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.

And afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto 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!

And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should hearken unto his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, and 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.

And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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:

Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: 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.

And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish aught thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us 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.

Let heavier work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard lying 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,

And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you 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.

Go yourselves, get you straw where ye can find it: for nought of your work shall be diminished.

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

So the people were scattered abroad 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.

And the taskmasters were urgent, saying, Fulfill your works, [your] daily tasks, as when there was straw.

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?

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

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?

Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?

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.

There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine 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 he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.

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

Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale 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

And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, when it was said, Ye shall not minish aught from your bricks, [your] daily tasks.

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

And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth 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.

and they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye 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.

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?

And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?

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,

For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath evil entreated this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.