Exodus 5

1 Then Aaron and Moses/I went to the king and [one of them/us] said, “Yahweh God, whom [we] Israeli people [worship], says this [to you]: ‘Let my people go to the desert, in order that they may have a feast to [honor] me!’”

Then afterwarde Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may celebrate a feast vnto me in the wildernesse.

2 But the king said, “Who is Yahweh? Why should I pay attention to what he says and let the Israeli [people] [MTY] go? I do not know Yahweh! And furthermore, I will not let the Israeli [people] go!”

And Pharaoh saide, Who is the Lord, that I should heare his voyce, and let Israel go? I knowe not the Lord, neither will I let Israel goe.

3 They/we replied, “Yahweh God, the one we Hebrews [worship], has (revealed himself/appeared) to us [and told us what to tell you]. So we ask you to [please] let us go on a three day journey into the desert. We must offer sacrifices to Yahweh God [there]. [If we do] not do that, he will cause us to die [IDM] from diseases or from attacks [by our enemies] [MTY].”

And they saide, We worship the God of the Ebrewes: we pray thee, let vs goe three daies iourney in the desert, and sacrifice vnto the Lord our God, least he bring vpon vs the pestilence or sword.

4 But the king of Egypt said to them/us, “Moses and Aaron, (stop trying to keep the Israeli people from working/why are you preventing the Israeli people from working?) [RHQ] [Tell those slaves] to return to work!”

Then saide the King of Egypt vnto them, Moses and Aaron, why cause ye the people to cease from their workes? get you to your burdens.

5 The king also said, “Listen [to me! You] people [who now live] in this land are now [more] numerous, and you want them [to stop working and] rest!”

Pharaoh saide furthermore, Behold, much people is nowe in the lande, and ye make them leaue their burdens.

6 That same day the king commanded the Egyptian slave bosses and the [Israeli] men supervising the slaves,

Therefore Pharaoh gaue commandement the same day vnto the taskemasters of the people, and to their officers, saying,

7 “Do not continue to give the [Israeli] people straw for making bricks, as you have done previously. Make them go [into the fields] and gather straw for themselves.

Ye shall giue the people no more strawe, to make bricke (as in time past) but let them goe and gather them strawe them selues:

8 But require them to make the same number of bricks that they did before. Do not decrease the number at all. They (are lazy/do not have enough work to do). That is the reason they are asking me to let them go [into the desert] to offer sacrifices to their god.

Notwithstanding lay vpon them the nober of bricke, which they made in time past, diminish nothing thereof: for they be idle, therefore they crie, saying, Let vs go to offer sacrifice vnto our God.

9 Force the men to work harder, so that they will not [have time] to listen to lies [from their leaders]!”

Lay more worke vpon the men, and cause them to do it, and let the not regard vaine words.

10 So the slave bosses and supervisors of the slaves went to where the [Israeli] people were and said to them, “The king has said that he will no longer give you any straw.

Then went the taskemasters of the people and their officers out, and tolde the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will giue you no more strawe.

11 [So] you yourselves must go and get straw wherever you can find it. But you must still keep working to make the same number of bricks as before.” [LIT]

Goe your selues, get you strawe where yee can finde it, yet shall nothing of your labour bee diminished.

12 So the Israeli people went all over Egypt to find straw.

Then were the people scattered abroade throughout all the land of Egypt, for to gather stubble in steade of strawe.

13 The slave bosses kept telling them insistently, “Finish the work you are required to do each day, [making the same amount of bricks] as you did [before, when we gave you] straw!”

And the taskemasters hasted them, saying, Finish your dayes worke euery dayes taske, as ye did when ye had strawe.

14 [When they were not able to do that], the slave bosses had the [Israeli supervisors] beaten [with sticks], and they asked them, “Why have [all the men you are supervising] not been able to make [the same number] of bricks today/now as [they did] before [RHQ]?”

And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaohs taskemasters had set ouer them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore haue ye not fulfilled your taske in making bricke yesterday and to daye, as in times past?

15 Then the Israeli supervisors went to the king and complained, saying “[Your Majesty], why are you treating us this way?

Then the officers of the children of Israel came, and cryed vnto Pharaoh, saying, Wherfore dealest thou thus with thy seruants?

16 [Now] they are not giving us any straw [for making bricks], but they keep commanding us to make bricks. And now sometimes they beat us. But it is the fault of your own slave bosses [that we cannot make as many bricks as before]!”

There is no strawe giuen to thy seruantes, and they say vnto vs, Make bricke: and loe, thy seruants are beaten, and thy people is blamed.

17 But the king said, “You are lazy and do not [want to] work! That is why you keep saying, ‘Allow us to go [to the desert] and offer sacrifices to Yahweh.’

But he said, Ye are to much idle: therfore ye say, Let vs goe to offer sacrifice to the Lord.

18 So go and get back to work! [We] are not going to give you any straw, but you must keep making the same number of bricks!”

Goe therefore nowe and worke: for there shall no strawe be giuen you, yet shall yee deliuer the whole tale of bricke.

19 The Israeli supervisors realized that they were in a difficult situation, because they had been told, “We are not going to decrease the number of bricks [you must make] each day.”

Then the officers of the children of Israel sawe them selues in an euill case, because it was saide, Ye shall diminish nothing of your bricke, nor of euery dayes taske.

20 As they left the king’s [palace], they met Aaron and Moses/me, who were waiting for them [there].

And they met Moses and Aaron, which stood in their way as they came out from Pharaoh,

21 They said to Aaron and Moses/me, “Yahweh has seen [what] you two [have done] He will punish you [MTY], because you have caused the king and his officials to despise us! You have given them an excuse [MTY] to kill us!”

To whom they said, The Lord looke vpon you and iudge: for yee haue made our sauour to stinke before Pharaoh and before his seruants, in that ye haue put a sword in their hand to slay vs.

22 Moses/I left them and prayed to Yahweh again, saying, “O Yahweh, why have you caused all these evil things to happen to your people [RHQ]? And why did you send me [here] [RHQ]?

Wherefore Moses returned to the Lord, and saide, Lord, why hast thou afflicted this people? wherefore hast thou thus sent me?

23 Ever since I went to the king and told him what you told me to say [MTY], he has treated your people very cruelly, and you have not done anything to help/rescue them!”

For since I came to Pharaoh to speake in thy Name, he hath vexed this people, and yet thou hast not deliuered thy people.