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 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.

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 Everlasting, whose voice I am to obey, to let Israel go? I know not the Everlasting, nor 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 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.

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 unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, hinder the people from their works? get you unto your own affairs.

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 ye disturb them in the pursuit of their labors.

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

And Pharaoh commanded on the same day the taskmasters of the people, and its 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;

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.

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 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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

And the people scattered themselves 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 were urgent, saying, Fulfill your works, every day its due portion, just 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, 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?

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

And the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy 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.”

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

And they met Moses and Aaron, standing in their 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 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.

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 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?

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