Exodus Chapter 5

Exodus Chapter 5
1 Then afterward Moses and Aaron went
and said to Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord
God of Israel, Let my people go, that
they may celebrate a feast unto me in the
wilderness.
2 And Pharaoh said, 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 And they said, We worship the God of
the Hebrews: we pray thee, suffer us to
go three days journey in the desert, and
sacrifice unto the Lord our God, lest he
bring upon us the pestilence or sword.
4 Then said the king of Egypt unto them,
Moses and Aaron, why cause ye the
people to cease from their works? Get
you to your burdens.
5 Pharaoh said furthermore, Behold,
much people is now in the land, and ye
make them leave their burdens.
6 Therefore Pharaoh gave commandment
the same day unto the taskmasters of the
people, and to their officers, saying,
7 Ye shall give the people no more
straw, to make brick (as in time past)
but let them go and gather them straw
themselves: 8 Notwithstanding lay upon
them the number of brick, which they
made in time past, diminish nothing
thereof: for they be idle, therefore they
cry, saying, Let us go to offer sacrifice
unto our God.
9 Lay more work upon the men, and
cause them to do it, and let the not regard
vain words.
10 Then went the taskmasters of the
people and their officers out, and told
the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I
will give you no more straw. 11 Go
yourselves, get you straw where ye can
find it, yet shall nothing of your labor be
diminished.
12 Then were the people scattered
abroad throughout all the land of Egypt,
for to gather stubble instead of straw.
13 And the taskmasters hasted them,
saying, Finish your day’s work every
day’s task, as ye did when ye had straw.
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
yesterday and today, as in times past?
15 Then the officers of the children of
Israel came, and cried unto Pharaoh,
saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with
thy servants?
16 There is no straw given to thy
servants, and they say unto us, Make
brick: and lo, thy servants are beaten,
and thy people is blamed.
17 But he said, Ye are to much idle:
therefore ye say, Let us go to offer
sacrifice to the Lord.
18 Go therefore now and work: for there
shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye
deliver the whole tale of brick.
19 Then the officers of the children of
Israel saw themselves in an evil case,
because it was said, Ye shall diminish
nothing of your brick , nor of every
day’s task.
20 And they met Moses and Aaron,
which stood in their way as they came
out from Pharaoh,
21 To whom they said, The Lord look
upon you and judge: for ye have made
our savor to stink before Pharaoh and
before his servants, in that ye have put a
sword in their hand to slay us.
22 Wherefore Moses returned to the
Lord, and said, Lord, why hast thou
afflicted this people? Wherefore hast
thou thus sent me?
23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak
in thy name, he hath vexed this people,
and yet thou hast not delivered thy
people.