Kutoka 5
1 Baadaye Mose na Aroni wakaenda kwa Farao, wakamwambia, “Hili ndilo asemalo Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli: ‘Waruhusu watu wangu waende, ili waweze kunifanyia sikukuu huko jangwani.’”
Then Aaron and Moses/I went to the king and [one of them/us] said, “Yahweh God, whom [we] Israeli people [worship], says this [to you]: ‘Let my people go to the desert, in order that they may have a feast to [honor] me!’”
2 Farao akasema, “Huyo Bwana ni nani, hata nimtii na kuruhusu Israeli uende? Simjui huyo Bwana wala sitawaruhusu Israeli waende.”
But the king said, “Who is Yahweh? Why should I pay attention to what he says and let the Israeli [people] [MTY] go? I do not know Yahweh! And furthermore, I will not let the Israeli [people] go!”
3 Ndipo Mose na Aroni wakasema, “Mungu wa Waebrania amekutana nasi. Sasa turuhusu tuwe na safari ya siku tatu ya jangwani ili tukamtolee Bwana Mungu wetu dhabihu, la sivyo aweza kutupiga sisi kwa tauni au kwa upanga.”
They/we replied, “Yahweh God, the one we Hebrews [worship], has (revealed himself/appeared) to us [and told us what to tell you]. So we ask you to [please] let us go on a three day journey into the desert. We must offer sacrifices to Yahweh God [there]. [If we do] not do that, he will cause us to die [IDM] from diseases or from attacks [by our enemies] [MTY].”
4 Lakini mfalme wa Misri akasema, “Mbona ninyi Mose na Aroni mnawachukua watu waache kazi zao? Rudini kwenye kazi zenu!”
But the king of Egypt said to them/us, “Moses and Aaron, (stop trying to keep the Israeli people from working/why are you preventing the Israeli people from working?) [RHQ] [Tell those slaves] to return to work!”
5 Kisha Farao akasema, “Tazama, sasa watu hawa ni wengi, nanyi mnawazuia kufanya kazi.”
The king also said, “Listen [to me! You] people [who now live] in this land are now [more] numerous, and you want them [to stop working and] rest!”
6 Siku iyo hiyo Farao akatoa amri hii kwa viongozi wa watumwa na wasimamizi wa watu akawaambia:
That same day the king commanded the Egyptian slave bosses and the [Israeli] men supervising the slaves,
7 “Tangu sasa msiwape hawa watu nyasi za kutengenezea matofali. Wao wakusanye nyasi zao wenyewe.
“Do not continue to give the [Israeli] people straw for making bricks, as you have done previously. Make them go [into the fields] and gather straw for themselves.
8 Lakini watakeni kutengeneza matofali kiasi kile kile cha mwanzo, kiwango kisipunguzwe. Wao ni wavivu, ndiyo sababu wanalia, wakisema, ‘Turuhusiwe twende kumtolea Mungu wetu dhabihu.’
But require them to make the same number of bricks that they did before. Do not decrease the number at all. They (are lazy/do not have enough work to do). That is the reason they are asking me to let them go [into the desert] to offer sacrifices to their god.
9 Fanyeni kazi kuwa ngumu zaidi kwa watu hao ili kwamba wakazane na kazi na kuacha kusikiliza uongo.”
Force the men to work harder, so that they will not [have time] to listen to lies [from their leaders]!”
10 Basi viongozi wa watumwa na wasimamizi wakaenda kuwaambia watu, “Hivi ndivyo Farao asemavyo: ‘Sitawapa tena nyasi.
So the slave bosses and supervisors of the slaves went to where the [Israeli] people were and said to them, “The king has said that he will no longer give you any straw.
11 Nendeni mkatafute nyasi wenyewe popote mnapoweza kuzipata, lakini kazi yenu haitapunguzwa hata kidogo.’”
[So] you yourselves must go and get straw wherever you can find it. But you must still keep working to make the same number of bricks as before.” [LIT]
12 Basi watu wakatawanyika kote nchini Misri kukusanya mabua ya kutumia badala ya nyasi.
So the Israeli people went all over Egypt to find straw.
13 Viongozi wa watumwa wakasisitiza, wakisema, “Timizeni kazi mnayotakiwa kwa kila siku, kama wakati ule mlipokuwa mkipewa nyasi.”
The slave bosses kept telling them insistently, “Finish the work you are required to do each day, [making the same amount of bricks] as you did [before, when we gave you] straw!”
14 Wasimamizi wa Kiisraeli waliochaguliwa na viongozi wa watumwa wa Farao walipigwa na kuulizwa, “Kwa nini hamkutimiza kiwango chenu cha kutengeneza matofali jana na leo, kama mwanzoni?”
[When they were not able to do that], the slave bosses had the [Israeli supervisors] beaten [with sticks], and they asked them, “Why have [all the men you are supervising] not been able to make [the same number] of bricks today/now as [they did] before [RHQ]?”
15 Ndipo wasimamizi wa Kiisraeli wakaenda kumlilia Farao, wakisema: “Mbona umewatendea watumishi wako hivi?
Then the Israeli supervisors went to the king and complained, saying “[Your Majesty], why are you treating us this way?
16 Watumishi wako hawapewi nyasi, hata hivyo tumeambiwa, ‘Tengenezeni matofali!’ Watumishi wako wanapigwa, lakini kosa ni la watu wako wenyewe.”
[Now] they are not giving us any straw [for making bricks], but they keep commanding us to make bricks. And now sometimes they beat us. But it is the fault of your own slave bosses [that we cannot make as many bricks as before]!”
17 Farao akasema, “Ninyi ni wavivu ndiyo sababu mnasema, ‘Turuhusu twende tukamtolee Bwana dhabihu.’
But the king said, “You are lazy and do not [want to] work! That is why you keep saying, ‘Allow us to go [to the desert] and offer sacrifices to Yahweh.’
18 Sasa nendeni kazini. Hamtapewa nyasi zozote, nanyi ni lazima mtengeneze matofali.”
So go and get back to work! [We] are not going to give you any straw, but you must keep making the same number of bricks!”
19 Wasimamizi wa Kiisraeli walitambua kuwa wako taabani walipoambiwa, “Hamtakiwi kupunguza idadi ya matofali mliotakiwa kutengeneza kila siku.”
The Israeli supervisors realized that they were in a difficult situation, because they had been told, “We are not going to decrease the number of bricks [you must make] each day.”
20 Walipoondoka kwa Farao, wakawakuta Mose na Aroni wakingojea kukutana nao,
As they left the king’s [palace], they met Aaron and Moses/me, who were waiting for them [there].
21 wakawaambia Mose na Aroni, “Bwana na awaangalie awahukumu ninyi! Mmetufanya tunuke kwa Farao na maafisa wake, nanyi mmeweka upanga mikononi mwao ili kutuua sisi.”
They said to Aaron and Moses/me, “Yahweh has seen [what] you two [have done] He will punish you [MTY], because you have caused the king and his officials to despise us! You have given them an excuse [MTY] to kill us!”
22 Mose akarudi kwa Bwana na kumwambia, “Ee Bwana, mbona umewaletea watu hawa taabu? Kwa nini basi ukanituma mimi?
Moses/I left them and prayed to Yahweh again, saying, “O Yahweh, why have you caused all these evil things to happen to your people [RHQ]? And why did you send me [here] [RHQ]?
23 Tangu nilipomwendea Farao kuzungumza naye kwa jina lako, amewaletea taabu watu hawa, nawe kamwe hujawakomboa watu wako.”
Ever since I went to the king and told him what you told me to say [MTY], he has treated your people very cruelly, and you have not done anything to help/rescue them!”
