Exodus 5

1 And after this went in Moses and Aaron to Pharao, and they said to him, These things says the Lord God of Israel, Send my people away, that they may keep a feast to me in the wilderness.

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.

2 And Pharao said, Who is he that I should listen to his voice, so that I should send away the children of Israel? I do not know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.

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.

3 And they say to him, The God of the Hebrews has called us to him: we will go therefore a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest at any time death or slaughter happen to us.

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.

4 And the king of Egypt said to them, Why do you, Moses and Aaron, turn the people from their works? depart each of you to your works.

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.

5 And Pharao said, Behold now, the people is very numerous; let us not then give them rest from their work.

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

6 And Pharao gave orders to the taskmasters of the people and the accountants, saying,

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

7 You shall no longer give straw to the people for brick-making as yesterday and the third day; but let them go themselves, and collect straw for themselves.

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.

8 And you shall impose on them daily the rate of brick-making which they perform: you shall not abate anything, for they are idle; therefore have they cried, saying, Let us arise and do sacrifice to our God.

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.

9 Let the works of these men be made grievous, and let them care for these things, and not care for vain words.

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

10 And the taskmasters and the accountants hastened them, and they spoke to the people, saying, thus says Pharao, I [will] give you straw no longer.

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.

11 Go you, yourselves, get for yourselves straw whenever you can find it, for nothing is diminished from your rate.

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

12 So the people were dispersed in all the land of Egypt, to gather stubble for straw.

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

13 and the taskmasters hastened them, saying, Fulfil your regular daily tasks, even as when straw was given you.

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

14 And the accountants of the race of the children of Israel, who were set over them by the masters of Pharao, were scourged, [[and questioned, ] men] saying, Why have you not fulfilled your rates of brick work as yesterday and the third day, today also?

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?

15 And the accountants of the children of Israel went in and cried to Pharao, saying, Why do you act thus to your servants?

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?

16 Straw is not given to your servants, and they tell us to make brick; and behold your servants have been scourged: you will therefore injure your people.

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.

17 And he said to them, You are idle, you are idlers: therefore you say, Let us go [and] do sacrifice to our God.

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

18 Now then go and work, for straw shall not be given to you, yet you shall return the rate of bricks.

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.

19 And the accountants of the children of Israel saw themselves in an evil plight, [men] saying, You shall not fail to deliver the daily rate of the brick-making.

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.

20 And they met Moses and Aaron coming forth to meet them, as they came forth from Pharao.

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

21 And they said to them, The Lord look upon you and judge you, for you have made our savour abominable before Pharao, and before his servants, to put a sword into his hands to kill us.

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.

22 And Moses turned to the Lord, and said, I pray, Lord, why have you afflicted this people? and therefore have you sent me?

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

23 For from the time that I went to Pharao to speak in your name, he has afflicted this people, and you have not delivered your people.

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.