Exodus 5: Pharaoh makes the work harder

In plain English: Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: 'Let my people go, so that they can hold a feast to me in the wilderness.'"

In plain English: Pharaoh said, "Who is Yahweh, that I should listen to him and let Israel go? I do not know Yahweh, and I will not let Israel go."

In plain English: They said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to Yahweh our God, or he may strike us with disease or with the sword."

In plain English: The king of Egypt said to them, "Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their work? Get back to your heavy labor!"

In plain English: Pharaoh said, "The people of the land are now many, and you are making them rest from their heavy work."

Good to know: "Make them rest" is the verb shabat, the same word behind "rested" in Genesis 2:2, and behind "Sabbath".

In plain English: That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the taskmasters over the people and to their officers:

Good to know: Two groups are named here. The taskmasters are Pharaoh's overseers. The officers are Israelites put in charge of their own people, as verse 14 shows.

In plain English: "Do not give the people straw for making bricks anymore, as you did before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.

In plain English: But make them produce the same number of bricks as before. Do not reduce it, because they are lazy. That is why they cry out, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.'

In plain English: Make the work heavier for the men, so that they stay busy with it and pay no attention to lies."

In plain English: The taskmasters and the officers went out and said to the people, "This is what Pharaoh says: 'I will not give you straw.

In plain English: Go and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it. But your work will not be reduced at all.'"

In plain English: So the people scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble to use as straw.

In plain English: The taskmasters kept pressing them: "Finish your daily work quota, just as when you had straw!"

In plain English: The Israelite officers, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had put over them, were beaten and were asked, "Why have you not finished your quota of bricks yesterday and today, as you did before?"

In plain English: Then the Israelite officers came and cried out to Pharaoh, "Why are you treating your servants like this?

In plain English: No straw is given to your servants, yet they tell us, 'Make bricks!' Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people (or: you are doing wrong to your own people)."

Good to know: The end of the verse is very short in Hebrew: literally, "and you have sinned, your people". It can be read as "your own people are at fault" or as "you are doing wrong to your own people".

In plain English: Pharaoh answered, "You are lazy! You are lazy! That is why you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to Yahweh.'

In plain English: Now go and work. No straw will be given to you, but you must still hand over the same number of bricks."

In plain English: The Israelite officers saw that they were in trouble when they were told, "You must not reduce your daily number of bricks."

In plain English: As they came out from Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron, who were standing there to meet them.

In plain English: They said to them, "May Yahweh look at you and judge you, because you have made us stink in the eyes of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hands to kill us!"

In plain English: Moses went back to Yahweh and said, "Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why did you send me?

In plain English: Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all!"