< Mose 2 5 >
1 Le takpekpe wɔwɔ kple Israel ƒe dumegãwo vɔ megbe la, Mose kple Aron woyi Farao gbɔ. Wogblɔ nɛ be, “Ale Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu la gblɔe nye esi: ‘Ɖe asi le nye amewo ŋu woayi gbedzi aɖaɖu ŋkekenyui nam.’”
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.’”
2 Farao bia be, “Ame kae nye Yehowa be maɖo toe, eye maɖe asi le Israel ŋu? Nyemenya Yehowa o, eye nyemaɖe asi le Israel ŋu o.”
“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!”
3 Mose kple Aron woƒoe ɖe Farao nu be, “Hebritɔwo ƒe Mawu la do go mí, ele be míayi aɖanɔ gbedzi ŋkeke etɔ̃, eye míasa vɔ na Yehowa, míaƒe Mawu la le afi ma. Ne míeɖo to eƒe gbe o la, dɔvɔ̃ awu mí alo míatsi futɔwo ƒe yi nu.”
“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.”
4 Ke Egipte fia gblɔ be, “Mose kple Aron, nu ka ta miele ameawo ɖem ɖa tso woƒe dɔ gbɔ? Mitrɔ yi miaƒe dɔ gbɔ!”
“Moses and Aaron, why are you trying to take people away from their assigned labor?” Pharaoh asked. “Get back to work!” he ordered.
5 Farao gagblɔ be, “Kpɔ ɖa, amewo sɔ gbɔ le anyigba la dzi, eye miele wo ɖem ɖa le woƒe dɔwo gbɔ.”
“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.”
6 Gbe ma gbe la, Farao ɖe gbe na dɔdzikpɔla kple dɔnunɔla siwo le ameawo nu be,
That very day he ordered the slave drivers and those in charge of the people:
7 “Migana gbe ƒuƒu Israelviwo azɔ na anyikpeawo meme o; mina woayi aɖadi woawo ŋutɔ ƒe gbe ƒuƒu.
“Don't give them any more straw to make bricks like before. Have them go and collect the straw themselves.
8 Ke mina woagame anyikpe xexlẽme si womena tsã la; migaɖe edzi na wo o. Kuviatɔwo wonye, eya ta wole ɣli dom be, ‘Mina míayi aɖasa vɔ na míaƒe Mawu’
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.
9 Mina woƒe dɔ nagasẽ na wo wu tsã ale be woagayi dɔwɔwɔ dzi. Migaɖo to woƒe alakpanyawo o.”
Make their work harder so they can get on with it and not pay any attention to all these lies!”
10 Ale dɔdzikpɔlawo kple dɔnunɔlawo yi ɖagblɔ na ameawo be, “Nya si Farao gblɔe nye, ‘Nyemagana gbe ƒuƒu mi azɔ o.
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.
11 Miyi ne miawo ŋutɔ miadi gbe ƒuƒu le afi sia afi si miakpɔe le, ke womaɖe miaƒe dɔ dzi kpɔtɔ le go aɖeke me o.’”
Go and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, because your work quota won't be reduced.”
12 Ale Israelviwo kaka ɖe Egiptenyigba la katã dzi henɔ gbe ƒuƒu dim.
So the people went all over Egypt collecting stubble for straw.
13 Dɔdzikpɔlawo sẽa ŋuta le wo ŋu, woɖea gbe na wo be, “Mime anyikpewo woasɔ gbɔ gbe sia gbe abe tsã ene.”
The slave drivers kept on forcing them, saying, “You still have to do the same work as you did when you had straw provided!”
14 Woƒoa Israelviwo ƒe dɔnunɔla siwo Farao ɖo wo nu, eye wobluna ɖe wo ta be, “Nu ka ta mieme anyikpe xexlẽme si wòle be miame etsɔ alo egbe abe tsã ene o?”
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?”
15 Ale Israelviwo ƒe dɔnunɔlawo yi Farao gbɔ heƒo koko nɛ be, “Nu ka ŋuti nèle wò dɔlawo wɔm alea?
The Israelite supervisors went to Pharaoh to complain, saying, “Why are you treating us your servants like this?
16 Womeganaa gbe ƒuƒu wò dɔlawo o, ke wobia tso mía si be, ‘Mime anyikpewo!’ Woƒoa wò dɔlawo le esime vodada la tso wò ŋutɔ wò amewo gbɔ, wònye miaƒe dɔdzikpɔlawoe le dɔ manyatanu ɖom na mí.”
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!”
17 Farao ɖo eŋu be, “Kuviatɔwo mienye, eya ta miele gbɔgblɔm be, ‘Mina míayi aɖasa vɔ na Yehowa.’
“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.’
18 Mitrɔ yi miaƒe dɔwo gbɔ, womana gbe ƒuƒu aɖeke mi o, gake ele be miame anyikpe xexlẽme si miemena gbe sia gbe tsã la kokoko!”
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!”
19 Israelviwo ƒe dɔnunɔlawo kpɔe be nu sesẽwo ɖi kpe yewo nyateƒe be womaɖe yewoƒe gbe sia gbe kpememe la dzi na yewo o.
The Israelite supervisors realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce the daily production of bricks.”
20 Mose kple Aron wonɔ wo lalam le fiasã la godo esi me wodzo le Farao gbɔ. Esi wodo go wo la,
They went over to Moses and Aaron who were waiting for them after their meeting with Pharaoh,
21 wogblɔ na Mose kple Aron be, “Yehowa nadrɔ̃ ʋɔnu mi be miena míeɖi nu ʋeʋĩwo le Farao kple eŋumewo ŋkume, eye be miena mɔnukpɔkpɔ wo be woawu mí.”
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!”
22 Tete Mose gatrɔ yi Yehowa gbɔ hegblɔ nɛ be, “O, Yehowa, nu ka ta nèhe fukpekpe sia va ame siawo dzii? Esia tae nèdɔm ɖoa?
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?
23 Tso esime megblɔ wò gbedeasi la na Farao ko la, ɖeko wògale ŋuta sẽm le ameawo ŋu wu tsã; mèɖe wo tso woƒe fukpekpewo me kura o!”
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!”