Exodus 5

1 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.

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 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!

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 journey of three days into the desert and sacrifice to Yahweh our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with 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 O Moses and Aaron should ye loose the people from their works? Get you to 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, Lo! many—now, are the people of the land, —and are ye to 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 So then Pharaoh gave command on that day, unto the taskmasters over the people and unto their overseers—saying:

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

7 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:

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 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.

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 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.

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

10 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,

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

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

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

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

14 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?

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

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, ye are—idle, on this account, are, ye, saying, We must take our journey, we must sacrifice to Yahweh.

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

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

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

19 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

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 So they fell upon Moses and upon Aaron, stationing themselves to meet them, —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, 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.

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 Yahweh and said, —O My Lord wherefore hast thou caused harm to this people? Wherefore now didst thou send 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 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,

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.