Bricks Without Straw
1Afterward 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 festival to me in the wilderness.’ ”
2Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”
3Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”
4But the king of Egypt said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!” 5Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working.”
6That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and overseers in charge of the people: 7“You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. 8But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”
10Then the slave drivers and the overseers went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you any more straw. 11Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.’ ” 12So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. 13The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, “Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw.” 14And Pharaoh’s slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed, demanding, “Why haven’t you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?”
15Then the Israelite overseers went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why have you treated your servants this way? 16Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”
17Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks.”
19The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day.” 20When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, 21and they said, “May the Lord look on you and judge you! You have made us obnoxious to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
God Promises Deliverance
22Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? 23Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.”
Falaawo Aziyiza Abayisirayiri Okuva mu Misiri
15:1 Kuv 3:18Oluvannyuma lw’ebyo, Musa ne Alooni ne bajja eri Falaawo, ne bamugamba nti, “Tutumiddwa Mukama Katonda wa Isirayiri ng’akugamba nti, ‘Leka abantu bange bagende, bankolere embaga mu ddungu.’ ”
25:2 a 2Bk 18:35; Yob 21:15 b Kuv 3:19Naye Falaawo n’abaddamu nti, “Mukama ye ani, mmugondere, nzikirize Abayisirayiri, sijja kubakkiriza kugenda.”
35:3 Kuv 3:18Ne bamugamba nti, “Katonda w’Abaebbulaniya yatulabikira. Tukusaba otuleke tugende olugendo lwa nnaku ssatu mu ddungu, tuweeyo ssaddaaka eri Mukama Katonda waffe;5:3 Abamisiri baatwalanga ensolo ng’ente okuba ensolo ezawongebwa, era ekyo kye kyagendererwa mu kugenda olugendo okuva awaali Abamisiri, okuwaayo ssaddaaka (laba 8:22) aleme kututta ne kawumpuli, oba n’ekitala.”
45:4 Kuv 1:11Naye kabaka w’e Misiri n’abagamba nti, “Mmwe Musa ne Alooni, lwaki mwagala okuggya abantu ku mirimu gyabwe? Muddeeyo mangu ku mirimu gyammwe.” 55:5 Kuv 1:7, 9Falaawo n’ayongera n’agamba nti, “Kale, mulabe abantu nga bwe beeyongedde obungi mu ggwanga ate mmwe mubaziyiza kukola.”
6Ku lunaku olwo lwennyini Falaawo n’alagira abagabi b’emirimu ne bannampala b’abantu5:6 Abagabi b’emirimu baali Bamisiri, ate nga bannampala b’abantu Bayisirayiri. nti, 7“Mulekeraawo okuwanga abantu essubi ery’okukozesa mu kubumba amatoffaali; mubaleke bagende beenoonyezenga essubi lyabwe.5:7 Amatoffaali gakazibwanga mu musana, essubi nga likozesebwa okwongera okugagumya. Mu biseera ebyamakungula, ebitundu ebya waggulu empeke kwe zibeera bye byatemebwanga, ebikolo ebya wansi ne birekebwa mu nnimiro. Ebikolo ebyo ebya wansi, ebyasigalanga mu nnimiro, Falaawo bye yabagamba bateme okubumba amatoffaali. 8Naye mubalagire babumbenga obungi bw’amatoffaali bwe bumu nga ge babadde babumba; temukendeezanga ku muwendo ogwabasalirwa. Bagayaavu; era kyebava bankaabirira nti, ‘Tuleke tugende tuweeyo ssaddaaka eri Katonda waffe.’ 9Abasajja mubongereko ku mirimu gye mubasalira, bakole nnyo, balyoke baleme na kufa ku ebyo bye babalimbalimba.”
Abakozesa Bongera ku Mirimu gy’Abayisirayiri
10Awo abakozesa ne bannampala ne bagenda ne bategeeza abantu nti, “Falaawo agambye bw’ati nti, ‘Sijja kwongera kubawanga ssubi. 11Mugende mwenoonyeze essubi yonna gye musobola okuliraba; kyokka emirimu gyammwe tegijja kukendeezebwako n’akatono.’ ” 12Bwe batyo abantu ne basaasaanira Misiri yonna okukuŋŋaanya obukonge bw’essubi ly’eŋŋaano bakozese obwo mu kifo ky’essubi. 13Abakozesa ne babakuluusanyanga nga babalagira nti, “Emirimu gyammwe egibasalirwa buli lunaku, mugituukirize nga bwe mwakolanga ng’essubi likyabaweebwa.” 145:14 Is 10:24Bannampala Abayisirayiri, abaalondebwa abakozesa ba Falaawo, ne bakubibwanga nga bwe babuuzibwa nti, “Lwaki omuwendo gw’amatoffaali ogwa jjo n’ogwa leero ogwabasalirwa temugutuukirizza nga bwe mwakolanga edda?”
15Awo bannampala Abayisirayiri ne bajja ne bajulira ewa Falaawo, ne bamugamba nti, “Ffe abaddu bo, lwaki otuyisizza bw’oti? 16Abaddu bo tetuweebwa ssubi, kyokka tulagirwa nti, ‘Mubumbe amatoffaali!’ Abaddu bo tukubibwa, so ng’omusango guli mu bantu bo.” 175:17 nny 8Falaawo n’abaddamu nti, “Muli bagayaavu bugayaavu kyokka. Kyemuva mundeeberera nti, ‘Tuleke tugende tuweeyo ssaddaaka eri Mukama.’ 18Kale, mugende mukole! Temujja kuweebwa ssubi, naye muteekwa okubumba omuwendo gw’amatoffaali omujjuvu nga bwe gwabasalirwa.”
19Bannampala Abayisirayiri ne bategeera ng’akacwano kabatuukiridde, bwe baagambibwa nti, “Omuwendo gw’amatoffaali ogwabasalirwa okubumbanga buli lunaku tegujja kukendeezebwako.” 20Bwe baava ewa Falaawo, baasanga Musa ne Alooni nga babalindiridde. 215:21 a Lub 34:30 b Kuv 14:11Bannampala ne babagamba nti, “Mukama abatunuulire era asalewo; kubanga mutufudde ekyenyinyalwa ewa Falaawo n’abaweereza be, era mubakwasizza ekitala okututta.”
Katonda Asuubiza Okununula Abayisirayiri
225:22 Kbl 11:11Awo Musa n’akomawo awali Mukama, n’ayogera nti, “Ayi Mukama, abantu bano lwaki obaleetedde emitawaana? Eyo y’ensonga kyewava ontuma? 235:23 Yer 4:10Kubanga kasookedde ŋŋenda ne njogera ne Falaawo mu linnya lyo, abantu bo abataddeko ebizibu bingi; era abantu bo tobawonyezza n’akatono.”
