Exodus 5

1 And after that, Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and said, The Lord, the God of Israel, says, Let my people go so that they may keep a feast to me in the waste land.

After these things Moses and Aaron went in, and said to Pharao: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: Let my people go that they may sacrifice to me in the desert.

2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, to whose voice I am to give ear and let Israel go? I have no knowledge of the Lord and I will not let Israel go.

But he answered: Who is the Lord, that I should hear his voice, and let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.

3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews has come to us: let us then go three days' journey into the waste land to make an offering to the Lord our God, so that he may not send death on us by disease or the sword.

And they said: The God of the Hebrews hath called us, to go three days’ journey into the wilderness and to sacrifice to the Lord our God: lest a pestilence or the sword fall upon us.

4 And the king of Egypt said to them, Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people away from their work? get back to your work.

The king of Egypt said to them: Why do you Moses and Aaron draw off the people from their works? Get you gone to your burdens.

5 And Pharaoh said, Truly, the people of the land are increasing in number, and you are keeping them back from their work.

And Pharao said: The people of the land is numerous: you see that the multitude is increased: how much more if you give them rest from their works?

6 The same day Pharaoh gave orders to the overseers and those who were responsible for the work, saying,

Therefore he commanded the same day the overseers of the works, and the taskmasters of the people, saying:

7 Give these men no more dry stems for their brick-making as you have been doing; let them go and get the material for themselves.

You shall give straw no more to the people to make brick, as before: but let them go and gather straw.

8 But see that they make the same number of bricks as before, and no less: for they have no love for work; and so they are crying out and saying, Let us go and make an offering to our God.

And you shall lay upon them the task of bricks, which they did before, neither shall you diminish any thing thereof: for they are idle, and therefore they cry, saying: Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

9 Give the men harder work, and see that they do it; let them not give attention to false words.

Let them be oppressed, with works, and let them fulfill them: that they may not regard lying words.

10 And the overseers of the people and their responsible men went out and said to the people, Pharaoh says, I will give you no more dry stems.

And the overseers of the works and the taskmasters went out and said to the people: Thus saith Pharao, I allow you no straw:

11 Go yourselves and get dry stems wherever you are able; for your work is not to be any less.

Go, and gather it where you can find it: neither shall any thing of your work be diminished.

12 So the people were sent in all directions through the land of Egypt to get dry grass for stems.

And the people was scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather straw.

13 And the overseers went on driving them and saying, Do your full day's work as before when there were dry stems for you.

And the overseers of the works pressed them, saying: Fulfill your work every day as before you were wont to do when straw was given you.

14 And the responsible men of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's overseers had put over them, were given blows, and they said to them, Why have you not done your regular work, in making bricks as before?

And they that were over the works of the children of Israel were scourged by Pharao’s taskmasters, saying: Why have you not made up the task of bricks both yesterday and today as before?

15 Then the responsible men of the children of Israel came to Pharaoh, protesting and saying, Why are you acting in this way to your servants?

And the officers of the children of Israel came, and cried out to Pharao, saying: Why dealest thou so with thy servants?

16 They give us no dry stems and they say to us, Make bricks: and they give your servants blows; but it is your people who are in the wrong.

Straw is not given us, and bricks are required of us as before: behold we thy servants are beaten with whips, and thy people is unjustly dealt withal.

17 But he said, You have no love for work: that is why you say, Let us go and make an offering to the Lord.

And he said: You are idle, and therefore you say: Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.

18 Go now, get back to your work; no dry stems will be given to you, but you are to make the full number of bricks.

Go therefore, and work: straw shall not be given you, and you shall deliver the accustomed number of bricks.

19 Then the responsible men of the children of Israel saw that they were purposing evil when they said, The number of bricks which you have to make every day will be no less than before.

And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in evil case, because it was said to them: There shall not a whit be diminished of the bricks for every day.

20 And they came face to face with Moses and Aaron, who were in their way when they came out from Pharaoh:

And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood over against them as they came out from Pharao:

21 And they said to them, May the Lord take note of you and be your judge; for you have given Pharaoh and his servants a bad opinion of us, putting a sword in their hands for our destruction.

And they said to them: The Lord see and judge, because you have made our savour to stink before Pharao and his servants, and you have given him a sword to kill us.

22 And Moses went back to the Lord and said, Lord, why have you done evil to this people? why have you sent me?

And Moses returned to the Lord, and said: Lord, why hast thou afflicted this people? wherefore hast thou sent me?

23 For from the time when I came to Pharaoh to put your words before him, he has done evil to this people, and you have given them no help.

For since the time that I went in to Pharao to speak in thy name, he hath afflicted thy people: and thou hast not delivered them.