Moses and Aaron Go to the King of Egypt
1 Moses and Aaron went to the king of Egypt and told him, “The Lord God says, ‘Let my people go into the desert, so they can honor me with a celebration there.’ ”
2 “Who is this Lord and why should I obey him?” the king replied. “I refuse to let you and your people go!”
3 They answered, “The Lord God of the Hebrews has appeared to us. Please let us walk three days into the desert where we can offer sacrifices to him. If you don't, he may strike us down with terrible troubles or with war.”
4-5 The king said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you keeping these people from working? Look how many you are keeping from doing their work. Now everyone get back to work!”
6 That same day the king gave orders to his Egyptian slave bosses and to the Israelite men directly in charge of the Israelite slaves. He told them:
7 Don't give the slaves any more straw to put in their bricks. Force them to find their own straw wherever they can, 8 but they must make the same number of bricks as before. They are lazy, or else they would not beg me to let them go and sacrifice to their God. 9 Make them work so hard that they won't have time to listen to these lies.
10 The slave bosses and the men in charge of the slaves went out and told them, “The king says he will not give you any more straw. 11 Go and find your own straw wherever you can, but you must still make as many bricks as before.”
12 The slaves went all over Egypt, looking for straw. 13 But the slave bosses were hard on them and kept saying, “Each day you have to make as many bricks as you did when you were given straw.” 14 The bosses beat the men in charge of the slaves and said, “Why didn't you force the slaves to make as many bricks yesterday and today as they did before?”
15 Finally, the men in charge of the slaves went to the king and said, “Why are you treating us like this? 16 No one brings us any straw, but we are still ordered to make the same number of bricks. We are beaten with whips, and your own people are to blame.”
17 The king replied, “You are lazy—nothing but lazy! That's why you keep asking me to let you go and sacrifice to your Lord. 18 Get back to work! You won't be given straw, but you must still make the same number of bricks.”
19 The men knew they were in deep trouble when they were ordered to make the same number of bricks each day. 20 After they left the king, they went to see Moses and Aaron, who had been waiting for them. 21 Then the men said, “We hope the Lord will punish both of you for making the king and his officials hate us. Now they even have an excuse to kill us.”
The Lord's Promise to Moses
22 Moses left them and prayed, “Our Lord, why have you brought so much trouble on your people? Is that why you sent me here? 23 Ever since you told me to speak to the king, he has caused nothing but trouble for these people. And you haven't done a thing to help.”
Moses naAron koshipala shaFarao
1 Ndele Moses naAron ova ya kuFarao ndele tava ti kuye: “Omwene Kalunga kaIsrael ta ti ngaha: ‘Lekela oshiwana shange, shi ka ningile nge oshivilo mombuwa.’ ”
2 Ndelenee Farao ta nyamukula: “Omwene olyelye, ame ndi pwilikine ondaka yaye ndi lekele Israel? Omwene ou kandi mu shii noitandi ka lekela Israel a dje mo.” 3 Vo otava ti: “Kalunga kOvaheberi okwe tu shakeneka. Tu lekela hano, tu ka ye mondjila yomafiku atatu, tu ka yambele Omwene Kalunga ketu mombuwa, opo ehe tu dipaife oudu wolutapo ile eongamukonda.” 4 Ndelenee ohamba yaEgipiti ye va nyamukula, tai ti: “Moses naAron, omolwashike tamu kelele ovanhu va longe oilonga yavo? Indeni mu ka longe! 5 Farao okwa tile vali: Taleni, ovanhu vomoshilongo ovahapu nokuli, ndele mwa hala va fe oilonga yavo?”
6 Mefiku tuu olo Farao okwa lombwela ovafininiki vomovanhu novapashukili voilonga, ndele ta ti: 7 “Ovanhu inamu va pa vali omwiidi mokufoloma eedopi ngaashi shito. Ovo vene nave ke liongelele omwiidi. 8 Ndelenee eedopi di fike pwaadinya donghela nodongheleinya mu noku di pula kuvo. Inamu ninipalifa omuvalu wado. Osheshi vo ovandede. Onghee hava ingida tava ti: ‘Tu ka ningile Kalunga ketu exwikilo!’ 9 Oshilonga nashi ninge shidjuu shili kovalumenhu, opo va kale mokulonga, vaha pwilikine eendjovo doipupulu.” 10 Opo nee ovafininiki vovanhu novapashukili va pita mo ndele va lombwela ovanhu ndele tava ti: “Farao osho ta ti: ‘Itandi mu pe omwiidi nande. 11 Indeni nye vene mu ka tale ko omwiidi keshe apa tau monika. Ndele oilonga yeni itai shuna monima.’ ” 12 Opo nee ovanhu va endaenda moshilongo ashishe shaEgipiti va ka ongele oimbodi ponhele yomwiidi. 13 Novafininiki va fininika ndele tava ti: “Wanifeni oshilonga sheni keshe efiku naanaa ngaashi mefimbo linya pa li omwiidi.” 14 Hano ovalongifi venya Ovaisraeli va dengwa kovafininiki ava va tulwa po kuFarao, ndele tava ti: “Oshike hano inamu wanifa oilonga yeni onghela nonena, ngaashi shito, mu wanife omuvalu weedopi ngaashi mwa lombwelwa?”
15 Onghee hano ovapashukili Ovaisraeli va ya nova kemena Farao ndele va pulwa: “Omolwashike ove ho ningile ngaha novapiya voye? 16 Osheshi ovapiya voye itava pewa omwiidi, naavenya tava ti kufye: ‘Folomeni eedopi!’ Ndele tala, ovapiya voye tava dengwa, ndelenee oushima u li movanhu voye.” 17 Ndelenee ye okwa nyamukula ta ti: “Onye ovandede, heeno, ovandede. Onghee tamu ti: ‘Tu lekela tu ka ningile Omwene exwikilo.’ 18 Hano paife eshi indeni ashike mu ka longe. Ndelenee itamu pewa omwiidi. Ndelenee wanifeni omuvalu weedopi naanaa.” 19 Opo nee ovapashukili Ovaisraeli ove liwete vo nhumbi ve li moudjuu, eshi pa lombwelwa: “Nye mu nokuwanifa eedopi deni keshe efiku omuvalu wado; omuvalu itau shunifwa monima.” 20 Ndele ve uya kuMoses naAron ava va li ko ofika ve va shakeneke venya eshi va dja kuFarao, 21 ndele vo ove va lombwela: “Omwene ne mu kwatele onghone noku mu tokola, eshi nye mwe tu tondifa momesho aFarao nomomesho ovapiya vaye, osheshi mwa yandja meke lavo eongamukonda vo ve tu dipae.”
22 Opo nee Moses okwa ya vali kOmwene ndele ta ti: “Omwene, omolwashike wa ningila oshiwana eshi owii? Omolwashike Ove wa tuma nge oku?
23 “Osheshi okefimbo tuu linya nda ya kuFarao ndi popye medina loye, ye okwa hepeka oshiwana eshi, naave ino xupifa oshiwana shoye.”
