Exodus 5

1 And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus says the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.

After that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’”

2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.

But Pharaoh replied, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.”

3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us: let us go, we pray you, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.

“The God of the Hebrews has met with us,” they answered. “Please let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God, or He may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”

4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do all of you, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.

But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your labor!”

5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and all of you make them rest from their burdens.

Pharaoh also said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you would be stopping them from their labor.”

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

That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen:

7 All of you shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as in time past: let them go and gather straw for themselves.

“You shall no longer supply the people with straw for making bricks. They must go and gather their own straw.

8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did make in time past, all of you shall lay upon them; all of you shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

But require of them the same quota of bricks as before; do not reduce it. For they are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’

9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.

Make the work harder on the men so they will be occupied and pay no attention to these lies.”

10 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, Thus says Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.

So the taskmasters and foremen of the people went out and said to them, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I am no longer giving you straw.

11 Go all of you, get you straw where all of you can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.

Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it; but your workload will in no way be reduced.’”

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

So the people scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

13 And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfill your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.

The taskmasters kept pressing them, saying, “Fulfill your quota each day, just as you did when straw was provided.”

14 And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have all of you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as in time past?

Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over the people, were beaten and asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as you did before?”

15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore deal you thus with your servants?

So the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why are you treating your servants this way?

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

No straw has been given to your servants, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”

17 But he said, All of you are idle, all of you are idle: therefore all of you say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.

“You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. “Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’

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

Now get to work. You will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the full quota of bricks.”

19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, All of you shall not diminish ought from your bricks of your daily task.

The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce your daily quota of bricks.”

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

When they left Pharaoh, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who stood waiting to meet them.

21 And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because all of you 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.

“May the LORD look upon you and judge you,” the foremen said, “for you have made us a stench before Pharaoh and his officials; you have placed in their hand a sword to kill us!”

22 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, LORD, wherefore have you so evil pleaded this people? why is it that you have sent me?

So Moses returned to the LORD and asked, “Lord, why have You brought trouble upon this people? Is this why You sent me?

23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have you delivered your people at all.

Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and You have not delivered Your people in any way.”