Exodus 5

1 And after that Moses and Aaron went in, and said unto Pharaoh, Thus hath said the Everlasting One, the God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.

And after this went in Moses and Aaron to Pharao, and they said to him, These things says the Lord God of Israel, Send my people away, that they may keep a feast to me in the wilderness.

2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the Everlasting, whose voice I am to obey, to let Israel go? I know not the Everlasting, nor will I let Israel go.

And Pharao said, Who is he that I should listen to his voice, so that I should send away the children of Israel? I do not know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.

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

And they say to him, The God of the Hebrews has called us to him: we will go therefore a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest at any time death or slaughter happen to us.

4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, hinder the people from their works? get you unto your own affairs.

And the king of Egypt said to them, Why do you, Moses and Aaron, turn the people from their works? depart each of you to your works.

5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye disturb them in the pursuit of their labors.

And Pharao said, Behold now, the people is very numerous; let us not then give them rest from their work.

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

And Pharao gave orders to the taskmasters of the people and the accountants, saying,

7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make the bricks, as yesterday and the day before; they themselves shall go and gather themselves straw.

You shall no longer give straw to the people for brick-making as yesterday and the third day; but let them go themselves, and collect straw for themselves.

8 And the number of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall impose 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 you shall impose on them daily the rate of brick-making which they perform: you shall not abate anything, for they are idle; therefore have they cried, saying, Let us arise and do sacrifice to our God.

9 Let the work be made to lie heavily upon the men, that they may have enough to do therein; and that they may not pay attention to false words.

Let the works of these men be made grievous, and let them care for these things, and not care for vain words.

10 And the taskmasters of the people and its officers went out, and they said to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you any straw.

And the taskmasters and the accountants hastened them, and they spoke to the people, saying, thus says Pharao, I [will] give you straw no longer.

11 Go ye, get yourselves straw from wherever ye can find it; yet not the least shall be taken off from your work.

Go you, yourselves, get for yourselves straw whenever you can find it, for nothing is diminished from your rate.

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

So the people were dispersed in all the land of Egypt, to gather stubble for straw.

13 And the taskmasters were urgent, saying, Fulfill your works, every day its due portion, just as when there was straw.

and the taskmasters hastened them, saying, Fulfil your regular daily tasks, even as when straw was given you.

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

And the accountants of the race of the children of Israel, who were set over them by the masters of Pharao, were scourged, [[and questioned, ] men] saying, Why have you not fulfilled your rates of brick work as yesterday and the third day, today also?

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

And the accountants of the children of Israel went in and cried to Pharao, saying, Why do you act thus to your servants?

16 Straw is not given unto thy servants, and, Make bricks, say they to us: and, behold, thy servants are beaten, and thy people are treated as sinners.

Straw is not given to your servants, and they tell us to make brick; and behold your servants have been scourged: you will therefore injure your people.

17 But he said, Idle are ye, idle; therefore say ye, Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.

And he said to them, You are idle, you are idlers: therefore you say, Let us go [and] do sacrifice to our God.

18 And now go, work, and straw shall not be given you; yet the required number of bricks shall ye deliver.

Now then go and work, for straw shall not be given to you, yet you shall return the rate of bricks.

19 And the officers of the children of Israel saw themselves in the evil necessity to say, Ye shall not diminish aught from your bricks, every day of its task.

And the accountants of the children of Israel saw themselves in an evil plight, [men] saying, You shall not fail to deliver the daily rate of the brick-making.

20 And they met Moses and Aaron, standing in their way, as they came forth from Pharaoh.

And they met Moses and Aaron coming forth to meet them, as they came forth from Pharao.

21 And they said unto them, May the Lord look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savor to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.

And they said to them, The Lord look upon you and judge you, for you have made our savour abominable before Pharao, and before his servants, to put a sword into his hands to kill us.

22 And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou let so much evil come upon this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?

And Moses turned to the Lord, and said, I pray, Lord, why have you afflicted this people? and therefore have you sent me?

23 For, since I came unto Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done more evil to this people; but thou hast in nowise delivered thy people.

For from the time that I went to Pharao to speak in your name, he has afflicted this people, and you have not delivered your people.