Exodus 5

1 After that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’”

1 وَبَعْدَ ذَلِكَ دَخَلَ مُوسَى وَهَارُونُ وَقَالَا لِفِرْعَوْنَ: «هَكَذَا يَقُولُ ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ: أَطْلِقْ شَعْبِي لِيُعَيِّدُوا لِي فِي ٱلْبَرِّيَّةِ».

2 But Pharaoh replied, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.”

2 فَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ: «مَنْ هُوَ ٱلرَّبُّ حَتَّى أَسْمَعَ لِقَوْلِهِ فَأُطْلِقَ إِسْرَائِيلَ؟ لَا أَعْرِفُ ٱلرَّبَّ، وَإِسْرَائِيلَ لَا أُطْلِقُهُ».

3 “The God of the Hebrews has met with us,” they answered. “Please let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God, or He may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”

3 فَقَالَا: «إِلَهُ ٱلْعِبْرَانِيِّينَ قَدِ ٱلْتَقَانَا، فَنَذْهَبُ سَفَرَ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ فِي ٱلْبَرِّيَّةِ وَنَذْبَحُ لِلرَّبِّ إِلَهِنَا، لِئَلَّا يُصِيبَنَا بِٱلْوَبَإِ أَوْ بِٱلسَّيْفِ».

4 But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your labor!”

4 فَقَالَ لَهُمَا مَلِكُ مِصْرَ: «لِمَاذَا يَا مُوسَى وَهَارُونُ تُبَطِّلَانِ ٱلشَّعْبَ مِنْ أَعْمَالِهِ؟ اِذْهَبَا إِلَى أَثْقَالِكُمَا».

5 Pharaoh also said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you would be stopping them from their labor.”

5 وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ: «هُوَذَا ٱلْآنَ شَعْبُ ٱلْأَرْضِ كَثِيرٌ وَأَنْتُمَا تُرِيحَانِهِمْ مِنْ أَثْقَالِهِمْ».

6 That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen:

6 فَأَمَرَ فِرْعَوْنُ فِي ذَلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمِ مُسَخِّرِي ٱلشَّعْبِ وَمُدَبِّرِيهِ قَائِلًا:

7 “You shall no longer supply the people with straw for making bricks. They must go and gather their own straw.

7 «لَا تَعُودُوا تُعْطُونَ ٱلشَّعْبَ تِبْنًا لِصُنْعِ ٱللِّبْنِ كَأَمْسِ وَأَوَّلَ مِنْ أَمْسِ. لِيَذْهَبُوا هُمْ وَيَجْمَعُوا تِبْنًا لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ.

8 But require of them the same quota of bricks as before; do not reduce it. For they are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’

8 وَمِقْدَارَ ٱللِّبْنِ ٱلَّذِي كَانُوا يَصْنَعُونَهُ أَمْسِ، وَأَوَّلَ مِنْ أَمْسِ تَجْعَلُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ. لَا تَنْقُصُوا مِنْهُ، فَإِنَّهُمْ مُتَكَاسِلُونَ، لِذَلِكَ يَصْرُخُونَ قَائِلِينَ: نَذْهَبُ وَنَذْبَحُ لِإِلَهِنَا.

9 Make the work harder on the men so they will be occupied and pay no attention to these lies.”

9 لِيُثَقَّلِ ٱلْعَمَلُ عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ حَتَّى يَشْتَغِلُوا بِهِ وَلَا يَلْتَفِتُوا إِلَى كَلَامِ ٱلْكَذِبِ».

10 So the taskmasters and foremen of the people went out and said to them, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I am no longer giving you straw.

10 فَخَرَجَ مُسَخِّرُو ٱلشَّعْبِ وَمُدَبِّرُوهُ وَكَلَّمُوا ٱلشَّعْبَ، قَائِلِينَ: «هَكَذَا يَقُولُ فِرْعَوْنُ: لَسْتُ أُعْطِيكُمْ تِبْنًا.

11 Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it; but your workload will in no way be reduced.’”

11 ٱذْهَبُوا أَنْتُمْ وَخُذُوا لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ تِبْنًا مِنْ حَيْثُ تَجِدُونَ. إِنَّهُ لَا يُنْقَصُ مِنْ عَمَلِكُمْ شَيْءٌ».

12 So the people scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

12 فَتَفَرَّقَ ٱلشَّعْبُ فِي كُلِّ أَرْضِ مِصْرَ لِيَجْمَعُوا قَشًّا عِوَضًا عَنِ ٱلتِّبْنِ.

13 The taskmasters kept pressing them, saying, “Fulfill your quota each day, just as you did when straw was provided.”

13 وَكَانَ ٱلْمُسَخِّرُونَ يُعَجِّلُونَهُمْ قَائِلِينَ: «كَمِّلُوا أَعْمَالَكُمْ، أَمْرَ كُلِّ يَوْمٍ بِيَوْمِهِ، كَمَا كَانَ حِينَمَا كَانَ ٱلتِّبْنُ».

14 Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over the people, were beaten and asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as you did before?”

14 فَضُرِبَ مُدَبِّرُو بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَقَامَهُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ مُسَخِّرُو فِرْعَوْنَ، وَقِيلَ لَهُمْ: «لِمَاذَا لَمْ تُكَمِّلُوا فَرِيضَتَكُمْ مِنْ صُنْعِ ٱللِّبْنِ أَمْسِ وَٱلْيَوْمَ كَٱلْأَمْسِ وَأَوَّلَ مِنْ أَمْسِ؟».

15 So the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why are you treating your servants this way?

15 فَأَتَى مُدَبِّرُو بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَصَرَخُوا إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ قَائِلِينَ: «لِمَاذَا تَفْعَلُ هَكَذَا بِعَبِيدِكَ؟

16 No straw has been given to your servants, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”

16 اَلتِّبْنُ لَيْسَ يُعْطَى لِعَبِيدِكَ، وَٱللِّبْنُ يَقُولُونَ لَنَا: ٱصْنَعُوهُ! وَهُوَذَا عَبِيدُكَ مَضْرُوبُونَ، وَقَدْ أَخْطَأَ شَعْبُكَ».

17 “You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. “Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’

17 فَقَالَ: «مُتَكَاسِلُونَ أَنْتُمْ، مُتَكَاسِلُونَ! لِذَلِكَ تَقُولُونَ: نَذْهَبُ وَنَذْبَحُ لِلرَّبِّ.

18 Now get to work. You will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the full quota of bricks.”

18 فَٱلْآنَ ٱذْهَبُوا ٱعْمَلُوا. وَتِبْنٌ لَا يُعْطَى لَكُمْ وَمِقْدَارَ ٱللِّبْنِ تُقَدِّمُونَهُ».

19 The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce your daily quota of bricks.”

19 فَرَأَى مُدَبِّرُو بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ فِي بَلِيَّةٍ إِذْ قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا تُنَقِّصُوا مِنْ لِبْنِكُمْ أَمْرَ كُلِّ يَوْمٍ بِيَوْمِهِ.

20 When they left Pharaoh, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who stood waiting to meet them.

20 وَصَادَفُوا مُوسَى وَهَارُونَ وَاقِفَيْنِ لِلِقَائِهِمْ حِينَ خَرَجُوا مِنْ لَدُنْ فِرْعَوْنَ.

21 “May the LORD look upon you and judge you,” the foremen said, “for you have made us a stench before Pharaoh and his officials; you have placed in their hand a sword to kill us!”

21 فَقَالُوا لَهُمَا: «يَنْظُرُ ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَيْكُمَا وَيَقْضِي، لِأَنَّكُمَا أَنْتَنْتُمَا رَائِحَتَنَا فِي عَيْنَيْ فِرْعَوْنَ وَفِي عُيُونِ عَبِيدِهِ حَتَّى تُعْطِيَا سَيْفًا فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ لِيَقْتُلُونَا».

22 So Moses returned to the LORD and asked, “Lord, why have You brought trouble upon this people? Is this why You sent me?

22 فَرَجَعَ مُوسَى إِلَى ٱلرَّبِّ وَقَالَ: «يَا سَيِّدُ، لِمَاذَا أَسَأْتَ إِلَى هَذَا ٱلشَّعْبِ؟ لِمَاذَا أَرْسَلْتَنِي؟

23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and You have not delivered Your people in any way.”

23 فَإِنَّهُ مُنْذُ دَخَلْتُ إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ لِأَتَكَلَّمَ بِٱسْمِكَ، أَسَاءَ إِلَى هَذَا ٱلشَّعْبِ. وَأَنْتَ لَمْ تُخَلِّصْ شَعْبَكَ».