Exodus 5

1 And afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.

2 And Pharaoh said, Who is Jehovah, that I should hearken to his voice to let Israel go? I do not know Jehovah, and moreover I will not let Israel go.

3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Jehovah our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.

4 And the king of Egypt said to them, Therefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, loose the people from their works? Get you to your burdens.

5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land are now many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.

6 And the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick as formerly. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.

8 And the number of the bricks, which they made formerly, ye shall lay upon them. Ye shall not diminish any of it. For they are idle, therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

9 Let heavier work be laid upon the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard lying words.

10 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, Thus says Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.

11 Go yourselves, get you straw where ye can find it, for none of your work shall be diminished.

12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

13 And the taskmasters were urgent saying, Fulfill your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.

14 And the officers of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Why have ye not fulfilled your task both yesterday and today, in making brick as formerly?

15 Then the officers of the sons of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, Why do thou deal thus with thy servants?

16 There is no straw given to thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick. And, behold, thy servants are beaten, but the fault it in thine own people.

17 But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle. Therefore ye say, Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah.

18 Go therefore now, and work, for there shall no straw be given you, yet ye shall deliver the number of bricks.

19 And the officers of the sons of Israel saw that they were in affliction, when it was said, Ye shall not diminish anything from your bricks, your daily tasks.

20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh,

21 and they said to them, Jehovah look upon you, and judge, because ye have made our fragrance to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.

22 And Moses returned to Jehovah, and said, Lord, why have thou dealt ill with this people? Why is it that thou have sent me?

23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he has dealt ill with this people, neither have thou delivered thy people at all.