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 afterwards have Moses and Aaron entered, and they say unto Pharaoh, 'Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Send My people away, and they keep a feast to 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 saith, 'Who [is] Jehovah, that I hearken to His voice, to send Israel away? I have not known Jehovah, and Israel also I do not send away.'

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 say, 'The God of the Hebrews hath met with us, let us go, we pray thee, a journey of three days into the wilderness, and we sacrifice to Jehovah our God, lest He meet us with pestilence or with 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 saith unto them, 'Why, Moses and Aaron, do ye free the people from its works? go to your burdens.'

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

Pharaoh also saith, 'Lo, numerous now [is] the people of the land, and ye have caused them to cease from their burdens!'

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

And Pharaoh commandeth, on that day, the exactors among the people and its authorities, saying,

7 “Unlike before, you must no longer give the people straw to make bricks. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.

'Ye do not add to give straw to the people for the making of the bricks, as heretofore — they go and have gathered straw for themselves;

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 proper quantity of the bricks which they are making heretofore ye do put on them, ye do not diminish from it, for they are remiss, therefore they are crying, saying, Let us go, let us 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 service be heavy on the men, and let them work at it, and not be dazzled by lying 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 exactors of the people, and its authorities, go out, and speak unto the people, saying, 'Thus said Pharaoh, I do not give you straw,

11 You yourselves must go and get straw wherever you can find it, but your workload will not be reduced.'”

ye — go ye, take for yourselves straw where ye find [it], for there is nothing of your service diminished.'

12 So the people scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

And the people is scattered over all the land of Egypt, to gather stubble for straw,

13 The taskmasters kept urging them and saying, “Finish your work, just as when straw was given to you.”

and the exactors are making haste, saying, 'Complete your works, the matter of a day in its day, as when there is 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 authorities of the sons of Israel, whom the exactors of Pharaoh have placed over them, are beaten, saying, 'Wherefore have ye not completed your portion in making brick as heretofore, both yesterday and to-day?'

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 authorities of the sons of Israel come in and cry unto Pharaoh, saying, 'Why dost thou thus to 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 to thy servants, and they are saying to us, Make bricks, and lo, thy servants are smitten — and thy people hath sinned.'

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

And he saith, 'Remiss — ye are remiss, therefore ye are saying, Let us go, let us sacrifice to Jehovah;

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, serve; and straw is not given to you, and the measure of bricks ye do give.'

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 authorities of the sons of Israel see them in affliction, saying, 'Ye do not diminish from your bricks; the matter of a day in its day.'

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

And they meet Moses and Aaron standing to meet them, in their coming out 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 say unto them, 'Jehovah look upon you, and judge, because ye have caused our fragrance to stink in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants — to give a sword into 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 turneth back unto Jehovah, and saith, 'Lord, why hast Thou done evil to this people? why [is] this? — 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.”

and since I have come unto Pharaoh, to speak in Thy name, he hath done evil to this people, and Thou hast not at all delivered Thy people.'