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.

And afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said unto Pharaoh: 'Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: Let My people go, that they may hold a feast unto Me in the wilderness.'

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.

And Pharaoh said: 'Who is the LORD, that I should hearken unto His voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, and moreover I will not 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 met with us. Let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest He fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.'

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.

And the king of Egypt said unto them: 'Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, cause the people to break loose from their work? get you unto 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 Pharaoh said: 'Behold, the people of the land are now many, and will ye make them rest from their burdens?'

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

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

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

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 the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish aught thereof; for they are idle; 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 heavier work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them 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 taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying: 'Thus saith Pharaoh: I will not give you straw.

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

Go yourselves, get you straw where ye can find it; for nought of your work shall be diminished.'

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

So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for 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 taskmasters were urgent, saying: 'Fulfil your work, your daily task, as when there was straw.'

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 the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, saying: 'Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your appointed task in making brick both yesterday and today as heretofore?'

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?

Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying: 'Wherefore dealest thou thus 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.

There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us: Make brick; and, behold, thy servants are beaten, but the fault is in thine own people.'

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.

But he said: 'Ye are idle, ye are idle; therefore ye 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 now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale 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 did see that they were set on mischief, when they said: 'Ye shall not diminish aught from your bricks, your daily task.'

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 in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh;

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 unto them: 'The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour 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 went back to the Lord and said, Lord, why have you done evil to this people? why have you sent me?

And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said: 'Lord, wherefore hast Thou dealt ill with this people? why is it that Thou hast 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 I came to Pharaoh to speak in Thy name, he hath dealt ill with this people; neither hast Thou delivered Thy people at all.'