Exodus 5
1 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!’”
後來摩西、亞倫去對法老說：「耶和華－以色列的上帝這樣說：『容我的百姓去，在曠野向我守節。』」
2 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!”
法老說：「耶和華是誰，使我聽他的話，容以色列人去呢？我不認識耶和華，也不容以色列人去！」
3 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].”
他們說：「希伯來人的上帝遇見了我們。求你容我們往曠野去，走三天的路程，祭祀耶和華－我們的上帝，免得他用瘟疫、刀兵攻擊我們。」
4 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!”
埃及王對他們說：「摩西、亞倫！你們為甚麼叫百姓曠工呢？你們去擔你們的擔子吧！」
5 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!”
又說：「看哪，這地的以色列人如今眾多，你們竟叫他們歇下擔子！」
6 That same day the king commanded the Egyptian slave bosses and the [Israeli] men supervising the slaves,
當天，法老吩咐督工的和官長說：
7 “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.
「你們不可照常把草給百姓做磚，叫他們自己去撿草。
8 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.
他們素常做磚的數目，你們仍舊向他們要，一點不可減少；因為他們是懶惰的，所以呼求說：『容我們去祭祀我們的上帝。』
9 Force the men to work harder, so that they will not [have time] to listen to lies [from their leaders]!”
你們要把更重的工夫加在這些人身上，叫他們勞碌，不聽虛謊的言語。」
10 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.
督工的和官長出來對百姓說：「法老這樣說：『我不給你們草。
11 [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]
你們自己在哪裏能找草，就往那裏去找吧！但你們的工一點不可減少。』」
12 So the Israeli people went all over Egypt to find straw.
於是百姓散在埃及遍地，撿碎詡當作草。
13 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!”
督工的催着說：「你們一天當完一天的工，與先前有草一樣。」
14 [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]?”
法老督工的，責打他所派以色列人的官長，說：「你們昨天今天為甚麼沒有照向來的數目做磚、完你們的工作呢？」
15 Then the Israeli supervisors went to the king and complained, saying “[Your Majesty], why are you treating us this way?
以色列人的官長就來哀求法老說：「為甚麼這樣待你的僕人？
16 [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]!”
督工的不把草給僕人，並且對我們說：『做磚吧！』看哪，你僕人挨了打，其實是你百姓的錯。」
17 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.’
但法老說：「你們是懶惰的！你們是懶惰的！所以說：『容我們去祭祀耶和華。』
18 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!”
現在你們去做工吧！草是不給你們的，磚卻要如數交納。」
19 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.”
以色列人的官長聽說「你們每天做磚的工作一點不可減少」，就知道是遭遇禍患了。
20 As they left the king’s [palace], they met Aaron and Moses/me, who were waiting for them [there].
他們離了法老出來，正遇見摩西、亞倫站在對面，
21 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!”
就向他們說：「願耶和華鑒察你們，施行判斷；因你們使我們在法老和他臣僕面前有了臭名，把刀遞在他們手中殺我們。」
22 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]?
摩西回到耶和華那裏，說：「主啊，你為甚麼苦待這百姓呢？為甚麼打發我去呢？
23 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!”
自從我去見法老，奉你的名說話，他就苦待這百姓，你一點也沒有拯救他們。」
