Exodus 5

1 And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus says the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.

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 And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.

And Pharao said, Who is he that I should hearken 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 And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us: let us go, we pray you, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.

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 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do all of you, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.

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

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

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

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

And Pharao gave orders to the task-masters of the people and the accountants, saying,

7 All of you shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as in time past: let them go and gather straw for themselves.

Ye 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 And the tale of the bricks, which they did make in time past, all of you shall lay upon them; all of you shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

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

9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.

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

10 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, Thus says Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.

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 Go all of you, get you straw where all of you can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.

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

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

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

13 And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfill your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.

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

14 And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have all of you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as in time past?

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 ye not fulfilled your rates of brick-work as yesterday and the third day, to-day also?

15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore deal you thus with your servants?

And the accountants of the children of Israel went in and cried to Pharao, saying, Why dost thou act thus to thy servants?

16 There is no straw given unto your servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.

Straw is not given to thy servants, and they tell us to make brick; and behold thy servants have been scourged: thou wilt therefore injure thy people.

17 But he said, All of you are idle, all of you are idle: therefore all of you say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.

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

18 Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall all of you deliver the tale of bricks.

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

19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, All of you shall not diminish ought from your bricks of your daily task.

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

20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:

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

21 And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because all of you have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.

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

22 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, LORD, wherefore have you so evil pleaded this people? why is it that you have sent me?

And Moses turned to the Lord, and said, I pray, Lord, why hast thou afflicted this people? and wherefore hast thou sent me?

23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have you delivered your people at all.

For from the time that I went to Pharao to speak in thy name, he has afflicted this people, and thou hast not delivered thy people.