U-Eksodusi 5
1 Emva kwalokho-ke uMozisi loAroni bahamba bathi kuFaro: Itsho njalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli: Bayekele abantu bami bahambe, bangigcinele umkhosi enkangala.
After these things, Moses and Aaron entered, and they said to Pharaoh: “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Release my people, so that they may sacrifice to me in the desert.”
2 Kodwa uFaro wathi: Ingubani iNkosi ukuthi ngilalele ilizwi layo, ngiyekele uIsrayeli ahambe? Kangiyazi iNkosi, futhi kangiyikumyekela uIsrayeli ahambe.
But he responded: “Who is the Lord, that I should listen to his voice and release Israel? I do not know the Lord, and I will not release Israel.”
3 Basebesithi: UNkulunkulu wamaHebheru uhlangane lathi; ake usiyekele sihambe uhambo lwensuku ezintathu enkangala, siyihlabele iNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, hlezi isehlele ngomatshayabhuqe wesifo kumbe ngenkemba.
And they said: “The God of the Hebrews has called us, so that we may go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God. Otherwise, a pestilence or the sword may befall us.”
4 Kodwa inkosi yeGibhithe yathi kubo: Kungani, Mozisi loAroni, lisusa abantu emisebenzini yabo? Yanini emithwalweni yenu!
The king of Egypt said to them: “Why do you, Moses and Aaron, distract the people from their works? Go back to your burdens.”
5 UFaro wasesithi: Khangelani, abantu belizwe sebebanengi, kanti liyabaphumuza emithwalweni yabo.
And Pharaoh said: “The people of the land are many. You see that the turmoil has increased: how much more if you give them rest from the works?”
6 Ngalolosuku uFaro waselaya abaqhubi besibhalo besizwe lezinduna zaso, esithi:
Therefore, on the same day, he instructed the overseers of the works, and the taskmasters of the people, saying:
7 Lingabe lisabanika abantu amahlanga okwenza izitina njengamandulo; kabahambe bona bayezibuthela amahlanga;
“You shall no longer give chaff to the people to form bricks, as before. But they may go and gather straw.
8 lenani lezitina abalenze mandulo lizabamisela lona, lingaphunguli kulo; ngoba bayavilapha; yikho bekhala besithi: Siyekeleni siyehlabela uNkulunkulu wethu.
And you shall impose upon them the same quota of bricks that they made before. Neither will you lessen anything, for they are idle, and therefore they cry out, saying: ‘We shall go and sacrifice to our God.’
9 Yenzani umsebenzi ube nzima kakhulu phezu kwamadoda, ukuze basebenze kuwo, bangalaleli amazwi enkohliso.
They shall be oppressed with works, and these shall occupy them, so that they may not agree to lying words.”
10 Abaqhubi besibhalo babantu baphuma, lezinduna zabo, bakhuluma ebantwini besithi: Utsho njalo uFaro: Kangiyikulinika amahlanga;
And so the overseers of the works and the taskmasters went out and said to the people: “Thus says Pharaoh: I give you no chaff.
11 hambani lina, lizithathele amahlanga lapho elingawathola khona; kodwa umsebenzi wenu kakuyikuphungulwa lutho kuwo.
Go, and collect it wherever you are able to find it. Neither will anything of your work be diminished.”
12 Abantu basebehlakazeka elizweni lonke leGibhithe ukuze babuthe izidindi zibe ngamahlanga.
And the people were dispersed through all the land of Egypt, in order to gather straw.
13 Abaqhubi besibhalo babahaluzelisa besithi: Qedani imisebenzi yenu, umlandu wosuku ngosuku lwawo, njengamhla kulamahlanga.
Likewise, the overseers of the works pressured them, saying: “Complete your work each day, just as you were accustomed to do before, when straw was given to you.”
14 Njalo izinduna zabantwana bakoIsrayeli, abaqhubi besibhalo bakaFaro abababekela zona, zatshaywa, kuthiwa: Kaliqedanga ngani umsebenzi wenu omisiweyo wokwenza izitina njengamandulo, layizolo lalamuhla?
And those who were first in the works of the sons of Israel were scourged by Pharaoh’s taskmasters, saying: “Why have you not filled the quota of bricks, neither yesterday, nor today, just as before?”
15 Izinduna zabantwana bakoIsrayeli zasezisiza, zakhala kuFaro zathi: Wenzelani kanje ezincekwini zakho?
And the first among the sons of Israel came, and they cried out to Pharaoh, saying: “Why do act against your servants in this way?
16 Amahlanga kawanikwa inceku zakho, kanti bathi kithi: Yenzani izitina. Khangela-ke, inceku zakho ziyatshaywa; kodwa icala ngelabantu bakho.
Straw is not given to us, and yet the same amount of bricks is commanded. So we, your servants, are cut up by scourging, and injustice is done against your people.”
17 Kodwa wathi: Lina lingamavila, lingamavila; ngalokhu lithi: Siyekeleni siyehlabela iNkosi.
And he said: “You are idle. And for this reason you say, ‘We shall go and sacrifice to the Lord.’
18 Khathesi-ke hambani, lisebenze; kodwa amahlanga kaliyikuwanikwa, kanti lizaletha inani lezitina.
Therefore, go and work. Straw will not be given to you, and you will return the customary number of bricks.”
19 Izinduna zabantwana bakoIsrayeli zasezibona ukuthi zazisebubini, nxa kuthiwa: Kaliyikuphungula ezitineni zenu, umlandu wosuku ngosuku lwawo.
And the first among the sons of Israel saw themselves in a crisis, because it was said to them, “Nothing at all will be lessened from the bricks throughout each day.”
20 Zasezihlangana loMozisi loAroni ababemi ukubahlangabeza ekuphumeni kwabo kuFaro;
And they met with Moses and Aaron, who stood opposite them as they departed from Pharaoh.
21 zasezisithi kubo: INkosi ilibone yahlulele; ngoba lenze iphunga lethu libe livumba emehlweni kaFaro lemehlweni enceku zakhe; linike inkemba esandleni sabo ukuze basibulale.
And they said to them: “May the Lord see and judge, because you have caused our odor to become foul before Pharaoh and his servants, and you have provided him with a sword, in order to kill us.”
22 UMozisi wasebuyela eNkosini wathi: Nkosi, wenzeleni okubi kulesisizwe? Kungani ungithumile?
And Moses returned to the Lord, and he said: “Lord, why have you afflicted this people? Why have you sent me?
23 Ngoba selokhu ngaya kuFaro ukukhuluma ebizweni lakho, wenzile okubi kulesisizwe; futhi kawusikhululanga lokusikhulula isizwe sakho.
For from the time that I entered to Pharaoh, so as to speak in your name, he has afflicted your people. And you have not freed them.”
