Exodus 5
1 Then afterwarde Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may celebrate a feast vnto me in the wildernesse.
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 And Pharaoh saide, Who is the Lord, that I should heare his voyce, and let Israel go? I knowe not the Lord, neither will I let Israel goe.
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 And they saide, We worship the God of the Ebrewes: we pray thee, let vs goe three daies iourney in the desert, and sacrifice vnto the Lord our God, least he bring vpon vs the pestilence or 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 Then saide the King of Egypt vnto them, Moses and Aaron, why cause ye the people to cease from their workes? get you to your burdens.
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 Pharaoh saide furthermore, Behold, much people is nowe in the lande, and ye make them leaue their burdens.
He also said, “There are now many people in our land, and you are making them stop their work.”
6 Therefore Pharaoh gaue commandement the same day vnto the taskemasters of the people, and to their officers, saying,
On that same day, Pharaoh gave a command to the people's taskmasters and foremen. He said,
7 Ye shall giue the people no more strawe, to make bricke (as in time past) but let them goe and gather them strawe them selues:
“Unlike before, you must no longer give the people straw to make bricks. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.
8 Notwithstanding lay vpon them the nober of bricke, which they made in time past, diminish nothing thereof: for they be idle, therefore they crie, saying, Let vs go to offer sacrifice vnto 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 Lay more worke vpon the men, and cause them to do it, and let the not regard vaine words.
Increase the workload for the men so that they keep at it and pay no more attention to deceptive words.”
10 Then went the taskemasters of the people and their officers out, and tolde the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will giue you no more strawe.
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 Goe your selues, get you strawe where yee can finde it, yet shall nothing of your labour bee diminished.
You yourselves must go and get straw wherever you can find it, but your workload will not be reduced.'”
12 Then were the people scattered abroade throughout all the land of Egypt, for to gather stubble in steade of strawe.
So the people scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
13 And the taskemasters hasted them, saying, Finish your dayes worke euery dayes taske, as ye did when ye had strawe.
The taskmasters kept urging them and saying, “Finish your work, just as when straw was given to you.”
14 And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaohs taskemasters had set ouer them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore haue ye not fulfilled your taske in making bricke yesterday and to daye, as in times past?
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 Then the officers of the children of Israel came, and cryed vnto Pharaoh, saying, Wherfore dealest thou thus with thy seruants?
So the Israelite foremen came to Pharaoh and cried out to him. They said, “Why are you treating your servants this way?
16 There is no strawe giuen to thy seruantes, and they say vnto vs, Make bricke: and loe, thy seruants are beaten, and thy people is blamed.
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 But he said, Ye are to much idle: therfore ye say, Let vs goe to offer sacrifice to the Lord.
But Pharaoh said, “You are lazy! You are lazy! You say, 'Allow us to go sacrifice to Yahweh.'
18 Goe therefore nowe and worke: for there shall no strawe be giuen you, yet shall yee deliuer the whole tale of bricke.
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 Then the officers of the children of Israel sawe them selues in an euill case, because it was saide, Ye shall diminish nothing of your bricke, nor of euery dayes taske.
The Israelite foremen saw that they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce the daily number of bricks.”
20 And they met Moses and Aaron, which stood in their way as they came out from Pharaoh,
They met Moses and Aaron, who were standing outside the palace, as they went away from Pharaoh.
21 To whom they said, The Lord looke vpon you and iudge: for yee haue made our sauour to stinke before Pharaoh and before his seruants, in that ye haue put a sword in their hand to slay vs.
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 Wherefore Moses returned to the Lord, and saide, Lord, why hast thou afflicted this people? wherefore hast thou thus 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 For since I came to Pharaoh to speake in thy Name, he hath vexed this people, and yet thou hast not deliuered thy people.
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.”
