1. And afterwards Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, Thus said Jehovah, the God of Israel, Send My people away, and let them hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.
2. And Pharaoh said, Who is Jehovah whose voice I am to hear, [telling me] to send Israel away? I do not know Jehovah, and moreover I will not send Israel away.
3. And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met us; let us go, we beg you, a way of three days^a into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Jehovah our God, lest perhaps He fall on us with pestilence and sword.
4. And the king of Egypt said to them, Why, O Moses and Aaron, do you draw the people away from their work?^b Go to your burdens!
5. And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you have made them rest from their burdens.
6. And Pharaoh gave orders that day to the taskmasters over the people and to their officers, saying,
7. You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as you did yesterday and the day before;^c they must go and gather straw for themselves.
8. And the tally of bricks which they were making yesterday and the day before^c shall you impose on them; you shall not reduce it. For they are slack; therefore they cry out, saying, Let us go, let us sacrifice to our God.
9. Let the service be made heavy on the men, and let them do it and pay no attention to lying words.
10. And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out and said to the people - they said, Thus said Pharaoh, By no means do I give you straw.
11. Go yourselves, get yourselves straw from where you will find it, for there will be no reduction at all of your service.
12. And the people scattered themselves into all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
13. And the taskmasters were urgent, saying, Finish your work,^b your stint for the day,^c as when there was straw.
14. And the officers of the children of Israel were beaten, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, saying, Why do you not finish your appointed task to make bricks, as you did yesterday and the day before^c - as yesterday, so today?
15. And the officers of the children of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, Why do you deal thus with your servants?
16. No straw is given to your servants, and they say to us, Make bricks. And behold, your servants are beaten, and your people have sinned.
17. And he said, You are slack, you are slack! Therefore you say, Let us go, let us sacrifice to Jehovah.
18. And now go, serve;^e and no straw will be given you, and you shall deliver the tally of bricks.
19. And the officers of the children of Israel saw themselves to be in evil,^f by saying, You shall not reduce your bricks at all, your stint each day.^g
20. And they met Moses and Aaron, who were standing in their way, as they came out from Pharaoh.
21. And they said to them, Let Jehovah see you^h and judge, because you have caused our odour to stink in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.
22. And Moses returned to Jehovah and said, Lord, why have You done ill to this people? Why is this, that You have sent me?
23. And since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done ill to this people; and You have not delivered Your people at all.

Notes