Exodus 5
1 Then Aaron and Moses/I went to the king and [one of them/us] said, “Yahweh God, whom [we] Israeli people [worship], says this [to you]: ‘Let my people go to the desert, in order that they may have a feast to [honor] me!’”
后来摩西、亚伦去对法老说：“耶和华—以色列的 神这样说：‘容我的百姓去，在旷野向我守节。’”
2 But the king said, “Who is Yahweh? Why should I pay attention to what he says and let the Israeli [people] [MTY] go? I do not know Yahweh! And furthermore, I will not let the Israeli [people] go!”
法老说：“耶和华是谁，使我听他的话，容以色列人去呢？我不认识耶和华，也不容以色列人去！”
3 They/we replied, “Yahweh God, the one we Hebrews [worship], has (revealed himself/appeared) to us [and told us what to tell you]. So we ask you to [please] let us go on a three day journey into the desert. We must offer sacrifices to Yahweh God [there]. [If we do] not do that, he will cause us to die [IDM] from diseases or from attacks [by our enemies] [MTY].”
他们说：“希伯来人的 神遇见了我们。求你容我们往旷野去，走三天的路程，祭祀耶和华—我们的 神，免得他用瘟疫、刀兵攻击我们。”
4 But the king of Egypt said to them/us, “Moses and Aaron, (stop trying to keep the Israeli people from working/why are you preventing the Israeli people from working?) [RHQ] [Tell those slaves] to return to work!”
埃及王对他们说：“摩西、亚伦！你们为什么叫百姓旷工呢？你们去担你们的担子吧！”
5 The king also said, “Listen [to me! You] people [who now live] in this land are now [more] numerous, and you want them [to stop working and] rest!”
又说：“看哪，这地的以色列人如今众多，你们竟叫他们歇下担子！”
6 That same day the king commanded the Egyptian slave bosses and the [Israeli] men supervising the slaves,
当天，法老吩咐督工的和官长说：
7 “Do not continue to give the [Israeli] people straw for making bricks, as you have done previously. Make them go [into the fields] and gather straw for themselves.
“你们不可照常把草给百姓做砖，叫他们自己去捡草。
8 But require them to make the same number of bricks that they did before. Do not decrease the number at all. They (are lazy/do not have enough work to do). That is the reason they are asking me to let them go [into the desert] to offer sacrifices to their god.
他们素常做砖的数目，你们仍旧向他们要，一点不可减少；因为他们是懒惰的，所以呼求说：‘容我们去祭祀我们的 神。’
9 Force the men to work harder, so that they will not [have time] to listen to lies [from their leaders]!”
你们要把更重的工夫加在这些人身上，叫他们劳碌，不听虚谎的言语。”
10 So the slave bosses and supervisors of the slaves went to where the [Israeli] people were and said to them, “The king has said that he will no longer give you any straw.
督工的和官长出来对百姓说：“法老这样说：‘我不给你们草。
11 [So] you yourselves must go and get straw wherever you can find it. But you must still keep working to make the same number of bricks as before.” [LIT]
你们自己在哪里能找草，就往那里去找吧！但你们的工一点不可减少。’”
12 So the Israeli people went all over Egypt to find straw.
于是百姓散在埃及遍地，捡碎秸当作草。
13 The slave bosses kept telling them insistently, “Finish the work you are required to do each day, [making the same amount of bricks] as you did [before, when we gave you] straw!”
督工的催着说：“你们一天当完一天的工，与先前有草一样。”
14 [When they were not able to do that], the slave bosses had the [Israeli supervisors] beaten [with sticks], and they asked them, “Why have [all the men you are supervising] not been able to make [the same number] of bricks today/now as [they did] before [RHQ]?”
法老督工的，责打他所派以色列人的官长，说：“你们昨天今天为什么没有照向来的数目做砖、完你们的工作呢？”
15 Then the Israeli supervisors went to the king and complained, saying “[Your Majesty], why are you treating us this way?
以色列人的官长就来哀求法老说：“为什么这样待你的仆人？
16 [Now] they are not giving us any straw [for making bricks], but they keep commanding us to make bricks. And now sometimes they beat us. But it is the fault of your own slave bosses [that we cannot make as many bricks as before]!”
督工的不把草给仆人，并且对我们说：‘做砖吧！’看哪，你仆人挨了打，其实是你百姓的错。”
17 But the king said, “You are lazy and do not [want to] work! That is why you keep saying, ‘Allow us to go [to the desert] and offer sacrifices to Yahweh.’
但法老说：“你们是懒惰的！你们是懒惰的！所以说：‘容我们去祭祀耶和华。’
18 So go and get back to work! [We] are not going to give you any straw, but you must keep making the same number of bricks!”
现在你们去做工吧！草是不给你们的，砖却要如数交纳。”
19 The Israeli supervisors realized that they were in a difficult situation, because they had been told, “We are not going to decrease the number of bricks [you must make] each day.”
以色列人的官长听说“你们每天做砖的工作一点不可减少”，就知道是遭遇祸患了。
20 As they left the king’s [palace], they met Aaron and Moses/me, who were waiting for them [there].
他们离了法老出来，正遇见摩西、亚伦站在对面，
21 They said to Aaron and Moses/me, “Yahweh has seen [what] you two [have done] He will punish you [MTY], because you have caused the king and his officials to despise us! You have given them an excuse [MTY] to kill us!”
就向他们说：“愿耶和华鉴察你们，施行判断；因你们使我们在法老和他臣仆面前有了臭名，把刀递在他们手中杀我们。”
22 Moses/I left them and prayed to Yahweh again, saying, “O Yahweh, why have you caused all these evil things to happen to your people [RHQ]? And why did you send me [here] [RHQ]?
摩西回到耶和华那里，说：“主啊，你为什么苦待这百姓呢？为什么打发我去呢？
23 Ever since I went to the king and told him what you told me to say [MTY], he has treated your people very cruelly, and you have not done anything to help/rescue them!”
自从我去见法老，奉你的名说话，他就苦待这百姓，你一点也没有拯救他们。”
