Exodus 5

MLV(i) 1 And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, Jehovah says thus, the God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.
2 And Pharaoh said, Who is Jehovah, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I do not know Jehovah and moreover I will not let Israel go. 3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go, three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to Jehovah our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
4 And the King of Egypt said to them, Therefore do you*, Moses and Aaron, loose the people from their works? You* get to your* burdens. 5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land are now many and you* make them rest from their burdens.
6 And the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying, 7 You* will no more give the people straw to make brick as formerly. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 And the number of the bricks, which they made formerly, you* will lay upon them. You* will not diminish any of it. For they are idle, therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God. 9 Let heavier work be laid upon the men, that they may labor in it and do not let them regard lying words.
10 And the taskmasters of the people went out and their officers and they spoke to the people, saying, Thus says Pharaoh, I will not give you* straw. 11 Go yourselves, you* get straw where you* can find it, because none of your* work will be diminished. 12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
13 And the taskmasters were urgent saying, Fulfill your* works, your* daily deeds, as when there was straw. 14 And the officers of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and demanded, Why have you* not fulfilled your* task both yesterday and today, in making brick as formerly?
15 Then the officers of the sons of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, Why do you deal thus with your servants? 16 There is no straw given to your servants and they say to us, Make brick. And behold, your servants are beaten, but the fault it in your own people.
17 But he said, You* are idle, you* are idle. Therefore you* say, Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah. 18 Go therefore now and work, and no straw will be given you*, yet you* will deliver the number of bricks. 19 And the officers of the sons of Israel saw that they were in affliction, when it was said, You* will not diminish anything from your* bricks, your* daily tasks.
20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came out from Pharaoh, 21 and they said to them, Jehovah look upon you* and judge, because you* have made our fragrance to be 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 dealt ill with this people? Why is it that you have sent me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has dealt ill with this people, neither have you delivered your people at all.