Exodus 5

1 And afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said unto Pharaoh: 'Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: Let My people go, that they may hold a feast unto Me in the wilderness.'

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 And Pharaoh said: 'Who is the LORD, that I should hearken unto His voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, and moreover I will not let Israel go.'

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 And they said: 'The God of the Hebrews hath met with us. Let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest He fall upon us with pestilence, or with 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 And the king of Egypt said unto them: 'Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, cause the people to break loose from their work? get you unto your burdens.'

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 And Pharaoh said: 'Behold, the people of the land are now many, and will ye make them rest from their burdens?'

And Pharaoh said, Behold the people of the land are now many, and ye wish to make them rest from their burdens.

6 And the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying:

And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

7 'Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.

Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.

8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish aught thereof; for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying: Let us go and sacrifice 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 Let heavier work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard lying words.'

Let them put heavier labour on the men, that they may be taken up with it, and not regard vain words.

10 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying: 'Thus saith Pharaoh: I will not give you 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 yourselves, get you straw where ye can find it; for nought of your work shall be diminished.'

go ye, get yourselves straw where ye may find it; but none of your work shall be diminished.

12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

And the people were scattered abroad throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

13 And the taskmasters were urgent, saying: 'Fulfil your work, your daily task, as when there was straw.'

And the taskmasters urged [them], saying, Fulfil your labours, the daily work, as when there was straw.

14 And the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, saying: 'Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your appointed task in making brick both yesterday and today as heretofore?'

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 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying: 'Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?

Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, Why dost thou deal thus with thy bondmen?

16 There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us: Make brick; and, behold, thy servants are beaten, but the fault is in thine own people.'

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 But he said: 'Ye are idle, ye are idle; therefore ye say: Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.

And he said, Ye are idle, idle! therefore ye say, Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah.

18 Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.'

And now go — work! and straw shall not be given you, and ye shall deliver the measure of bricks.

19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were set on mischief, when they said: 'Ye shall not diminish aught from your bricks, your daily task.'

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 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh;

And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood there to meet them, as they came out from Pharaoh.

21 and they said unto them: 'The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay 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 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said: 'Lord, wherefore hast Thou dealt ill with this people? why is it that Thou hast 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 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Thy name, he hath dealt ill with this people; neither hast Thou delivered Thy people at all.'

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!