Exodus 5

1 Then Aaron and Moses/I went to the king and [one of them/us] said, “Yahweh God, whom [we] Israeli people [worship], says this [to you]: ‘Let my people go to the desert, in order that they may have a feast to [honor] me!’”

And after they went Moses and Aaron and they said to Pharaoh thus he says Yahweh [the] God of Israel let go people my so they may celebrate a festival to me in the wilderness.

2 But the king said, “Who is Yahweh? Why should I pay attention to what he says and let the Israeli [people] [MTY] go? I do not know Yahweh! And furthermore, I will not let the Israeli [people] go!”

And he said Pharaoh who? [is] Yahweh that I will listen to voice his by letting go Israel not I know Yahweh and also Israel not I will let go.

3 They/we replied, “Yahweh God, the one we Hebrews [worship], has (revealed himself/appeared) to us [and told us what to tell you]. So we ask you to [please] let us go on a three day journey into the desert. We must offer sacrifices to Yahweh God [there]. [If we do] not do that, he will cause us to die [IDM] from diseases or from attacks [by our enemies] [MTY].”

And they said [the] God of the Hebrews he has met with us let us go please a journey of three days in the wilderness and let us sacrifice to Yahweh God our lest he should fall on us with pestilence or with the sword.

4 But the king of Egypt said to them/us, “Moses and Aaron, (stop trying to keep the Israeli people from working/why are you preventing the Israeli people from working?) [RHQ] [Tell those slaves] to return to work!”

And he said to them [the] king of Egypt why? O Moses and Aaron are you causing to refrain the people from work its go to forced labor your.

5 The king also said, “Listen [to me! You] people [who now live] in this land are now [more] numerous, and you want them [to stop working and] rest!”

And he said Pharaoh here! [is] many now [the] people of the land and you have caused to cease them from forced labor their.

6 That same day the king commanded the Egyptian slave bosses and the [Israeli] men supervising the slaves,

And he commanded Pharaoh on the day that the taskmasters over the people and foremen its saying.

7 “Do not continue to give the [Israeli] people straw for making bricks, as you have done previously. Make them go [into the fields] and gather straw for themselves.

Not you will repeat! to give straw to the people to make bricks the bricks as yesterday three days ago they let them go and they may gather for themselves straw.

8 But require them to make the same number of bricks that they did before. Do not decrease the number at all. They (are lazy/do not have enough work to do). That is the reason they are asking me to let them go [into the desert] to offer sacrifices to their god.

And [the] measurement of the bricks which they [were] making yesterday three days ago you will place on them not you will diminish from it for [are] idle they there-fore they [are] crying out saying let us go let us sacrifice to God our.

9 Force the men to work harder, so that they will not [have time] to listen to lies [from their leaders]!”

Let it be heavy the labor on the men so they may work in it and may not them pay attention to words of falsehood.

10 So the slave bosses and supervisors of the slaves went to where the [Israeli] people were and said to them, “The king has said that he will no longer give you any straw.

And they went out [the] taskmasters of the people and foremen its and they said to the people saying thus he says Pharaoh not I [am] giving to you straw.

11 [So] you yourselves must go and get straw wherever you can find it. But you must still keep working to make the same number of bricks as before.” [LIT]

You go acquire for yourselves straw from where you will find [it] for not [is] diminished from labor your anything.

12 So the Israeli people went all over Egypt to find straw.

And it scattered the people in all [the] land of Egypt to gather stubble for the straw.

13 The slave bosses kept telling them insistently, “Finish the work you are required to do each day, [making the same amount of bricks] as you did [before, when we gave you] straw!”

And the taskmasters [were] pressing [them] saying complete work your a matter of a day in day its just as when was the straw.

14 [When they were not able to do that], the slave bosses had the [Israeli supervisors] beaten [with sticks], and they asked them, “Why have [all the men you are supervising] not been able to make [the same number] of bricks today/now as [they did] before [RHQ]?”

And they were struck [the] foremen of [the] people of Israel whom they had appointed over them [the] taskmasters of Pharaoh saying why? not have you completed prescribed portion your by making bricks as yesterday three days ago neither yesterday nor this day.

15 Then the Israeli supervisors went to the king and complained, saying “[Your Majesty], why are you treating us this way?

And they went [the] foremen of [the] people of Israel and they cried out to Pharaoh saying why? are you doing thus to servants your.

16 [Now] they are not giving us any straw [for making bricks], but they keep commanding us to make bricks. And now sometimes they beat us. But it is the fault of your own slave bosses [that we cannot make as many bricks as before]!”

Straw not [is being] given to servants your and bricks [people are] saying to us make and there! servants your [are] being struck and you have sinned people your.

17 But the king said, “You are lazy and do not [want to] work! That is why you keep saying, ‘Allow us to go [to the desert] and offer sacrifices to Yahweh.’

And he said [are] idle you idle there-fore you [are] saying let us go let us sacrifice to Yahweh.

18 So go and get back to work! [We] are not going to give you any straw, but you must keep making the same number of bricks!”

And now go work and straw not it will be given to you and [the] measurement of bricks you will give.

19 The Israeli supervisors realized that they were in a difficult situation, because they had been told, “We are not going to decrease the number of bricks [you must make] each day.”

And they saw [the] foremen of [the] people of Israel themselves in trouble saying not you will diminish from bricks your a matter of a day in day its.

20 As they left the king’s [palace], they met Aaron and Moses/me, who were waiting for them [there].

And they met Moses and Aaron standing to meet them when came out they from with Pharaoh.

21 They said to Aaron and Moses/me, “Yahweh has seen [what] you two [have done] He will punish you [MTY], because you have caused the king and his officials to despise us! You have given them an excuse [MTY] to kill us!”

And they said to them may he look Yahweh on you and may he judge that you have made stink odor our in [the] eyes of Pharaoh and in [the] eyes of servants his to put a sword in hand their to kill us.

22 Moses/I left them and prayed to Yahweh again, saying, “O Yahweh, why have you caused all these evil things to happen to your people [RHQ]? And why did you send me [here] [RHQ]?

And he returned Moses to Yahweh and he said O Lord why? have you done harm to the people this why? this did you send me.

23 Ever since I went to the king and told him what you told me to say [MTY], he has treated your people very cruelly, and you have not done anything to help/rescue them!”

And from then I went to Pharaoh to speak in name your he has done harm to the people this and certainly not you have delivered people your.