Exodus 5
1 After this Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says, ‘Let my people go so they can hold a religious festival for me in the desert.’”
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 “Who is this ‘Lord’ that I should listen to his request to let Israel go?” Pharaoh replied. “I don't know the Lord and I certainly won't let Israel leave!”
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 “The God of the Hebrews came to us,” they added. “Please allow us to go a three days journey into the desert and offer sacrifices to the Lord our God. Otherwise he'll kill us by disease or by 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 “Moses and Aaron, why are you trying to take people away from their assigned labor?” Pharaoh asked. “Get back to work!” he ordered.
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 “Look here,” he went on. “There are many of your people here in our country and you are preventing them from doing their assigned labor.”
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 That very day he ordered the slave drivers and those in charge of the people:
當天，法老吩咐督工的和官長說：
7 “Don't give them any more straw to make bricks like before. Have them go and collect the straw themselves.
「你們不可照常把草給百姓做磚，叫他們自己去撿草。
8 But still make them produce the same quantity of bricks as before. They're lazy people—that's why they're calling out, asking, ‘Please let us go and offer sacrifices 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 Make their work harder so they can get on with it and not pay any attention to all these lies!”
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 So the slave drivers and those in charge went out and told the people, “This is what Pharaoh has ordered: ‘I won't give you any more straw.
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 and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, because your work quota won't be reduced.”
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 went all over Egypt collecting stubble for straw.
於是百姓散在埃及遍地，撿碎稭當作草。
13 The slave drivers kept on forcing them, saying, “You still have to do the same work as you did when you had straw provided!”
督工的催着說：「你們一天當完一天的工，與先前有草一樣。」
14 They beat the Israelite supervisors they had put in charge, shouting at them, “Why haven't you met your quota of bricks as you did 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 The Israelite supervisors went to Pharaoh to complain, saying, “Why are you treating us your servants like this?
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 You don't give us any straw but your slave drivers demand that we make bricks, and they beat us! Your people are treating us badly!”
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 “No, you're just lazy, lazy people!” Pharaoh replied. “That's why you keep on asking, ‘Please let us go and offer sacrifices 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 Now get out of here and go back to work! You won't be given any straw but you'll still have to produce the full quota 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 The Israelite supervisors realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce the daily production of bricks.”
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 They went over to Moses and Aaron who were waiting for them after their meeting with Pharaoh,
他們離了法老出來，正遇見摩西、亞倫站在對面，
21 and said, “May the Lord see what you have done and judge you accordingly! You have made us like a bad smell to Pharaoh and his officials. You have put a sword in their hands to kill us!”
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 Moses went back to the Lord and complained, “Why have you caused all this trouble for your own people, Lord? Was this why 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 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak for you, he has been even harder on your people, and you haven't done anything to save them!”
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。」
