CHAPTER 5
1 After these things Moses and Aaron entered, and said to Pharaoh, The Lord God of Israel saith these things, Deliver thou my people, that it make sacrifice to me in desert,.
2 And Pharaoh answered, Who is the Lord, that I hear his voice, and deliver Israel? I know not the Lord, and I shall not deliver Israel.
3 They said, [The] God of Hebrews called us, that we go the way of three days into wilderness, and that we make sacrifice to our Lord God, lest peradventure pestilence, or sword, befall to us.
4 The king of Egypt said to them, Moses and Aaron, why stir ye the people from their works? Go ye to your charges.
5 And Pharaoh said, The people of the land is much; ye see that the company hath increased; how much more shall it increase, if ye shall give to them rest from works.
6 Therefore Pharaoh commanded in that day to the masters of works, and to the rent gatherers of the people, and said,
7 Ye shall no more give straw to the people, to make tilestones, as ye have done before; but go they, and gather stubble;
8 and ye shall set on them the measure of tilestones, which they made before, neither ye shall abate anything; for they be idle, and therefore they cry, and say, Go we, and make we sacrifice to our God;
9 be they oppressed by works, and fulfill they those [or them], that they assent not to false words.
10 Therefore the masters of the works and the rent gatherers went out to the people, and said, Thus saith Pharaoh, I give not to you straw;
11 go ye, and gather ye, if ye may find anywhere; neither anything shall be decreased of your work.
12 And the people was scattered by all the land of Egypt to gather straw.
13 And the masters of the works were busy, and said, Fulfill ye your work each day, as ye were wont to do, when the straw was given to you.
14 And they, that were masters of the works of the sons of Israel, were beaten of the rent gatherers of Pharaoh, that said, Why fulfilled ye not the measure of tilestones, as ye did before, neither yesterday, neither today?
15 And the sovereigns [or masters] of the children of Israel came, and cried to Pharaoh, and said, Why doest thou so against thy servants?
16 Straw is not given to us, and tilestones be commanded in like manner. Lo! we thy servants be beaten with scourges, and it is done unjustly against thy people.
17 Pharaoh said, Ye give attention to idleness, and therefore ye say, Go we, and make we sacrifice to the Lord;
18 therefore go ye, and work; straw shall not be given to you, and ye shall yield the customable number of tile-stones.
19 And the sovereigns of the children of Israel saw themselves in evil, for it was said to them, Nothing shall be decreased of tilestones by all days.
20 And they coming out from Pharaoh, met Moses and Aaron, that stood even there against,
21 and they said to them, The Lord see, and deem, for ye have made our odour, or fame, stink before Pharaoh, and his servants, that is, ye have made us abominable and hateful; and ye have given to him a sword, that he should slay us.
22 And Moses turned again to the Lord, and said, Lord, why hast thou tormented this people? why sentest thou me?
23 For since I entered to Pharaoh, that I should speak in thy name, thou hast tormented thy people, and hast not delivered them.