Exodus 5

1 After these things Moses and Aaron went in, and said to Pharao: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: Let my people go that they may sacrifice to me in the desert.

And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.

2 But he answered: Who is the Lord, that I should hear his voice, and let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.

And Pharaoh said, Who [is] the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.

3 And they said: The God of the Hebrews hath called us, to go three days’ journey into the wilderness and to sacrifice to the Lord our God: lest a pestilence or the sword fall upon us.

And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.

4 The king of Egypt said to them: Why do you Moses and Aaron draw off the people from their works? Get you gone to your burdens.

And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.

5 And Pharao said: The people of the land is numerous: you see that the multitude is increased: how much more if you give them rest from their works?

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

6 Therefore he commanded the same day 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 give straw no more to the people to make brick, as before: but let them 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 lay upon them the task of bricks, which they did before, neither shall you diminish any thing thereof: for they are idle, and therefore they cry, saying: Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish [ought] thereof: for they [be] idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go [and] sacrifice to our God.

9 Let them be oppressed, with works, and let them fulfill them: that they may not regard lying words.

Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.

10 And the overseers of the works and the taskmasters went out and said to the people: Thus saith Pharao, I allow you no straw:

And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.

11 Go, and gather it where you can find it: neither shall any thing of your work be diminished.

Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.

12 And the people was scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather straw.

So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.

13 And the overseers of the works pressed them, saying: Fulfill your work every day as before you were wont to do when straw was given you.

And the taskmasters hasted [them], saying, Fulfil your works, [your] daily tasks, as when there was straw.

14 And they that were over the works of the children of Israel were scourged by Pharao’s taskmasters, saying: Why have you not made up the task of bricks both yesterday and today as before?

And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, [and] demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?

15 And the officers of the children of Israel came, and cried out to Pharao, saying: Why dealest thou so with thy servants?

Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?

16 Straw is not given us, and bricks are required of us as before: behold we thy servants are beaten with whips, and thy people is unjustly dealt withal.

There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants [are] beaten; but the fault [is] in thine own people.

17 And he said: You are idle, and therefore you say: Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.

But he said, Ye [are] idle, [ye are] idle: therefore ye say, Let us go [and] do sacrifice to the LORD.

18 Go therefore, and work: straw shall not be given you, and you shall deliver the accustomed number of bricks.

Go therefore now, [and] work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.

19 And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in evil case, because it was said to them: There shall not a whit be diminished of the bricks for every day.

And the officers of the children of Israel did see [that] they [were] in evil [case], after it was said, Ye shall not minish [ought] from your bricks of your daily task.

20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood over against them as they came out from Pharao:

And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:

21 And they said to them: The Lord see and judge, because you have made our savour to stink before Pharao and his servants, and you have given him a sword to kill us.

And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.

22 And Moses returned to the Lord, and said: Lord, why hast thou afflicted this people? wherefore hast thou sent me?

And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou [so] evil entreated this people? why [is] it [that] thou hast sent me?

23 For since the time that I went in to Pharao to speak in thy name, he hath afflicted thy people: and thou hast not delivered them.

For 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.