U-Eksodusi 5
1 Emva kwalokho uMosi lo-Aroni baya kuFaro. Bathi kuye, “Sikulethele ilizwi elivela kuThixo, uNkulunkulu wabantu bako-Israyeli. Uthi, ‘Vumela abantu bami bahambe, ukuze bangenzele umkhosi enkangala.’”
And after that, Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and said, The Lord, the God of Israel, says, Let my people go so that they may keep a feast to me in the waste land.
2 UFaro wathi, “Ungubani uThixo okufanele ngimlalele ngivumele abako-Israyeli ukuba bahambe na? Mina kangimazi uThixo, njalo kangiyikubavumela abako-Israyeli ukuba bahambe.”
And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, to whose voice I am to give ear and let Israel go? I have no knowledge of the Lord and I will not let Israel go.
3 Ngakho-ke bona bathi, “UNkulunkulu wamaHebheru ubonakele kithi. Kumele sithathe uhambo lwamalanga amathathu siye enkangala ukuze siyenikela iminikelo kuThixo uNkulunkulu wethu, funa asibulale ngemikhuhlane loba ngenkemba.”
And they said, The God of the Hebrews has come to us: let us then go three days' journey into the waste land to make an offering to the Lord our God, so that he may not send death on us by disease or the sword.
4 Kodwa inkosi yaseGibhithe yathi, “Mosi lo-Aroni, kungani lisusa abantu emsebenzini wabo? Buyelani emisebenzini yenu.”
And the king of Egypt said to them, Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people away from their work? get back to your work.
5 UFaro wasesithi, “Khangelani abantu sebebanengi elizweni, kodwa lina liyabamisa ukusebenza.”
And Pharaoh said, Truly, the people of the land are increasing in number, and you are keeping them back from their work.
6 Ngalelolanga uFaro wathumela lelilizwi ezinduneni zezigqili ezazisebenzisa abantu wathi:
The same day Pharaoh gave orders to the overseers and those who were responsible for the work, saying,
7 “Lingabe lisabapha abantu utshani bokwenza izitina. Yekelani bayezidingela utshani babo kodwa lingehlisi inani lezitina okumele bazenze.
Give these men no more dry stems for their brick-making as you have been doing; let them go and get the material for themselves.
8 Kumele ukuthi batshaye inani abebelitshaya. Bangamavila, yikho besuka bakhale besithi, ‘Kasihambeni siyenikela kuNkulunkulu wethu.’
But see that they make the same number of bricks as before, and no less: for they have no love for work; and so they are crying out and saying, Let us go and make an offering to our God.
9 Yenzani umsebenzi ubenzima kwabesilisa ukuze baqhubekele phambili ngomsebenzi batshiyane lokulalela amanga.”
Give the men harder work, and see that they do it; let them not give attention to false words.
10 Izinduna zezigqili kanye labaphathi baphuma bayatshela abantu bathi, “Nanku esikulaywe nguFaro, uthi, ‘Kangisoze ngilinike utshani futhi.
And the overseers of the people and their responsible men went out and said to the people, Pharaoh says, I will give you no more dry stems.
11 Hambani liyesika utshani lapho elingabuthola khona. Kodwa umsebenzi wenu kawusoze uphungulwe lakancinyane.’”
Go yourselves and get dry stems wherever you are able; for your work is not to be any less.
12 Ngakho abantu bahlakazeka kulolonke elaseGibhithe, besika imihlanga ukuze bayisebenzise esikhundleni sotshani.
So the people were sent in all directions through the land of Egypt to get dry grass for stems.
13 Izinduna zezigqili zaqhubeka zibakhahlameza zisithi, “Qedani imisebenzi yansuku zonke njengalokho elalikwenza lisazuza utshani.”
And the overseers went on driving them and saying, Do your full day's work as before when there were dry stems for you.
14 Abaphathi bezisebenzi bako-Israyeli ababekhethwe yizinduna zezigqili zikaFaro batshaywa bebuzwa ukuthi, “Kungani inani lezolo lelanamuhla lingenelanga njengakuqala?”
And the responsible men of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's overseers had put over them, were given blows, and they said to them, Why have you not done your regular work, in making bricks as before?
15 Ngakho abaphathi bezisebenzi bako-Israyeli baya kuFaro bamncenga besithi, “Kungani uphatha izisebenzi zakho ngale indlela?
Then the responsible men of the children of Israel came to Pharaoh, protesting and saying, Why are you acting in this way to your servants?
16 Izisebenzi zakho kazinikwa utshani, kodwa sitshelwa ukuthi, ‘Tshayani izitina!’ Izisebenzi zakho ziyatshaywa, kodwa umlandu ngowabantu bakho.”
They give us no dry stems and they say to us, Make bricks: and they give your servants blows; but it is your people who are in the wrong.
17 UFaro wathi, “Mavila, yikho eliyikho, mavila! Yikho lihlala lisithi, ‘Siyekele siyenikela kuThixo.’
But he said, You have no love for work: that is why you say, Let us go and make an offering to the Lord.
18 Buyelani emsebenzini. Akulatshani elizabuphiwa. Kodwa kumele lenze izitina ezifika inani ebelivele lilenza.”
Go now, get back to your work; no dry stems will be given to you, but you are to make the full number of bricks.
19 Abaphathi bezisebenzi bako-Israyeli bananzelela ukuthi babesebunzimeni obukhulu baze batshelwe ukuthi, “Kakumelanga lehlise inani lezitina okumele lilenze nsuku zonke.”
Then the responsible men of the children of Israel saw that they were purposing evil when they said, The number of bricks which you have to make every day will be no less than before.
20 Sebesukile kuFaro, bafica uMosi lo-Aroni bebalindele.
And they came face to face with Moses and Aaron, who were in their way when they came out from Pharaoh:
21 Basebesithi, “uThixo kalikhangele alahlulele. Selenze ukuthi senyanyeke kuFaro lakuziphathamandla zakhe, lafaka inkemba ezandleni zabo ukuba basibulale.”
And they said to them, May the Lord take note of you and be your judge; for you have given Pharaoh and his servants a bad opinion of us, putting a sword in their hands for our destruction.
22 UMosi wabuyela kuThixo wathi kuye, “Thixo, kungani ulethe uhlupho ebantwini laba? Yiso yini isizatho sokungithuma.
And Moses went back to the Lord and said, Lord, why have you done evil to this people? why have you sent me?
23 Selokhu ngaya kuFaro ukuyakhuluma ngebizo lakho, uselethe uhlupho ebantwini laba, njalo kawubahlenganga abantu bakho lakancane.”
For from the time when I came to Pharaoh to put your words before him, he has done evil to this people, and you have given them no help.
