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.
After this Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says, ‘Let my people go so they can hold a religious festival for me in the desert.’”
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.
“Who is this ‘Lord’ that I should listen to his request to let Israel go?” Pharaoh replied. “I don't know the Lord and I certainly won't let Israel leave!”
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.
“The God of the Hebrews came to us,” they added. “Please allow us to go a three days journey into the desert and offer sacrifices to the Lord our God. Otherwise he'll kill us by disease or by 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.
“Moses and Aaron, why are you trying to take people away from their assigned labor?” Pharaoh asked. “Get back to work!” he ordered.
5 And Pharao said, Behold now, the people is very numerous; let us not then give them rest from their work.
“Look here,” he went on. “There are many of your people here in our country and you are preventing them from doing their assigned labor.”
6 And Pharao gave orders to the taskmasters of the people and the accountants, saying,
That very day he ordered the slave drivers and those in charge of the people:
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.
“Don't give them any more straw to make bricks like before. Have them go and collect the straw 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 still make them produce the same quantity of bricks as before. They're lazy people—that's why they're calling out, asking, ‘Please let us go and offer sacrifices 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.
Make their work harder so they can get on with it and not pay any attention to all these lies!”
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.
So the slave drivers and those in charge went out and told the people, “This is what Pharaoh has ordered: ‘I won't give you any more straw.
11 Go you, yourselves, get for yourselves straw whenever you can find it, for nothing is diminished from your rate.
Go and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, because your work quota won't be reduced.”
12 So the people were dispersed in all the land of Egypt, to gather stubble for straw.
So the people went all over Egypt collecting stubble for straw.
13 and the taskmasters hastened them, saying, Fulfil your regular daily tasks, even as when straw was given you.
The slave drivers kept on forcing them, saying, “You still have to do the same work as you did when you had straw provided!”
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?
They beat the Israelite supervisors they had put in charge, shouting at them, “Why haven't you met your quota of bricks as you did 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?
The Israelite supervisors went to Pharaoh to complain, saying, “Why are you treating us your servants like this?
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.
You don't give us any straw but your slave drivers demand that we make bricks, and they beat us! Your people are treating us badly!”
17 And he said to them, You are idle, you are idlers: therefore you say, Let us go [and] do sacrifice to our God.
“No, you're just lazy, lazy people!” Pharaoh replied. “That's why you keep on asking, ‘Please let us go and offer sacrifices 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.
Now get out of here and go back to work! You won't be given any straw but you'll still have to produce the full quota 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.
The Israelite supervisors realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce the daily production of bricks.”
20 And they met Moses and Aaron coming forth to meet them, as they came forth from Pharao.
They went over to Moses and Aaron who were waiting for them after their meeting with 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 said, “May the Lord see what you have done and judge you accordingly! You have made us like a bad smell to Pharaoh and his officials. You have put a sword in their hands to kill us!”
22 And Moses turned to the Lord, and said, I pray, Lord, why have you afflicted this people? and therefore have you sent me?
Moses went back to the Lord and complained, “Why have you caused all this trouble for your own people, Lord? Was this why 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.
Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak for you, he has been even harder on your people, and you haven't done anything to save them!”
