Exodus 5
1 And after this went in Moses and
Aaron to Pharao, and they said to him, These things says the Lord God of
Israel, Send my people away, that they may keep a feast to me in the
wilderness. 2 And Pharao said, Who is
he that I should hearken to his voice, so that I should send away the children
of Israel? I do not know the Lord, and I
aGr. do not let, etc.will not let Israel go. 3 And they
say to him, The God of the Hebrews has called us to him: we will go therefore
a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord
our God, lest at any time death or slaughter happen to us.
4 And the king of Egypt said to them,
Why do ye, Moses and Aaron, turn the people from their works? depart each of
you to your works. 5 And Pharao said,
Behold now, the people is very numerous; let us not then give them rest from
their work. 6 And Pharao gave orders
to the task-masters of the people and the accountants, saying,
7 Ye shall no longer give straw to the
people for brick-making as yesterday and the third day; but let them go
themselves, and collect straw for themselves.
8 And thou shalt impose on them daily
the rate of brick-making which they perform: thou shalt not abate anything,
for they are idle; therefore have they cried, saying, Let us arise and do
sacrifice to our God. 9 Let the works
of these men be made grievous, and let them care for these things, and not
care for vain words.
10 And the taskmasters and the
accountants hastened them, and they spoke to the people, saying, Thus says
Pharao, I will give you straw no longer.
11 Go ye, yourselves, get for
yourselves straw whencesoever ye can find it, for nothing is diminished from
your rate. 12 So the people were
dispersed in all the land of Egypt, to gather stubble for straw.
13 And the taskmasters hastened them,
saying, Fulfil your regular daily tasks, even as when straw was given you.
14 And the accountants of the race of
the children of Israel, who were set over them by the masters of Pharao, were
scourged, [bsupplied from the Hebrew.and questioned,]
men saying, Why have ye not fulfilled your rates of
brick-work as yesterday and the third day, to-day also?
15 And the accountants of the
children of Israel went in and cried to Pharao, saying, Why dost thou act thus
to thy servants? 16 Straw is not
given to thy servants, and they tell us to make brick; and behold thy servants
have been scourged: thou wilt therefore injure thy people.
17 And he said to them, Ye are idle,
ye are idlers: therefore ye say, Let us go and do
sacrifice to our God. 18 Now then go
and work, for straw shall not be given to you, yet ye shall return the rate of
bricks. 19 And the accountants of the
children of Israel saw themselves in an evil plight,
men saying, Ye shall not fail
cGr. from the brick-making to deliver that which belongs to each
day.to deliver the daily rate of the brick-making.
20 And they met Moses and Aaron
coming forth to meet them, as they came forth from Pharao.
21 And they said to them, The Lord
look upon you and judge you, for ye have made our savour abominable before
Pharao, and before his servants, to put a sword into his hands to slay us.
22 And Moses turned to the Lord, and
said, I pray, Lord, why hast thou afflicted this people? and wherefore hast
thou sent me? 23 For from the time
that I went to Pharao to speak in thy name, he has afflicted this people, and
thou hast not delivered thy people.