Exodus 5
Pharaoh Will Not Let the People Go
5And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, “aThus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘bLet My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” 2But Pharaoh said, “aWho is Yahweh that I should listen to His voice to let Israel go? I do not know Yahweh, and also, bI will not let Israel go.” 3Then they said, “aThe God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to Yahweh our God, lest He confront us with pestilence or with the sword.” 4But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you 1draw the people away from their 2work? Get back to your 3,ahard labors!” 5And Pharaoh said, “Look, athe people of the land are now many, and you would have them cease from their hard labors!” 6So on that day Pharaoh commanded athe taskmasters over the people and their bforemen, saying, 7“You are no longer to give the people straw to make brick as previously; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8“But the quota of bricks which they were making previously, you shall set upon them; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are alazy, therefore they are crying out, ‘1Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9“Let their slavery be hard on the men, and let them work at it so that they will have no regard for false words.”
10So athe taskmasters of the people and their foremen went out and spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I am not going to give you any straw. 11‘You go and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but no amount of your slave labor will be reduced.’” 12So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13And the taskmasters were pressing them, saying, “Complete your 1work quota, 2the daily amount, just as when there was straw.” 14Moreover, athe foremen of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, bwere beaten 1and were asked, “Why have you not completed your required amount either yesterday or today in making brick as previously?”
15Then the foremen of the sons of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you deal this way with your slaves? 16“There is no straw given to your slaves, yet they keep saying to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your slaves are being beaten; but it is the 1sin of your own people.” 17But he said, “You are alazy—lazy! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to Yahweh.’ 18“So now, go and labor; but straw will not be given to you, yet you must deliver the quota of bricks.” 19Then the foremen of the sons of Israel saw that they were in trouble 1because they were told, “You must not reduce 2your daily amount of bricks.” 20When they left Pharaoh’s presence, they confronted Moses and Aaron, 1standing there to meet them. 21aAnd they said to them, “bMay Yahweh look upon you and judge, for you have cmade 1us a foul smell in Pharaoh’s sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”