5:1 後來摩西、亞倫去對法老說:「耶和華─以色列的上帝這樣說:『容我的百姓去,在曠野向我守節。』」
5:2 法老說:「耶和華是誰,使我聽他的話,容以色列人去呢?我不認識耶和華,也不容以色列人去!」
5:3 他們說:「希伯來人的上帝遇見了我們。求你容我們往曠野去,走三天的路程,祭祀耶和華─我們的上帝,免得他用瘟疫、刀兵攻擊我們。」
5:4 埃及王對他們說:「摩西、亞倫!你們為甚麼叫百姓曠工呢?你們去擔你們的擔子吧!」
5:5 又說:「看哪,這地的以色列人如今眾多,你們竟叫他們歇下擔子!」
5:6 當天,法老吩咐督工的和官長說:
5:7 「你們不可照常把草給百姓做磚,叫他們自己去撿草。
5:8 他們素常做磚的數目,你們仍舊向他們要,一點不可減少;因為他們是懶惰的,所以呼求說:『容我們去祭祀我們的上帝。』
5:9 你們要把更重的工夫加在這些人身上,叫他們勞碌,不聽虛謊的言語。」
5:10 督工的和官長出來對百姓說:「法老這樣說:『我不給你們草。
5:11 你們自己在哪裡能找草,就往那裡去找吧!但你們的工一點不可減少。』」
5:12 於是百姓散在埃及遍地,撿碎秸當作草。
5:13 督工的催著說:「你們一天當完一天的工,與先前有草一樣。」
5:14 法老督工的,責打他所派以色列人的官長,說:「你們昨天今天為甚麼沒有照向來的數目做磚、完你們的工作呢?」
5:15 以色列人的官長就來哀求法老說:「為甚麼這樣待你的僕人?
5:16 督工的不把草給僕人,並且對我們說:『做磚吧!』看哪,你僕人挨了打,其實是你百姓的錯。」
5:17 但法老說:「你們是懶惰的!你們是懶惰的!所以說:『容我們去祭祀耶和華。』
5:18 現在你們去做工吧!草是不給你們的,磚卻要如數交納。」
5:19 以色列人的官長聽說「你們每天做磚的工作一點不可減少」,就知道是遭遇禍患了。
5:20 他們離了法老出來,正遇見摩西、亞倫站在對面,
5:21 就向他們說:「願耶和華鑒察你們,施行判斷;因你們使我們在法老和他臣僕面前有了臭名,把刀遞在他們手中殺我們。」
5:22 摩西回到耶和華那裡,說:「主啊,你為甚麼苦待這百姓呢?為甚麼打發我去呢?」
5:23 自從我去見法老,奉你的名說話,他就苦待這百姓,你一點也沒有拯救他們。」
2 Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do
not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”
3 Then they said, “The God of the
Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the
wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”
4 But the king of Egypt said,
“Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back
to your work!” 5 Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land
are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working.”
6 That same day Pharaoh gave this
order to the slave drivers and overseers in charge of the people: 7 “You are no
longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and
gather their own straw. 8 But require them to make the same number of bricks
as before; don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying
out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Make the work harder for the people so that they
keep working and pay no attention to lies.”
10 Then the slave drivers and the
overseers went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will
not give you any more straw. 11 Go and get your own straw
wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.’”
12 So the people
scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. 13 The slave drivers kept
pressing them, saying, “Complete the work required of you for each day, just as
when you had straw.” 14 And
Pharaoh’s slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed,
demanding, “Why haven’t you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as
before?”
15 Then the Israelite overseers
went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why have you treated your servants this way? 16 Your
servants are given no straw, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are
being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”
17 Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s
what you are—lazy! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the
Lord.’ 18 Now get to work. You will
not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks.”
19 The Israelite overseers
realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You are not to reduce the
number of bricks required of you for each day.” 20 When they
left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, 21 and they said, “May the Lord look on you and judge you! You have made us obnoxious to Pharaoh
and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
22 Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people?
Is this why you sent me? 23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your
name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your
people at all.”
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摩西奉上帝的名,向法老挑戰,希望法老能讓以色列人去敬拜上帝。所得到的結果當然不如預期的狀態,反而加重以色列百姓的負擔,要他們做更多的苦工,因為法老以為他們要偷懶!
這就像許多人剛信主時的經歷,就是主日要去做禮拜時,就被家人、老闆、同事、…,認為要偷懶,找個理由去休息。不是被恥笑,就是被責備或臭罵一頓!因為許多人的心中沒有安息親近上帝的觀念,認為要「勤勞」做工,才會有所成就,才不會餓死!
這也看見魔鬼或世界是怎樣對待人,也因為這樣摩西才會感嘆:「我們一生的年日是七十歲,若是強壯可到八十歲;但其中所矜誇的不過是勞苦愁煩,轉眼成空,我們便如飛而去。」(詩篇90:10)
我們既然認識主了,就要將主日空出來,敬拜上帝,這不是偷懶,是從新得力的時刻!如此,才能活出人該有的價值與意義!