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 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 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 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 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.”
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 Farao bisaa sɛ, “Mose ne Aaron, adɛn enti na morema nkurɔfoɔ no agyae wɔn nnwuma? Monkɔ mo nnwuma so ntɛm!”
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 Farao toaa so sɛ, “Seesei, saa nnipa no dɔɔso sene ɔmanfoɔ no, nanso mopɛ sɛ moma ahɔhoɔ no gyae adwumayɛ.”
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 Ɛda no ara, Farao somaa nnipa maa wɔkɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn a wɔhwɛ Israelfoɔ no so no sɛ,
Therefore, on the same day, he instructed the overseers of the works, and the taskmasters of the people, saying:
7 “Mommma nnipa no ɛserɛ a wɔde bɛyɛ ntayaa no bio! Momma wɔn ankasa nkɔtwa ɛserɛ no.
“You shall no longer give chaff to the people to form bricks, as before. But they may go and gather 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.
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 Momma wɔn adwuma no mu nyɛ den, na ɛmmee wɔn na wɔankɔtie atosɛm biara.”
They shall be oppressed with works, and these shall occupy them, so that they may not agree to lying words.”
10 Enti, adwumasohwɛfoɔ ne wɔn akwankyerɛfoɔ no ka kyerɛɛ Hebrifoɔ no sɛ, “Farao aka akyerɛ yɛn sɛ yɛmmma mo ɛserɛ bio.
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 Mo ara monkɔkyini nhwehwɛ bi, nanso ntayaa a motwa no, montwa dodoɔ saa ara.”
Go, and collect it wherever you are able to find it. Neither will anything of your work be diminished.”
12 Enti, Hebrifoɔ kyinkyinii Misraim asase so nyinaa sɛ wɔrekɔhwehwɛ ɛserɛ no bi.
And the people were dispersed through all the land of Egypt, in order to gather straw.
13 Adwumasohwɛfoɔ no hyɛɛ wɔn atirimuɔden so sɛ, “Montwa ntayaa dodoɔ sɛdeɛ na motwa no.”
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 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?”
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 Mpanimfoɔ yi kɔɔ Farao nkyɛn kɔsrɛɛ no sɛ, “Yɛsrɛ wo, nha yɛn saa,
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 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.”
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 Nanso, Farao buaa sɛ, “Monni dwuma bi di, na sɛ mowɔ dwuma bi di a, anka morenka sɛ, ‘Momma yɛnkɔbɔ afɔdeɛ mma Awurade.’
And he said: “You are idle. And for this reason you say, ‘We shall 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.”
Therefore, go and work. Straw will not be given to you, and you will return the customary number 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.
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 Ɛberɛ a wɔfiri Farao anim baeɛ a wɔhunuu sɛ Mose ne Aaron retwɛn wɔn wɔ ahemfie no ho no,
And they met with Moses and Aaron, who stood opposite them as they departed from Pharaoh.
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.”
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 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?
And Moses returned to the Lord, and he said: “Lord, why have you afflicted this people? Why have 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!”
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.”
