Bricks Without Straw
1Later on, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. They said, “The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, ‘Let my people go. Then they will be able to hold a feast to honor me in the desert.’ ”
2Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord? Why should I obey him? Why should I let Israel go? I don’t even know the Lord. And I won’t let Israel go.”
3Then Moses and Aaron said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a journey that lasts about three days. We want to go into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God. If we don’t, he might strike us with plagues. Or he might let us be killed by swords.”
4But the king of Egypt said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their work? Get back to work!” 5Pharaoh continued, “There are large numbers of your people in the land. But you are stopping them from working.”
6That same day Pharaoh gave orders to the slave drivers and the overseers in charge of the people. 7He said, “Don’t give the people any more straw to make bricks. Let them go and get their own straw. 8But require them to make the same number of bricks as before. Don’t lower the number they have to make. They are lazy. That’s why they are crying out, ‘Let us go. We want to offer sacrifices to our God.’ 9Make them work harder. Then they will be too busy to pay attention to lies.”
10The slave drivers and the overseers left. They said to the people, “Pharaoh says, ‘I won’t give you any more straw. 11Go and get your own straw anywhere you can find it. But you still have to make the same number of bricks.’ ” 12So the people scattered all over Egypt. They went to gather any pieces of straw left in the fields. 13Pharaoh’s slave drivers kept making the people work hard. They said, “Finish the work you are required to do each day. Make the same number of bricks you made when you had straw.” 14The slave drivers whipped the Israelite overseers they had appointed. The slave drivers asked, “Why haven’t you made the same number of bricks yesterday or today, just as before?”
15Then the Israelite overseers appealed to Pharaoh. They asked, “Why have you treated us like this? 16You didn’t give us any straw. But you told us, ‘Make bricks!’ We are being whipped. But it’s the fault of your own people.”
17Pharaoh said, “You are lazy! That’s why you keep saying, ‘Let us go. We want to offer sacrifices to the Lord.’ 18Now get to work. We won’t give you any straw. But you still have to make the same number of bricks.”
19The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble. They knew it when they were told, “Don’t reduce the number of bricks you are required to make each day.” 20When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them. 21They said to Moses and Aaron, “We want the Lord to look at what you have done! We want him to judge you for it! We are like a very bad smell to Pharaoh and his officials. You have given them an excuse to kill us with their swords.”
The Lord Promises to Save the Israelites
22Moses returned to talk to the Lord. He said to him, “Why, Lord? Why have you brought trouble on these people? Is this why you sent me? 23I went to Pharaoh to speak to him in your name. Ever since then, he has brought nothing but trouble on these people. And you haven’t saved your people at all.”
Mose Ne Aaron Kɔ Farao Anim
1Mose ne Aaron yɛɛ anwonwade yi kyerɛɛ mpanyimfo no wiee no, wokohuu Farao ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Nea Israel Nyankopɔn se ni, ‘Ma me nkurɔfo mfi ha nkɔ sare so nkɔbɔ afahyɛgua kronkron wɔ hɔ mfa nsɔre me.’ ”
2Farao bisae se, “Hena ne Awurade a ɛsɛ sɛ mitie no na mema Israelfo no kɔ? Minnim Awurade biara enti meremma Israelfo no nkɔ.”
3Na Aaron ne Mose tii mu se, “Hebri Nyankopɔn ne yɛn ahyia. Ɛsɛ sɛ yetu nnansa kwan kɔ sare so kɔbɔ afɔre wɔ hɔ de ma Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn. Na sɛ yɛantie no a, ɔyaredɔm anaa afoa ano na yebewuwu.”
4Farao bisae se, “Mose ne Aaron, adɛn nti na morema nkurɔfo no agyae wɔn nnwuma? Monkɔ mo nnwuma so ntɛm!” 5Farao toaa so se, “Mprempren, saa nnipa no dɔɔso sen ɔmanfo no, nanso mopɛ sɛ moma ahɔho no gyae adwumayɛ.”
6Da no ara, Farao somaa nnipa ma wɔkɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn a wɔhwɛ Israelfo no so no se, 7“Mommma nnipa no sare a wɔde bɛyɛ ntayaa no bio! Momma wɔn ankasa nkotwa sare no. 8Na ntayaa dodow a wotwa no nso, monntew so baako koraa, efisɛ asɛm a wɔaka no da no adi pefee sɛ wɔyɛ akwadwofo nti na wɔreka se wɔrekɔ sare so akɔbɔ wɔn Awurade afɔre no. 9Momma wɔn adwuma no mu nyɛ den, na ɛmmee wɔn na wɔankotie atosɛm biara.”
10Enti adwumasohwɛfo ne wɔn akwankyerɛfo no ka kyerɛɛ Hebrifo no se, “Farao aka akyerɛ yɛn se yɛmmma mo sare bio. 11Mo ara munkokyin nhwehwɛ bi, nanso ntayaa a mutwa no, muntwa dodow saa ara.” 12Enti Hebrifo no kyinkyinii Misraim asase so nyinaa sɛ wɔrekɔhwehwɛ sare no bi. 13Adwumasohwɛfo no hyɛɛ wɔn atirimɔden so se, “Muntwa ntayaa dodow sɛnea na mutwa no.” 14Na Misraimfo adwumasohwɛfo no kaa Hebrifo mpanyimfo a wɔde wɔn atuatua adwuma no ano sɛ akwankyerɛfo no mmaa, bisaa wɔn se, “Adɛn nti na moanwie ntayaa a wɔahyɛ sɛ muntwa no nnɛra ne nnɛ no nyinaa sɛnea na moyɛ kan no?”
15Mpanyimfo yi kɔɔ Farao nkyɛn kɔsrɛɛ no se, “Adɛn na woyɛ wo nkoa saa? 16Wɔmma wo nkoa sare biara, nanso wɔka kyerɛ yɛn se, ‘Montwa ntayaa!’ Wɔka yɛn mmaa nanso mfomso no fi wʼankasa wo nkurɔfo no.”
17Nanso Farao buae se, “Munni dwuma bi di, na sɛ mowɔ dwuma bi di a, anka morenka se, ‘Momma yɛnkɔbɔ afɔre mma Awurade.’ 18Monsan nkɔyɛ adwuma ntɛm. Obiara remma mo sare, nanso ntayaa dodow a mutwa no daa no, saa ara na mubetwa.”
19Bere a wɔka kyerɛɛ Israelfo mpanyimfo a wodi adwuma no anim sɛ akwankyerɛfo no se ɛsɛ sɛ wotwa ntayaa no dodow sɛnea wɔyɛ daa no, wohuu sɛ ahokyere aba. 20Bere a wofi Farao anim bae a wohuu sɛ Mose ne Aaron retwɛn wɔn wɔ ahemfi no ho no, 21wɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Awurade mmu mo atɛn sɛ moama Farao ne ne nkurɔfo anya yɛn ho menasepɔw, na mode afoa ahyɛ wɔn nsa sɛ wonkunkum yɛn.”
22Asɛm yi maa Mose kɔɔ Awurade nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Awurade, adɛn nti na woma wo manfo brɛ saa? So eyi nti na wosomaa me? 23Efi bere a mekɔkaa wo nkra no kyerɛɛ Farao no, tan ara na ɔretan wɔn ani, nanso wunnyee wɔn wɔ ɔkwan biara so ɛ.”
