Chapter 5

¹After these things Moses and Aaron went in, and said to Pharao: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: Let my people go that they may sacrifice to me in the desert. ²But he answered: 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. ³And they said: The God of the Hebrews hath called us, to go three days' journey into the wilderness and to sacrifice to the Lord our God: lest a pestilence or the sword fall upon us. ⁴The king of Egypt said to them: Why do you Moses and Aaron draw off the people from their works? Get you gone to your burdens. ⁵And Pharao said: The people of the land is numerous: you see that the multitude is increased: how much more if you give them rest from their works? ⁶Therefore he commanded the same day the overseers of the works, and the taskmasters of the people, saying: ⁷You shall give straw no more to the people to make brick, as before: but let them go and gather straw. ⁸And you shall lay upon them the task of bricks, which they did before, neither shall you diminish any thing thereof: for they are idle, and therefore they cry, saying: Let us go and sacrifice to our God. ⁹Let them be oppressed, with works, and let them fulfill them: that they may not regard lying words. ¹⁰And the overseers of the works and the taskmasters went out and said to the people: Thus saith Pharao, I allow you no straw: ¹¹Go, and gather it where you can find it: neither shall any thing of your work be diminished. ¹²And the people was scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather straw. ¹³And the overseers of the works pressed them, saying: Fulfill your work every day as before you were wont to do when straw was given you. ¹⁴And they that were over the works of the children of Israel were scourged by Pharao's taskmasters, saying: Why have you not made up the task of bricks both yesterday and to day as before? ¹⁵And the officers of the children of Israel came, and cried out to Pharao, saying: Why dealest thou so with thy servants? ¹⁶Straw is not given us, and bricks are required of us as before: behold we thy servants are beaten with whips, and thy people is unjustly dealt withal. ¹⁷And he said: You are idle, and therefore you say: Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord. ¹⁸Go therefore, and work: straw shall not be given you, and you shall deliver the accustomed number of bricks. ¹⁹And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in evil case, because it was said to them: There shall not a whit be diminished of the bricks for every day. ²⁰And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood over against them as they came out from Pharao: ²¹And they said to them: The Lord see and judge, because you have made our savour to stink before Pharao and his servants, and you have given him a sword to kill us. ²²And Moses returned to the Lord, and said: Lord, why hast thou afflicted this people? wherefore hast thou sent me? ²³For since the time that I went in to Pharao to speak in thy name, he hath afflicted thy people: and thou hast not delivered them.