Exodus 5
1 post haec ingressi sunt Moses et Aaron et dixerunt Pharaoni haec dicit Dominus Deus Israhel dimitte populum meum ut sacrificet mihi in deserto
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 at ille respondit quis est Dominus ut audiam vocem eius et dimittam Israhel nescio Dominum et Israhel non dimittam
“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 dixerunt Deus Hebraeorum vocavit nos ut eamus viam trium dierum in solitudinem et sacrificemus Domino Deo nostro ne forte accidat nobis pestis aut gladius
“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 ait ad eos rex Aegypti quare Moses et Aaron sollicitatis populum ab operibus suis ite ad onera vestra
“Moses and Aaron, why are you trying to take people away from their assigned labor?” Pharaoh asked. “Get back to work!” he ordered.
5 dixitque Pharao multus est populus terrae videtis quod turba succreverit quanto magis si dederitis eis requiem ab operibus
“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 praecepit ergo in die illo praefectis operum et exactoribus populi dicens
That very day he ordered the slave drivers and those in charge of the people:
7 nequaquam ultra dabitis paleas populo ad conficiendos lateres sicut prius sed ipsi vadant et colligant stipulam
“Don't give them any more straw to make bricks like before. Have them go and collect the straw themselves.
8 et mensuram laterum quos prius faciebant inponetis super eos nec minuetis quicquam vacant enim et idcirco vociferantur dicentes eamus et sacrificemus Deo nostro
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 opprimantur operibus et expleant ea ut non adquiescant verbis mendacibus
Make their work harder so they can get on with it and not pay any attention to all these lies!”
10 igitur egressi praefecti operum et exactores ad populum dixerunt sic dicit Pharao non do vobis paleas
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 ite et colligite sicubi invenire potueritis nec minuetur quicquam de opere vestro
Go and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, because your work quota won't be reduced.”
12 dispersusque est populus per omnem terram Aegypti ad colligendas paleas
So the people went all over Egypt collecting stubble for straw.
13 praefecti quoque operum instabant dicentes conplete opus vestrum cotidie ut prius facere solebatis quando dabantur vobis paleae
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 flagellatique sunt qui praeerant operibus filiorum Israhel ab exactoribus Pharaonis dicentibus quare non impletis mensuram laterum sicut prius nec heri nec hodie
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 veneruntque praepositi filiorum Israhel et vociferati sunt ad Pharaonem dicentes cur ita agis contra servos tuos
The Israelite supervisors went to Pharaoh to complain, saying, “Why are you treating us your servants like this?
16 paleae non dantur nobis et lateres similiter imperantur en famuli tui flagellis caedimur et iniuste agitur contra populum tuum
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 qui ait vacatis otio et idcirco dicitis eamus et sacrificemus Domino
“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 ite ergo et operamini paleae non dabuntur vobis et reddetis consuetum numerum laterum
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 videbantque se praepositi filiorum Israhel in malo eo quod diceretur eis non minuetur quicquam de lateribus per singulos dies
The Israelite supervisors realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce the daily production of bricks.”
20 occurreruntque Mosi et Aaron qui stabant ex adverso egredientes a Pharaone
They went over to Moses and Aaron who were waiting for them after their meeting with Pharaoh,
21 et dixerunt ad eos videat Dominus et iudicet quoniam fetere fecistis odorem nostrum coram Pharao et servis eius et praebuistis ei gladium ut occideret nos
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 reversusque Moses ad Dominum ait Domine cur adflixisti populum istum quare misisti me
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 ex eo enim quo ingressus sum ad Pharaonem ut loquerer nomine tuo adflixit populum tuum et non liberasti eos
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!”
