< Exodus 5 >

1 Post hæc ingressi sunt Moyses et Aaron, et dixerunt Pharaoni: Hæc dicit Dominus Deus Israel: Dimitte populum meum ut sacrificet mihi in deserto.
And after that, Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and said, The Lord, the God of Israel, says, Let my people go so that they may keep a feast to me in the waste land.
2 At ille respondit: Quis est Dominus, ut audiam vocem eius, et dimittam Israel? Nescio Dominum, et Israel non dimittam.
And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, to whose voice I am to give ear and let Israel go? I have no knowledge of the Lord and I will not let Israel go.
3 Dixeruntque: Deus Hebræorum vocavit nos, ut eamus viam trium dierum in solitudinem, et sacrificemus Domino Deo nostro: ne forte accidat nobis pestis aut gladius.
And they said, The God of the Hebrews has come to us: let us then go three days' journey into the waste land to make an offering to the Lord our God, so that he may not send death on us by disease or the sword.
4 Ait ad eos rex Ægypti: Quare Moyses et Aaron solicitatis populum ab operibus suis? Ite ad onera vestra.
And the king of Egypt said to them, Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people away from their work? get back to your work.
5 Dixitque Pharao: Multus est populus terræ: videtis quod turba succreverit: quanto magis si dederitis eis requiem ab operibus?
And Pharaoh said, Truly, the people of the land are increasing in number, and you are keeping them back from their work.
6 Præcepit ergo in die illo præfectis operum et exactoribus populi, dicens:
The same day Pharaoh gave orders to the overseers and those who were responsible for the work, saying,
7 Nequaquam ultra dabitis paleas populo ad conficiendos lateres, sicut prius: sed ipsi vadant, et colligant stipulas.
Give these men no more dry stems for their brick-making as you have been doing; let them go and get the material for themselves.
8 Et mensuram laterum, quam prius faciebant, imponetis super eos, nec minuetis quidquam: vacant enim, et idcirco vociferantur, dicentes: Eamus, et sacrificemus Deo nostro.
But see that they make the same number of bricks as before, and no less: for they have no love for work; and so they are crying out and saying, Let us go and make an offering to our God.
9 Opprimantur operibus, et expleant ea: ut non acquiescant verbis mendacibus.
Give the men harder work, and see that they do it; let them not give attention to false words.
10 Igitur egressi præfecti operum et exactores, ad populum dixerunt: Sic dicit Pharao: Non do vobis paleas:
And the overseers of the people and their responsible men went out and said to the people, Pharaoh says, I will give you no more dry stems.
11 ite, et colligite sicubi invenire poteritis, nec minuetur quidquam de opere vestro.
Go yourselves and get dry stems wherever you are able; for your work is not to be any less.
12 Dispersusque est populus per omnem Terram Ægypti ad colligendas paleas.
So the people were sent in all directions through the land of Egypt to get dry grass for stems.
13 Præfecti quoque operum instabant, dicentes: Complete opus vestrum quotidie, ut prius facere solebatis quando dabantur vobis paleæ.
And the overseers went on driving them and saying, Do your full day's work as before when there were dry stems for you.
14 Flagellatique sunt qui præerant operibus filiorum Israel, ab exactoribus Pharaonis, dicentibus: Quare non impletis mensuram laterum sicut prius, nec heri, nec hodie?
And the responsible men of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's overseers had put over them, were given blows, and they said to them, Why have you not done your regular work, in making bricks as before?
15 Veneruntque præpositi filiorum Israel, et vociferati sunt ad Pharaonem dicentes: Cur ita agis contra servos tuos?
Then the responsible men of the children of Israel came to Pharaoh, protesting and saying, Why are you acting in this way to your servants?
16 Paleæ non dantur nobis, et lateres similiter imperantur: en famuli tui flagellis cædimur, et iniuste agitur contra populum tuum.
They give us no dry stems and they say to us, Make bricks: and they give your servants blows; but it is your people who are in the wrong.
17 Qui ait: Vacatis otio, et idcirco dicitis: Eamus, et sacrificemus Domino.
But he said, You have no love for work: that is why you say, Let us go and make an offering to the Lord.
18 Ite ergo, et operamini: paleæ non dabuntur vobis, et reddetis consuetum numerum laterum.
Go now, get back to your work; no dry stems will be given to you, but you are to make the full number of bricks.
19 Videbantque se præpositi filiorum Israel in malo, eo quod diceretur eis: Non minuetur quidquam de lateribus per singulos dies.
Then the responsible men of the children of Israel saw that they were purposing evil when they said, The number of bricks which you have to make every day will be no less than before.
20 Occurreruntque Moysi et Aaron, qui stabant ex adverso, egredientibus a Pharaone:
And they came face to face with Moses and Aaron, who were in their way when they came out from Pharaoh:
21 et dixerunt ad eos: Videat Dominus et iudicet, quoniam fœtere fecistis odorem nostrum coram Pharaone et servis eius, et præbuistis ei gladium, ut occideret nos.
And they said to them, May the Lord take note of you and be your judge; for you have given Pharaoh and his servants a bad opinion of us, putting a sword in their hands for our destruction.
22 Reversusque est Moyses ad Dominum, et ait: Domine, cur afflixisti populum istum? Quare misisti me?
And Moses went back to the Lord and said, Lord, why have you done evil to this people? why have you sent me?
23 Ex eo enim quo ingressus sum ad Pharaonem ut loquerer in nomine tuo, afflixit populum tuum: et non liberasti eos.
For from the time when I came to Pharaoh to put your words before him, he has done evil to this people, and you have given them no help.

< Exodus 5 >