< Exodus 5 >

1 After that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’”
Pea hili ia naʻe ʻalu ʻa Mōsese mo ʻElone, ʻo tala kia Felo, “ʻOku pehē mai ʻe Sihova, ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli, Tukuange ʻa hoku kakai ke ʻalu, koeʻuhi ke nau fai ʻae kātoanga kiate au ʻi he toafa.”
2 But Pharaoh replied, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.”
Pea pehēange ʻe Felo, “Ko hai ʻa Sihova, koeʻuhi ke u talangofua ai ki hono leʻo ʻo tukuange ʻa ʻIsileli ke ʻalu? ʻOku ʻikai te u ʻiloa ʻa Sihova, pea ʻe ʻikai te u tukuange ʻa ʻIsileli ke ʻalu.”
3 “The God of the Hebrews has met with us,” they answered. “Please let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God, or He may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”
Pea naʻa na pehē, “Kuo hāʻele mai ʻae ʻOtua ʻoe kau Hepelū kiate kimautolu: ko ia ʻoku mau kole ai kiate koe, tuku ʻakimautolu ke mau ʻalu ki he toafa, ko e fonongaʻanga ʻoe ʻaho ʻe tolu, ke feilaulau kia Sihova ko homau ʻOtua; telia naʻa hoko ia kiate kimautolu ʻi he mahaki fakaʻauha pe ko e heletā.
4 But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your labor!”
Pea pehēange ʻe he tuʻi ʻo ʻIsipite kiate kinaua, “ʻE Mōsese mo ʻElone, ko e hā ʻoku mo taʻofi ai ʻae kakai ʻi heʻenau ngaahi ngāue? Mou fei mo ʻalu ki hoʻomou ngaahi kavenga.
5 Pharaoh also said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you would be stopping them from their labor.”
Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Felo, “Vakai, ko ʻeni, ʻoku tokolahi ʻae kakai ʻoe fonua pea ʻoku mou taʻofi ʻakinautolu mei heʻenau ngaahi kavenga.”
6 That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen:
Pea naʻe fekau ʻe Felo ʻi he ʻaho ko ia ki he kau enginaki ngāue ʻoe kakai, mo honau kau matāpule, ʻo pehē,
7 “You shall no longer supply the people with straw for making bricks. They must go and gather their own straw.
“ʻOua te mou kei ʻatu ki he kakai ʻae mohuku mōmoa ke ngaohi ʻae makaʻumea ʻo hangē ko ia naʻe fai: tuku ke nau ʻalu ʻo tānaki ʻae mohuku mōmoa maʻanautolu.
8 But require of them the same quota of bricks as before; do not reduce it. For they are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’
Pea ko hono lau ʻoe ngaahi makaʻumea ʻaia naʻa nau muʻaki ngaohi, te mou fakapapau ia kiate kinautolu; ʻe ʻikai te mou fakasiʻisiʻi ia, he ʻoku nau fakapikopiko; ko ia ʻoku nau tangi ai, ʻo pehē, Tukuange ʻakimautolu ke ʻalu ʻo feilaulau ki homau ʻOtua.
9 Make the work harder on the men so they will be occupied and pay no attention to these lies.”
Fakalahi ki he ngāue ʻae kau tangata, koeʻuhi ke nau moʻua ai; pea ʻoua naʻa nau tokanga ki he ngaahi launoa.”
10 So the taskmasters and foremen of the people went out and said to them, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I am no longer giving you straw.
Pea naʻe ʻalu kituʻa ʻae kau ʻenginaki ngāue ʻoe kakai, mo honau kau matāpule, ʻonau lea ki he kakai, ʻo pehē, “ʻOku pehē mai ʻe Felo, ʻE ʻikai te u ʻatu ʻae mohuku mōmoa kiate kimoutolu.
11 Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it; but your workload will in no way be reduced.’”
Mou ʻalu, ʻo maʻu ʻae mohuku mōmoa mei ha potu pe: ka ʻe ʻikai siʻi fakasiʻisiʻi ai hoʻomou ngāue.”
12 So the people scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
Pea ko ia naʻe movetevete ai ʻae kakai ʻi he fonua kotoa pē ʻo ʻIsipite, ke tānaki ʻae louveve ko e fetongi ʻoe mohuku mōmoa.
13 The taskmasters kept pressing them, saying, “Fulfill your quota each day, just as you did when straw was provided.”
Pea naʻe fakavavevave ʻakinautolu ʻe he kau enginaki ngāue, ʻo pehē, “Fakakakato hoʻomou ngāue ki he ʻaho taki taha, ʻo hangē ko ia ʻi he ʻi ai ʻae mohuku.
14 Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over the people, were beaten and asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as you did before?”
Pea ko e kau matāpule ʻi he fānau ʻa ʻIsileli, ʻaia naʻe fakanofo ʻe he kau enginaki ngāue ʻa Felo, ke pule kiate kinautolu, naʻe teʻia, pea ʻeke kiate kinautolu, “Ko e hā naʻe ʻikai te mou fakakakato ai hono lau ʻoe maka naʻe tala ke ngaohi ʻaneafi, pea mo e ʻaho ni, ʻo hangē ko hono muʻaki fai?”
15 So the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why are you treating your servants this way?
Pea haʻu ai ʻae kau matāpule ʻi he fānau ʻa ʻIsileli kia Felo, ʻo tangi ʻo pehē, “Ko e hā ʻoku ke fai pehē ai ki hoʻo kau tamaioʻeiki?
16 No straw has been given to your servants, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”
‌ʻOku ʻikai tuku mai ha mohuku mōmoa ki hoʻo kau tamaioʻeiki, pea ʻoku nau tala mai, ‘Ngaohi ʻae maka:’ pea vakai, kuo teʻia ʻa hoʻo kau tamaioʻeiki ka ko hono kovi ʻoku ʻi ho kakai ʻoʻou.”
17 “You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. “Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’
Ka naʻe pehē ʻe ia, “ʻOku mou fakapikopiko, ʻoku mou fakapikopiko: ko ia ʻoku mou pehē ai, ‘Tuku ʻakimautolu ke mau ʻalu ʻo feilaulau kia Sihova.’
18 Now get to work. You will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the full quota of bricks.”
Ko ia mou ʻalu ni ʻo ngāue: ʻe ʻikai ʻatu ha mohuku mōmoa kiate kimoutolu, ka te mou ʻatu hono lau totonu ʻo hoʻomou makaʻumea.”
19 The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce your daily quota of bricks.”
Pea mamata ʻae kau matāpule ʻoe fānau ʻa ʻIsileli ʻoku nau tuʻutāmaki, hili hono tala, ʻo pehē, “ʻE ʻikai te mou fakasiʻisiʻi ʻae makaʻumea mei he ngāue ʻoe ʻaho taki taha.”
20 When they left Pharaoh, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who stood waiting to meet them.
Pea naʻa nau fetaulaki mo Mōsese mo ʻElone, ʻoku tutuʻu ʻi he hala, ʻi heʻenau haʻu kituʻa meia Felo.
21 “May the LORD look upon you and judge you,” the foremen said, “for you have made us a stench before Pharaoh and his officials; you have placed in their hand a sword to kill us!”
Pea nau pehē kiate kinaua, “Ke vakai ʻa Sihova kiate kimoua, pea fakamaauʻi: koeʻuhi kuo mo fakanamukūʻi ʻakimautolu ʻi he ʻao ʻo Felo, pea mo e ʻao ʻo ʻene kau tamaioʻeiki, ke ai ʻae heletā ʻi honau nima ke fakapoongi ʻaki ʻakimautolu.”
22 So Moses returned to the LORD and asked, “Lord, why have You brought trouble upon this people? Is this why You sent me?
Pea naʻe toe ʻalu ʻa Mōsese kia Sihova, ʻo ne pehē, “ʻEiki ko e hā kuo ke fai kovi pehē ai ki he kakai ni? Ko e hā kuo ke fekau ai au?
23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and You have not delivered Your people in any way.”
He talu ʻeku haʻu kia Felo ke lea ʻi ho huafa, kuo fai kovi ʻe ia ki he kakai ni; pea ʻoku teʻeki ʻaupito te ke fakamoʻui ho kakai.”

< Exodus 5 >