Moses and Aaron before the King of Egypt
1 Then Moses and Aaron went to the king of Egypt and said, “The Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘Let my people go, so that they can hold a festival in the desert to honor me.’”
2 “Who is the Lord?” the king demanded. “Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord; and I will not let Israel go.”
3 Moses and Aaron replied, “The God of the Hebrews has revealed himself to us. Allow us to travel three days into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God. If we don't do so, he will kill us with disease or by war.”
4 The king said to Moses and Aaron, “What do you mean by making the people neglect their work? Get those slaves back to work! 5 You people have become more numerous than the Egyptians. And now you want to stop working!”
6 That same day the king commanded the Egyptian slave drivers and the Israelite foremen: 7 “Stop giving the people straw for making bricks. Make them go and find it for themselves. 8 But still require them to make the same number of bricks as before, not one brick less. They don't have enough work to do, and that is why they keep asking me to let them go and offer sacrifices to their God! 9 Make them work harder and keep them busy, so that they won't have time to listen to a pack of lies.”
10 The slave drivers and the Israelite foremen went out and said to the Israelites, “The king has said that he will not supply you with any more straw. 11 He says that you must go and get it for yourselves wherever you can find it, but you must still make the same number of bricks.” 12 So the people went all over Egypt looking for straw. 13 The slave drivers kept trying to force them to make the same number of bricks every day as they had made when they were given straw. 14 The Egyptian slave drivers beat the Israelite foremen, whom they had put in charge of the work. They demanded, “Why aren't you people making the same number of bricks that you made before?”
15 Then the foremen went to the king and complained, “Why do you do this to us, Your Majesty? 16 We are given no straw, but we are still ordered to make bricks! And now we are being beaten. It is your people that are at fault.”
17 The king answered, “You are lazy and don't want to work, and that is why you ask me to let you go and offer sacrifices to the Lord. 18 Now get back to work! You will not be given any straw, but you must still make the same number of bricks.” 19 The foremen realized that they were in trouble when they were told that they had to make the same number of bricks every day as they had made before.
20 As they were leaving, they met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them. 21 They said to Moses and Aaron, “The Lord has seen what you have done and will punish you for making the king and his officers hate us. You have given them an excuse to kill us.”
Moses Complains to the Lord
22 Then Moses turned to the Lord again and said, “Lord, why do you mistreat your people? Why did you send me here? 23 Ever since I went to the king to speak for you, he has treated them cruelly. And you have done nothing to help them!”
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.”