Exodus 5

1 And afterward Moses and Aaron have entered, and they say to Pharaoh, “Thus said YHWH, God of Israel: Send My people away, and they keep a celebration for Me in the wilderness”;

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 to me in the wilderness.

2 and Pharaoh says, “Who [is] YHWH, that I listen to His voice to send Israel away? I have not known YHWH, and I also do not send Israel away.”

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.

3 And they say, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us; please let us go a journey of three days into the wilderness, and we sacrifice to our God YHWH, lest He meet us with pestilence or with sword.”

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 to the LORD our God; lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword.

4 And the king of Egypt says to them, “Why, Moses and Aaron, do you free the people from its works? Go to your burdens.”

And the king of Egypt said to them, Why do you, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you to your burdens.

5 Pharaoh also says, “Behold, the people of the land [are] numerous now, and you have caused them to cease from their burdens!”

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

6 And on that day Pharaoh commands the exactors among the people and its authorities, saying,

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

7 “You do not add to give straw to the people for the making of the bricks as before—they go and have gathered straw for themselves;

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

8 and you put on them the proper quantity of the bricks which they are making before, you do not diminish from it, for they are remiss, therefore they are crying, saying, Let us go, let us sacrifice to our God;

And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, you shall lay on them; you shall not diminish any thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

9 let the service be heavy on the men, and let them work at it, and not be dazzled by lying words.”

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

10 And the exactors of the people, and its authorities, go out, and speak to the people, saying, “Thus said Pharaoh: I do not give you straw,

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.

11 you—go, take straw for yourselves where you can find [it], for there is nothing diminished of your service.”

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

12 And the people are scattered over all the land of Egypt, to gather stubble for straw,

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

13 and the exactors are making haste, saying, “Complete your works, the matter of a day in its day, as when there is straw.”

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

14 And the authorities of the sons of Israel, whom the exactors of Pharaoh have placed over them, are beaten, saying, “Why have you not completed your portion in making brick as before, both yesterday and today?”

And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Why have you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?

15 And the authorities of the sons of Israel come in and cry to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you do thus to your servants?

Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, Why deal you thus with your servants?

16 Straw is not given to your servants, and they are saying to us, Make bricks, and behold, your servants are struck—and your people have sinned.”

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

17 And he says, “Remiss—you are remiss, therefore you are saying, Let us go, let us sacrifice to YHWH;

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

18 and now, go, serve; and straw is not given to you, and you give the [required] measure of bricks.”

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

19 And the authorities of the sons of Israel see them in affliction, saying, “You do not diminish from your bricks; the matter of a day in its day.”

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

20 And they meet Moses and Aaron standing to meet them in their coming out from Pharaoh,

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

21 and say to them, “YHWH look on you, and judge, because you have caused our fragrance to stink in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants—to give a sword into their hand to slay us.”

And they said to them, The LORD look on you, and judge; because you have made our smell 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.

22 And Moses turns back to YHWH and says, “Lord, why have You done evil to this people? Why [is] this [that] You have sent me?

And Moses returned to the LORD, and said, LORD, why have you so evil entreated this people? why is it that you have sent me?

23 And since I have come to Pharaoh to speak in Your Name, he has done evil to this people, and You have not delivered Your people at all.”

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.