Exodus

Describes how Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt and slavery, and how they receive laws from God.

Chapter 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.

*Afterward, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "The Lord, God of Israel, wants you to let his people go so they can celebrate a festival in the desert."

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.

*Pharaoh asked, "Who is this God for me to listen and free Israel? I don't know this God, and I won't let Israel go."

3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath 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.

*They said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go for three days into the desert to sacrifice to the LORD our God. If we don't, He might bring sickness or defeat us in battle."

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.

*The Egyptian king asked, "Why are you, Moses and Aaron, letting the people avoid work? Go and make them return to their tasks."

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

*Pharaoh said, "Look, there are a lot of people in the land now, and you're letting them stop working on their tasks."

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

*Pharaoh ordered the people's supervisors and leaders that same day, saying,

7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.

*You will not give people straw to make bricks anymore; instead, they must go and collect straw themselves.

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.

*And the story of the bricks they made before, you must put on top of them; do not remove anything from it. They are useless, so they say, "Let's go and offer sacrifices to our God."

9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.

*Let men have more tasks so they can work harder, and don't let them focus on meaningless talk.

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

*The leaders and officials went to the people and said, "Pharaoh says that he won't give you straw."

11 Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.

*"Go and gather straw wherever you can find it, but don't let your work's value decrease."

12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.

*So, the people spread out across Egypt's land to collect dry grass, not straw.

13 And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.

*The bosses hurried them, saying, Finish your work and daily tasks quickly, just like you did when there was 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 both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?

*The leaders of Israel's children, who Pharaoh's bosses put in charge, got beaten and asked, "Why didn't you finish your work on making bricks yesterday and today like before?"

15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?

*Then, the leaders of Israel's children talked to Pharaoh, asking, Why are you treating your helpers like this?

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.

*No straw is provided for your workers, and they tell us to make bricks. Your servants are being beaten, but the problem lies with your own people.

17 But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.

*But he told them, "You're not working; you're just sitting around. That's why you say, 'Let's go and offer a sacrifice to the Lord.'"

18 Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.

*So, go now and work hard because you won't get any help, but still, you must succeed in telling the story of the bricks.

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.

*The leaders of Israel realized their people were in trouble when told not to reduce the number of bricks they made each day.

20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:

*They encountered Moses and Aaron, who were standing by the path, after they left Pharaoh.

21 And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour 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.

*They told them, "God will watch you and decide, since you made people dislike our salvation. Now, Pharaoh and his helpers want to kill us with swords."

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?

*Moses went back to God and asked, "God, why are you treating these people so badly? Why did you send me to them?"

23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.

*Because when I talked to Pharaoh for you, he harmed these people, and you haven't saved your people at all.

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