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 these things happened, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: 'Let my people go, so they can have a festival for 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.
Pharaoh said, “Who is Yahweh? Why should I listen to his voice and let Israel go? I do not know Yahweh; moreover, 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.
They said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to Yahweh our God so that he does not attack us with plague 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 are you taking the people from their work? Go back to your work.”
5 And Pharaoh said, Behold the people of the land are now many, and ye wish to make them rest from their burdens.
He also said, “There are now many people in our land, and you are making them stop their work.”
6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
On that same day, Pharaoh gave a command to the people's taskmasters and foremen. He said,
7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
“Unlike before, you must no longer give the people straw to make bricks. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.
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.
However, you must still demand from them the same number of bricks as they made before. Do not accept any fewer, because they are lazy. That is why they are calling out and saying, 'Allow us to 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.
Increase the workload for the men so that they keep at it and pay no more attention to deceptive words.”
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 people's taskmasters and foremen went out and informed the people. They said, “This is what Pharaoh says: 'I will no longer give you any straw.
11 go ye, get yourselves straw where ye may find it; but none of your work shall be diminished.
You yourselves must go and get straw wherever you can find it, but your workload will not be reduced.'”
12 And the people were scattered abroad throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
So the people scattered throughout all 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 urging them and saying, “Finish your work, just as when straw was given to you.”
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?
Pharaoh's taskmasters beat the Israelite foremen, those same men whom they had put in charge of the workers. The taskmasters kept asking them, “Why have you not produced all the bricks required of you, either yesterday and today, as you used to do in the past?”
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 came to Pharaoh and cried out to him. They said, “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 is being given to your servants anymore, but they are still telling us, 'Make bricks!' We, your servants, are even beaten now, but it is the fault of your own people.”
17 And he said, Ye are idle, idle! therefore ye say, Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah.
But Pharaoh said, “You are lazy! You are lazy! You say, 'Allow us to go sacrifice to Yahweh.'
18 And now go — work! and straw shall not be given you, and ye shall deliver the measure of bricks.
So now go back to work. No more straw will be given to you, but you must still make the same number 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 saw that they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce the daily number of bricks.”
20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood there to meet them, as they came out from Pharaoh.
They met Moses and Aaron, who were standing outside the palace, as they went away from Pharaoh.
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!
They said to Moses and Aaron, “May Yahweh look at you and punish you, because you have made us offensive in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants. You have put a sword in their hand 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?
Moses went back to Yahweh and said, “Lord, why have you caused trouble for this people? Why did you send me in the first place?
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 came to Pharaoh to speak to him in your name, he has caused trouble for this people, and you have not set your people free at all.”
