< Thaama 5 >

1 Thuutha-inĩ Musa na Harũni nĩmathiire kũrĩ Firaũni, makĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Jehova, o we Ngai wa Isiraeli, oigĩte ũũ: ‘Reke andũ akwa mathiĩ, nĩgeetha makagĩe na gĩathĩ gĩakwa werũ-inĩ.’”
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 Nake Firaũni akĩmooria atĩrĩ, “Jehova nĩwe ũ, atĩ ndĩmwathĩkĩre na ndekererie andũ a Isiraeli mathiĩ? Niĩ ndiũĩ Jehova na ndikũrekereria andũ a Isiraeli mathiĩ.”
“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 Ningĩ makĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ngai wa Ahibirania nĩatwarĩirie. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio twĩtĩkĩrie tũthiĩ rũgendo rwa mĩthenya ĩtatũ werũ-inĩ tũkarutĩre Jehova Ngai witũ magongona, kwaga ũguo no atũrehithĩrie mĩthiro kana atũniine na rũhiũ rwa njora.”
“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 No mũthamaki wa bũrũri wa Misiri akĩmooria atĩrĩ, “Musa na Harũni, nĩ kĩĩ kĩratũma mũrute andũ wĩra-inĩ wao? Cookai wĩra-inĩ wanyu!”
“Moses and Aaron, why are you trying to take people away from their assigned labor?” Pharaoh asked. “Get back to work!” he ordered.
5 Nake Firaũni akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ta rorai, andũ a bũrũri rĩu nĩmaingĩhĩte, na inyuĩ nĩmũragiria marute wĩra.”
“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 Mũthenya o ũcio Firaũni agĩatha arũgamĩrĩri a ngombo o na nyabaara cia andũ, akĩmeera atĩrĩ,
That very day he ordered the slave drivers and those in charge of the people:
7 “Mũtigacooke kũhe andũ a Isiraeli nyeki ya gũthondeka maturubarĩ; nĩmathiĩ magecarĩrie nyeki o ene.
“Don't give them any more straw to make bricks like before. Have them go and collect the straw themselves.
8 No mũmeere atĩ no nginya mathondeke maturubarĩ mũigana o ta wa mbere; mũtikamanyiihĩrie gĩthimo. Nĩ igũũta; nĩkĩo mararĩra makoiga atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩtũrekwo tũthiĩ tũkarutĩre Ngai witũ igongona.’
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 Maritũhĩriei wĩra nĩgeetha makoragwo makĩruta wĩra hĩndĩ ciothe, na mũtige gũthikĩrĩria ũhoro wa maheeni.”
Make their work harder so they can get on with it and not pay any attention to all these lies!”
10 Nao arũgamĩrĩri a ngombo na nyabaara cia andũ magĩthiĩ makĩĩra andũ atĩrĩ, “Firaũni ekuuga ũũ: ‘Ndigũcooka kũmũhe nyeki rĩngĩ.
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 Thiĩi mũgecarĩrie nyeki yanyu kũrĩa guothe mũrĩmĩona, no wĩra wanyu ndũkũnyihanyiihio o na hanini.’”
Go and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, because your work quota won't be reduced.”
12 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio andũ makĩhurunjũkĩra bũrũri wa Misiri guothe kũngania makoni ma ngano mamatũmĩre ta nyeki.
So the people went all over Egypt collecting stubble for straw.
13 Arũgamĩrĩri a ngombo makĩmahinyĩrĩria mũno, makameeraga atĩrĩ, “Rĩĩkiai wĩra ũrĩa mwagĩrĩirwo wa o mũthenya, o ta ũrĩa mwekaga rĩrĩa mwaheagwo nyeki.”
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 Nao andũ a Isiraeli arĩa maarĩ nyabaara arĩa maathuurĩtwo nĩ anene a ngombo a Firaũni magakĩhũũragwo, makoorio atĩrĩ, “Nĩ kĩĩ kĩragiririe mũhingie mũigana wa maturubarĩ ma ira kana ma ũmũthĩ, ta ũrĩa mũrekaga mbere?”
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 Nao andũ a Isiraeli arĩa maarĩ nyabaara magĩthiĩ kũrĩ Firaũni kũmũthaitha, makĩmũũria atĩrĩ: “Nĩ kĩĩ gĩtũmĩte wĩke ndungata ciaku maũndũ maya?
The Israelite supervisors went to Pharaoh to complain, saying, “Why are you treating us your servants like this?
16 Ndungata ciaku itiraheo nyeki, na no tũrerwo, ‘Thondekai maturubarĩ!’ Ndungata ciaku nĩirahũũrwo, no andũ aku nĩo marĩ na mahĩtia.”
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 Nake Firaũni agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Igũũta ici! Inyuĩ mũrĩ igũũta! Nĩkĩo mũraikara mũkiugaga atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩtũrekwo tũkarutĩre Jehova igongona.’
“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 Cookai wĩra-inĩ. Mũtikũheo nyeki, na no nginya mũthondeke mũigana wa maturubarĩ marĩa mwagĩrĩirwo.”
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 Nao andũ a Isiraeli arĩa maarĩ nyabaara makĩmenya atĩ maarĩ thĩĩna-inĩ rĩrĩa meerirwo atĩrĩ, “Mũtikũnyiihĩrio mũigana wa maturubarĩ marĩa mwagĩrĩirwo gũthondeka o mũthenya.”
The Israelite supervisors realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce the daily production of bricks.”
20 Rĩrĩa moimire harĩ Firaũni-rĩ, magĩkora Musa na Harũni arĩa maametereire,
They went over to Moses and Aaron who were waiting for them after their meeting with Pharaoh,
21 nao anyabara acio makĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Jehova aromuona na amũtuĩre ciira! Mũtũmĩte tũtuĩke kĩndũ kĩnungu kũrĩ Firaũni na anene ake, na mũkamane rũhiũ rwa njora moko-inĩ mao matũũrage.”
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 Musa agĩcooka kũrĩ, Jehova akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Mwathani, nĩ kĩĩ gĩtũmĩte ũrehithĩrie andũ aya thĩĩna? Gĩkĩ nĩkĩo gĩatũmire ũndũme?
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 Kuuma rĩrĩa ndaathiire kũrĩ Firaũni kũmwarĩria thĩinĩ wa rĩĩtwa rĩaku, nĩareheire andũ aya thĩĩna, nawe ũkaaga gũteithũra andũ aku o na hanini.”
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!”

< Thaama 5 >