Exodus 5

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
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 that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Let my people go, that they may celebrate a feast 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 Pharaoh answered, "Who is the LORD, that I should heed his plea to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD; even if I did, I would not 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 They replied, "The God of the Hebrews has sent us word. Let us go a three days' journey in the desert, that we may offer sacrifice to the LORD, our God; otherwise he will punish us with pestilence or the sword."
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 answered them, "What do you mean, Moses and Aaron, by taking the people away from their work? Off to your labor!
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 Look how numerous the people of the land are already," continued Pharaoh, "and yet you would give them rest from their labor!"
6 That very day, Pharaoh gave the order to the people's taskmasters and their scribes,	6 That very day Pharaoh gave the taskmasters and foremen of the people this order:
7 'Do not go on providing the people with straw for brickmaking as before; let them go and gather strawfor themselves.	7 "You shall no longer supply the people with straw for their brickmaking as you have previously done. Let them go and gather straw themselves!
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 Yet you shall levy upon them the same quota of bricks as they have previously made. Do not reduce it. They are lazy; that is why they are crying, 'Let us go to offer sacrifice to our God.'
9 Give these people more work to do, and see they do it instead of listening to lying speeches.'	9 Increase the work for the men, so that they keep their mind on it and pay no attention to 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 So the taskmasters and foremen of the people went out and told them, "Thus says Pharaoh: I will not provide you with 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 the straw yourselves, wherever you can find it. Yet there must not be the slightest reduction in your work."
12 So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble for their straw.	12 The people, then, scattered throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw,
13 The taskmasters harassed them. 'You must complete your daily quota,' they said, 'just as when thestraw was there.'	13 while the taskmasters kept driving them on, saying, "Finish your work, the same daily amount as when your straw was supplied."
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 The foremen of the Israelites, whom the taskmasters of Pharaoh had placed over them, were beaten, and were asked, "Why have you not completed your prescribed amount of bricks yesterday and today, as before?"
15 The Israelites' foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh. 'Why do you treat your servants like this?' theysaid.	15 Then the Israelite foremen came and made this appeal to Pharaoh: "Why do you treat your servants in this manner?
16 'No straw is provided for your servants, yet stil the cry is, "Make bricks!" And now your servants arebeing flogged!. . .'	16 No straw is supplied to your servants, and still we are told to make bricks. Look how your servants are beaten! It is you who are at fault."
17 'You are lazy, lazy,' he retorted. 'That is why you say, "Let us go and sacrifice to Yahweh."	17 Pharaoh answered, "It is just because you are lazy that you keep saying, 'Let us go and offer 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 Off to work, then! Straw shall not be provided for you, but you must still deliver your quota 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 The Israelite foremen knew they were in a sorry plight, having been told not to reduce the daily amount of bricks.
20 As they left Pharaoh's presence, they met Moses and Aaron who were standing in their way.	20 When, therefore, they left Pharaoh and came upon Moses and Aaron, who were waiting to meet them,
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 they said to them, "The LORD look upon you and judge! You have brought us into bad odor with Pharaoh and his servants and have put a sword in their hands to slay us."
22 Moses went back to Yahweh and said, 'Lord, why do you treat this people so harshly? Why did yousend me?	22 Moses again had recourse to the LORD and said, "Lord, why do you treat this people so badly? And why did you send me on such a mission?
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 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has maltreated this people of yours, and you have done nothing to rescue them."