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 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 Kodwa uFaro wathi: Ingubani iNkosi ukuthi ngilalele ilizwi layo, ngiyekele uIsrayeli ahambe? Kangiyazi iNkosi, futhi kangiyikumyekela uIsrayeli ahambe.
“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 Basebesithi: UNkulunkulu wamaHebheru uhlangane lathi; ake usiyekele sihambe uhambo lwensuku ezintathu enkangala, siyihlabele iNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, hlezi isehlele ngomatshayabhuqe wesifo kumbe ngenkemba.
“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 Kodwa inkosi yeGibhithe yathi kubo: Kungani, Mozisi loAroni, lisusa abantu emisebenzini yabo? Yanini emithwalweni yenu!
“Moses and Aaron, why are you trying to take people away from their assigned labor?” Pharaoh asked. “Get back to work!” he ordered.
5 UFaro wasesithi: Khangelani, abantu belizwe sebebanengi, kanti liyabaphumuza emithwalweni yabo.
“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 Ngalolosuku uFaro waselaya abaqhubi besibhalo besizwe lezinduna zaso, esithi:
That very day he ordered the slave drivers and those in charge of the people:
7 Lingabe lisabanika abantu amahlanga okwenza izitina njengamandulo; kabahambe bona bayezibuthela amahlanga;
“Don't give them any more straw to make bricks like before. Have them go and collect the straw themselves.
8 lenani lezitina abalenze mandulo lizabamisela lona, lingaphunguli kulo; ngoba bayavilapha; yikho bekhala besithi: Siyekeleni siyehlabela uNkulunkulu wethu.
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 Yenzani umsebenzi ube nzima kakhulu phezu kwamadoda, ukuze basebenze kuwo, bangalaleli amazwi enkohliso.
Make their work harder so they can get on with it and not pay any attention to all these lies!”
10 Abaqhubi besibhalo babantu baphuma, lezinduna zabo, bakhuluma ebantwini besithi: Utsho njalo uFaro: Kangiyikulinika amahlanga;
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 hambani lina, lizithathele amahlanga lapho elingawathola khona; kodwa umsebenzi wenu kakuyikuphungulwa lutho kuwo.
Go and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, because your work quota won't be reduced.”
12 Abantu basebehlakazeka elizweni lonke leGibhithe ukuze babuthe izidindi zibe ngamahlanga.
So the people went all over Egypt collecting stubble for straw.
13 Abaqhubi besibhalo babahaluzelisa besithi: Qedani imisebenzi yenu, umlandu wosuku ngosuku lwawo, njengamhla kulamahlanga.
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 Njalo izinduna zabantwana bakoIsrayeli, abaqhubi besibhalo bakaFaro abababekela zona, zatshaywa, kuthiwa: Kaliqedanga ngani umsebenzi wenu omisiweyo wokwenza izitina njengamandulo, layizolo lalamuhla?
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 Izinduna zabantwana bakoIsrayeli zasezisiza, zakhala kuFaro zathi: Wenzelani kanje ezincekwini zakho?
The Israelite supervisors went to Pharaoh to complain, saying, “Why are you treating us your servants like this?
16 Amahlanga kawanikwa inceku zakho, kanti bathi kithi: Yenzani izitina. Khangela-ke, inceku zakho ziyatshaywa; kodwa icala ngelabantu bakho.
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 Kodwa wathi: Lina lingamavila, lingamavila; ngalokhu lithi: Siyekeleni siyehlabela iNkosi.
“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 Khathesi-ke hambani, lisebenze; kodwa amahlanga kaliyikuwanikwa, kanti lizaletha inani lezitina.
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 Izinduna zabantwana bakoIsrayeli zasezibona ukuthi zazisebubini, nxa kuthiwa: Kaliyikuphungula ezitineni zenu, umlandu wosuku ngosuku lwawo.
The Israelite supervisors realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce the daily production of bricks.”
20 Zasezihlangana loMozisi loAroni ababemi ukubahlangabeza ekuphumeni kwabo kuFaro;
They went over to Moses and Aaron who were waiting for them after their meeting with 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 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 UMozisi wasebuyela eNkosini wathi: Nkosi, wenzeleni okubi kulesisizwe? Kungani ungithumile?
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 Ngoba selokhu ngaya kuFaro ukukhuluma ebizweni lakho, wenzile okubi kulesisizwe; futhi kawusikhululanga lokusikhulula isizwe sakho.
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!”
