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 afterwards, Moses and Aaron went in and said unto Pharaoh, —Thus, saith Yahweh God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a festival to me in the desert.

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.

Then said Pharaoh, Who is Yahweh that I should hearken to his voice, to let Israel go? I know not Yahweh, and certainly. Israel, will I not let 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 said, the God of the Hebrews, hath met with us, —let us go, we pray thee, a journey of three days into the desert and sacrifice to Yahweh 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, hinder the people from their works? get you unto your own affairs.

And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore O Moses and Aaron should ye loose the people from their works? Get you to your burdens.

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

And Pharaoh said, Lo! many—now, are the people of the land, —and are ye to make them rest from their burdens?

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

So then Pharaoh gave command on that day, unto the taskmasters over the people and unto their overseers—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.

Ye shall no more give straw unto the people, for making the bricks as heretofore: Let them, go, themselves, so shall they gather for themselves straw:

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.

Nevertheless, the fixed number of bricks, which they have been making heretofore, shall ye lay upon them, ye shall not diminish therefrom, —for idle, they are, on this account, it is that they are making an outcry, saying, We must go our way, we must 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.

The service must be made heavy on the men that they may labour on it, —and let them not pay regard to words of falsehood.

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.

Then went forth the taskmasters of the people and their overseers, and spake unto the people, —saying, —Thus, saith Pharaoh, I am not going to give you straw,

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

Ye yourselves go fetch you straw, of any ye can find, —yet hath there not been diminished from your service a single thing.

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

So the people dispersed themselves throughout 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.

the taskmasters, meanwhile, being urgent saying, —Complete your works, The task of a day, in its day, as when the straw was provided.

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?

Then were beaten the overseers of the sons of Israel, whom the taskmasters of Pharaoh had set over them saying: Wherefore have ye not completed your task for making bricks, as heretofore, so also, yesterday and, to-day?

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

Then came in the overseers of the sons of Israel, and made outcry unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore shouldst thou do thus to thy 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.

No straw, is given to thy servants, yet bricks, —they keep saying to us—make ye! And lo, thy servants, are beaten—thou dost, therefore, wrong thy people.

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

But he said: Idle, ye are—idle, on this account, are, ye, saying, We must take our journey, we must sacrifice to Yahweh.

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

Now, therefore, go labour, but, straw, shall not be given you, —yet the tale of bricks, shall ye render.

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.

Then did the overseers of the sons of Israel see themselves to be in an evil case, when it was said, —Ye shall not diminish from your bricks—the task of a day, in its day

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

So they fell upon Moses and upon Aaron, stationing themselves to meet them, —as they came forth from Pharaoh;

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 unto them, Yahweh look upon you and judge, —in that ye have made us odious in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants, putting a sword into their hand to slay 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 returned unto Yahweh and said, —O My Lord wherefore hast thou caused harm to this people? Wherefore now didst thou send 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.

seeing that from what time I came in unto Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done harm to this people, and thou hast not delivered, thy people,