Exodus 5

1 After these things happened, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: 'Let my people go, so they can have a festival 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 Pharaoh said, “Who is Yahweh? Why should I listen to his voice and let Israel go? I do not know Yahweh; moreover, I will not let Israel go.”

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 They said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to Yahweh our God so that he does not attack us with plague or with the 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 But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people from their work? Go back to your work.”

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 He also said, “There are now many people in our land, and you are making them stop their work.”

And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye disturb them in the pursuit of their labors.

6 On that same day, Pharaoh gave a command to the people's taskmasters and foremen. He said,

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

7 “Unlike before, you must no longer give the people straw to make bricks. Let them go and gather 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 However, you must still demand from them the same number of bricks as they made before. Do not accept any fewer, because they are lazy. That is why they are calling out and saying, 'Allow us to go and 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 Increase the workload for the men so that they keep at it and pay no more attention to deceptive 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 So the people's taskmasters and foremen went out and informed the people. They said, “This is what Pharaoh says: 'I will no longer give you any 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 yourselves must go and get straw wherever you can find it, but your workload will not be reduced.'”

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

12 So the people scattered throughout 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 The taskmasters kept urging them and saying, “Finish your work, just as when straw was given to you.”

And the taskmasters were urgent, saying, Fulfill your works, every day its due portion, just as when there was straw.

14 Pharaoh's taskmasters beat the Israelite foremen, those same men whom they had put in charge of the workers. The taskmasters kept asking them, “Why have you not produced all the bricks required of you, either yesterday and today, as you used to do in the past?”

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 So the Israelite foremen came to Pharaoh and cried out to him. They said, “Why are you treating your servants this way?

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

16 No straw is being given to your servants anymore, but they are still telling us, 'Make bricks!' We, your servants, are even beaten now, but it is the fault of your own people.”

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 But Pharaoh said, “You are lazy! You are lazy! You say, 'Allow us to go sacrifice to Yahweh.'

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

18 So now go back to work. No more straw will be given to you, but you must still make the same number of bricks.”

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

19 The Israelite foremen saw that they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce the daily number of bricks.”

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 They met Moses and Aaron, who were standing outside the palace, as they went away from Pharaoh.

And they met Moses and Aaron, standing in their way, as they came forth from Pharaoh.

21 They said to Moses and Aaron, “May Yahweh look at you and punish you, because you have made us offensive in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants. You have put a sword in their hand to kill 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 Moses went back to Yahweh and said, “Lord, why have you caused trouble for this people? Why did you send me in the first place?

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 Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak to him in your name, he has caused trouble for this people, and you have not set your people free 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.