Moses and Aaron before the King of Egypt
1 Then Moses and Aaron went to the king of Egypt and said, “The Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘Let my people go, so that they can hold a festival in the desert to honor me.’”
2 “Who is the Lord?” the king demanded. “Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord; and I will not let Israel go.”
3 Moses and Aaron replied, “The God of the Hebrews has revealed himself to us. Allow us to travel three days into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God. If we don't do so, he will kill us with disease or by war.”
4 The king said to Moses and Aaron, “What do you mean by making the people neglect their work? Get those slaves back to work! 5 You people have become more numerous than the Egyptians. And now you want to stop working!”
6 That same day the king commanded the Egyptian slave drivers and the Israelite foremen: 7 “Stop giving the people straw for making bricks. Make them go and find it for themselves. 8 But still require them to make the same number of bricks as before, not one brick less. They don't have enough work to do, and that is why they keep asking me to let them go and offer sacrifices to their God! 9 Make them work harder and keep them busy, so that they won't have time to listen to a pack of lies.”
10 The slave drivers and the Israelite foremen went out and said to the Israelites, “The king has said that he will not supply you with any more straw. 11 He says that you must go and get it for yourselves wherever you can find it, but you must still make the same number of bricks.” 12 So the people went all over Egypt looking for straw. 13 The slave drivers kept trying to force them to make the same number of bricks every day as they had made when they were given straw. 14 The Egyptian slave drivers beat the Israelite foremen, whom they had put in charge of the work. They demanded, “Why aren't you people making the same number of bricks that you made before?”
15 Then the foremen went to the king and complained, “Why do you do this to us, Your Majesty? 16 We are given no straw, but we are still ordered to make bricks! And now we are being beaten. It is your people that are at fault.”
17 The king answered, “You are lazy and don't want to work, and that is why you ask me to let you go and offer sacrifices to the Lord. 18 Now get back to work! You will not be given any straw, but you must still make the same number of bricks.” 19 The foremen realized that they were in trouble when they were told that they had to make the same number of bricks every day as they had made before.
20 As they were leaving, they met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them. 21 They said to Moses and Aaron, “The Lord has seen what you have done and will punish you for making the king and his officers hate us. You have given them an excuse to kill us.”
Moses Complains to the Lord
22 Then Moses turned to the Lord again and said, “Lord, why do you mistreat your people? Why did you send me here? 23 Ever since I went to the king to speak for you, he has treated them cruelly. And you have done nothing to help them!”
Moses na Aron komurungu wa Farao
1 Nu kombunda yanao ooMoses na Aron otji va ya ku Farao nave katja: “Muhona, Ndjambi wa Israel, ma tja nai: ‘Tji esa otjiwaṋa tjandje tji tjinde, tji kendjitjitire omukandi mokuti onguza okundjiyozika.’”
2 Nu Farao a tja: “Muhona ouṋe? Okutjavi tji mbi sokuzuva ku ye nokuisa Ovaisrael ve yende? Omuhona ngo hi mu i, nami hi nokuisa Ovaisrael ve yende.”
3 Nowo va tja: “Ndjambi wOvaheberi wa hakaene na eṱe. Tu yandjera okuyenda ouyenda woure womayuva yetatu, kokure mokuti onguza okukapunguhira Muhona Ndjambi wetu kutja e he tu zepa nomutjise poo nengaruvyo.”
4 Nombara ya Engipte ye ve zira ai tja: “Hapo Moses na Aron, eṋe tji mamu vanga okutjaera otjiwaṋa koviungura vyatjo mwa hapa vi? Twendeye koviungura vyeṋu vyouhuura!” 5 Noyo ya ryama komurungu ai tja ku wo: “Tara, nambano otjiwaṋa hi tja takavarera ko, neṋe mamu tji tjaerere tjike okuungura?”
6 Eyuva tjingero ndo Farao otja rakiza kovatatumise novatjevere mokati kotjiwaṋa, a tja: 7 “Otjiwaṋa amu tji pe omahozu rukwao okuungura na wo ozohima, tjimuna erero nererona. Ngave yende, ve kawonge oveni! 8 Nungwari otjivaro tjozohima nḓu va ungurire erero nererona nga rire tji mwe ve zikamisire, nokuhinakuisa ko, orondu ve notjirweyo. Opu mave zu okurokoha, amave tja: ‘Tu esa tu kapunguhire Ndjambi wetu.’ 9 Oviungura ngavi rire ovizeuzeu kovarumendu mba kutja ve ha munu oruveze rokupuratene komambo omanavizeze.”
10 Novatatumise votjiwaṋa novatjevere vatjo arire tji va i, nave katja kotjiwaṋa: “Ombara mai tja kai nokumupa omahozu rukwao. 11 Twendeye, mu keripahereye ehozu oveni ngamwa akuhe ku mamu ke rimuna, nungwari eṋe ungureye otjivarero tjingetjo tjozohima.” 12 Notjiwaṋa tja rimbara mehi ra Engipte arihe okuwonga oviyaya vyehozu. 13 Imba ovevetatumise ve ve hinga nave tja: “Yeneneiseye oviungura vyeṋu otja pu mape vangwa eyuva arihe tjimuna otja tjiyamu pewa omahozu.” 14 Novatjevere vOvaisrael, mba zikwa i ovatatumise va Farao kombanda yOvaisrael ovakwao otjaave ve tono nouti, amave tja: “Okutjavi, erero na ndino tji mu ha yenenisire otjivaro tjozohima tjimuna ndi rukuru?”
15 Ovatjevere vOvaisrael opu va ira ku Farao nozondjemeno, nave katja: “Okutjavi tji mo tjiti nao kovakarere voye? 16 Eṱe katu pewa ehozu, nu tu rakiziwa kutja tu ungure ozohima. Nu noho tu tonwa. Indji kandjo ye tu nungwari ondjo yovandu woye.”
17 Nungwari Ombara ya zira ai tja: “Oweṋe ovanatjirweyo nu kamu vanga okuungura, opu mu za okundjiningira kutja mbi mu ese mu yende okukapunguhira Muhona ozombunguhiro. 18 Nambano twendeye koviungura! Indi ehozu kamaamu pewa. Nungwari yeneniseye otjivaro tjozohima tji tja tuwa po!”
19 Ovatjevere imba vOvaisrael va muna kutja owo ve ri moumba indu tji va raerwa kutja nga ve ungure otjivarero tjozohima tjingetjo otja tji tja tuwa po eyuva arihe. 20 Nu tji va za ku Farao, va hakaena nooMoses na Aron, ava kurama mbo amave undju, 21 nave tja ku wo: “Muhona nge mu mune nu nge mu pangure, orondu eṋe mwe tu tondisa ku Farao na kovatarere ve; pa sana aayo tjimuna mwa yandja engaruvyo momake wawo okutuzepa.”
Ndjambi ma raere onguturiro
22 Tjazumba Moses wa yaruka rukwao ku Muhona na tja: “Muhona, okutjavi tji wa tjiti navi nai kotjiwaṋa hi? Okutjavi, arikana, tji wa tuma ami? 23 Tji mba za nokuyenda ku Farao okukahungira mena roye, eye opa utira okutatumisira ko otjiwaṋa hi, nu vari ove ko kuturire otjiwaṋa tjoye.” 24 Nu Muhona wa zira Moses nai: “Nambano mo munu ihi tji me tjiti ku Farao. Eye meve tjindisa, e ri kehi yeke enamasa. Ii, eye ma ṋiṋikiziwa i eke enamasa okuveramba kutja ve pite mehi.”
