Ọpụpụ 5
1 Emesịa, Mosis na Erọn jekwuuru Fero guzo nʼihu ya gwa ya okwu sị, “Ihe a ka Onyenwe anyị, Chineke Izrel kwuru, ‘Hapụ ndị m ka ha gaa meere m mmemme dị nsọ nʼime ọzara.’”
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 Fero zara sị, “Onye ka Onyenwe anyị bụ m ga-eji gee ntị nʼolu ya ịhapụ ụmụ Izrel ka ha si nʼebe a pụọ? Amaghị m onye ọ bụ, agaghị m ekwekwa ka Izrel gaa ebe ọbụla.”
“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 Ha zara sị, “Chineke ndị Hibru zutere anyị. Biko kwere ka anyị gaa njem ụbọchị atọ nʼime ọzara nọọ nʼebe ahụ chụọrọ Onyenwe anyị Chineke anyị aja. Ọ bụrụ na anyị ajụ ige ntị nʼolu ya, ọ ga-eji ọrịa ọjọọ maọbụ mma agha kpochapụ anyị.”
“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 Eze Ijipt zara ha sị, “Mosis na Erọn, gịnị mere unu ji na-ewepụ ụmụ Izrel aka site nʼọrụ ha? Laghachinụ nʼọrụ unu!”
“Moses and Aaron, why are you trying to take people away from their assigned labor?” Pharaoh asked. “Get back to work!” he ordered.
5 Fero gara nʼihu sị, “Lee, ka ndị obodo a si dị ọtụtụ ugbu a, ihe unu na-eme bụ naanị igbochi ha ịrụ ọrụ ha.”
“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 Nʼụbọchị ahụ kwa, Fero nyere ndị nlekọta ụmụ Izrel na ndị o mere ndịisi nʼebe ụmụ Izrel nọ iwu sị,
That very day he ordered the slave drivers and those in charge of the people:
7 “Unu enyekwala ụmụ Izrel ahịhịa ha ga-eji kpụọ brik dịka unu na-eme nʼoge gara aga. Kama, ha ga-achọta ahịhịa ahụ nʼonwe ha.
“Don't give them any more straw to make bricks like before. Have them go and collect the straw themselves.
8 Ọzọ, meenụ ka ọnụọgụgụ brik ha na-akpụ dịrị ka ọ dị na mbụ, unu emela ka ọ dịrị ala. Ha bụ ndị umengwụ. Ọ bụ ya mere ha ji na-eti mkpu, ‘Ka anyị gaa nʼọzara gaa chụọrọ Chineke anyị aja.’
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 Nyenụ ha ọrụ dị ike, nke ga-ezi ha na ha ekwesighị ịṅa ntị nʼokwu ụgha Mosis na Erọn na-ekwuru ha.”
Make their work harder so they can get on with it and not pay any attention to all these lies!”
10 Ndị na-achị ndị ohu na ndị nlekọta jekwuuru ụmụ Izrel sị ha, “Ihe a ka Fero kwuru: ‘Agaghị m enyekwa unu ahịhịa ọzọ.
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 Gaanụ chọtara onwe unu okporo ahịhịa ebe ọbụla unu nwere ike ịchọta ya, ma nke a agaghị eme ka e gbubilata ọrụ unu kwesiri ịrụ.’”
Go and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, because your work quota won't be reduced.”
12 Ya mere ndị ha gbasasịrị nʼala Ijipt niile ịchịkọta okporo ahịhịa ha ji akpụ brik.
So the people went all over Egypt collecting stubble for straw.
13 Ndị na-achị ha nọgidere na-akwagide ha sị ha, “Rụchaanụ ọrụ unu kwesiri ịrụ nʼụbọchị dịka unu si arụ ya mgbe a na-enye unu ahịhịa.”
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 Ndịisi ọrụ Fero malitere iti ndị Izrel ha họpụtara maka inyere ha aka ilekọta ndị ọrụ ihe, na-ajụ ha ajụjụ sị, “Gịnị mere unu akpụtaghị oke ọnụọgụgụ brik unu kwesiri ịkpụta ụnyaahụ maọbụ taa?”
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 Mgbe ahụ, ndịisi ọrụ ndị Izrel bịakwutere Fero kwaara ya akwa sị ya, “Gịnị mere i ji si otu a na-emeso ndị ohu gị mmeso?
The Israelite supervisors went to Pharaoh to complain, saying, “Why are you treating us your servants like this?
16 Ọ dịghị okporo ahịhịa a na-enye ndị ohu gị, ma ha na-asị anyị, ‘Kpụọnụ brik!’ A na-etikwa ndị ohu gị ihe, ma ịta ụta ekwesighị ịdịrị anyị kama ịta ụta dịrị ndị gị.”
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 Fero zaghachiri ha sị, “Ndị umengwụ! Nʼezie ndị umengwụ ka unu bụ. Ọ bụ ya mere unu ji nọgide na-asị, ‘Ka anyị gaa chụọrọ Onyenwe anyị aja.’
“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 Laghachinụ azụ ugbu a nʼọrụ unu. A gaghị enye unu okporo ahịhịa ọbụla. Ma unu ga-arụpụtarịrị ọnụọgụgụ brik dị ka a chọrọ nʼaka unu.”
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 Ndịisi ọrụ ụmụ Izrel ghọtara na ha nọ na nsogbu mgbe a gwara ha okwu sị ha, “Unu ga-akpụtarịrị ọnụọgụgụ brik unu kwesiri ịkpụ kwa ụbọchị.”
The Israelite supervisors realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce the daily production of bricks.”
20 Mgbe ha si nʼihu Fero pụọ, ha zutere Mosis na Erọn ebe ha nọ na-eche ha.
They went over to Moses and Aaron who were waiting for them after their meeting with Pharaoh,
21 Ndị nlekọta ọrụ ndị a gwara Mosis na Erọn okwu sị, “Ka Onyenwe anyị lee unu anya ma kpee unu ikpe. Unu emeela ka anyị bụrụ ihe na-esi ajọ isi nʼihu Fero na ndị na-ejere ya ozi. Unu etinyela mma agha nʼaka ha nke ha ga-eji gbuo anyị.”
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 Mgbe ahụ Mosis laghachikwuru Onyenwe anyị jụọ ya sị, “Onyenwe anyị, gịnị mere i ji butere ndị a nsogbu? Gịnị mere i ji zite m?
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 Nʼihi na site na mgbe m jekwuuru Fero gwa ya okwu nʼaha gị, o meela ka nsogbu dakwasị ndị a, ma ị napụtabeghị ndị gị.”
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!”
