Exodus 5
1 And after that, Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and said, The Lord, the God of Israel, says, Let my people go so that they may keep a feast to me in the waste land.
後來摩西、亞倫去對法老說：「耶和華－以色列的上帝這樣說：『容我的百姓去，在曠野向我守節。』」
2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, to whose voice I am to give ear and let Israel go? I have no knowledge of the Lord and I will not let Israel go.
法老說：「耶和華是誰，使我聽他的話，容以色列人去呢？我不認識耶和華，也不容以色列人去！」
3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews has come to us: let us then go three days' journey into the waste land to make an offering to the Lord our God, so that he may not send death on us by disease or the sword.
他們說：「希伯來人的上帝遇見了我們。求你容我們往曠野去，走三天的路程，祭祀耶和華－我們的上帝，免得他用瘟疫、刀兵攻擊我們。」
4 And the king of Egypt said to them, Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people away from their work? get back to your work.
埃及王對他們說：「摩西、亞倫！你們為甚麼叫百姓曠工呢？你們去擔你們的擔子吧！」
5 And Pharaoh said, Truly, the people of the land are increasing in number, and you are keeping them back from their work.
又說：「看哪，這地的以色列人如今眾多，你們竟叫他們歇下擔子！」
6 The same day Pharaoh gave orders to the overseers and those who were responsible for the work, saying,
當天，法老吩咐督工的和官長說：
7 Give these men no more dry stems for their brick-making as you have been doing; let them go and get the material for themselves.
「你們不可照常把草給百姓做磚，叫他們自己去撿草。
8 But see that they make the same number of bricks as before, and no less: for they have no love for work; and so they are crying out and saying, Let us go and make an offering to our God.
他們素常做磚的數目，你們仍舊向他們要，一點不可減少；因為他們是懶惰的，所以呼求說：『容我們去祭祀我們的上帝。』
9 Give the men harder work, and see that they do it; let them not give attention to false words.
你們要把更重的工夫加在這些人身上，叫他們勞碌，不聽虛謊的言語。」
10 And the overseers of the people and their responsible men went out and said to the people, Pharaoh says, I will give you no more dry stems.
督工的和官長出來對百姓說：「法老這樣說：『我不給你們草。
11 Go yourselves and get dry stems wherever you are able; for your work is not to be any less.
你們自己在哪裏能找草，就往那裏去找吧！但你們的工一點不可減少。』」
12 So the people were sent in all directions through the land of Egypt to get dry grass for stems.
於是百姓散在埃及遍地，撿碎稭當作草。
13 And the overseers went on driving them and saying, Do your full day's work as before when there were dry stems for you.
督工的催着說：「你們一天當完一天的工，與先前有草一樣。」
14 And the responsible men of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's overseers had put over them, were given blows, and they said to them, Why have you not done your regular work, in making bricks as before?
法老督工的，責打他所派以色列人的官長，說：「你們昨天今天為甚麼沒有照向來的數目做磚、完你們的工作呢？」
15 Then the responsible men of the children of Israel came to Pharaoh, protesting and saying, Why are you acting in this way to your servants?
以色列人的官長就來哀求法老說：「為甚麼這樣待你的僕人？
16 They give us no dry stems and they say to us, Make bricks: and they give your servants blows; but it is your people who are in the wrong.
督工的不把草給僕人，並且對我們說：『做磚吧！』看哪，你僕人挨了打，其實是你百姓的錯。」
17 But he said, You have no love for work: that is why you say, Let us go and make an offering to the Lord.
但法老說：「你們是懶惰的！你們是懶惰的！所以說：『容我們去祭祀耶和華。』
18 Go now, get back to your work; no dry stems will be given to you, but you are to make the full number of bricks.
現在你們去做工吧！草是不給你們的，磚卻要如數交納。」
19 Then the responsible men of the children of Israel saw that they were purposing evil when they said, The number of bricks which you have to make every day will be no less than before.
以色列人的官長聽說「你們每天做磚的工作一點不可減少」，就知道是遭遇禍患了。
20 And they came face to face with Moses and Aaron, who were in their way when they came out from Pharaoh:
他們離了法老出來，正遇見摩西、亞倫站在對面，
21 And they said to them, May the Lord take note of you and be your judge; for you have given Pharaoh and his servants a bad opinion of us, putting a sword in their hands for our destruction.
就向他們說：「願耶和華鑒察你們，施行判斷；因你們使我們在法老和他臣僕面前有了臭名，把刀遞在他們手中殺我們。」
22 And Moses went back to the Lord and said, Lord, why have you done evil to this people? why have you sent me?
摩西回到耶和華那裏，說：「主啊，你為甚麼苦待這百姓呢？為甚麼打發我去呢？
23 For from the time when I came to Pharaoh to put your words before him, he has done evil to this people, and you have given them no help.
自從我去見法老，奉你的名說話，他就苦待這百姓，你一點也沒有拯救他們。」
