Moses and Aaron before the King of Egypt
1 Then Moses and Aaron went to the king of Egypt and said, “The Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘Let my people go, so that they can hold a festival in the desert to honor me.’”
2 “Who is the Lord?” the king demanded. “Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord; and I will not let Israel go.”
3 Moses and Aaron replied, “The God of the Hebrews has revealed himself to us. Allow us to travel three days into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God. If we don't do so, he will kill us with disease or by war.”
4 The king said to Moses and Aaron, “What do you mean by making the people neglect their work? Get those slaves back to work! 5 You people have become more numerous than the Egyptians. And now you want to stop working!”
6 That same day the king commanded the Egyptian slave drivers and the Israelite foremen: 7 “Stop giving the people straw for making bricks. Make them go and find it for themselves. 8 But still require them to make the same number of bricks as before, not one brick less. They don't have enough work to do, and that is why they keep asking me to let them go and offer sacrifices to their God! 9 Make them work harder and keep them busy, so that they won't have time to listen to a pack of lies.”
10 The slave drivers and the Israelite foremen went out and said to the Israelites, “The king has said that he will not supply you with any more straw. 11 He says that you must go and get it for yourselves wherever you can find it, but you must still make the same number of bricks.” 12 So the people went all over Egypt looking for straw. 13 The slave drivers kept trying to force them to make the same number of bricks every day as they had made when they were given straw. 14 The Egyptian slave drivers beat the Israelite foremen, whom they had put in charge of the work. They demanded, “Why aren't you people making the same number of bricks that you made before?”
15 Then the foremen went to the king and complained, “Why do you do this to us, Your Majesty? 16 We are given no straw, but we are still ordered to make bricks! And now we are being beaten. It is your people that are at fault.”
17 The king answered, “You are lazy and don't want to work, and that is why you ask me to let you go and offer sacrifices to the Lord. 18 Now get back to work! You will not be given any straw, but you must still make the same number of bricks.” 19 The foremen realized that they were in trouble when they were told that they had to make the same number of bricks every day as they had made before.
20 As they were leaving, they met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them. 21 They said to Moses and Aaron, “The Lord has seen what you have done and will punish you for making the king and his officers hate us. You have given them an excuse to kill us.”
Moses Complains to the Lord
22 Then Moses turned to the Lord again and said, “Lord, why do you mistreat your people? Why did you send me here? 23 Ever since I went to the king to speak for you, he has treated them cruelly. And you have done nothing to help them!”
Israēliešu darbs tiek padarīts smagāks
1 Pēc tam Mozus un Ārons gāja un teica faraonam: “Tā saka Kungs, Israēla Dievs: atlaid manu tautu, lai viņi man svin svētkus tuksnesī!” 2 Un faraons teica: “Kas ir Kungs, ka man viņš jāklausa un jāatlaiž Israēls? Ne es zinu Kungu, ne es laidīšu Israēlu!” 3 Un viņi teica: “Ebreju Dievs mums ir tuvu klāt! Ļauj mums iet trīs dienu ceļu tuksnesī un upurēt Kungam, mūsu Dievam – ka viņš nesit mūs ar mēri vai zobenu!” 4 Bet Ēģiptes ķēniņš tiem teica: “Mozu un Āron, kāpēc jūs atturat tautu no darba?! Ejiet pie savām klaušām!” 5 Faraons teica: “Re, tagad viņu ir vairāk nekā šīs zemes ļaužu, un jūs viņus grasāties atraut no klaušām?!” 6 Tajā pašā dienā faraons pavēlēja tautas vagariem un uzraugiem: 7 “Nedodiet vairs tautai salmus ķieģeļu taisīšanai kā vakar un aizvakar, lai tie iet un salasa salmus sev paši! 8 Un uzdodiet viņiem taisīt tādu pašu ķieģeļu daudzumu kā iepriekš, nesamaziniet, jo viņi ir sliņķi – tādēļ viņi brēc: ļauj mums iet upurēt savam Dievam! 9 Dariet tiem ļaudīm darbu vēl smagāku, tad viņi strādās un nelūkos pēc melu vārdiem!” 10 Tautas vagari un uzraugi gāja un teica tautai: “Tā saka faraons: es jums nedošu salmus! 11 Ejiet, ņemiet salmus, kur gribat, jo jūsu darbam nav nekādu atlaižu!” 12 Un tauta izklīda pa visu Ēģiptes zemi, lai pa stiebram lasītu salmus. 13 Un vagari tos skubināja: “Pabeidziet darba dienas tiesu tajā pašā laikā kā tad, kad bija salmi!” 14 Un faraona vagari sita Israēla dēlu uzraugus, ko pār tiem bija ielikuši, un sacīja: “Kādēļ neizpildījāt jums uzdoto – ne vakar, ne šodien jūs neiztaisījāt nolikto ķieģeļu skaitu kā iepriekš!” 15 Un Israēla dēlu uzraugi gāja un brēca uz faraonu: “Kādēļ tu tā dari saviem kalpiem?! 16 Salmi taviem kalpiem nav iedoti, bet ķieģeļus – viņi mums saka – taisiet! Un, re, tavus kalpus sit, un tu esi vainīgs pret saviem ļaudīm!” 17 Un viņš teica: “Sliņķi jūs esat, sliņķi! Tādēļ jūs sakāt: laid mūs iet upurēt Kungam! 18 Un tagad – ejiet, strādājiet, un salmi jums netiks doti, un jums ir jātaisa tikpat daudz ķieģeļu!” 19 Nu Israēla dēlu uzraugi redzēja, ka iet ļauni, un tiem vēl saka: “Nevienu dienu nesamaziniet savu dienas tiesu!” 20 Kad viņi gāja projām no faraona, tie sastapa Mozu un Āronu. 21 Un tie viņiem teica: “Lai jūs redz Kungs un tiesā, jo jūs esat padarījuši mūs par smerdeļiem faraona un viņa kalpu priekšā – iedevuši viņam zobenu, lai mūs nokauj!” 22 Un Mozus vērsās pie Kunga un teica: “Kungs, kādēļ tu darīji ļaunu šai tautai? Kādēļ tu mani sūtīji?! 23 Kopš es atnācu pie faraona, lai runātu tavā vārdā, viņš ir darījis šai tautai tik daudz ļauna, un tu nebūt neesi glābis savu tautu!”
