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 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 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 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 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 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 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, let the people from their works? get you to your burdens.

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

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

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

And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, 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 more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather 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 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 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 there more work be laid on the men, that they may labor therein; and let them not regard 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 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 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, get you straw where you can find it: yet not any of your work shall be diminished.

12 So the people dispersed themselves throughout 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 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 hurried them, saying, Fulfill your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.

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

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

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

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

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

Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall you deliver the tale 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 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 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, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:

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