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 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 “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!”

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 “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.”

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 “Moses and Aaron, why are you trying to take people away from their assigned labor?” Pharaoh asked. “Get back to work!” he ordered.

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 “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.”

He also said, “There are now many people in our land, and you are making them stop their work.”

6 That very day he ordered the slave drivers and those in charge of the people:

On that same day, Pharaoh gave a command to the people's taskmasters and foremen. He said,

7 “Don't give them any more straw to make bricks like before. Have them go and collect the straw themselves.

“Unlike before, you must no longer give the people straw to make bricks. 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.

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 Make their work harder so they can get on with it and not pay any attention to all these lies!”

Increase the workload for the men so that they keep at it and pay no more attention to deceptive 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.

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 and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, because your work quota won't be reduced.”

You yourselves must go and get straw wherever you can find it, but your workload will not be reduced.'”

12 So the people went all over Egypt collecting stubble for straw.

So the people scattered throughout all 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!”

The taskmasters kept urging them and saying, “Finish your work, just as when straw was given to 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?”

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 The Israelite supervisors went to Pharaoh to complain, saying, “Why are you treating us your servants like this?

So the Israelite foremen came to Pharaoh and cried out to him. They said, “Why are you treating your servants this way?

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!”

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 “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.’

But Pharaoh said, “You are lazy! You are lazy! You say, 'Allow us to go sacrifice to Yahweh.'

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!”

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 The Israelite supervisors realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce the daily production of bricks.”

The Israelite foremen saw that they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce the daily number of bricks.”

20 They went over to Moses and Aaron who were waiting for them after their meeting with Pharaoh,

They met Moses and Aaron, who were standing outside the palace, as they went away 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!”

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 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?

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 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!”

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.”