Exodus 5

¹Then afterwarde Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may celebrate a feast vnto me in the wildernesse.

²And Pharaoh saide, Who is the Lord, that I should heare his voyce, and let Israel go? I knowe not the Lord, neither will I let Israel goe.

³And they saide, We worship the God of the Ebrewes: we pray thee, let vs goe three daies iourney in the desert, and sacrifice vnto the Lord our God, least he bring vpon vs the pestilence or sword.

⁴Then saide the King of Egypt vnto them, Moses and Aaron, why cause ye the people to cease from their workes? get you to your burdens.

⁵Pharaoh saide furthermore, Behold, much people is nowe in the lande, and ye make them leaue their burdens.

⁶Therefore Pharaoh gaue commandement the same day vnto the taskemasters of the people, and to their officers, saying,

⁷Ye shall giue the people no more strawe, to make bricke ( as in time past) but let them goe and gather them strawe them selues:

⁸Notwithstanding lay vpon them the nober of bricke, which they made in time past, diminish nothing thereof: for they be idle, therefore they crie, saying, Let vs go to offer sacrifice vnto our God.

⁹Lay more worke vpon the men, and cause them to do it, and let the not regard vaine words.

¹⁰Then went the taskemasters of the people and their officers out, and tolde the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will giue you no more strawe.

¹¹Goe your selues, get you strawe where yee can finde it, yet shall nothing of your labour bee diminished.

¹²Then were the people scattered abroade throughout all the land of Egypt, for to gather stubble in steade of strawe.

¹³And the taskemasters hasted them, saying, Finish your dayes worke euery dayes taske, as ye did when ye had strawe.

¹⁴And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaohs taskemasters had set ouer them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore haue ye not fulfilled your taske in making bricke yesterday and to daye, as in times past?

¹⁵Then the officers of the children of Israel came, and cryed vnto Pharaoh, saying, Wherfore dealest thou thus with thy seruants?

¹⁶There is no strawe giuen to thy seruantes, and they say vnto vs, Make bricke: and loe, thy seruants are beaten, and thy people is blamed.

¹⁷But he said, Ye are to much idle: therfore ye say, Let vs goe to offer sacrifice to the Lord.

¹⁸Goe therefore nowe and worke: for there shall no strawe be giuen you, yet shall yee deliuer the whole tale of bricke.

¹⁹Then the officers of the children of Israel sawe them selues in an euill case, because it was saide, Ye shall diminish nothing of your bricke, nor of euery dayes taske.

²⁰And they met Moses and Aaron, which stood in their way as they came out from Pharaoh,

²¹To whom they said, The Lord looke vpon you and iudge: for yee haue made our sauour to stinke before Pharaoh and before his seruants, in that ye haue put a sword in their hand to slay vs.

²²Wherefore Moses returned to the Lord, and saide, Lord, why hast thou afflicted this people? wherefore hast thou thus sent me?

²³For since I came to Pharaoh to speake in thy Name, he hath vexed this people, and yet thou hast not deliuered thy people.

Exodus 5

¹And 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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?

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.