< Exodus 5 >

1 After these things, Moses and Aaron entered, and they said to Pharaoh: “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Release my people, so that they may sacrifice to me in the desert.”
And afterwards Moses and Aaron went in, and said to Pharaoh, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Let my people go that they may celebrate a feast to me in the wilderness.
2 But he responded: “Who is the Lord, that I should listen to his voice and release Israel? I do not know the Lord, and I will not release Israel.”
And Pharaoh said, Who is Jehovah, to whose voice I am to hearken to let Israel go? I do not know Jehovah, neither will I let Israel go.
3 And they said: “The God of the Hebrews has called us, so that we may go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God. Otherwise, a pestilence or the sword may befall us.”
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 sword.
4 The king of Egypt said to them: “Why do you, Moses and Aaron, distract the people from their works? Go back to your burdens.”
And the king of Egypt said to them, Why do ye, Moses and Aaron, wish to have the people go off from their works? Away, to your burdens!
5 And Pharaoh said: “The people of the land are many. You see that the turmoil has increased: how much more if you give them rest from the works?”
And Pharaoh said, Behold the people of the land are now many, and ye wish to make them rest from their burdens.
6 Therefore, on the same day, he instructed the overseers of the works, and the taskmasters of the people, saying:
And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
7 “You shall no longer give chaff to the people to form bricks, as before. But they may go and gather straw.
Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
8 And you shall impose upon them the same quota of bricks that they made before. Neither will you lessen anything, for they are idle, and therefore they cry out, saying: ‘We shall go and sacrifice to our God.’
And the number of the bricks they have made heretofore shall ye 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 They shall be oppressed with works, and these shall occupy them, so that they may not agree to lying words.”
Let them put heavier labour on the men, that they may be taken up with it, and not regard vain words.
10 And so the overseers of the works and the taskmasters went out and said to the people: “Thus says Pharaoh: I give you no chaff.
And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out and spoke to the people, saying, Thus says Pharaoh: I will not give you straw:
11 Go, and collect it wherever you are able to find it. Neither will anything of your work be diminished.”
go ye, get yourselves straw where ye may find it; but none of your work shall be diminished.
12 And the people were dispersed through all the land of Egypt, in order to gather straw.
And the people were scattered abroad throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
13 Likewise, the overseers of the works pressured them, saying: “Complete your work each day, just as you were accustomed to do before, when straw was given to you.”
And the taskmasters urged [them], saying, Fulfil your labours, the daily work, as when there was straw.
14 And those who were first in the works of the sons of Israel were scourged by Pharaoh’s taskmasters, saying: “Why have you not filled the quota of bricks, neither yesterday, nor today, just as before?”
And the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, [and] it was said, Why have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick, both yesterday and to-day, as heretofore?
15 And the first among the sons of Israel came, and they cried out to Pharaoh, saying: “Why do act against your servants in this way?
Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, Why dost thou deal thus with thy bondmen?
16 Straw is not given to us, and yet the same amount of bricks is commanded. So we, your servants, are cut up by scourging, and injustice is done against your people.”
There is no straw given to thy bondmen, and they say to us, Make brick; and behold, thy bondmen are beaten, but it is the fault of thy people.
17 And he said: “You are idle. And for this reason you say, ‘We shall go and sacrifice to the Lord.’
And he said, Ye are idle, idle! therefore ye say, Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah.
18 Therefore, go and work. Straw will not be given to you, and you will return the customary number of bricks.”
And now go — work! and straw shall not be given you, and ye shall deliver the measure of bricks.
19 And the first among the sons of Israel saw themselves in a crisis, because it was said to them, “Nothing at all will be lessened from the bricks throughout each day.”
And the officers of the children of Israel saw [that] it stood ill with them, because it was said, Ye shall not diminish anything from your bricks, the daily work.
20 And they met with Moses and Aaron, who stood opposite them as they departed from Pharaoh.
And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood there to meet them, as they came out from Pharaoh.
21 And they said to them: “May the Lord see and judge, because you have caused our odor to become foul before Pharaoh and his servants, and you have provided him with a sword, in order to kill us.”
And they said to them, Jehovah look upon you and judge, that ye have made our odour to stink in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his bondmen, putting a sword into their hand to kill us!
22 And Moses returned to the Lord, and he said: “Lord, why have you afflicted this people? Why have you sent me?
And Moses returned to Jehovah, and said, Lord, why hast thou done evil to this people? why now hast thou sent me?
23 For from the time that I entered to Pharaoh, so as to speak in your name, he has afflicted your people. And you have not freed them.”
For ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all!

< Exodus 5 >