Exodus 5

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 After this, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, 'This is what Yahweh, God of Israel,says, "Let my people go, so that they can hold a feast in my honour in the desert." '	1 After these things Moses and Aaron went in, and said to Pharao: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: Let my people go that they may sacrifice to me in the desert.
2 'Who is Yahweh,' Pharaoh replied, 'for me to obey what he says and let Israel go? I know nothing ofYahweh, and I wil not let Israel go.'	2 But he answered: Who is the Lord, that I should hear his voice, and let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.
3 'The God of the Hebrews has encountered us,' they replied. 'Give us leave to make a three -days'journey into the desert and sacrifice to Yahweh our God, or he wil strike us with a plague or with the sword.'	3 And they said: The God of the Hebrews hath called us, to go three days' journey into the wilderness and to sacrifice to the Lord our God: lest a pestilence or the sword fall upon us.
4 The king of Egypt said to them, 'Moses and Aaron, what do you mean by distracting the people fromtheir work? Get back to your forced labour.'	4 The king of Egypt said to them: Why do you Moses and Aaron draw off the people from their works? Get you gone to your burdens.
5 And Pharaoh said, 'Now that the people have grown to such numbers in the country, what do you meanby interrupting their forced labour?'	5 And Pharao said: The people of the land is numerous: you see that the multitude is increased: how much more if you give them rest from their works?
6 That very day, Pharaoh gave the order to the people's taskmasters and their scribes,	6 Therefore he commanded the same day the overseers of the works, and the taskmasters of the people, saying:
7 'Do not go on providing the people with straw for brickmaking as before; let them go and gather strawfor themselves.	7 You shall give straw no more to the people to make brick, as before: but let them go and gather straw.
8 But you wil exact the same quantity of bricks from them as before, not reducing it at al , since they arelazy, and that is why their cry is, "Let us go and sacrifice to our God."	8 And you shall lay upon them the task of bricks, which they did before, neither shall you diminish any thing thereof: for they are idle, and therefore they cry, saying: Let us go and sacrifice to our God.
9 Give these people more work to do, and see they do it instead of listening to lying speeches.'	9 Let them be oppressed, with works, and let them fulfill them: that they may not regard lying words.
10 The people's taskmasters and scribes went out to speak to the people and said, 'Pharaoh says this, "Ishall not provide you with any more straw.	10 And the overseers of the works and the taskmasters went out and said to the people: Thus saith Pharao, I allow you no straw:
11 Go and collect straw for yourselves where you can find it. But your output is not to be any less." '	11 Go, and gather it where you can find it: neither shall any thing of your work be diminished.
12 So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble for their straw.	12 And the people was scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather straw.
13 The taskmasters harassed them. 'You must complete your daily quota,' they said, 'just as when thestraw was there.'	13 And the overseers of the works pressed them, saying: Fulfill your work every day as before you were wont to do when straw was given you.
14 And the Israelites' foremen whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had put in charge of them, were flogged andasked, 'Why have you not fulfil ed your quota of bricks made today as before?'	14 And they that were over the works of the children of Israel were scourged by Pharao's taskmasters, saying: Why have you not made up the task of bricks both yesterday and to day as before?
15 The Israelites' foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh. 'Why do you treat your servants like this?' theysaid.	15 And the officers of the children of Israel came, and cried out to Pharao, saying: Why dealest thou so with thy servants?
16 'No straw is provided for your servants, yet stil the cry is, "Make bricks!" And now your servants arebeing flogged!. . .'	16 Straw is not given us, and bricks are required of us as before: behold we thy servants are beaten with whips, and thy people is unjustly dealt withal.
17 'You are lazy, lazy,' he retorted. 'That is why you say, "Let us go and sacrifice to Yahweh."	17 And he said: You are idle, and therefore you say: Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.
18 Get back to your work at once. You wil not be provided with straw; all the same, you wil deliver thequota of bricks.'	18 Go therefore, and work: straw shall not be given you, and you shall deliver the accustomed number of bricks.
19 The Israelites' foremen saw they were in a difficult position on being told, 'You wil not reduce yourdaily production of bricks.'	19 And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in evil case, because it was said to them: There shall not a whit be diminished of the bricks for every day.
20 As they left Pharaoh's presence, they met Moses and Aaron who were standing in their way.	20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood over against them as they came out from Pharao:
21 'May Yahweh look down at you and judge!' they said to them. 'You have brought us into bad odourwith Pharaoh and his officials; you have put a sword into their hand to kil us.'	21 And they said to them: The Lord see and judge, because you have made our savour to stink before Pharao and his servants, and you have given him a sword to kill us.
22 Moses went back to Yahweh and said, 'Lord, why do you treat this people so harshly? Why did yousend me?	22 And Moses returned to the Lord, and said: Lord, why hast thou afflicted this people? wherefore hast thou sent me?
23 Ever since I came to Pharaoh and spoke to him in your name, he has il -treated this people, and youhave done nothing at al about rescuing your people.'	23 For since the time that I went in to Pharao to speak in thy name, he hath afflicted thy people: and thou hast not delivered them.