שמות 5

1 וְאַחַר בָּאוּ מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל־פַּרְעֹה כֹּֽה־אָמַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שַׁלַּח אֶת־עַמִּי וְיָחֹגּוּ לִי בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃

And after this went in Moses and Aaron to Pharao, and they said to him, These things says the Lord God of Israel, Send my people away, that they may keep a feast to me in the wilderness.

2 וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה מִי יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר אֶשְׁמַע בְּקֹלוֹ לְשַׁלַּח אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יָדַעְתִּי אֶת־יְהוָה וְגַם אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא אֲשַׁלֵּֽחַ׃

And Pharao said, Who is he that I should listen to his voice, so that I should send away the children of Israel? I do not know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.

3 וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֱלֹהֵי הָעִבְרִים נִקְרָא עָלֵינוּ נֵלֲכָה נָּא דֶּרֶךְ שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים בַּמִּדְבָּר וְנִזְבְּחָה לַֽיהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ פֶּן־יִפְגָּעֵנוּ בַּדֶּבֶר אוֹ בֶחָֽרֶב׃

And they say to him, The God of the Hebrews has called us to him: we will go therefore a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest at any time death or slaughter happen to us.

4 וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם לָמָּה מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן תַּפְרִיעוּ אֶת־הָעָם מִמַּֽעֲשָׂיו לְכוּ לְסִבְלֹתֵיכֶֽם׃

And the king of Egypt said to them, Why do you, Moses and Aaron, turn the people from their works? depart each of you to your works.

5 וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה הֵן־רַבִּים עַתָּה עַם הָאָרֶץ וְהִשְׁבַּתֶּם אֹתָם מִסִּבְלֹתָֽם׃

And Pharao said, Behold now, the people is very numerous; let us not then give them rest from their work.

6 וַיְצַו פַּרְעֹה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אֶת־הַנֹּגְשִׂים בָּעָם וְאֶת־שֹׁטְרָיו לֵאמֹֽר׃

And Pharao gave orders to the taskmasters of the people and the accountants, saying,

7 לֹא תֹאסִפוּן לָתֵת תֶּבֶן לָעָם לִלְבֹּן הַלְּבֵנִים כִּתְמוֹל שִׁלְשֹׁם הֵם יֵֽלְכוּ וְקֹשְׁשׁוּ לָהֶם תֶּֽבֶן׃

You shall no longer give straw to the people for brick-making as yesterday and the third day; but let them go themselves, and collect straw for themselves.

8 וְאֶת־מַתְכֹּנֶת הַלְּבֵנִים אֲשֶׁר הֵם עֹשִׂים תְּמוֹל שִׁלְשֹׁם תָּשִׂימוּ עֲלֵיהֶם לֹא תִגְרְעוּ מִמֶּנּוּ כִּֽי־נִרְפִּים הֵם עַל־כֵּן הֵם צֹֽעֲקִים לֵאמֹר נֵלְכָה נִזְבְּחָה לֵאלֹהֵֽינוּ׃

And you shall impose on them daily the rate of brick-making which they perform: you shall not abate anything, for they are idle; therefore have they cried, saying, Let us arise and do sacrifice to our God.

9 תִּכְבַּד הָעֲבֹדָה עַל־הָאֲנָשִׁים וְיַעֲשׂוּ־בָהּ וְאַל־יִשְׁעוּ בְּדִבְרֵי־שָֽׁקֶר׃

Let the works of these men be made grievous, and let them care for these things, and not care for vain words.

10 וַיֵּצְאוּ נֹגְשֵׂי הָעָם וְשֹׁטְרָיו וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל־הָעָם לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר פַּרְעֹה אֵינֶנִּי נֹתֵן לָכֶם תֶּֽבֶן׃

And the taskmasters and the accountants hastened them, and they spoke to the people, saying, thus says Pharao, I [will] give you straw no longer.

11 אַתֶּם לְכוּ קְחוּ לָכֶם תֶּבֶן מֵאֲשֶׁר תִּמְצָאוּ כִּי אֵין נִגְרָע מֵעֲבֹדַתְכֶם דָּבָֽר׃

Go you, yourselves, get for yourselves straw whenever you can find it, for nothing is diminished from your rate.

12 וַיָּפֶץ הָעָם בְּכָל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם לְקֹשֵׁשׁ קַשׁ לַתֶּֽבֶן׃

So the people were dispersed in all the land of Egypt, to gather stubble for straw.

13 וְהַנֹּגְשִׂים אָצִים לֵאמֹר כַּלּוּ מַעֲשֵׂיכֶם דְּבַר־יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר בִּהְיוֹת הַתֶּֽבֶן׃

and the taskmasters hastened them, saying, Fulfil your regular daily tasks, even as when straw was given you.

14 וַיֻּכּוּ שֹֽׁטְרֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר־שָׂמוּ עֲלֵהֶם נֹגְשֵׂי פַרְעֹה לֵאמֹר מַדּוּעַ לֹא כִלִּיתֶם חָקְכֶם לִלְבֹּן כִּתְמוֹל שִׁלְשֹׁם גַּם־תְּמוֹל גַּם־הַיּֽוֹם׃

And the accountants of the race of the children of Israel, who were set over them by the masters of Pharao, were scourged, [[and questioned, ] men] saying, Why have you not fulfilled your rates of brick work as yesterday and the third day, today also?

15 וַיָּבֹאוּ שֹֽׁטְרֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּצְעֲקוּ אֶל־פַּרְעֹה לֵאמֹר לָמָּה תַעֲשֶׂה כֹה לַעֲבָדֶֽיךָ׃

And the accountants of the children of Israel went in and cried to Pharao, saying, Why do you act thus to your servants?

16 תֶּבֶן אֵין נִתָּן לַעֲבָדֶיךָ וּלְבֵנִים אֹמְרִים לָנוּ עֲשׂוּ וְהִנֵּה עֲבָדֶיךָ מֻכִּים וְחָטָאת עַמֶּֽךָ׃

Straw is not given to your servants, and they tell us to make brick; and behold your servants have been scourged: you will therefore injure your people.

17 וַיֹּאמֶר נִרְפִּים אַתֶּם נִרְפִּים עַל־כֵּן אַתֶּם אֹֽמְרִים נֵלְכָה נִזְבְּחָה לַֽיהוָֽה׃

And he said to them, You are idle, you are idlers: therefore you say, Let us go [and] do sacrifice to our God.

18 וְעַתָּה לְכוּ עִבְדוּ וְתֶבֶן לֹא־יִנָּתֵן לָכֶם וְתֹכֶן לְבֵנִים תִּתֵּֽנּוּ׃

Now then go and work, for straw shall not be given to you, yet you shall return the rate of bricks.

19 וַיִּרְאוּ שֹֽׁטְרֵי בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֹתָם בְּרָע לֵאמֹר לֹא־תִגְרְעוּ מִלִּבְנֵיכֶם דְּבַר־יוֹם בְּיוֹמֽוֹ׃

And the accountants of the children of Israel saw themselves in an evil plight, [men] saying, You shall not fail to deliver the daily rate of the brick-making.

20 וַֽיִּפְגְּעוּ אֶת־מֹשֶׁה וְאֶֽת־אַהֲרֹן נִצָּבִים לִקְרָאתָם בְּצֵאתָם מֵאֵת פַּרְעֹֽה׃

And they met Moses and Aaron coming forth to meet them, as they came forth from Pharao.

21 וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֲלֵהֶם יֵרֶא יְהוָה עֲלֵיכֶם וְיִשְׁפֹּט אֲשֶׁר הִבְאַשְׁתֶּם אֶת־רֵיחֵנוּ בְּעֵינֵי פַרְעֹה וּבְעֵינֵי עֲבָדָיו לָֽתֶת־חֶרֶב בְּיָדָם לְהָרְגֵֽנוּ׃

And they said to them, The Lord look upon you and judge you, for you have made our savor abominable before Pharao, and before his servants, to put a sword into his hands to kill us.

22 וַיָּשָׁב מֹשֶׁה אֶל־יְהוָה וַיֹּאמַר אֲדֹנָי לָמָה הֲרֵעֹתָה לָעָם הַזֶּה לָמָּה זֶּה שְׁלַחְתָּֽנִי׃

And Moses turned to the Lord, and said, I pray, Lord, why have you afflicted this people? and therefore have you sent me?

23 וּמֵאָז בָּאתִי אֶל־פַּרְעֹה לְדַבֵּר בִּשְׁמֶךָ הֵרַע לָעָם הַזֶּה וְהַצֵּל לֹא־הִצַּלְתָּ אֶת־עַמֶּֽךָ׃

For from the time that I went to Pharao to speak in your name, he has afflicted this people, and you have not delivered your people.