Chūāijíjì 5

1 Hòulái Móxī , Yàlún qù duì fǎlǎo shuō , Yēhéhuá Yǐsèliè de shén zhèyàng shuō , róng wǒde bǎixìng qù , zaì kuàngyĕ xiàng wǒ shǒu jié .

2 Fǎlǎo shuō , Yēhéhuá shì shuí , shǐ wǒ tīng tāde huà , róng Yǐsèliè rén qù ne . wǒ bù rènshi Yēhéhuá , yĕ bùróng Yǐsèliè rén qù .

3 Tāmen shuō , Xībólái rén de shén yùjiàn le wǒmen . qiú nǐ róng wǒmen wàng kuàngyĕ qù , zǒu sān tiān de lùchéng , jìsì Yēhéhuá wǒmen de shén , miǎndé tā yòng wēnyì , dāobīng gōngjī wǒmen .

4 Āijí wàng duì tāmen shuō , Móxī , Yàlún , nǐmen wèishénme jiào bǎixìng kuàng gōng ne . nǐmen qù dān nǐmen de dànzi ba .

5 Yòu shuō , kàn nǎ , zhè dì de Yǐsèliè rén rújīn zhòngduō , nǐmen jìng jiào tāmen xiē xià dànzi .

6 Dàng tiān , fǎlǎo fēnfu dū gōng de hé guān zhǎng shuō ,

7 Nǐmen bùkĕ zhào cháng bǎ cǎo gĕi bǎixìng zuò zhuān , jiào tāmen zìjǐ qù jiǎn cǎo .

8 Tāmen sùcháng zuò zhuān de shùmù , nǐmen réngjiù xiàng tāmen yào , yídiǎn bùkĕ jiǎnshǎo , yīnwei tāmen shì lǎnduò de , suǒyǐ hū qiú shuō , róng wǒmen qù jìsì wǒmen de shén .

9 Nǐmen yào bǎ gèng zhòng de gōngfu jiā zaì zhèxie rénshēn shàng , jiào tāmen laólù , bù tīng xū huǎng de yányǔ .

10 Dū gōng de hé guān zhǎng chūlai duì bǎixìng shuō , fǎlǎo zhèyàng shuō , wǒ bù gĕi nǐmen cǎo .

11 Nǐmen zìjǐ zaì nǎli néng zhǎo cǎo , jiù wàng nàli qù zhǎo ba , dàn nǐmen de gōng yídiǎn bùkĕ jiǎnshǎo .

12 Yúshì bǎixìng sǎn zaì Āijí biàn dì , jiǎn suì jiē dàng zuò cǎo .

13 Dū gōng de cuī zhe shuō , nǐmen yī tiān dàng wán yī tiān de gōng , yǔ xiānqián yǒu cǎo yíyàng .

14 Fǎlǎo dū gōng de , zé dá tā suǒ paì Yǐsèliè rén de guān zhǎng , shuō , nǐmen zuòtiān jīntiān wèishénme méiyǒu zhào xiàng lái de shùmù zuò zhuān , wán nǐmen de gōngzuò ne .

15 Yǐsèliè rén de guān zhǎng jiù lái āi qiú fǎlǎo shuō , wèishénme zhèyàng daì nǐde púrén .

16 Dū gōng de bù bǎ cǎo gĕi púrén , bìngqiĕ duì wǒmen shuō , zuò zhuān ba . kàn nǎ , nǐ púrén ái le dá , qíshí shì nǐ bǎixìng de cuò .

17 Dàn fǎlǎo shuō , nǐmen shì lǎnduò de , nǐmen shì lǎnduò de , suǒyǐ shuō , róng wǒmen qù jìsì Yēhéhuá .

18 Xiànzaì nǐmen qù zuò gōng ba , cǎo shì bù gĕi nǐmen de , zhuān què yào rú shǔ jiāo nà .

19 Yǐsèliè rén de guān zhǎng tīngshuō , nǐmen mĕi tiān zuò zhuān de gōngzuò yídiǎn bùkĕ jiǎnshǎo , jiù zhīdào shì zāoyù huòhuàn le .

20 Tāmen lí le fǎlǎo chūlai , zhèng yùjiàn Móxī , Yàlún zhàn zaì duìmiàn ,

21 Jiù xiàng tāmen shuō , yuàn Yēhéhuá jiàn chá nǐmen , shīxíng pànduàn , yīn nǐmen shǐ wǒmen zaì fǎlǎo hé tā chénpú miànqián yǒu le chòu míng , bǎ dāo dì zaì tāmen shǒu zhōng shā wǒmen .

22 Móxī huí dào Yēhéhuá nàli , shuō , Zhǔ a , nǐ wèishénme kǔdaì zhè bǎixìng ne , wèishénme dǎfa wǒ qù ne .

23 Zì cóng wǒ qù jiàn fǎlǎo , fèng nǐde míng shuōhuà , tā jiù kǔdaì zhè bǎixìng , nǐ yídiǎn yĕ méiyǒu zhĕngjiù tāmen .

Chūāijíjì 5 Commentary

Chapter 5

Pharaoh's displeasure, He increases the tasks of the Israelites. (1-9) The sufferings of the Israelites, Moses' complaint to God. (10-23)

Verses 1-9 God will own his people, though poor and despised, and will find a time to plead their cause. Pharaoh treated all he had heard with contempt. He had no knowledge of Jehovah, no fear of him, no love to him, and therefore refused to obey him. Thus Pharaoh's pride, ambition, covetousness, and political knowledge, hardened him to his own destruction. What Moses and Aaron ask is very reasonable, only to go three days' journey into the desert, and that on a good errand. We will sacrifice unto the Lord our God. Pharaoh was very unreasonable, in saying that the people were idle, and therefore talked of going to sacrifice. He thus misrepresents them, that he might have a pretence to add to their burdens. To this day we find many who are more disposed to find fault with their neighbours, for spending in the service of God a few hours spared from their wordly business, than to blame others, who give twice the time to sinful pleasures. Pharaoh's command was barbarous. Moses and Aaron themselves must get to the burdens. Persecutors take pleasure in putting contempt and hardship upon ministers. The usual tale of bricks must be made, without the usual allowance of straw to mix with the clay. Thus more work was to be laid upon the men, which, if they performed, they would be broken with labour; and if not, they would be punished.

Verses 10-23 The Egyptian task-masters were very severe. See what need we have to pray that we may be delivered from wicked men. The head-workmen justly complained to Pharaoh: but he taunted them. The malice of Satan has often represented the service and worship of God, as fit employment only for those who have nothing else to do, and the business only of the idle; whereas, it is the duty of those who are most busy in the world. Those who are diligent in doing sacrifice to the Lord, will, before God, escape the doom of the slothful servant, though with men they do not. The Israelites should have humbled themselves before God, and have taken to themselves the shame of their sin; but instead of that, they quarrel with those who were to be their deliverers. Moses returned to the Lord. He knew that what he had said and done, was by God's direction; and therefore appeals to him. When we find ourselves at any time perplexed in the way of our duty, we ought to go to God, and lay open our case before him by fervent prayer. Disappointments in our work must not drive us from our God, but still we must ponder why they are sent.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 5

Moses and Aaron go in to Pharaoh, and desire leave for the children of Israel to go into the wilderness three days' journey, to sacrifice to the Lord, and are answered in a very churlish and atheistical manner, and are charged with making the people idle, the consequence of which was, the taskmasters had orders, to make their work more heavy and toilsome, Ex 5:1-9 which orders were executed with severity by them, Ex 5:10-13, upon which the officers of the children of Israel complained to Pharaoh, but to no purpose, Ex 5:14-19, and meeting with Moses and Aaron, lay the blame upon them, Ex 5:20,21, which sends Moses to the Lord to expostulate with him about it, Ex 5:22,23.