Exodus 5

1 And afterwards, Moses and Aaron went in and said unto Pharaoh, —Thus, saith Yahweh God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a festival to me in the desert.

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.'”

2 Then said Pharaoh, Who is Yahweh that I should hearken to his voice, to let Israel go? I know not Yahweh, and certainly. Israel, will I not let go!

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.”

3 And they said, the God of the Hebrews, hath met with us, —let us go, we pray thee, a journey of three days into the desert and sacrifice to Yahweh our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with sword.

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.”

4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore O Moses and Aaron should ye loose the people from their works? Get you to your burdens.

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.”

5 And Pharaoh said, Lo! many—now, are the people of the land, —and are ye to make them rest from their burdens?

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

6 So then Pharaoh gave command on that day, unto the taskmasters over the people and unto their overseers—saying:

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

7 Ye shall no more give straw unto the people, for making the bricks as heretofore: Let them, go, themselves, so shall they gather for themselves straw:

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

8 Nevertheless, the fixed number of bricks, which they have been making heretofore, shall ye lay upon them, ye shall not diminish therefrom, —for idle, they are, on this account, it is that they are making an outcry, saying, We must go our way, we must sacrifice to our God.

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.'

9 The service must be made heavy on the men that they may labour on it, —and let them not pay regard to words of falsehood.

Increase the workload for the men so that they keep at it and pay no more attention to deceptive words.”

10 Then went forth the taskmasters of the people and their overseers, and spake unto the people, —saying, —Thus, saith Pharaoh, I am not going to give you straw,

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.

11 Ye yourselves go fetch you straw, of any ye can find, —yet hath there not been diminished from your service a single thing.

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

12 So the people dispersed themselves throughout all the land of Egypt, —to gather stubble for straw:

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

13 the taskmasters, meanwhile, being urgent saying, —Complete your works, The task of a day, in its day, as when the straw was provided.

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

14 Then were beaten the overseers of the sons of Israel, whom the taskmasters of Pharaoh had set over them saying: Wherefore have ye not completed your task for making bricks, as heretofore, so also, yesterday and, to-day?

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?”

15 Then came in the overseers of the sons of Israel, and made outcry unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore shouldst thou do thus to thy servants?

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

16 No straw, is given to thy servants, yet bricks, —they keep saying to us—make ye! And lo, thy servants, are beaten—thou dost, therefore, wrong thy people.

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.”

17 But he said: Idle, ye are—idle, on this account, are, ye, saying, We must take our journey, we must sacrifice to Yahweh.

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

18 Now, therefore, go labour, but, straw, shall not be given you, —yet the tale of bricks, shall ye render.

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

19 Then did the overseers of the sons of Israel see themselves to be in an evil case, when it was said, —Ye shall not diminish from your bricks—the task of a day, in its day

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

20 So they fell upon Moses and upon Aaron, stationing themselves to meet them, —as they came forth from Pharaoh;

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

21 and they said unto them, Yahweh look upon you and judge, —in that ye have made us odious in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants, putting a sword into their hand to slay us.

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.”

22 And Moses returned unto Yahweh and said, —O My Lord wherefore hast thou caused harm to this people? Wherefore now didst thou send me?

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?

23 seeing that from what time I came in unto Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done harm to this people, and thou hast not delivered, thy people,

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.”