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Exodus 1 After that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, ＂Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Let my people go, that they may celebrate a feast to me in the desert.＂ 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。＂ 2 Pharaoh answered, ＂Who is the LORD, that I should heed his plea to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD; even if I did, I would not let 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。＂ 3 They replied, ＂The God of the Hebrews has sent us word. Let us go a three days' journey in the desert, that we may offer sacrifice to the LORD, our God; otherwise he will punish us with pestilence or the sword.＂ 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。＂ 4 The king of Egypt answered them, ＂What do you mean, Moses and Aaron, by taking the people away from their work? Off to your labor! 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！＂ 5 Look how numerous the people of the land are already,＂ continued Pharaoh, ＂and yet you would give them rest from their labor!＂ 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？＂ 6 1 That very day Pharaoh gave the taskmasters and foremen of the people this order: 那一天法朗命令那些百姓中的监工和工头说： 7 2 ＂You shall no longer supply the people with straw for their brickmaking as you have previously done. Let them go and gather straw themselves! ＂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。 8 Yet you shall levy upon them the same quota of bricks as they have previously made. Do not reduce it. They are lazy; that is why they are crying, ‘Let us go to offer sacrifice to our God.' 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。 9 Increase the work for the men, so that they keep their mind on it and pay no attention to lying words.＂ 应给这些人加重工作，使他们只工作，而不听谎言。＂ 10 So the taskmasters and foremen of the people went out and told them, ＂Thus says Pharaoh: I will not provide you with straw. 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。 11 Go and gather the straw yourselves, wherever you can find it. Yet there must not be the slightest reduction in your work.＂ 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。＂ 12 The people, then, scattered throughout the 百姓就分散到埃及全境，拾取麦茎充当草楷。 13 while the taskmasters kept driving them on, saying, ＂Finish your work, the same daily amount as when your straw was supplied.＂ 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。＂ 14 The foremen of the Israelites, whom the taskmasters of Pharaoh had placed over them, were beaten, and were asked, ＂Why have you not completed your prescribed amount of bricks yesterday and today, as before?＂ 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?＂ 15 Then the Israelite foremen came and made this appeal to Pharaoh: ＂Why do you treat your servants in this manner? 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？ 16 No straw is supplied to your servants, and still we are told to make bricks. Look how your servants are beaten! It is you who are at fault.＂ 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。＂ 17 Pharaoh answered, ＂It is just because you are lazy that you keep saying, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to the LORD.' 法朗回答说：＂你们太懒惰了！所以说：让我们去祭献上主！ 18 Off to work, then! Straw shall not be provided for you, but you must still deliver your quota of bricks.＂ 现在都快去作工！决不供给你们草楷，但是砖却该如数交上。 19 The Israelite foremen knew they were in a sorry plight, having been told not to reduce the daily amount of bricks. 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。 20 When, therefore, they left Pharaoh and came upon Moses and Aaron, who were waiting to meet them, 工头们由法朗那里出来，遇见梅瑟和亚郎正等候他们， 21 they said to them, ＂The LORD look upon you and judge! You have brought us into bad odor with Pharaoh and his servants and have put a sword in their hands to slay us.＂ 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。＂ 22 Moses again had recourse to the LORD and said, ＂Lord, why do you treat this people so badly? And why did you send me on such a mission? 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？ 23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has maltreated this people of yours, and you have done nothing to rescue them.＂ 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。＂ Footnotes(注解) 1 [6] The taskmasters and foremen: the former were higher officials and probably Egyptians; the latter were lower officials, chosen from the Israelites themselves. Cf Exodus 5:14. 2 [7] Straw was mixed with the clay to give the sun-dried bricks greater consistency. |
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