1 و َبَعدَ ذَلِكَ، ذَهَبَ مُوسَى وَهارُونُ وَتَكَلَّما إلَى فِرعَوْنَ وَقالُوا لَهُ: «هَكَذا يَقُولُ يهوه إلَهُ إسْرائِيلَ: ‹أطلِقْ شَعبِي لِيَحتَفِلُوا بِعِيدٍ لِي فِي الصَّحْراءِ.›»

And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, “ Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘ Let My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.’”

2 و َلَكِنَّ فِرعَوْنَ قالَ: «مَنْ هُوَ يهوه هَذا حَتَّى أُطِيعَهُ وَأُطلِقَ الشَّعبَ؟ أنا لا أعرِفُ يهوه هَذا، وَلَنْ أُطلِقَهُمْ.»

But Pharaoh said, “ Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and besides, I will not let Israel go.”

3 ف َقالا لَهُ: «إلَهُ العِبْرانِيِّينَ تَجَلَّى لَنا، فَدَعْنا نَذهَبْ فِي رِحلَةٍ ثَلاثَةَ أيّامٍ فِي البَرِّيَّةِ كَي نُقَدِّمَ ذَبائِحَ لِيهوه إلَهِنا، كَي لا يَقْتُلَنا بِالأمْراضِ وَالحُرُوبِ.»

Then they said, “ The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, otherwise He will fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.”

4 و َلَكِنَّ مَلِكَ مِصرَ قالَ لَهُمْ: «لِماذا، يا مُوسَى وَهارُونُ، تُعَطِّلانِ الشَّعبَ عَنِ القِيامِ بِعَمَلِهِ؟ ارْجِعا إلَى العَمَلِ.»

But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your labors!”

5 و َقالَ فِرعَوْنُ: «شَعبُ الأرْضِ كَثِيرُونَ، وَأنتُما تَعُوقانِهِمْ عَنِ القِيامِ بِأعمالِهِمْ.» مُعاقَبَةُ فِرعَوْنَ لِلشَّعب

Again Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now many, and you would have them cease from their labors!”

6 و َفِي ذَلِكَ اليَومِ، أعطَى فِرعَوْنُ هَذا الأمرَ لِمُذَلِّلي الشَّعبِ وَالمُشْرِفِينَ عَلَيهِ، فَقالَ:

So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters over the people and their foremen, saying,

7 « لا تُعطُوا قَشّاً لِلشَّعبِ لِصُنعِ الطُّوبِ فِيما بَعْدُ كَما فِي السّابِقِ، بَلْ لِيَجُولُوا وَيَجمَعُوا القَشَّ بِأنفُسِهِمْ.

“You are no longer to give the people straw to make brick as previously; let them go and gather straw for themselves.

8 ب َلِ افرِضُوا عَلَيهِمْ تَقدِيمَ كَمِّيَّةِ الطُّوبِ ذاتِها الَّتِي كانُوا يَصنَعُونَها سابِقاً. لا تُقَلِّلُوا الكَمِّيَّةَ، لِأنَّهُمْ كَسالَى، لِذَلِكَ فَهُمْ يَتَذَمَّرُونَ وَيَقُولُونَ: ‹اسْمَحْ لَنا أنْ نَذهَبَ وَنُقَدِّمَ ذَبائِحَ لإلَهِنا.›

But the quota of bricks which they were making previously, you shall impose on them; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are lazy, therefore they cry out, ‘ Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’

9 ك َثِّرُوا العَمَلَ عَلَى الشَّعبِ فَيَنشَغِلُوا عَنِ الاسْتِماعِ إلَى الكَلامِ الفارِغِ وَالخادِعِ.»

Let the labor be heavier on the men, and let them work at it so that they will pay no attention to false words.”

10 ف َخَرَجَ مُذَلِّلو الشَّعبِ وَالمُشرِفُونَ عَلَيهِ وَقالُوا لِلشَّعبِ: «هَكَذا يَقُولُ فِرعَوْنُ: ‹لَنْ أُعطِيَكُمْ قَشّاً.›

So the taskmasters of the people and their foremen went out and spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I am not going to give you any straw.

11 ف اذهَبُوا وَاجْمَعُوا القَشَّ مِنْ أيِّ مَكانٍ تَجِدُونَهُ. لَكِنَّ كَمِّيَّةَ الطُّوبِ المَطلُوبَةَ لَنْ تَنقُصَ أبَداً.»

You go and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but none of your labor will be reduced.’”

12 ف انتَشَرَ الشَّعبُ فِي أنحاءِ مِصرَ لِيَجمَعُوا القَشَّ.

So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

13 و َكانَ المُذَلِّلونَ يَستَعجِلُونَهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ: «أنْجِزُوا العَمَلَ اليَومِيَّ المَطلُوبَ، كَما كُنتُمْ حِينَ كانَ القَشُّ يُعطَى لَكُمْ.»

The taskmasters pressed them, saying, “Complete your work quota, your daily amount, just as when you had straw.”

14 ل َكِنَّ المُشرِفِينَ عَلَى بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ الَّذِينَ عَيَّنَهُمْ رِجالُ فِرعَوْنَ عَلَى الشَّعبِ، تَعَرَّضُوا للضَّرْبِ، وَسُئِلوا: «لِماذا لَمْ تُكمِلُوا حِصَّتَكُمْ مِنَ الطُّوبِ كَما كُنتُمْ تَعمَلُونَ فِي الماضِي؟»

Moreover, the foremen of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not completed your required amount either yesterday or today in making brick as previously?”

15 ف َذَهَبَ المُشرِفُونَ إلَى فِرعَوْنَ وَاشتَكُوا أمامَهُ وَقالُوا: «لِماذا تُعامِلُ عَبِيدَكَ هَكَذا؟

Then the foremen of the sons of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you deal this way with your servants?

16 ف َمَعْ أنَّ القَشَّ لا يُعطَى لِخُدّامِكَ، إلّا أنَّ المُذَلِّلينَ يَستَمِرُّونَ فِي طَلَبِ المِقدارِ ذاتِهِ مِنَ الطُّوبِ. ها نَحنُ خُدّامَكَ نُضْرَبُ، وَأنتَ تَظلِمُ شَعبَكَ.»

There is no straw given to your servants, yet they keep saying to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are being beaten; but it is the fault of your own people.”

17 ف َأجابَ فِرعَوْنُ: «إنَّكُمْ كَسالَى، وَلِهَذا قُلْتُمْ: ‹لِنَذهَبْ وَنُقَدِّمْ ذَبائِحَ للهِ.›

But he said, “You are lazy, very lazy; therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’

18 و َالآنَ عُودُوا إلَى العَمَلِ. القَشُّ لَنْ يُعطَى لَكُمْ، وَيَنبَغِي أنْ تُنْتِجُوا المِقدارَ ذاتَهُ مِنَ الطُّوبِ.»

So go now and work; for you will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the quota of bricks.”

19 و َرَأى المُشرِفُونَ عَلَى بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ أنَّهُمْ فِي مُشكِلَةٍ وَضِيقٍ حِينَ قِيلَ لَهُمْ: «لا تُقَلِّلُوا مِنْ مِقدارِ الطُّوبِ، بَلْ تُنتِجُونَ كُلَّ يَومٍ ما كُنتُمْ تُنتِجُونَهُ قَبلاً.»

The foremen of the sons of Israel saw that they were in trouble because they were told, “You must not reduce your daily amount of bricks.”

20 و َوَجَدَ المُشرِفُونَ مُوسَى وَهارُونَ فِي انتِظارِهِمْ حِينَ خَرَجُوا مِنْ عِندِ فِرعَوْنَ.

When they left Pharaoh’s presence, they met Moses and Aaron as they were waiting for them.

21 ف َقالُوا لَهُما: «فَلْيَنظُرِ اللهُ إلَيكُما وَيُعاقِبْكُما لِأنَّكُما جَعَلْتُمانا مَبْغُوضِينَ لَدَى فِرعَوْنَ وَخُدّامِهِ، وَقَدْ وَضَعتُما سَيفاً فِي يَدِهِمْ لِيَقتُلُونا.» مُوسَى يَرفعُ شَكواه

They said to them, “ May the Lord look upon you and judge you, for you have made us odious in Pharaoh’s sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

22 و َعادَ مُوسَى إلَى اللهِ ، وَقالَ: «يا رَبُّ، لِماذا سَبَّبْتَ هَذِهِ الكارِثَةَ لِهَذا الشَّعبِ؟ لِماذا أرسَلْتَنِي؟

Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “ O Lord, why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You ever send me?

23 ف َمُنذُ أتَيتُ إلَى فِرعَوْنَ لِأتَكَلَّمَ بِاسْمِكَ، ساءَتْ أُمُورُ هَذا الشَّعبِ. كَما أنَّكَ لَمْ تُنقِذْ شَعبَكَ!»

Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people, and You have not delivered Your people at all.”