1 Pēc tam Mozus ar Āronu gāja un runāja ar faraonu: „Tas Kungs, Israēla Dievs, saka tā: „Atlaid manu tautu, ka tie man sarīko svētkus tuksnesī.“
2 Bet faraons sacīja: „Kas ir „Tas Kungs,“ ka man būtu viņam jāklausa un jāatlaiž Israēls; es nepazīstu „to Kungu“, un arī Israēlu es neatlaidīšu.“
3 Tad viņi sacija: „Tas ir ebrēju Dievs, kas parādījies mums. Ļauj mums iet triju dienu gājumu tuksnesī, tur mēs gribam upurēt tam Kungam, savam Dievam, ka tas pār mums nenāk ar mēri vai zobenu.“
4 Un Ēģiptes ķēniņš sacīja viņiem: „Mozu un Aron! Kāpēc jūs gribat atraut ļaudis no viņu darbiem? Ejiet, pildiet savas klaušas!“
5 Un faraons teica: „Tiešām, šo Jaužu ir daudz, un jūs tos gribat atturēt no darba!“
6 Un tai pašā dienā faraons pavēlēja ļaužu vagariem un uzraugiem:
7 „Jūs turpmāk nedosit vairs salmus ļaudīm ķieģeļu darināšanai, kā tas bija līdz šim! Lai viņi paši iet un sagādā sev salmus.
8 Bet noliktais vairums ķieģeļu, kas viņiem bija līdz šim jāizstrādā, jums jāuztur arī turpmāk, jūs to nedrīkstat samazināt. Viņi ir slinki, tāpēc viņi kliedz: „Mēs gribam iet upurēt savam Dievam.“
9 Šo ļaužu klaušas jāpalielina, lai viņi būtu nodarbināti un neklausītos melīgās valodās.“
10 Tad ļaužu vagari un viņu uzraugi izgāja ārā un runāja uz ļaudīm, sacīdami: „Tā ir teicis faraons: „Es nedošu jums vairs salmus!
11 Jūs paši ejiet un gādājiet sev salmus, kur vien jūs tos atrodat, bet no jūsu darba mēra nekas netiks atlaists.“
12 Tad ļaudis izklīda pa visu Ēģiptes zemi, lai savāktu rugājus salmu vietā.
13 Un vagari tos cieši skubināja, teikdami: „Pildiet savu pienākumu! Jūsu dienas uzdevums ir tas pats kā agrāk, kad bija salmi.“
14 Un faraona vagari sita no Israēla vidus ieceltos uzraugus, sacīdami: „Kāpēc jūs neesat izgatavojuši to pašu ķieģeļu skaitu kā līdz šim?“
15 Tad Israēla uzraugi gāja un žēlojās faraonam, sacīdami: „Kāpēc tu tā dari saviem kalpiem?
16 Taviem kalpiem vairs netiek doti salmi, bet ķieģeļus—tā mums saka—jums būs taisīt. Un tagad tavi kalpi tiek pat sisti.“
17 Bet tas sacīja: „Sliņķi jūs esat, sliņķi! Tāpēc jūs sakāt: „Mēs gribam iet un upupsvētkus svētīt tam Kungam.“
18 Bet tagad ejiet un strādājiet! Salmus jums nedos, bet ķieģeļu mērs jums jāpilda.“
19 Un israēliešu uzraugi redzēja, ka viņi ir postā, saņēmuši pavēli: „No jūsu dienišķā ķieģeļu skaita jums nekas netiek atlaists.“
20 Un ārā nākot no faraona, tie satika Mozu un Aronu, kas gaidīja uz viņiem.
21 Un viņi sacīja tiem: „Lai tas Kungs to redz un jūs soda, ka jūs mūs esat darījuši par vainīgiem faraona un viņa kalpu acīs un esat likuši zobenu viņu rokās.“
22 Tad Mozus vērsās uz to Kungu un teica: „Ak Kungs, kāpēc Tu esi sūtījis tādu ļaunumu šai tautai! Kāpēc Tu mani esi izraudzījis par savu sūtni?
23 Kopš es gāju pie faraona, lai runātu tavā vārdā, viņš vairojis šīs tautas ļaunumu, bet Tu to neesi glābis.“
Moses and Aaron Go to the King of Egypt
1 Moses and Aaron went to the king of Egypt and told him, “The Lord God says, ‘Let my people go into the desert, so they can honor me with a celebration there.’ ”
2 “Who is this Lord and why should I obey him?” the king replied. “I refuse to let you and your people go!”
3 They answered, “The Lord God of the Hebrews has appeared to us. Please let us walk three days into the desert where we can offer sacrifices to him. If you don't, he may strike us down with terrible troubles or with war.”
4-5 The king said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you keeping these people from working? Look how many you are keeping from doing their work. Now everyone get back to work!”
6 That same day the king gave orders to his Egyptian slave bosses and to the Israelite men directly in charge of the Israelite slaves. He told them:
7 Don't give the slaves any more straw to put in their bricks. Force them to find their own straw wherever they can, 8 but they must make the same number of bricks as before. They are lazy, or else they would not beg me to let them go and sacrifice to their God. 9 Make them work so hard that they won't have time to listen to these lies.
10 The slave bosses and the men in charge of the slaves went out and told them, “The king says he will not give you any more straw. 11 Go and find your own straw wherever you can, but you must still make as many bricks as before.”
12 The slaves went all over Egypt, looking for straw. 13 But the slave bosses were hard on them and kept saying, “Each day you have to make as many bricks as you did when you were given straw.” 14 The bosses beat the men in charge of the slaves and said, “Why didn't you force the slaves to make as many bricks yesterday and today as they did before?”
15 Finally, the men in charge of the slaves went to the king and said, “Why are you treating us like this? 16 No one brings us any straw, but we are still ordered to make the same number of bricks. We are beaten with whips, and your own people are to blame.”
17 The king replied, “You are lazy—nothing but lazy! That's why you keep asking me to let you go and sacrifice to your Lord. 18 Get back to work! You won't be given straw, but you must still make the same number of bricks.”
19 The men knew they were in deep trouble when they were ordered to make the same number of bricks each day. 20 After they left the king, they went to see Moses and Aaron, who had been waiting for them. 21 Then the men said, “We hope the Lord will punish both of you for making the king and his officials hate us. Now they even have an excuse to kill us.”
The Lord's Promise to Moses
22 Moses left them and prayed, “Our Lord, why have you brought so much trouble on your people? Is that why you sent me here? 23 Ever since you told me to speak to the king, he has caused nothing but trouble for these people. And you haven't done a thing to help.”
