,天主想将他杀死。漆颇辣为使丈夫免於一死,给儿子施行割损之後,就拿孩子的包皮接触梅瑟的下体(他的脚所指),使丈夫也像行了割损一样。此事的神秘性,和雅各伯与天神搏斗的事一样神秘(创32:23-33)。