Exodus 5

1. And afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Let My people go that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’ ”

2. And Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.”

3. And they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us go, we pray you, three days’ journey into the desert and sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest He fall upon us with plague or with the sword.”

4. And the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you keep the people from their work? Get to your burdens!”

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

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

7. “You shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.

8. And you shall lay upon them the same number of bricks which they have made before. You shall not reduce it, for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, ‘Let us go sacrifice to our God.’

9. Let more work be laid upon the men, and let them labor in it. And do not let them regard vain words.”

10. And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out. And they spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I will not give you straw.

11. Go and get straw where you can find it, yet not any of your work shall be reduced.'”

12. So the people were scattered through all the land of Egypt, to gather stubble for straw.

13. And the taskmasters hurried them, saying, “Finish your works, your daily tasks, just as when there was straw.”

14. And also the overseers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten. And they demanded, “Why have you not completed your task in making brick, both yesterday and today, as you did before?”

15. And the overseers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you deal so with your servants?

16. There is no straw given to your servants, and they say to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are beaten, but the fault is in your own people.”

17. But he said, “You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go, let us sacrifice to the LORD.’

18. Therefore go now and work, for there shall be no straw given to you; yet you shall deliver the same number of bricks.”

19. And the overseers of the children of Israel saw themselves in affliction, after it was said, “You shall not reduce any bricks from your daily number.”

20. And they met Moses and Aaron standing in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh.

21. And they said to them, “The LORD look upon you and judge because you have made us offensive in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hands to kill us.”

22. And Moses returned to the LORD, and said, “LORD, why have You treated this people ill? Why then have you sent me?

23. For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people. Neither have You delivered Your people at all.”