Exodus 5
New King James Version
First Encounter with Pharaoh
5 Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may [a]hold (A)a feast to Me in the wilderness.’ ”
2 And Pharaoh said, (B)“Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, (C)nor will I let Israel go.”
3 So they said, (D)“The God of the Hebrews has (E)met with us. Please, let us go three days’ journey into the desert and sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest He fall upon us with (F)pestilence or with the sword.”
4 Then the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people from their work? Get back to your (G)labor.” 5 And Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are (H)many now, and you make them rest from their labor!”
6 So the same day Pharaoh commanded the (I)taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying, 7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make (J)brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.”
10 And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out and spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh: ‘I will not give you straw. 11 Go, get yourselves straw where you can find it; yet none of your work will be reduced.’ ” 12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. 13 And the taskmasters forced them to hurry, saying, “Fulfill your work, your daily quota, as when there was straw.” 14 Also the (K)officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were (L)beaten and were asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and today, as before?”
15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, “Why are you dealing thus with your servants? 16 There is no straw given to your servants, and they say to us, ‘Make brick!’ And indeed your servants are beaten, but the fault is in your own people.”
17 But he said, “You are idle! Idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Therefore go now and work; for no straw shall be given you, yet you shall deliver the quota of bricks.” 19 And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble after it was said, “You shall not reduce any bricks from your daily quota.”
20 Then, as they came out from Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron who stood there to meet them. 21 (M)And they said to them, “Let the Lord look on you and judge, because you have made [b]us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
Israel’s Deliverance Assured(N)
22 So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 5:1 keep a pilgrim-feast
- Exodus 5:21 Lit. our scent to stink before
Exodus 5
English Standard Version
Making Bricks Without Straw
5 Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold (A)a feast to me in the wilderness.’” 2 But Pharaoh said, (B)“Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, (C)I will not let Israel go.” 3 Then they said, “The (D)God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.” 4 But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your (E)burdens.” 5 And Pharaoh said, “Behold, (F)the people of the land are now many,[a] and you make them rest from their burdens!” 6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the (G)taskmasters of the people and their (H)foremen, 7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.”
10 So the (I)taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I will not give you straw. 11 Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced in the least.’” 12 So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13 The (J)taskmasters were urgent, saying, “Complete your work, your daily task each day, as when there was straw.” 14 And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh's (K)taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday, as in the past?”
15 Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, “Why do you treat your servants like this? 16 No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.” 17 But he said, “You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Go now and work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks.” 19 The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, “You shall by no means reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day.” 20 They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; 21 and (L)they said to them, “The Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
22 Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 5:5 Samaritan they are now more numerous than the people of the land
Exodus 5
Wycliffe Bible
5 After these things Moses and Aaron entered, and said to Pharaoh, The Lord God of Israel saith these things, Deliver thou my people, that it make sacrifice to me in desert (The Lord God of Israel saith these things, Let my people go, so that they can hold a Feast unto me in the wilderness).
2 And Pharaoh answered, Who is the Lord, that I hear his voice, and deliver Israel? I know not the Lord, and I shall not deliver Israel. (And Pharaoh answered, Who is the Lord, that I should listen to him, and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.)
3 They said, [The] God of Hebrews called us, that we go the way of three days into wilderness, and that we make sacrifice to our Lord God, lest peradventure pestilence, or sword, befall to us. (And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath told us that we should make journey for three days into the wilderness, and that we should offer our sacrifices to the Lord our God, lest pestilence, or the sword, befall us.)
4 (And) The king of Egypt said to them, Moses and Aaron, why stir ye (up) the people from their works? Go ye to your charges (Get back to your work!).
5 And Pharaoh said, The people of the land is much; ye see that the company hath increased; how much more shall it increase, if ye shall give to them rest from works. (And Pharaoh said, There be many of thy people in this land; ye see how they have increased; how much more shall they increase, if ye shall get them rest from their work.)
6 Therefore Pharaoh commanded in that day to the masters of works (And so that day Pharaoh commanded to the taskmasters), and to the rent gatherers of the people, and said,
7 Ye shall no more give straw to the people, to make tilestones, as ye have done before; but go they, and gather stubble; (No more shall ye give straw to the people, to make the bricks, as ye have done before; but let them go, and gather the stubble themselves;)
8 and ye shall set on them the measure of tilestones, which they made before (but ye shall still require from them the same number of bricks, which they made before), neither ye shall abate anything; for they be idle, and therefore they cry (out), and say, Go we, and make we sacrifice(s) to our God;
9 be they oppressed by works, and fulfill they those (let them be oppressed by their work, and make them complete it), (so) that they assent not to false words.
10 Therefore the masters of the works and the rent gatherers went out to the people, and said, Thus saith Pharaoh, I give not to you straw (I shall not give you any more straw);
11 go ye, and gather ye (it yourselves), if ye may find (it) any where; neither anything shall be decreased of your work (but your daily quota shall not be decreased).
12 And the people was scattered by all the land of Egypt to gather straw. (And so the people scattered out into all the land of Egypt to gather straw.)
13 And the masters of the works were busy, and said, Fulfill ye your work each day, as ye were wont to do (before), when the straw was given to you.
14 And they, that were (the) masters of the works of the sons of Israel, were beaten of the rent gatherers of Pharaoh, that said, Why fulfilled ye not the measure of tilestones, as ye did before, neither yesterday, neither today? (And they, who were the taskmasters of the Israelites, were beaten by Pharaoh’s rent gatherers, who said to them, Why have ye not made the same number of bricks as ye did before, not yesterday, nor today?)
15 And the sovereigns of the children of Israel came (And the taskmasters of the Israelites came), and cried to Pharaoh, and said, Why doest thou so against thy servants?
16 Straw is not given to us, and tilestones be commanded in like manner (Straw is not given to us, but yet the same number of bricks be required from us as before). Lo! we thy servants be beaten with scourges, and it is done unjustly against thy people.
17 (But) Pharaoh said, Ye give attention to idleness, and therefore ye say, Go we, and make we sacrifice(s) to the Lord;
18 therefore go ye (now), and (get to) work; (for) straw shall not be given to you, and ye shall yield the customable number of tilestones (but ye shall yield the same, or the customary, number of bricks, as before).
19 And the sovereigns of the children of Israel saw themselves in evil, for it was said to them, Nothing shall be decreased of tilestones by all days. (And the taskmasters of the Israelites saw themselves in an evil situation, for it was said to them, The number of bricks that ye must produce each day will not be decreased.)
20 And they coming out from Pharaoh, met Moses and Aaron, that stood even there against (who were standing there, waiting for them),
21 and they said to them, The Lord see, and deem (thee), for ye have made our odour, or fame, (to) stink before Pharaoh, and his servants, that is, ye have made us abominable and hateful (to them); and ye have given to him a sword, that he should slay us (with).
22 And Moses turned again to the Lord, and said, Lord, why hast thou tormented this people? why sentest thou me?
23 For since I entered to Pharaoh, that I should speak in thy name, thou hast tormented thy people, and hast not delivered them. (For since I went in to speak in thy name to Pharaoh, he hath tormented thy people, and thou hast not rescued them.)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
2001 by Terence P. Noble