Exodus 5

1 After that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’”

2 But Pharaoh replied, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.”

3 “The God of the Hebrews has met with us,” they answered. “Please let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God, or He may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”

4 But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your labor!”

5 Pharaoh also said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you would be stopping them from their labor.”

6 That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen:

7 “You shall no longer supply the people with straw for making bricks. They must go and gather their own straw.

8 But require of them the same quota of bricks as before; do not reduce it. For they are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’

9 Make the work harder on the men so they will be occupied and pay no attention to these lies.”

10 So the taskmasters and foremen of the people went out and said to them, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I am no longer giving you straw.

11 Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it; but your workload will in no way be reduced.’”

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

13 The taskmasters kept pressing them, saying, “Fulfill your quota each day, just as you did when straw was provided.”

14 Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over the people, were beaten and asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as you did before?”

15 So the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why are you treating your servants this way?

16 No straw has been given to your servants, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”

17 “You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. “Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’

18 Now get to work. You will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the full quota of bricks.”

19 The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce your daily quota of bricks.”

20 When they left Pharaoh, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who stood waiting to meet them.

21 “May the LORD look upon you and judge you,” the foremen said, “for you have made us a stench before Pharaoh and his officials; you have placed in their hand a sword to kill us!”

22 So Moses returned to the LORD and asked, “Lord, why have You brought trouble upon this people? Is this why You sent me?

23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and You have not delivered Your people in any way.”

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

3 ¶ And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, 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 do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

14 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 in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?

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

16 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, Ye [are] idle, [ye are] idle: therefore ye say, Let us go [and] do sacrifice to the LORD.

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

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

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

21 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 the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou [so] evil entreated this people? why [is] it [that] thou hast sent me?

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

1 And Moses and Aaron went in, and said unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may feast in the wilderness.

2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, whose voice I must hear, and let Israel go? I know not of the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.

3 And they said, God the Eberian hath called us: now therefore let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God, lest pestilence or sword befall us.

4 And the king of Egypt said unto them: Thou, Moses, and Aaron, why will ye set the people free from their work? Go to your service.

5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people are already too many in the land, and ye will yet call them to feast from their service.

6 Therefore Pharaoh commanded the same day the captains of the people, and their officers, saying:

7 No more shall ye gather straw unto the people, and give them to burn brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw themselves;

8 And the number of the bricks which they have made hitherto shall ye lay up for them, and shall not diminish: for they go idle, therefore they cry, and say: We will go and sacrifice unto our God.

9 Press the people with labour, that they may work, and not turn aside to false speech.

10 And the reeves of the people and their officers went out, and said unto the people, Thus saith Pharaoh, They will not give you straw.

11 Go ye yourselves, gather you straw where ye may find it: but of your labour nothing shall be diminished.

12 And the people scattered themselves throughout all the land of Egypt, to gather stubble, that they might have straw.

13 And the reeves drove them, and said: Fulfil your day's work, as when ye had straw.

14 And the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's princes had set over them, were smitten, and it was said unto them, Why have ye not done your appointed day's work this day, nor yesterday, as ye did before?

15 And the officers of the children of Israel went in, and cried unto Pharaoh, Wherefore wilt thou go thus with thy servants?

16 They shall not give straw unto thy servants, neither shall they make the bricks that are appointed for us: and, behold, thy servants are smitten, and thy people must be sinners.

17 And Pharaoh said: Ye are idle, idle ye are: therefore say ye, We will go and sacrifice unto the LORD.

18 Go ye therefore, and indulge yourselves. They shall not give you straw, but the number of the bricks ye shall give.

19 And the officers of the children of Israel saw that it was worse, because it was said, Ye shall not diminish any of the day's work of the bricks.

20 And when they departed from Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron, and stood against them.

21 And they said unto them: The LORD look upon you, and judge it, that ye have made our smell to stink before Pharaoh and his servants, and have put the sword into their hands to slay us.

22 And Moses came again unto the LORD, and said, O LORD, why doest thou this evil unto this people? Why hast thou sent me hither?

23 For since I went in unto Pharaoh to speak unto him in thy name, he hath afflicted the people more severely; and thou hast not delivered thy people. Ch. 6, v. 1: And the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do unto Pharaoh: for by a strong hand he must let them go, he must drive them out of his land by a strong hand.