Exodus 5 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Pharaoh Will Not Let the People Go

1 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.’”

2 But Pharaoh ^H6547 said ^H559, “Who ^H4310 is Yahweh ^H3068 that I should listen ^H8085 to His voice ^H6963 to let ^H7971 Israel ^H3478 go ^H7971? I do not know ^H3045 Yahweh ^H3068, and also ^H1571, I will not let ^H7971 Israel ^H3478 go ^H7971.” 3 Then they said ^H559, “The God ^H430 of the Hebrews ^H5680 has met ^H7122 with us. Please ^H4994, let us go ^H1980 a three ^H7969 days’ ^H3117 journey ^H1870 into the wilderness ^H4057 that we may sacrifice ^H2076 to Yahweh ^H3068 our God ^H430, lest ^H6435 He confront ^H6293 us with pestilence ^H1698 or ^H176 with the sword ^H2719.” 4 But the king ^H4428 of Egypt ^H4714 said ^H559 to them, “Moses ^H4872 and Aaron ^H175, why ^H4100 do you [fn]draw ^H6544 the people ^H5971 away ^H6544 from their [fn]work ^H4639? Get ^H1980 back to your [fn]hard ^H5450 labors ^H5450!” 5 And Pharaoh ^H6547 said ^H559, “Look ^H2005, the people ^H5971 of the land ^H776 are now ^H6258 many ^H7227, and you would have them cease ^H7673 from their hard ^H5450 labors ^H5450!” 6 So on that ^H1931 day ^H3117 Pharaoh ^H6547 commanded ^H6680 the taskmasters ^H5065 over the people ^H5971 and their foremen ^H7860, saying ^H559, 7 “You are no ^H3808 longer ^H3254 to give ^H5414 the people ^H5971 straw ^H8401 to make ^H3835 brick ^H3835 as previously ^H8543 H8032; let them go ^H1980 and gather ^H7197 straw ^H8401 for themselves ^H1992. 8 But the quota ^H4971 of bricks ^H3843 which ^H834 they were making ^H6213 previously ^H8543 H8032, you shall set ^H7760 upon them; you are not to reduce ^H1639 any ^H4480 of it. Because ^H3588 they are lazy ^H7503, therefore ^H5921 H3651 they are crying ^H6817 out ^H6817, ‘[fn]Let us go ^H1980 and sacrifice ^H2076 to our God ^H430.’ 9 Let their slavery ^H5656 be ^H3513 hard ^H3513 on the men ^H376, and let them work ^H6213 at it so that they will have ^H8159 no ^H408 regard ^H8159 for false ^H8267 words ^H1697.”

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. 11 You go ^H1980 and get ^H3947 straw ^H8401 for yourselves wherever ^H4480 H834 you can find ^H4672 it, but no ^H369 amount ^H1697 of your slave ^H5656 labor ^H5656 will be reduced ^H1639.’” 12 So the people ^H5971 scattered ^H6327 through all ^H3605 the land ^H776 of Egypt ^H4714 to gather ^H7197 stubble ^H7179 for straw ^H8401. 13 And the taskmasters ^H5065 were pressing ^H213 them, saying ^H559, “Complete ^H3615 your [fn]work ^H4639 quota ^H4639, [fn]the daily ^H3117 amount ^H1697 H3117, just ^H834 as when there was ^H1961 straw ^H8401.” 14 Moreover, the foremen ^H7860 of the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478, whom ^H834 Pharaoh’s ^H6547 taskmasters ^H5065 had set ^H7760 over ^H5921 them, were beaten ^H5221 [fn]and were asked ^H559, “Why ^H4069 have you not completed ^H3615 your required ^H2706 amount ^H2706 either ^H1571 yesterday ^H8543 or ^H1571 today ^H3117 in making ^H3835 brick ^H3835 as previously ^H8543 H8032?”

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? 16 There ^H369 is ^H369 no ^H369 straw ^H8401 given ^H5414 to your slaves ^H5650, yet they keep saying ^H559 to us, ‘Make ^H6213 bricks ^H3843!’ And behold ^H2009, your slaves ^H5650 are being beaten ^H5221; but it is the [fn]sin ^H2398 of your own people ^H5971.” 17 But he said ^H559, “You are lazy ^H7503—lazy ^H7503! Therefore ^H5921 H3651 you say ^H559, ‘Let us go ^H1980 and sacrifice ^H2076 to Yahweh ^H3068.’ 18 So now ^H6258, go ^H1980 and labor ^H5647; but straw ^H8401 will not ^H3808 be given ^H5414 to you, yet you must deliver ^H5414 the quota ^H8506 of bricks ^H3843.” 19 Then the foremen ^H7860 of the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 saw ^H7200 that they were in trouble ^H7451 [fn]because they were told ^H559, “You must not reduce ^H1639 [fn]your daily ^H3117 amount ^H1697 H3117 of bricks ^H3843.” 20 When they left ^H3318 Pharaoh’s ^H6547 presence ^H4480 H854, they confronted ^H6293 Moses ^H4872 and Aaron ^H175, [fn]standing ^H5324 there ^H5324 to meet ^H7125 them. 21 And they said ^H559 to them, “May Yahweh ^H3068 look ^H7200 upon you and judge ^H8199, for you have made ^H887 [fn]us a foul ^H887 smell ^H7381 in Pharaoh’s ^H6547 sight ^H5869 and in the sight ^H5869 of his servants ^H5650, to put ^H5414 a sword ^H2719 in their hand ^H3027 to kill ^H2026 us.”

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? 23 Ever since ^H227 I came ^H935 to Pharaoh ^H6547 to speak ^H1696 in Your name ^H8034, he has done ^H7489 harm ^H7489 to this ^H2088 people ^H5971, and You have not delivered ^H5337 Your people ^H5971 at ^H5337 all ^H5337.”