Exodus 5
1 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.’”
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 “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!”
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 “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.”
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 “Moses and Aaron, why are you trying to take people away from their assigned labor?” Pharaoh asked. “Get back to work!” he ordered.
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 “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.”
And Pharaoh said, Behold the people of the land are now many, and ye wish to make them rest from their burdens.
6 That very day he ordered the slave drivers and those in charge of the people:
And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
7 “Don't give them any more straw to make bricks like before. Have them go and collect the straw themselves.
Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
8 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.
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 Make their work harder so they can get on with it and not pay any attention to all these lies!”
Let them put heavier labour on the men, that they may be taken up with it, and not regard vain words.
10 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.
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 get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, because your work quota won't be reduced.”
go ye, get yourselves straw where ye may find it; but none of your work shall be diminished.
12 So the people went all over Egypt collecting stubble for straw.
And the people were scattered abroad throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
13 The slave drivers kept on forcing them, saying, “You still have to do the same work as you did when you had straw provided!”
And the taskmasters urged [them], saying, Fulfil your labours, the daily work, as when there was straw.
14 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?”
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 The Israelite supervisors went to Pharaoh to complain, saying, “Why are you treating us your servants like this?
Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, Why dost thou deal thus with thy bondmen?
16 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!”
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 “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.’
And he said, Ye are idle, idle! therefore ye say, Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah.
18 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!”
And now go — work! and straw shall not be given you, and ye shall deliver the measure of bricks.
19 The Israelite supervisors realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce the daily production of bricks.”
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 They went over to Moses and Aaron who were waiting for them after their meeting with Pharaoh,
And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood there to meet them, as they came out from Pharaoh.
21 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!”
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 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?
And Moses returned to Jehovah, and said, Lord, why hast thou done evil to this people? why now hast thou sent me?
23 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!”
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!
