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 have Moses and Aaron entered, and they say unto Pharaoh, 'Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Send My people away, and they keep 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 saith, 'Who [is] Jehovah, that I hearken to His voice, to send Israel away? I have not known Jehovah, and Israel also I do not send away.'

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 say, 'The God of the Hebrews hath met with us, let us go, we pray thee, a journey of three days into the wilderness, and we sacrifice to Jehovah our God, lest He meet 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 saith unto them, 'Why, Moses and Aaron, do ye free the people from its works? go 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.”

Pharaoh also saith, 'Lo, numerous now [is] the people of the land, and ye have caused them to cease from their burdens!'

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

And Pharaoh commandeth, on that day, the exactors among the people and its authorities, saying,

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

'Ye do not add to give straw to the people for the making of the bricks, as heretofore — they go and have gathered 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 proper quantity of the bricks which they are making heretofore ye do put on them, ye do not diminish from it, for they are remiss, therefore they are crying, saying, Let us go, let us 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 the service be heavy on the men, and let them work at it, and not be dazzled by 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 exactors of the people, and its authorities, go out, and speak unto the people, saying, 'Thus said Pharaoh, I do not give you straw,

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

ye — go ye, take for yourselves straw where ye find [it], for there is nothing of your service diminished.'

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

And the people is scattered over 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!”

and the exactors are making haste, saying, 'Complete your works, the matter of a day in its day, as when there is 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 authorities of the sons of Israel, whom the exactors of Pharaoh have placed over them, are beaten, saying, 'Wherefore have ye not completed your portion in making brick as heretofore, both yesterday and to-day?'

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

And the authorities of the sons of Israel come in and cry unto Pharaoh, saying, 'Why dost thou thus to 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 to thy servants, and they are saying to us, Make bricks, and lo, thy servants are smitten — and thy people hath sinned.'

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 saith, 'Remiss — ye are remiss, therefore ye are saying, Let us go, let us 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, serve; and straw is not given to you, and the measure of bricks ye do give.'

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

And the authorities of the sons of Israel see them in affliction, saying, 'Ye do not diminish from your bricks; the matter of a day in its day.'

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

And they meet Moses and Aaron standing to meet them, in their coming 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 say unto them, 'Jehovah look upon you, and judge, because ye have caused our fragrance to stink in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants — to give a sword into their hand to slay 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 turneth back unto Jehovah, and saith, 'Lord, why hast Thou done evil to this people? why [is] this? — Thou hast 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!”

and since I have come unto Pharaoh, to speak in Thy name, he hath done evil to this people, and Thou hast not at all delivered Thy people.'