Exodus 5

1 Afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’”

And after that, Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and said, The Lord, the God of Israel, says, Let my people go so that they may keep a feast to me in the waste land.

2 Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don’t know the LORD, and moreover I will not let Israel go.”

And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, to whose voice I am to give ear and let Israel go? I have no knowledge of the Lord and I will not let Israel go.

3 They said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD, our God, lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword.”

And they said, The God of the Hebrews has come to us: let us then go three days' journey into the waste land to make an offering to the Lord our God, so that he may not send death on us by disease or the sword.

4 The king of Egypt said to them, “Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people from their work? Get back to your burdens!”

And the king of Egypt said to them, Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people away from their work? get back to your work.

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

And Pharaoh said, Truly, the people of the land are increasing in number, and you are keeping them back from their work.

6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying,

The same day Pharaoh gave orders to the overseers and those who were responsible for the work, saying,

7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.

Give these men no more dry stems for their brick-making as you have been doing; let them go and get the material for themselves.

8 You shall require from them the number of the bricks which they made before. You shall not diminish anything of it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, saying, ‘Let’s go and sacrifice to our God.’

But see that they make the same number of bricks as before, and no less: for they have no love for work; and so they are crying out and saying, Let us go and make an offering to our God.

9 Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it. Don’t let them pay any attention to lying words.”

Give the men harder work, and see that they do it; let them not give attention to false words.

10 The taskmasters of the people went out with their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you straw.

And the overseers of the people and their responsible men went out and said to the people, Pharaoh says, I will give you no more dry stems.

11 Go yourselves, get straw where you can find it, for nothing of your work shall be diminished.’”

Go yourselves and get dry stems wherever you are able; for your work is not to be any less.

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

So the people were sent in all directions through the land of Egypt to get dry grass for stems.

13 The taskmasters were urgent saying, “Fulfill your work quota daily, as when there was straw!”

And the overseers went on driving them and saying, Do your full day's work as before when there were dry stems for you.

14 The officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and were asked, “Why haven’t you fulfilled your quota both yesterday and today, in making brick as before?”

And the responsible men of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's overseers had put over them, were given blows, and they said to them, Why have you not done your regular work, in making bricks as before?

15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you deal this way with your servants?

Then the responsible men of the children of Israel came to Pharaoh, protesting and saying, Why are you acting in this way to your servants?

16 No straw is given to your servants, and they tell us, ‘Make brick!’ and behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.”

They give us no dry stems and they say to us, Make bricks: and they give your servants blows; but it is your people who are in the wrong.

17 But Pharaoh said, “You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let’s go and sacrifice to the LORD.’

But he said, You have no love for work: that is why you say, Let us go and make an offering to the Lord.

18 Go therefore now, and work; for no straw shall be given to you; yet you shall deliver the same number of bricks!”

Go now, get back to your work; no dry stems will be given to you, but you are to make the full number of bricks.

19 The officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble when it was said, “You shall not diminish anything from your daily quota of bricks!”

Then the responsible men of the children of Israel saw that they were purposing evil when they said, The number of bricks which you have to make every day will be no less than before.

20 They met Moses and Aaron, who stood along the way, as they came out from Pharaoh.

And they came face to face with Moses and Aaron, who were in their way when they came out from Pharaoh:

21 They said to them, “May the LORD look at you and judge, because you have made us a stench to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us!”

And they said to them, May the Lord take note of you and be your judge; for you have given Pharaoh and his servants a bad opinion of us, putting a sword in their hands for our destruction.

22 Moses returned to the LORD, and said, “Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me?

And Moses went back to the Lord and said, Lord, why have you done evil to this people? why have you sent me?

23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people. You have not rescued your people at all!”

For from the time when I came to Pharaoh to put your words before him, he has done evil to this people, and you have given them no help.