1 A fter this, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “The Lord, the God of Israel, says this: ‘Let My people go, that they may have a special supper to honor Me in the desert.’”

And afterwards Moses and Aaron went in, and said to Pharaoh, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Let my people go that they may celebrate a feast to me in the wilderness.

2 B ut Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey Him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord. And I will not let Israel go.”

And Pharaoh said, Who is Jehovah, to whose voice I am to hearken to let Israel go? I do not know Jehovah, neither will I let Israel go.

3 T hen they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. We ask of you, let us travel into the desert three days, to give a gift on an altar in worship to the Lord our God. Or He may send death to us by disease or by the sword.”

And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Jehovah our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with sword.

4 B ut the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Return to your work!”

And the king of Egypt said to them, Why do ye, Moses and Aaron, wish to have the people go off from their works? Away, to your burdens!

5 T hen Pharaoh said, “See, the people of the land are now many. And you would have them stop working!”

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

6 T hat same day Pharaoh told the men who made the people work,

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

7 “ Do not give the people straw for making clay blocks any more. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.

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

8 B ut have them make the same number of clay blocks as before, and no less. They are crying, ‘Let us go and give a gift in worship to our God,’ because they are lazy.

And the number of the bricks they have made heretofore shall ye lay upon them: ye shall not diminish any of it, for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go sacrifice to our God.

9 L et more work be given to the men so they will not have time to listen to lies.”

Let them put heavier labour on the men, that they may be taken up with it, and not regard vain words.

10 S o the men who made the people work went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you straw.

And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out and spoke to the people, saying, Thus says Pharaoh: I will not give you straw:

11 Y ou go and get straw for yourselves where you can find it. But you will not work any less than before.’”

go ye, get yourselves straw where ye may find it; but none of your work shall be diminished.

12 S o the people went out through all the land of Egypt to gather what they could use for straw.

And the people were scattered abroad throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

13 T he men who made them work made them hurry, saying, “Finish your full day’s work as you did when there was straw.”

And the taskmasters urged, saying, Fulfil your labours, the daily work, as when there was straw.

14 A nd the Hebrew men who had been made to rule over the people by Pharaoh’s work-leaders were beaten. They were asked, “Why have you not made as many clay blocks yesterday or today as you made before?”

And the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, it was said, Why have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick, both yesterday and to-day, as heretofore?

15 T hen the Hebrew men who made the people work went to Pharaoh and cried, “Why do you act this way toward your servants?

Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, Why dost thou deal thus with thy bondmen?

16 T here is no straw given to your servants. Yet they still say to us, ‘Make clay blocks!’ See, your servants are being beaten. But your own people are to blame.”

There is no straw given to thy bondmen, and they say to us, Make brick; and behold, thy bondmen are beaten, but it is the fault of thy people.

17 B ut Pharaoh said, “You are lazy, very lazy. So you say, ‘Let us go and give a gift on an altar in worship to the Lord.’

And he said, Ye are idle, idle! therefore ye say, Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah.

18 G o now and work. You will be given no straw. Yet you must make the same number of clay blocks.”

And now go—work! and straw shall not be given you, and ye shall deliver the measure of bricks.

19 T he Hebrew men who made the people work knew that they were in trouble because they were told, “You must make the same number of clay blocks each day.”

And the officers of the children of Israel saw it stood ill with them, because it was said, Ye shall not diminish anything from your bricks, the daily work.

20 W hen they came from Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron who were waiting for them.

And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood there to meet them, as they came out from Pharaoh.

21 T hey said to Moses and Aaron, “May the Lord look upon you and judge you. For you have caused us to be hated by Pharaoh and his servants. You have put a sword in their hand to kill us.” God’s Promise to Israel

And they said to them, Jehovah look upon you and judge, that ye have made our odour to stink in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his bondmen, putting a sword into their hand to kill us!

22 T hen Moses returned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have You hurt these people? Why did you ever send me?

And Moses returned to Jehovah, and said, Lord, why hast thou done evil to this people? why now hast thou sent me?

23 F or since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has hurt these people. You have not set Your people free at all.”

For ever 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!