Exodus 5

1 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.

After that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’”

2 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.

But Pharaoh replied, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.”

3 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.

“The God of the Hebrews has met with us,” they answered. “Please let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God, or He may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”

4 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!

But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your labor!”

5 And Pharaoh said, Behold the people of the land are now many, and ye wish to make them rest from their burdens.

Pharaoh also said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you would be stopping them from their labor.”

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

That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen:

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

“You shall no longer supply the people with straw for making bricks. They must go and gather their own straw.

8 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.

But require of them the same quota of bricks as before; do not reduce it. For they are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’

9 Let them put heavier labour on the men, that they may be taken up with it, and not regard vain words.

Make the work harder on the men so they will be occupied and pay no attention to these lies.”

10 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:

So the taskmasters and foremen of the people went out and said to them, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I am no longer giving you straw.

11 go ye, get yourselves straw where ye may find it; but none of your work shall be diminished.

Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it; but your workload will in no way be reduced.’”

12 And the people were scattered abroad throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

So the people scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

13 And the taskmasters urged [them], saying, Fulfil your labours, the daily work, as when there was straw.

The taskmasters kept pressing them, saying, “Fulfill your quota each day, just as you did when straw was provided.”

14 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?

Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over the people, were beaten and asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as you did before?”

15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, Why dost thou deal thus with thy bondmen?

So the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why are you treating your servants this way?

16 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.

No straw has been given to your servants, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”

17 And he said, Ye are idle, idle! therefore ye say, Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah.

“You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. “Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’

18 And now go — work! and straw shall not be given you, and ye shall deliver the measure of bricks.

Now get to work. You will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the full quota of bricks.”

19 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.

The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce your daily quota of bricks.”

20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood there to meet them, as they came out from Pharaoh.

When they left Pharaoh, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who stood waiting to meet them.

21 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!

“May the LORD look upon you and judge you,” the foremen said, “for you have made us a stench before Pharaoh and his officials; you have placed in their hand a sword to kill us!”

22 And Moses returned to Jehovah, and said, Lord, why hast thou done evil to this people? why now hast thou sent me?

So Moses returned to the LORD and asked, “Lord, why have You brought trouble upon this people? Is this why You sent me?

23 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!

Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and You have not delivered Your people in any way.”