Moses and Aaron Go to the King of Egypt
1 Moses and Aaron went to the king of Egypt and told him, “The Lord God says, ‘Let my people go into the desert, so they can honor me with a celebration there.’ ”
2 “Who is this Lord and why should I obey him?” the king replied. “I refuse to let you and your people go!”
3 They answered, “The Lord God of the Hebrews has appeared to us. Please let us walk three days into the desert where we can offer sacrifices to him. If you don't, he may strike us down with terrible troubles or with war.”
4-5 The king said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you keeping these people from working? Look how many you are keeping from doing their work. Now everyone get back to work!”
6 That same day the king gave orders to his Egyptian slave bosses and to the Israelite men directly in charge of the Israelite slaves. He told them:
7 Don't give the slaves any more straw to put in their bricks. Force them to find their own straw wherever they can, 8 but they must make the same number of bricks as before. They are lazy, or else they would not beg me to let them go and sacrifice to their God. 9 Make them work so hard that they won't have time to listen to these lies.
10 The slave bosses and the men in charge of the slaves went out and told them, “The king says he will not give you any more straw. 11 Go and find your own straw wherever you can, but you must still make as many bricks as before.”
12 The slaves went all over Egypt, looking for straw. 13 But the slave bosses were hard on them and kept saying, “Each day you have to make as many bricks as you did when you were given straw.” 14 The bosses beat the men in charge of the slaves and said, “Why didn't you force the slaves to make as many bricks yesterday and today as they did before?”
15 Finally, the men in charge of the slaves went to the king and said, “Why are you treating us like this? 16 No one brings us any straw, but we are still ordered to make the same number of bricks. We are beaten with whips, and your own people are to blame.”
17 The king replied, “You are lazy—nothing but lazy! That's why you keep asking me to let you go and sacrifice to your Lord. 18 Get back to work! You won't be given straw, but you must still make the same number of bricks.”
19 The men knew they were in deep trouble when they were ordered to make the same number of bricks each day. 20 After they left the king, they went to see Moses and Aaron, who had been waiting for them. 21 Then the men said, “We hope the Lord will punish both of you for making the king and his officials hate us. Now they even have an excuse to kill us.”
The Lord's Promise to Moses
22 Moses left them and prayed, “Our Lord, why have you brought so much trouble on your people? Is that why you sent me here? 23 Ever since you told me to speak to the king, he has caused nothing but trouble for these people. And you haven't done a thing to help.”
Mushe na Aroni mbeli kwa Mambo we Egipiti
1 Kukati shule Mushe na Aroni bakayenda kuna Faro bakandwa bakati, “Yahwe Ndzimu we Baiziraela bakati, ‘Letja bathu bangu bayende banondithamila nzano ku tjilambanyika.’ ”
2 Koga Faro kabe eti, “Yahwe ndiani wandingateedza aletja Iziraela kayenda? Anditoziba Yahwe, naiko andingaletje Iziraela kayenda.”
3 Ipapo bakabe beti, “Ndzimu we Bahebheru wakashangana naswi, ndizo tokumbila, utiletje tiyende gwendo gwe mazhuba matatu mu tjilambanyika tinopa Yahwe Ndzimu wedu tjibhayilo kuti basitongodwa betiloba nge bugwele kene ne thumo.”
4 Koga Mambo we Egipiti kabe eti ku bali, “Iwe Mushe na Aroni, ini musiyisa bathu nshingo wabo? Bgwililani ku nshingo wenyu.”
5 Faro kabe eti, “Bonani, bathu ibaba babe banjisa mu shango ngono imwi mothama kuti banyaluluke mu nshingo wabo.”
6 Zhuba ilelo Faro kadwa bayendisi be nshingo ne bashingisi be Baiziraela kati, 7 “Musitongobe mutjapa bathu ibaba mashanga kuthamisa zwitina sekwa magala muthama, mubaletje banozwishakigwa mashanga. 8 Koga bathame zwitina zwinolizana ne zwabagala bethama, musitongo buya mukazwitapudza. Bathu ibaba isimbe ndizo wali belila beti, ‘Mutiletje tiyende tinopisila Ndzimu wedu tjibhayilo.’ 9 Lemeselani balume ibaba nshingo, bashinge basiteedze manyepkhwa.”
10 Ndizo bayendisi be nshingo ne bashingisi be bathu bakayenda ku bathu bakabadwa bakati, “Faro wati aatjowomupa mashanga. 11 Yendani munozwishakigwa mashanga kwamungaawana, koga tjilizanyo tje nshingo atjitowotapudzika.” 12 Ndizo bathu bakaandama nge shango yose ye Egipiti bekubunganya malala e mashanga kuashingisa. 13 Bayendisi be nshingo bakakulumbidza beti, “Nshingo wenyu muuligile sekwa magala mushinga muna mashanga.” 14 Ngono bashingisi be Baiziraela bakalobgwa nge bayendisi be nshingo ba Faro, bakabhuzwiwa kuyi, “Ini nasi musaligila tjilizanyo tje zwitina tjamagala muligila?”
15 Bashingisi be Baiziraela ipapo bakayenda kuna Faro bakanlilila beti, “Ini mubhata balanda benyu nge zila yakajali? 16 Atitjapiwa mashanga, koga koyi, ‘Thamani zwitina.’ Bonani, tolobgwa koga ngono nlandu umu bathu benyu.”
17 Mambo kadabila eti, “Mokhekheleza, mu simbe ndizo muti, ‘Mutiletje tiyende tinopisila Yahwe tjibhayilo.’ 18 Yendani sakuno wali munoshinga, akuna mashanga amunowopiwa, koga muligile tjilizanyo tja kale tje zwitina.” 19 Bashingisi be Baiziraela bakabona kuti bamu tjimo tjakabipa ha bedwiwa kuyi, “Musitongo tapudza tjilizanyo tje zwitina tje zhuba ne zhuba.”
20 Bakati bedwa kuna Faro bakashangana na Mushe na Aroni bakabe bakabalindila. 21 Ngono bakabadwa bakati, “Yahwe bamubone! Babone tjabangashinga ndimwe! Ngoti mathama kuti tishimike mu mesho a Faro ne balanda babe. Malonga thumo mu maboko abo kuti batibulaye.”
Mushe unong'ong'ola kuna Yahwe
22 Ipapo Mushe kayenda kuna Yahwe kati, “She, ini mathama zwinogwadza ku bathu ibaba kene? Makabe manditumilani iko? 23 Ngoti kudwila pandakalebeleka na Faro mu zina lenyu, wakathamila bathu ibaba mbipo, koga amuzosunungula bathu benyu ndodwa.”