Exodus
Chapter5
1Afterthat,MosesandAaronwenttoPharaohandsaid,＂ThussaystheLORD,theGodofIsrael:Letmypeoplego,thattheymaycelebrateafeasttomeinthedesert.＂
此后，梅瑟同亚郎去见法朗说：＂以色列的天主雅威这样说：＂你应放我的百姓走，好叫他们在旷野里过节敬拜我。＂
2Pharaohanswered,＂WhoistheLORD,thatIshouldheedhispleatoletIsraelgo?IdonotknowtheLORD;evenifIdid,IwouldnotletIsraelgo.＂
法朗问说：＂谁是雅威，我该听他的命，放以色列走？我不认识雅威，也不放以色列走。＂
3Theyreplied,＂TheGodoftheHebrewshassentusword.Letusgoathreedays'journeyinthedesert,thatwemayoffersacrificetotheLORD,ourGod;otherwisehewillpunishuswithpestilenceorthesword.＂
他们回答说：＂希伯来人的天主遇见了我们。请让我们走三天的路到旷野里，向上主我们的天主献祭，免得他用瘟疫刀兵击杀我们。＂
4ThekingofEgyptansweredthem,＂Whatdoyoumean,MosesandAaron,bytakingthepeopleawayfromtheirwork?Offtoyourlabor!
埃及王回答他们说：＂梅瑟、亚郎啊！你们为什么妨碍百姓工作呢？去服你们的劳役罢！＂
5Lookhownumerousthepeopleofthelandarealready,＂continuedPharaoh,＂andyetyouwouldgivethemrestfromtheirlabor!＂
法朗又说：＂现在他们比本地的人民还多，你们竟然叫他们歇工？＂
61ThatverydayPharaohgavethetaskmastersandforemenofthepeoplethisorder:
那一天法朗命令那些百姓中的监工和工头说：
72＂Youshallnolongersupplythepeoplewithstrawfortheirbrickmakingasyouhavepreviouslydone.Letthemgoandgatherstrawthemselves!
＂你们以后不要再像往日一样，给百姓做砖用的草楷，叫他们自己去拾草。
8Yetyoushalllevyuponthemthesamequotaofbricksastheyhavepreviouslymade.Donotreduceit.Theyarelazy;thatiswhytheyarecrying,‘LetusgotooffersacrificetoourGod.'
但你们仍向他们要往日所做的同样砖数，一点也不可减少，因为他们懒惰，所以才吶喊说：我们要去向我们的天主献祭。
9Increasetheworkforthemen,sothattheykeeptheirmindonitandpaynoattentiontolyingwords.＂
应给这些人加重工作，使他们只工作，而不听谎言。＂
10Sothetaskmastersandforemenofthepeoplewentoutandtoldthem,＂ThussaysPharaoh:Iwillnotprovideyouwithstraw.
百姓中的监工头遂出去向百姓说：＂法朗这样吩咐：我不再给你们草楷。
11Goandgatherthestrawyourselves,whereveryoucanfindit.Yettheremustnotbetheslightestreductioninyourwork.＂
你们看那里能找到草楷，就到那里去拾罢！但应有的工作一点也不可减少。＂
12Thepeople,then,scatteredthroughoutthelandofEgypttogatherstubbleforstraw,
百姓就分散到埃及全境，拾取麦茎充当草楷。
13whilethetaskmasterskeptdrivingthemon,saying,＂Finishyourwork,thesamedailyamountaswhenyourstrawwassupplied.＂
监工催迫说：＂你们每天应该完成当天的工作，像从前有草楷时一样。＂
14TheforemenoftheIsraelites,whomthetaskmastersofPharaohhadplacedoverthem,werebeaten,andwereasked,＂Whyhaveyounotcompletedyourprescribedamountofbricksyesterdayandtoday,asbefore?＂
法朗的监工责打他们所派出的以色列子民的工头说：＂你们昨天今天为什么没有完成像前天所做的砖数呢?＂
15ThentheIsraeliteforemencameandmadethisappealtoPharaoh:＂Whydoyoutreatyourservantsinthismanner?
以色列子民的工头遂去向法朗诉苦说：＂你为什么这样对待你的仆人们呢？
16Nostrawissuppliedtoyourservants,andstillwearetoldtomakebricks.Lookhowyourservantsarebeaten!Itisyouwhoareatfault.＂
不给你仆人们草楷，只对我们说：做砖罢！原是你人民的错，你却来打你的仆人们。＂
17Pharaohanswered,＂Itisjustbecauseyouarelazythatyoukeepsaying,‘LetusgoandoffersacrificetotheLORD.'
法朗回答说：＂你们太懒惰了！所以说：让我们去祭献上主！
18Offtowork,then!Strawshallnotbeprovidedforyou,butyoumuststilldeliveryourquotaofbricks.＂
现在都快去作工！决不供给你们草楷，但是砖却该如数交上。
19TheIsraeliteforemenknewtheywereinasorryplight,havingbeentoldnottoreducethedailyamountofbricks.
以色列子民的工头因所出的命令说：你们每天应做的砖数，不得减少，＂便知自己更陷于困难中。
20When,therefore,theyleftPharaohandcameuponMosesandAaron,whowerewaitingtomeetthem,
工头们由法朗那里出来，遇见梅瑟和亚郎正等候他们，
21theysaidtothem,＂TheLORDlookuponyouandjudge!YouhavebroughtusintobadodorwithPharaohandhisservantsandhaveputaswordintheirhandstoslayus.＂
就对他们说：＂愿上主鉴察惩罚你们！你们使我们在法朗和他臣仆眼中成了可恨的，就好象把刀交在他们手中，宰杀我们。＂
22MosesagainhadrecoursetotheLORDandsaid,＂Lord,whydoyoutreatthispeoplesobadly?Andwhydidyousendmeonsuchamission?
梅瑟回到上主那里说：＂吾主，你为什么折磨这百姓？为什么偏偏打发我呢？
23EversinceIwenttoPharaohtospeakinyourname,hehasmaltreatedthispeopleofyours,andyouhavedonenothingtorescuethem.＂
自从我到法朗那里，奉你的名讲话以来，他更加折磨这百姓，而你也没有拯救你的百姓。＂
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Footnotes(注解)
1[6]Thetaskmastersandforemen:theformerwerehigherofficialsandprobablyEgyptians;thelatterwerelowerofficials,chosenfromtheIsraelitesthemselves.CfExodus5:14.
2[7]Strawwasmixedwiththeclaytogivethesun-driedbricksgreaterconsistency.