Exodus 5

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 entered, and they said to Pharaoh: “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Release my people, so 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 responded: “Who is the Lord, that I should listen to his voice and release Israel? I do not know the Lord, and I will not release Israel.”
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 has called us, so that we may go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God. Otherwise, a pestilence or the sword may befall 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, distract the people from their works? Go back 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 Pharaoh said: “The people of the land are many. You see that the turmoil has increased: how much more if you give them rest from the works?”
6 That very day, Pharaoh gave the order to the people's taskmasters and their scribes,	6 Therefore, on the same day, he instructed 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 no longer give chaff to the people to form bricks, as before. But they may 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 impose upon them the same quota of bricks that they made before. Neither will you lessen anything, for they are idle, and therefore they cry out, saying: ‘We shall 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 They shall be oppressed with works, and these shall occupy them, so that they may not agree 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 And so the overseers of the works and the taskmasters went out and said to the people: “Thus says Pharaoh: I give you no chaff.
11 Go and collect straw for yourselves where you can find it. But your output is not to be any less." '	11 Go, and collect it wherever you are able to find it. Neither will anything of your work be diminished.”
12 So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble for their straw.	12 And the people were dispersed through all the land of Egypt, in order to gather straw.
13 The taskmasters harassed them. 'You must complete your daily quota,' they said, 'just as when thestraw was there.'	13 Likewise, the overseers of the works pressured them, saying: “Complete your work each day, just as you were accustomed to do before, when straw was given to 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 those who were first in the works of the sons of Israel were scourged by Pharaoh’s taskmasters, saying: “Why have you not filled the quota of bricks, neither yesterday, nor today, just as before?”
15 The Israelites' foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh. 'Why do you treat your servants like this?' theysaid.	15 And the first among the sons of Israel came, and they cried out to Pharaoh, saying: “Why do act against your servants in this way?
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 to us, and yet the same amount of bricks is commanded. So we, your servants, are cut up by scourging, and injustice is done against your people.”
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 for this reason you say, ‘We shall 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 Therefore, go and work. Straw will not be given to you, and you will return the customary 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 first among the sons of Israel saw themselves in a crisis, because it was said to them, “Nothing at all will be lessened from the bricks throughout each day.”
20 As they left Pharaoh's presence, they met Moses and Aaron who were standing in their way.	20 And they met with Moses and Aaron, who stood opposite them as they departed from Pharaoh.
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: “May the Lord see and judge, because you have caused our odor to become foul before Pharaoh and his servants, and you have provided him with a sword, in order 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 he said: “Lord, why have you afflicted this people? Why have you 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 from the time that I entered to Pharaoh, so as to speak in your name, he has afflicted your people. And you have not freed them.”