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.”
摩西和亞倫見法老
1之後，摩西和亞倫去見法老，對他說：「以色列的上帝耶和華說，『放我的子民走，讓他們到曠野去為我守節期。』」 2法老說：「耶和華是誰？我憑什麼要聽從祂，放走以色列人？我不認識祂，也不會讓以色列人離開！」 3摩西和亞倫說：「希伯來人的上帝向我們顯現了。求你容我們走三天的路程，到曠野去向我們的上帝耶和華獻祭，免得祂用瘟疫或刀劍來攻擊我們。」 4埃及王說：「摩西、亞倫，你們為什麼讓百姓停工！快回去服勞役！」 5法老又說：「這地方的以色列人如此多，你竟叫他們停工！」 6當天，法老就對埃及監工和以色列人的工頭下令： 7「不許再供應草給他們製磚，叫他們自己去撿， 8但上交的磚的數量要和往常一樣，一塊也不可少。因為他們懶惰，所以才嚷著要去給他們的上帝獻祭。 9你們要加重他們的工作，他們就無暇再聽那些蠱惑人心的話了！」
10於是，那些監工和工頭就出來向百姓宣佈：「法老下令不再供應草給你們製磚。 11你們要自己設法去找，但上交的磚一塊也不能少。」 12百姓只好在埃及各地收集禾稭當草用。 13監工催逼他們說：「你們要完成每天規定的數目，像從前有草時一樣。」 14法老的監工又鞭打他們委派的以色列工頭，說：「你們這兩天為什麼沒有像從前一樣完成規定的磚數？」
15以色列人的工頭來見法老，向他哀求說：「你為什麼要這樣對待僕人們？ 16監工不給僕人們草，卻命令我們製作磚，還打我們，其實是你百姓的錯。」 17法老說：「你們是懶漢，懶漢！所以才嚷著要去給耶和華獻祭。 18回去繼續做工！我不再供應草給你們，但磚要如數交齊。」 19以色列人的工頭聽見每天做的磚數不可減少，就知道情況不妙。 20他們從法老那裡出來的時候，遇見摩西和亞倫站在外面等候， 21便埋怨二人說：「願耶和華鑒察、懲罰你們！你們使我們在法老和他的臣僕面前有了臭名，無異於把刀遞到他們手中來殺我們。」
22摩西回到耶和華那裡說：「主啊！你為什麼這樣苦待你的子民呢？為什麼要派我去呢？ 23自從我去法老那裡奉你的名說話後，他更加虐待你的子民，你卻根本沒有拯救他們。」
