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 to me in the wilderness.

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 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.

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 has met with us: let us go, we pray you, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice to the LORD our God; lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the 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 to them, Why do you, Moses and Aaron, let 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, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and you 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 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

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

7 You shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.

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

8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, you shall lay on them; you shall not diminish any thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and 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 Let there more work be laid on the men, that they may labor therein; and let them not regard vain words.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, Why deal you thus with your servants?

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

16 There is no straw given to your servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own 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, You are idle, you are idle: therefore you say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.

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

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

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

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

20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, 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 to them, The LORD look on you, and judge; because you have made our smell 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.

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 to the LORD, and said, LORD, why have you so evil entreated this people? why is it that you have sent 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 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.

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.”