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.’”
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.
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!”
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.
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 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.
4 “Moses and Aaron, why are you trying to take people away from their assigned labor?” Pharaoh asked. “Get back to work!” he ordered.
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.
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 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?
6 That very day he ordered the slave drivers and those in charge of the people:
Therefore he commanded the same day the overseers of the works, and the taskmasters of the people, saying:
7 “Don't give them any more straw to make bricks like before. Have them go and collect the straw themselves.
You shall give straw no more to the people to make brick, as before: but let them go and gather straw.
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 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.
9 Make their work harder so they can get on with it and not pay any attention to all these lies!”
Let them be oppressed, with works, and let them fulfill them: that they may not regard lying 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 overseers of the works and the taskmasters went out and said to the people: Thus saith Pharao, I allow you no straw:
11 Go and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, because your work quota won't be reduced.”
Go, and gather it where you can find it: neither shall any thing of your work be diminished.
12 So the people went all over Egypt collecting stubble for straw.
And the people was scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather 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 overseers of the works pressed them, saying: Fulfill your work every day as before you were wont to do when straw was given you.
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 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?
15 The Israelite supervisors went to Pharaoh to complain, saying, “Why are you treating us your servants like this?
And the officers of the children of Israel came, and cried out to Pharao, saying: Why dealest thou so with thy servants?
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!”
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.
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: You are idle, and therefore you say: Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.
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!”
Go therefore, and work: straw shall not be given you, and you shall deliver the accustomed number 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 they were in evil case, because it was said to them: There shall not a whit be diminished of the bricks for every day.
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 over against them as they came out from Pharao:
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: 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.
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 the Lord, and said: Lord, why hast thou afflicted this people? wherefore 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 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.
