Chapter 5

And afterward Moses and Aaron went in,¹ and told⁴ Pharaoh, Thus saith¹ the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go,¹⁶ that they may hold a feast⁴ unto me in the wilderness.

And Pharaoh said,⁴ Who [is] the LORD, that I should obey⁴ his voice to let Israel go?¹⁵ I know¹ not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.¹⁷

And they said,⁴ The God of the Hebrews hath met⁸ with us: let us go,⁴ we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice⁴ unto the LORD our God; lest he fall⁴ upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.

And the king of Egypt said⁴ unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let⁵⁵ the people from their works? get³ you unto your burdens.

And Pharaoh said,⁴ Behold, the people of the land now [are] many, and ye make them rest⁵² from their burdens.

And Pharaoh commanded¹⁷ the same day the taskmasters⁶ of the people, and their officers,⁶ saying,²

Ye shall no more⁵⁵ give² the people straw to make² brick, as heretofore: ⁸⁵⁴³ let them go⁴ and gather²² straw for themselves.

And the tale of the bricks, which they did make⁶ heretofore, ⁸⁵⁴³ ye shall lay⁴ upon them; ye shall not diminish⁴ [ought] thereof: for they [be] idle;¹² therefore they cry,⁶ saying,² Let us go⁴ [and] sacrifice⁴ to our God.

Let there more work be laid⁴ upon the men, that they may labour⁴ therein; and let them not regard⁴ vain words.

And the taskmasters⁶ of the people went out,⁴ and their officers,⁶ and they spake⁴ to the people, saying,² Thus saith¹ Pharaoh, I will not give⁶ you straw.

Go³ ye, get³ you straw where ye can find⁴ it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.¹²

So the people were scattered abroad⁵⁵ throughout all the land of Egypt to gather²³ stubble instead of straw.

And the taskmasters⁶ hasted⁵ [them], saying,² Fulfil¹⁶ your works, [your] daily ³¹¹⁷ tasks, as when there was² straw.

And the officers⁶ of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters⁶ had set¹ over them, were beaten,⁹³ [and] demanded,² Wherefore have ye not fulfilled¹⁴ your task in making brick² both yesterday and to day, as heretofore? ⁸⁵⁴³

Then the officers⁶ of the children of Israel came⁴ and cried⁴ unto Pharaoh, saying,² Wherefore dealest⁴ thou thus with thy servants?

There is no straw given¹² unto thy servants, and they say⁶ to us, Make³ brick: and, behold, thy servants [are] beaten;⁹⁴ but the fault¹ [is] in thine own people.

But he said,⁴ Ye [are] idle,¹² [ye are] idle:¹² therefore ye say,⁶ Let us go⁴ [and] do sacrifice⁴ to the LORD.

Go³ therefore now, [and] work;³ for there shall no straw be given¹¹ you, yet shall ye deliver⁴ the tale of bricks.

And the officers⁶ of the children of Israel did see⁴ [that] they [were] in evil [case], after it was said,² Ye shall not minish⁴ [ought] from your bricks of your daily ³¹¹⁷ task.

And they met⁴ Moses and Aaron, who stood¹² in the way,² as they came forth² from Pharaoh:

And they said⁴ unto them, The LORD look⁴ upon you, and judge;⁴ because ye have made our savour to be abhorred⁵² in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put² a sword in their hand to slay² us.

And Moses returned⁴ unto the LORD, and said,⁴ Lord, wherefore hast thou [so] evil entreated⁵² this people? why [is] it [that] thou hast sent¹ me?

For since I came¹ to Pharaoh to speak¹⁵ in thy name, he hath done evil⁵² to this people; neither hast thou delivered⁵² thy people at all.⁵³