Exodus 5
1 After these things Moses and Aaron went in, and said to Pharao: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: Let my people go that they may sacrifice to me in the desert.
Mose ne Aaron yɛɛ anwanwadeɛ yi kyerɛɛ mpanimfoɔ no wieeɛ no, wɔkɔhunuu Farao. Wɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn se yɛmmɛka asɛm bi nkyerɛ wo. Ɔse, ‘Ma me nkurɔfoɔ mfiri ha nkɔ ɛserɛ so nkɔbɔ afahyɛdwa kronkron wɔ hɔ mfa nsɔre me.’”
2 But he answered: Who is the Lord, that I should hear his voice, and let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.
Farao bisaa sɛ, “Ampa? Na hwan ne Awurade a ɛsɛ sɛ metie no na mema Israelfoɔ no kɔ? Mennim Awurade biara enti meremma Israelfoɔ no nkɔ.”
3 And they said: The God of the Hebrews hath called us, to go three days’ journey into the wilderness and to sacrifice to the Lord our God: lest a pestilence or the sword fall upon us.
Nanso, Aaron ne Mose tii mu bio sɛ, “Hebri Onyankopɔn ne yɛn ahyia. Ɛsɛ sɛ yɛtu nnansa ɛkwan kɔ ɛserɛ so kɔbɔ afɔdeɛ wɔ hɔ de ma Awurade, yɛn Onyankopɔn. Na sɛ yɛantie no a, ɔyaredɔm anaa sekan ano na yɛbɛwuwuo.”
4 The king of Egypt said to them: Why do you Moses and Aaron draw off the people from their works? Get you gone to your burdens.
Farao bisaa sɛ, “Mose ne Aaron, adɛn enti na morema nkurɔfoɔ no agyae wɔn nnwuma? Monkɔ mo nnwuma so ntɛm!”
5 And Pharao said: The people of the land is numerous: you see that the multitude is increased: how much more if you give them rest from their works?
Farao toaa so sɛ, “Seesei, saa nnipa no dɔɔso sene ɔmanfoɔ no, nanso mopɛ sɛ moma ahɔhoɔ no gyae adwumayɛ.”
6 Therefore he commanded the same day the overseers of the works, and the taskmasters of the people, saying:
Ɛda no ara, Farao somaa nnipa maa wɔkɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn a wɔhwɛ Israelfoɔ no so no sɛ,
7 You shall give straw no more to the people to make brick, as before: but let them go and gather straw.
“Mommma nnipa no ɛserɛ a wɔde bɛyɛ ntayaa no bio! Momma wɔn ankasa nkɔtwa ɛserɛ no.
8 And you shall lay upon them the task of bricks, which they did before, neither shall you diminish any thing thereof: for they are idle, and therefore they cry, saying: Let us go and sacrifice to our God.
Afei, ntayaa dodoɔ a wɔtwa no nso, monnte so baako koraa, ɛfiri sɛ, asɛm a wɔaka no da no adi pefee sɛ, wɔyɛ akwadwofoɔ enti na wɔreka sɛ wɔrekɔ ɛserɛ so akɔbɔ wɔn Awurade afɔdeɛ no.
9 Let them be oppressed, with works, and let them fulfill them: that they may not regard lying words.
Momma wɔn adwuma no mu nyɛ den, na ɛmmee wɔn na wɔankɔtie atosɛm biara.”
10 And the overseers of the works and the taskmasters went out and said to the people: Thus saith Pharao, I allow you no straw:
Enti, adwumasohwɛfoɔ ne wɔn akwankyerɛfoɔ no ka kyerɛɛ Hebrifoɔ no sɛ, “Farao aka akyerɛ yɛn sɛ yɛmmma mo ɛserɛ bio.
11 Go, and gather it where you can find it: neither shall any thing of your work be diminished.
Mo ara monkɔkyini nhwehwɛ bi, nanso ntayaa a motwa no, montwa dodoɔ saa ara.”
12 And the people was scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather straw.
Enti, Hebrifoɔ kyinkyinii Misraim asase so nyinaa sɛ wɔrekɔhwehwɛ ɛserɛ no bi.
13 And the overseers of the works pressed them, saying: Fulfill your work every day as before you were wont to do when straw was given you.
Adwumasohwɛfoɔ no hyɛɛ wɔn atirimuɔden so sɛ, “Montwa ntayaa dodoɔ sɛdeɛ na motwa no.”
14 And they that were over the works of the children of Israel were scourged by Pharao’s taskmasters, saying: Why have you not made up the task of bricks both yesterday and today as before?
Afei, Misraimfoɔ adwumasohwɛfoɔ no kaa Hebrifoɔ mpanimfoɔ a wɔde wɔn atuatua adwuma no ano sɛ akwankyerɛfoɔ no mmaa, bisaa wɔn sɛ, “Adɛn enti na moanwie ntayaa a wɔahyɛ sɛ montwa no nnora ne ɛnnɛ no nyinaa sɛdeɛ na moyɛ kane no?”
15 And the officers of the children of Israel came, and cried out to Pharao, saying: Why dealest thou so with thy servants?
Mpanimfoɔ yi kɔɔ Farao nkyɛn kɔsrɛɛ no sɛ, “Yɛsrɛ wo, nha yɛn saa,
16 Straw is not given us, and bricks are required of us as before: behold we thy servants are beaten with whips, and thy people is unjustly dealt withal.
ɛfiri sɛ, wɔmma yɛn ɛserɛ nso wɔhyɛ yɛn sɛ yɛntwa ntayaa dodoɔ sɛdeɛ na yɛtwa no. Wɔka yɛn mmaa ɛberɛ a yɛnyɛɛ mfomsoɔ biara. Mfomsoɔ no mfiri yɛn. Ɛfiri adwumasohwɛfoɔ no, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔhyɛ yɛn sɛ yɛnyɛ adwuma a ɛboro yɛn ahoɔden so.”
17 And he said: You are idle, and therefore you say: Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.
Nanso, Farao buaa sɛ, “Monni dwuma bi di, na sɛ mowɔ dwuma bi di a, anka morenka sɛ, ‘Momma yɛnkɔbɔ afɔdeɛ mma Awurade.’
18 Go therefore, and work: straw shall not be given you, and you shall deliver the accustomed number of bricks.
Monsane nkɔyɛ adwuma ntɛm. Obiara remma mo ɛserɛ, nanso ntayaa dodoɔ a motwa no daa no, saa ara na mobɛtwa.”
19 And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in evil case, because it was said to them: There shall not a whit be diminished of the bricks for every day.
Ɛberɛ a wɔka kyerɛɛ Israelfoɔ mpanimfoɔ a wɔdi adwuma no anim sɛ akwankyerɛfoɔ no sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtwa ntayaa no dodoɔ sɛdeɛ wɔyɛ daa no, wɔhunuu sɛ ahokyere aba.
20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood over against them as they came out from Pharao:
Ɛberɛ a wɔfiri Farao anim baeɛ a wɔhunuu sɛ Mose ne Aaron retwɛn wɔn wɔ ahemfie no ho no,
21 And they said to them: The Lord see and judge, because you have made our savour to stink before Pharao and his servants, and you have given him a sword to kill us.
wɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Awurade mmu mo atɛn sɛ moama Farao ne ne nkurɔfoɔ anya yɛn ho menasepɔ, na enti wama wɔn ɛkwan sɛ wɔnkum yɛn.”
22 And Moses returned to the Lord, and said: Lord, why hast thou afflicted this people? wherefore hast thou sent me?
Asɛm yi maa Mose kɔɔ Awurade nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Awurade, adɛn enti na woma wo manfoɔ brɛ saa? Sɛ wonim sɛ wobɛyɛ wɔn saa a, adɛn enti na wosomaa me?
23 For since the time that I went in to Pharao to speak in thy name, he hath afflicted thy people: and thou hast not delivered them.
Ɛfiri ɛberɛ a mekɔkaa wo nkra no kyerɛɛ Farao no, tan ara na ɔretan wɔn ani, nanso wonnyee wɔn ɛkwan biara so!”
