[[Exodus 4|<< Exodus 4]] | [[Exodus|Exodus]] | [[Exodus 6|Exodus 6 >>]] ### Exodus 5 1 AND 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. ^1 2 And 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. ^2 3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews has 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. ^3 4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens. ^4 5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now _are_ many, and ye make them rest from their burdens. ^5 6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, ^6 7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves. ^7 8 And 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. ^8 9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labor therein; and let them not regard vain words. ^9 10 ¶ And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw. ^10 11 Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished. ^11 12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. ^12 13 And the taskmasters hasted _them_, saying, Fulfil your works, _your_ daily tasks, as when there was straw. ^13 14 And 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 today, as heretofore? ^14 15 ¶ Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? ^15 16 There 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. ^16 17 But he said, Ye _are_ idle, _ye_ _are_ idle: therefore ye say, Let us go _and_ do sacrifice to the LORD. ^17 18 Go therefore now, _and_ work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks. ^18 19 And 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. ^19 20 ¶ And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: ^20 21 And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savor 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. ^21 22 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou _so_ evil entreated this people? why _is_ it _that_ thou hast sent me? ^22 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he has done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all. ^23