Exodus 5

1 And afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, 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 LORD, that I should hearken unto his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, and moreover I will not 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, three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with 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, loose the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.

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 are now many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.

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

6 And the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their 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 brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.

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 tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish aught thereof: for they be 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 heavier work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard lying 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 went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you 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 yourselves, get you straw where ye can find it: for nought of your work shall be diminished.

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

12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for 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, [your] daily tasks, 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, which Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task both yesterday and today, in making brick as heretofore?

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

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, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, 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 Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.

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 did see that they were in evil case, when it was said, Ye shall not minish aught from your bricks, [your] daily tasks.

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, who stood in the 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, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye 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.

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 evil entreated 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 to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath evil entreated this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.

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.