Exodus 5 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Pharaoh Will Not Let the People Go

And afterward^H310 Moses^H4872 and Aaron^H175 came^H935 and said^H559 to Pharaoh^H6547, “Thus^H3541 says^H559 Yahweh^H3068, the God^H430 of Israel^H3478, ‘Let^H7971 My people^H5971 go^H7971 that they may celebrate^H2287 a^H2287 feast^H2287 to Me in the wilderness^H4057.’”

Exo 5:2

Exo 5:2But Pharaoh said, “Who is Yahweh that I should listen to His voice to let Israel go? I do not know Yahweh, and also, I will not let Israel go.”

Exo 5:3

Exo 5:3Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to Yahweh our God, lest He confront us with pestilence or with the sword.”

Exo 5:4

Exo 5:4But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you [fn]draw the people away from their [fn]work? Get back to your [fn]hard labors!”

Exo 5:5

Exo 5:5And Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now many, and you would have them cease from their hard labors!”

Exo 5:6

Exo 5:6So on that day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters over the people and their foremen, saying,

Exo 5:7

Exo 5:7“You are no longer to give the people straw to make brick as previously; let them go and gather straw for themselves.

Exo 5:8

Exo 5:8“But the quota of bricks which they were making previously, you shall set upon them; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are lazy, therefore they are crying out, ‘[fn]Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’

Exo 5:9

Exo 5:9“Let their slavery be hard on the men, and let them work at it so that they will have no regard for false words.”

Exo 5:10

So the taskmasters^H5065 of the people^H5971 and their foremen^H7860 went^H3318 out^H3318 and spoke^H559 to the people^H5971, saying^H559, “Thus^H3541 says^H559 Pharaoh^H6547, ‘I am not going to give^H5414 you any straw^H8401.

Exo 5:11

Exo 5:11‘You go and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but no amount of your slave labor will be reduced.’”

Exo 5:12

Exo 5:12So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

Exo 5:13

Exo 5:13And the taskmasters were pressing them, saying, “Complete your [fn]work quota, [fn]the daily amount, just as when there was straw.”

Exo 5:14

Exo 5:14Moreover, the foremen of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten [fn]and were asked, “Why have you not completed your required amount either yesterday or today in making brick as previously?”

Exo 5:15

Then the foremen^H7860 of the sons^H1121 of Israel^H3478 came^H935 and cried^H6817 out^H6817 to Pharaoh^H6547, saying^H559, “Why^H4100 do you deal^H6213 this^H3541 way^H3541 with your slaves^H5650?

Exo 5:16

Exo 5:16“There is no straw given to your slaves, yet they keep saying to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your slaves are being beaten; but it is the [fn]sin of your own people.”

Exo 5:17

Exo 5:17But he said, “You are lazy—lazy! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to Yahweh.’

Exo 5:18

Exo 5:18“So now, go and labor; but straw will not be given to you, yet you must deliver the quota of bricks.”

Exo 5:19

Exo 5:19Then the foremen of the sons of Israel saw that they were in trouble [fn]because they were told, “You must not reduce [fn]your daily amount of bricks.”

Exo 5:20

Exo 5:20When they left Pharaoh’s presence, they confronted Moses and Aaron, [fn]standing there to meet them.

Exo 5:21

Exo 5:21And they said to them, “May Yahweh look upon you and judge, for you have made [fn]us a foul smell in Pharaoh’s sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

(Exo 3:1—4:17 )

Exo 5:22

Then Moses^H4872 returned^H7725 to Yahweh^H3068 and said^H559, “O Lord^H136, why^H4100 have You brought^H7489 harm^H7489 to this^H2088 people^H5971? Why^H4100 did You ever^H2088 send^H7971 me?