2 Mose 5
1 Mose ne Aaron yɛɛ anwanwadeɛ yi kyerɛɛ mpanimfoɔ no wieeɛ no, wɔkɔhunuu Farao. Wɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn se yɛmmɛka asɛm bi nkyerɛ wo. Ɔse, ‘Ma me nkurɔfoɔ mfiri ha nkɔ ɛserɛ so nkɔbɔ afahyɛdwa kronkron wɔ hɔ mfa nsɔre me.’”
After that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’”
2 Farao bisaa sɛ, “Ampa? Na hwan ne Awurade a ɛsɛ sɛ metie no na mema Israelfoɔ no kɔ? Mennim Awurade biara enti meremma Israelfoɔ no nkɔ.”
But Pharaoh replied, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.”
3 Nanso, Aaron ne Mose tii mu bio sɛ, “Hebri Onyankopɔn ne yɛn ahyia. Ɛsɛ sɛ yɛtu nnansa ɛkwan kɔ ɛserɛ so kɔbɔ afɔdeɛ wɔ hɔ de ma Awurade, yɛn Onyankopɔn. Na sɛ yɛantie no a, ɔyaredɔm anaa sekan ano na yɛbɛwuwuo.”
“The God of the Hebrews has met with us,” they answered. “Please let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God, or He may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”
4 Farao bisaa sɛ, “Mose ne Aaron, adɛn enti na morema nkurɔfoɔ no agyae wɔn nnwuma? Monkɔ mo nnwuma so ntɛm!”
But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your labor!”
5 Farao toaa so sɛ, “Seesei, saa nnipa no dɔɔso sene ɔmanfoɔ no, nanso mopɛ sɛ moma ahɔhoɔ no gyae adwumayɛ.”
Pharaoh also said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you would be stopping them from their labor.”
6 Ɛda no ara, Farao somaa nnipa maa wɔkɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn a wɔhwɛ Israelfoɔ no so no sɛ,
That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen:
7 “Mommma nnipa no ɛserɛ a wɔde bɛyɛ ntayaa no bio! Momma wɔn ankasa nkɔtwa ɛserɛ no.
“You shall no longer supply the people with straw for making bricks. They must go and gather their own straw.
8 Afei, ntayaa dodoɔ a wɔtwa no nso, monnte so baako koraa, ɛfiri sɛ, asɛm a wɔaka no da no adi pefee sɛ, wɔyɛ akwadwofoɔ enti na wɔreka sɛ wɔrekɔ ɛserɛ so akɔbɔ wɔn Awurade afɔdeɛ no.
But require of them the same quota of bricks as before; do not reduce it. For they are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’
9 Momma wɔn adwuma no mu nyɛ den, na ɛmmee wɔn na wɔankɔtie atosɛm biara.”
Make the work harder on the men so they will be occupied and pay no attention to these lies.”
10 Enti, adwumasohwɛfoɔ ne wɔn akwankyerɛfoɔ no ka kyerɛɛ Hebrifoɔ no sɛ, “Farao aka akyerɛ yɛn sɛ yɛmmma mo ɛserɛ bio.
So the taskmasters and foremen of the people went out and said to them, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I am no longer giving you straw.
11 Mo ara monkɔkyini nhwehwɛ bi, nanso ntayaa a motwa no, montwa dodoɔ saa ara.”
Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it; but your workload will in no way be reduced.’”
12 Enti, Hebrifoɔ kyinkyinii Misraim asase so nyinaa sɛ wɔrekɔhwehwɛ ɛserɛ no bi.
So the people scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
13 Adwumasohwɛfoɔ no hyɛɛ wɔn atirimuɔden so sɛ, “Montwa ntayaa dodoɔ sɛdeɛ na motwa no.”
The taskmasters kept pressing them, saying, “Fulfill your quota each day, just as you did when straw was provided.”
14 Afei, Misraimfoɔ adwumasohwɛfoɔ no kaa Hebrifoɔ mpanimfoɔ a wɔde wɔn atuatua adwuma no ano sɛ akwankyerɛfoɔ no mmaa, bisaa wɔn sɛ, “Adɛn enti na moanwie ntayaa a wɔahyɛ sɛ montwa no nnora ne ɛnnɛ no nyinaa sɛdeɛ na moyɛ kane no?”
Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over the people, were beaten and asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as you did before?”
15 Mpanimfoɔ yi kɔɔ Farao nkyɛn kɔsrɛɛ no sɛ, “Yɛsrɛ wo, nha yɛn saa,
So the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why are you treating your servants this way?
16 ɛfiri sɛ, wɔmma yɛn ɛserɛ nso wɔhyɛ yɛn sɛ yɛntwa ntayaa dodoɔ sɛdeɛ na yɛtwa no. Wɔka yɛn mmaa ɛberɛ a yɛnyɛɛ mfomsoɔ biara. Mfomsoɔ no mfiri yɛn. Ɛfiri adwumasohwɛfoɔ no, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔhyɛ yɛn sɛ yɛnyɛ adwuma a ɛboro yɛn ahoɔden so.”
No straw has been given to your servants, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”
17 Nanso, Farao buaa sɛ, “Monni dwuma bi di, na sɛ mowɔ dwuma bi di a, anka morenka sɛ, ‘Momma yɛnkɔbɔ afɔdeɛ mma Awurade.’
“You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. “Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’
18 Monsane nkɔyɛ adwuma ntɛm. Obiara remma mo ɛserɛ, nanso ntayaa dodoɔ a motwa no daa no, saa ara na mobɛtwa.”
Now get to work. You will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the full quota of bricks.”
19 Ɛberɛ a wɔka kyerɛɛ Israelfoɔ mpanimfoɔ a wɔdi adwuma no anim sɛ akwankyerɛfoɔ no sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtwa ntayaa no dodoɔ sɛdeɛ wɔyɛ daa no, wɔhunuu sɛ ahokyere aba.
The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce your daily quota of bricks.”
20 Ɛberɛ a wɔfiri Farao anim baeɛ a wɔhunuu sɛ Mose ne Aaron retwɛn wɔn wɔ ahemfie no ho no,
When they left Pharaoh, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who stood waiting to meet them.
21 wɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Awurade mmu mo atɛn sɛ moama Farao ne ne nkurɔfoɔ anya yɛn ho menasepɔ, na enti wama wɔn ɛkwan sɛ wɔnkum yɛn.”
“May the LORD look upon you and judge you,” the foremen said, “for you have made us a stench before Pharaoh and his officials; you have placed in their hand a sword to kill us!”
22 Asɛm yi maa Mose kɔɔ Awurade nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Awurade, adɛn enti na woma wo manfoɔ brɛ saa? Sɛ wonim sɛ wobɛyɛ wɔn saa a, adɛn enti na wosomaa me?
So Moses returned to the LORD and asked, “Lord, why have You brought trouble upon this people? Is this why You sent me?
23 Ɛfiri ɛberɛ a mekɔkaa wo nkra no kyerɛɛ Farao no, tan ara na ɔretan wɔn ani, nanso wonnyee wɔn ɛkwan biara so!”
Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and You have not delivered Your people in any way.”
