Exodus 5

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.

1Later Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. They said, "The LORD, the God of Israel, says this: Let my people go. They must hold a feast for me out in the empty desert."

2And 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.

2Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD? Why should I obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD. I will not let Israel go."

3And 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.

3They said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us walk three days into the desert. There we will give gifts to the LORD our God. If we do not, he may send sickness or war against us."

4And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.

4The king of Egypt said, "Moses and Aaron, why are you stopping the people from working? Get back to your own work."

NoteThe old King James wording says "let the people from their works." Back then, "let" could mean stop or hold back. That is the opposite of what "let" means today.

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

5Pharaoh said, "Look how many of these people there are now. And you want them to stop working."

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

6That same day Pharaoh gave orders to the bosses over the workers. He also spoke to the helpers who worked under them.

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

7"Do not give the people straw for making bricks anymore. Straw was mixed into the mud to hold the bricks together. Now let them go and find their own straw."

8And 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.

8"But make them turn in the same number of bricks as before. Do not let them make even one less. They are lazy. That is why they cry out, 'Let us go and give gifts to our God.'"

NoteThe old wording says "the tale of the bricks." Here "tale" means the count, not a story.

9Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.

9"Pile more work on the men. Keep them busy. Then they will not listen to lies."

10And 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.

10So the bosses and their helpers went out to the people. They said, "Pharaoh says this: I will not give you straw anymore."

11Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.

11"Go and get straw wherever you can find it. But you must still make just as many bricks."

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

12So the people spread out all over Egypt. They gathered dry, leftover stalks from the fields instead of straw.

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

13The bosses kept pushing them. They said, "Finish your work each day, just like when we gave you straw."

14And 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?

14Pharaoh's bosses had put some Israelite men in charge of the workers. Those men were beaten. They were asked, "Why didn't you make enough bricks yesterday and today?"

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

15So the Israelite leaders went to Pharaoh and begged him. They said, "Why are you treating us this way?"

16There 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.

16"No one gives us straw. Yet they still tell us, 'Make bricks!' Now we are being beaten. But the fault belongs to your own people."

17But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.

17Pharaoh said, "You are lazy! You are lazy! That is why you keep saying, 'Let us go and give gifts to the LORD.'"

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

18"Now go and work. No one will give you straw. But you must still hand over the same number of bricks."

19And 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.

19The Israelite leaders saw they were in real trouble. They had been told they could not make fewer bricks.

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

20They left Pharaoh and found Moses and Aaron waiting for them on the way.

21And 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.

21They said, "May the LORD see what you did and judge you. You made Pharaoh and his men hate us. Now they have a reason to kill us."

NoteThe old wording says, "you have made our savour to be abhorred." That was a way of saying, "You made them sick of us."

22And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, LORD, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?

22Moses went back to the LORD. He said, "Lord, why have you brought trouble on these people? Why did you even send me?"

23For 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.

23"Ever since I spoke to Pharaoh for you, he has hurt them more. And you have not saved your people at all."