Exodus Chapter 5 — Let My People Go — Pharaoh Refuses | KJV & Biblical Hebrew

1

וְאַחַר בָּאוּ מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל פַּרְעֹה

KJVAnd afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.

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 feast to me in the wilderness.'"

2

וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה מִי יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר אֶשְׁמַע בְּקֹלוֹ

KJVAnd Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.

But Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover, I will not let Israel go."

3

וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֱלֹהֵי הָעִבְרִים נִקְרָא עָלֵינוּ

KJVAnd they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God.

Then they said, "The 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."

4

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם לָמָּה מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן

KJVAnd the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.

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 burdens."

5

וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה הֵן רַבִּים עַתָּה עַם הָאָרֶץ

KJVAnd Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.

And Pharaoh said, "Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens!"

6

וַיְצַו פַּרְעֹה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אֶת הַנֹּגְשִׂים

KJVAnd Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen,

7

לֹא תֹאסִפוּן לָתֵת תֶּבֶן לָעָם לִלְבֹּן הַלְּבֵנִים

KJVYe shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.

You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves.

8

וְאֶת מַתְכֹּנֶת הַלְּבֵנִים אֲשֶׁר הֵם עֹשִׂים תָּשִׂימוּ עֲלֵיהֶם

KJVAnd the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

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

תִּכְבַּד הָעֲבֹדָה עַל הָאֲנָשִׁים

KJVLet there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.

Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.

10

וַיֵּצְאוּ נֹגְשֵׂי הָעָם וְשֹׁטְרָיו

KJVAnd the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.

So the taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, "Thus says Pharaoh, 'I will not give you straw.'"

11

אַתֶּם לְכוּ קְחוּ לָכֶם תֶּבֶן מֵאֲשֶׁר תִּמְצָאוּ

KJVGo ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.

Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced in the least.

12

וַיָּפֶץ הָעָם בְּכָל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם

KJVSo the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.

So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

13

וְהַנֹּגְשִׂים אָצִים לֵאמֹר כַּלּוּ מַעֲשֵׂיכֶם

KJVAnd the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.

The taskmasters were urgent, saying, "Complete your work, your daily task each day, as when there was straw."

14

וַיֻּכּוּ שֹׁטְרֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

KJVAnd the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?

And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh's 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

וַיָּבֹאוּ שֹׁטְרֵי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּצְעֲקוּ אֶל פַּרְעֹה

KJVThen the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?

Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, "Why do you treat your servants like this?"

16

תֶּבֶן אֵין נִתָּן לַעֲבָדֶיךָ

KJVThere is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.

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

וַיֹּאמֶר נִרְפִּים אַתֶּם נִרְפִּים

KJVBut he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.

But he said, "You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.'"

18

וְעַתָּה לְכוּ עִבְדוּ וְתֶבֶן לֹא יִנָּתֵן לָכֶם

KJVGo therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.

Go now and work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks.

19

וַיִּרְאוּ שֹׁטְרֵי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֹתָם בְּרָע

KJVAnd the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.

The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, "You shall not reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day."

20

וַיִּפְגְּעוּ אֶת מֹשֶׁה וְאֶת אַהֲרֹן נִצָּבִים

KJVAnd they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:

They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh;

21

וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֲלֵהֶם יֵרֶא יְהוָה עֲלֵיכֶם

KJVAnd they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.

and 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."

22

וַיָּשָׁב מֹשֶׁה אֶל יְהוָה וַיֹּאמַר

KJVAnd Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?

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

וּמֵאָז בָּאתִי אֶל פַּרְעֹה לְדַבֵּר בִּשְׁמֶךָ

KJVFor since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.

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.