Exodus 5

¹After these things Moyses and Aaron went in, and said to Pharao: This saith the Lord God of Israel: dismiss my people that they may sacrifice to me in the desert.

²But he answered: Who is the Lord, that I should hear his voice, & dismiss Israel? I know not the Lord, and Israel I will not dismiss.

³And they said: The God of the Hebrews hath called us to go three days' journey into the wilderness, & to sacrifice to the Lord our God: lest perhaps there chance to us pestilence or sword.

⁴The king of Ægypt said to them: Why do you Moyses and Aaron solicit the people from their works? Go you to your burdens.

⁵And Pharao said: The people of the land is much: you see that the multitude is secretly increased: how much more if you give them rest from their works?

⁶Therefore he commanded in that day the overseers of the works and the exactors of the people, saying:

⁷You shall no more give straw to the people for to make bricks, as before; but let themselves go and gather straw.

⁸And the task of bricks, which they did before, you shall put upon them, neither shall you diminish any thing: 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 accomplish them: that they hearken not to lying words.

¹⁰Therefore the overseers of the works and the exactors going forth said unto the people: Thus saith Pharao: I allow you no straw:

¹¹go, and gather if you can find any-where: neither shall any thing of your work be diminished.

¹²And the people was dispersed through all the Land of Ægypt to gather straw.

¹³And the overseers of the works were instant, saying: Finish your work every day, as before you were wont to when straw was given unto you.

¹⁴And the overseers of the works of the children of Israel were scourged of Pharao's exactors, saying: Why do you not make up the task of bricks as before, neither yesterday, nor today?

¹⁵And the overseers of the children of Israel came, and cried out to Pharao, saying: Why dealest thou so against thy servants?

¹⁶Straw is not given us, and bricks are commanded us in like sort: behold we thy servants are beaten with whips, and thy people is unjustly dealt withal.

¹⁷Who said: You are idle, and therefore you say: Let us go and sacrifice to our Lord.

¹⁸Go therefore, and work: straw shall not be given you, and you shall give up the accustomed number of bricks.

¹⁹And the overseers of the children of Israel saw themselves in hard case, because it was said unto them: There shall not a whit be diminished of the bricks for every day.

²⁰And they met Moyses and Aaron, who stood over-against them, coming forth from Pharao.

²¹and they said to them: Our Lord see and judge, because you have made our savour to stink before Pharao and his servants, and you have given him a sword for to kill us.

²²And Moyses returned to our Lord, and said: Lord Why hast thou afflicted this people? Wherefore hast thou sent me?

²³For since the time that I entered in to Pharao to speak in thy name, he hath afflicted thy people: and thou hast not delivered them.