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 happened, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: 'Let my people go, so they can have a festival for me in the wilderness.'”
2 Kodwa uFaro wathi: Ingubani iNkosi ukuthi ngilalele ilizwi layo, ngiyekele uIsrayeli ahambe? Kangiyazi iNkosi, futhi kangiyikumyekela uIsrayeli ahambe.
Pharaoh said, “Who is Yahweh? Why should I listen to his voice and let Israel go? I do not know Yahweh; moreover, I will not let Israel go.”
3 Basebesithi: UNkulunkulu wamaHebheru uhlangane lathi; ake usiyekele sihambe uhambo lwensuku ezintathu enkangala, siyihlabele iNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, hlezi isehlele ngomatshayabhuqe wesifo kumbe ngenkemba.
They said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to Yahweh our God so that he does not attack us with plague or with the sword.”
4 Kodwa inkosi yeGibhithe yathi kubo: Kungani, Mozisi loAroni, lisusa abantu emisebenzini yabo? Yanini emithwalweni yenu!
But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people from their work? Go back to your work.”
5 UFaro wasesithi: Khangelani, abantu belizwe sebebanengi, kanti liyabaphumuza emithwalweni yabo.
He also said, “There are now many people in our land, and you are making them stop their work.”
6 Ngalolosuku uFaro waselaya abaqhubi besibhalo besizwe lezinduna zaso, esithi:
On that same day, Pharaoh gave a command to the people's taskmasters and foremen. He said,
7 Lingabe lisabanika abantu amahlanga okwenza izitina njengamandulo; kabahambe bona bayezibuthela amahlanga;
“Unlike before, you must no longer give the people straw to make bricks. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.
8 lenani lezitina abalenze mandulo lizabamisela lona, lingaphunguli kulo; ngoba bayavilapha; yikho bekhala besithi: Siyekeleni siyehlabela uNkulunkulu wethu.
However, you must still demand from them the same number of bricks as they made before. Do not accept any fewer, because they are lazy. That is why they are calling out and saying, 'Allow us to go and sacrifice to our God.'
9 Yenzani umsebenzi ube nzima kakhulu phezu kwamadoda, ukuze basebenze kuwo, bangalaleli amazwi enkohliso.
Increase the workload for the men so that they keep at it and pay no more attention to deceptive words.”
10 Abaqhubi besibhalo babantu baphuma, lezinduna zabo, bakhuluma ebantwini besithi: Utsho njalo uFaro: Kangiyikulinika amahlanga;
So the people's taskmasters and foremen went out and informed the people. They said, “This is what Pharaoh says: 'I will no longer give you any straw.
11 hambani lina, lizithathele amahlanga lapho elingawathola khona; kodwa umsebenzi wenu kakuyikuphungulwa lutho kuwo.
You yourselves must go and get straw wherever you can find it, but your workload will not be reduced.'”
12 Abantu basebehlakazeka elizweni lonke leGibhithe ukuze babuthe izidindi zibe ngamahlanga.
So the people scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
13 Abaqhubi besibhalo babahaluzelisa besithi: Qedani imisebenzi yenu, umlandu wosuku ngosuku lwawo, njengamhla kulamahlanga.
The taskmasters kept urging them and saying, “Finish your work, just as 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?
Pharaoh's taskmasters beat the Israelite foremen, those same men whom they had put in charge of the workers. The taskmasters kept asking them, “Why have you not produced all the bricks required of you, either yesterday and today, as you used to do in the past?”
15 Izinduna zabantwana bakoIsrayeli zasezisiza, zakhala kuFaro zathi: Wenzelani kanje ezincekwini zakho?
So the Israelite foremen came to Pharaoh and cried out to him. They said, “Why are you treating your servants this way?
16 Amahlanga kawanikwa inceku zakho, kanti bathi kithi: Yenzani izitina. Khangela-ke, inceku zakho ziyatshaywa; kodwa icala ngelabantu bakho.
No straw is being given to your servants anymore, but they are still telling us, 'Make bricks!' We, your servants, are even beaten now, but it is the fault of your own people.”
17 Kodwa wathi: Lina lingamavila, lingamavila; ngalokhu lithi: Siyekeleni siyehlabela iNkosi.
But Pharaoh said, “You are lazy! You are lazy! You say, 'Allow us to go sacrifice to Yahweh.'
18 Khathesi-ke hambani, lisebenze; kodwa amahlanga kaliyikuwanikwa, kanti lizaletha inani lezitina.
So now go back to work. No more straw will be given to you, but you must still make the same number of bricks.”
19 Izinduna zabantwana bakoIsrayeli zasezibona ukuthi zazisebubini, nxa kuthiwa: Kaliyikuphungula ezitineni zenu, umlandu wosuku ngosuku lwawo.
The Israelite foremen saw that they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce the daily number of bricks.”
20 Zasezihlangana loMozisi loAroni ababemi ukubahlangabeza ekuphumeni kwabo kuFaro;
They met Moses and Aaron, who were standing outside the palace, as they went away 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.
They said to Moses and Aaron, “May Yahweh look at you and punish you, because you have made us offensive in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants. You have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
22 UMozisi wasebuyela eNkosini wathi: Nkosi, wenzeleni okubi kulesisizwe? Kungani ungithumile?
Moses went back to Yahweh and said, “Lord, why have you caused trouble for this people? Why did you send me in the first place?
23 Ngoba selokhu ngaya kuFaro ukukhuluma ebizweni lakho, wenzile okubi kulesisizwe; futhi kawusikhululanga lokusikhulula isizwe sakho.
Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak to him in your name, he has caused trouble for this people, and you have not set your people free at all.”
