Saadia · Shemot 5
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- Shemot 5:1
וְאַחַר בָּאוּ מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל-פַּרְעֹה כֹּה-אָמַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שַׁלַּח אֶת-עַמִּי וְיָחֹגּוּ לִי בַּמִּדְבָּר
. . . .
And after that, Moses and Aaron entered, and said to Pharaoh: 'Thus says God, the God of Israel: Let my people go, that they may celebrate a festival to me in the wilderness.'
- Shemot 5:2
וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה--מִי יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר אֶשְׁמַע בְּקֹלוֹ לְשַׁלַּח אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יָדַעְתִּי אֶת-יְהוָה וְגַם אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא אֲשַׁלֵּחַ
. . . .
Pharaoh said: 'Who is God, that I should accept from him and let the sons of Israel go? I do not know God; and I will not let the sons of Israel go either.'
- Shemot 5:3
וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֱלֹהֵי הָעִבְרִים נִקְרָא עָלֵינוּ נֵלְכָה נָּא דֶּרֶךְ שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים בַּמִּדְבָּר וְנִזְבְּחָה לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ--פֶּן-יִפְגָּעֵנוּ בַּדֶּבֶר אוֹ בֶחָרֶב
. . . . . .
They said: 'The God of the Hebrews has caused His decree to come upon us. Let us go now a distance of three days into the wilderness, and offer sacrifice to the Lord our God — lest plague or sword come suddenly upon us.'
- Shemot 5:4
וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם לָמָּה מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן תַּפְרִיעוּ אֶת-הָעָם מִמַּעֲשָׂיו לְכוּ לְסִבְלֹתֵיכֶם
. . .
The king of Egypt said to them: 'Why, Moses and Aaron, do you distract the people from their works? Go to your burdens!'
- Shemot 5:5
וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה הֵן-רַבִּים עַתָּה עַם הָאָרֶץ וְהִשְׁבַּתֶּם אֹתָם מִסִּבְלֹתָם
. .
And Pharaoh said: 'Now the people of the land are many — and you would have them rest from their burdens!'
- Shemot 5:6
וַיְצַו פַּרְעֹה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אֶת-הַנֹּגְשִׂים בָּעָם וְאֶת-שֹׁטְרָיו לֵאמֹר
. .
And Pharaoh commanded on that day the taskmasters of the people, and their overseers, saying:
- Shemot 5:7
לֹא תֹאסִפוּן לָתֵת תֶּבֶן לָעָם לִלְבֹּן הַלְּבֵנִים--כִּתְמוֹל שִׁלְשֹׁם הֵם יֵלְכוּ וְקֹשְׁשׁוּ לָהֶם תֶּבֶן
. . . .
'You shall no longer give the people straw to mold bricks, as yesterday and before; let them go and gather straw for themselves.
- Shemot 5:8
וְאֶת-מַתְכֹּנֶת הַלְּבֵנִים אֲשֶׁר הֵם עֹשִׂים תְּמוֹל שִׁלְשֹׁם תָּשִׂימוּ עֲלֵיהֶם--לֹא תִגְרְעוּ מִמֶּנּוּ כִּי-נִרְפִּים הֵם--עַל-כֵּן הֵם צֹעֲקִים לֵאמֹר נֵלְכָה נִזְבְּחָה לֵאלֹהֵינוּ
. . . . . .
And the quota of bricks which they were making yesterday and before — set [the same] upon them; you shall not reduce from it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying: Let us go offer sacrifice to our Lord.
- Shemot 5:9
תִּכְבַּד הָעֲבֹדָה עַל-הָאֲנָשִׁים וְיַעֲשׂוּ-בָהּ וְאַל-יִשְׁעוּ בְּדִבְרֵי-שָׁקֶר
. . .
Let the labor be heavy upon the people, and let them be occupied with it; and let them not be occupied with vain matters.'
- Shemot 5:10
וַיֵּצְאוּ נֹגְשֵׂי הָעָם וְשֹׁטְרָיו וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל-הָעָם לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר פַּרְעֹה אֵינֶנִּי נֹתֵן לָכֶם תֶּבֶן
. . . .
And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their overseers, and said to them: 'Thus says Pharaoh: I am giving you no straw.
- Shemot 5:11
אַתֶּם לְכוּ קְחוּ לָכֶם תֶּבֶן מֵאֲשֶׁר תִּמְצָאוּ כִּי אֵין נִגְרָע מֵעֲבֹדַתְכֶם דָּבָר
. . . .
You — go, take straw for yourselves from where you can find it. And know that there shall be nothing reduced from your work.'
- Shemot 5:12
וַיָּפֶץ הָעָם בְּכָל-אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם לְקֹשֵׁשׁ קַשׁ לַתֶּבֶן
.
And the people scattered throughout all the land of Egypt, to gather stubble for straw.
- Shemot 5:13
וְהַנֹּגְשִׂים אָצִים לֵאמֹר כַּלּוּ מַעֲשֵׂיכֶם דְּבַר-יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר בִּהְיוֹת הַתֶּבֶן
. .
And the taskmasters pressed [them], saying: 'Finish your work — the matter of each day, on its day — just as it was when straw was given.'
- Shemot 5:14
וַיֻּכּוּ שֹׁטְרֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר-שָׂמוּ עֲלֵהֶם נֹגְשֵׂי פַרְעֹה לֵאמֹר מַדּוּעַ לֹא כִלִּיתֶם חָקְכֶם לִלְבֹּן כִּתְמוֹל שִׁלְשֹׁם--גַּם-תְּמוֹל גַּם-הַיּוֹם
. . . .
And the overseers of the sons of Israel — whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them — they beat, and said to them: 'What is the matter with you that you have not finished your quotas to mold bricks, as yesterday and before, both yesterday and today?'
- Shemot 5:15
וַיָּבֹאוּ שֹׁטְרֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּצְעֲקוּ אֶל-פַּרְעֹה לֵאמֹר לָמָּה תַעֲשֶׂה כֹה לַעֲבָדֶיךָ
.
And the overseers of the sons of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying: 'Why do you act thus toward your servants?
- Shemot 5:16
תֶּבֶן אֵין נִתָּן לַעֲבָדֶיךָ וּלְבֵנִים אֹמְרִים לָנוּ עֲשׂוּ וְהִנֵּה עֲבָדֶיךָ מֻכִּים וְחָטָאת עַמֶּךָ
. . .
No straw is supplied to your servants; yet they are saying to us: Make bricks! And behold, your servants are beaten — because your people sin against them.'
- Shemot 5:17
וַיֹּאמֶר נִרְפִּים אַתֶּם נִרְפִּים עַל-כֵּן אַתֶּם אֹמְרִים נֵלְכָה נִזְבְּחָה לַיהוָה
.
He said: 'You are idle, idle — therefore you say: Let us go and offer sacrifice to our Lord.
- Shemot 5:18
וְעַתָּה לְכוּ עִבְדוּ וְתֶבֶן לֹא-יִנָּתֵן לָכֶם וְתֹכֶן לְבֵנִים תִּתֵּנוּ
. .
And now, go, labor — and no straw shall be given to you; and your quotas you shall complete.'
- Shemot 5:19
וַיִּרְאוּ שֹׁטְרֵי בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל אֹתָם--בְּרָע לֵאמֹר לֹא-תִגְרְעוּ מִלִּבְנֵיכֶם דְּבַר-יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ
.
And the overseers of the sons of Israel saw [themselves] in evil, saying: 'You shall not reduce from your bricks — the matter of each day, on its day.'
- Shemot 5:20
וַיִּפְגְּעוּ אֶת-מֹשֶׁה וְאֶת-אַהֲרֹן נִצָּבִים לִקְרָאתָם בְּצֵאתָם מֵאֵת פַּרְעֹה
. .
And they encountered Moses and Aaron, standing to meet them at their coming out from before Pharaoh.
- Shemot 5:21
וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֲלֵהֶם יֵרֶא יְהוָה עֲלֵיכֶם וְיִשְׁפֹּט אֲשֶׁר הִבְאַשְׁתֶּם אֶת-רֵיחֵנוּ בְּעֵינֵי פַרְעֹה וּבְעֵינֵי עֲבָדָיו לָתֶת-חֶרֶב בְּיָדָם לְהָרְגֵנוּ
. . . .
And they said to them: 'May God look upon you and judge — for you have ruined our condition before Pharaoh and before his officers; so that, were a sword in their hands, they would kill us.'
- Shemot 5:22
וַיָּשָׁב מֹשֶׁה אֶל-יְהוָה וַיֹּאמַר אֲדֹנָי לָמָה הֲרֵעֹתָה לָעָם הַזֶּה--לָמָּה זֶּה שְׁלַחְתָּנִי
. . .
And Moses returned to God, and said: 'O my Lord, why have You brought trial upon this people? And to what end have You sent me?
- Shemot 5:23
וּמֵאָז בָּאתִי אֶל-פַּרְעֹה לְדַבֵּר בִּשְׁמֶךָ הֵרַע לָעָם הַזֶּה וְהַצֵּל לֹא-הִצַּלְתָּ אֶת-עַמֶּךָ
. .
For from the time I went in to Pharaoh to speak with him in Your name, he has dealt evil with them — and You have not rescued them from this.'
English is a working draft — author revising