Pharaoh’s First Refusal 1 AKJV And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus says the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness. BSB BSB: After that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’”
2 AKJV And 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. BSB BSB: But Pharaoh replied, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.”
3 AKJV And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us: let us go, we pray you, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice to the LORD our God; lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword. BSB BSB: “The God of the Hebrews has met with us,” they answered. “Please let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God, or He may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”
4 AKJV And the king of Egypt said to them, Why do you, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you to your burdens. BSB BSB: But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your labor!”
5 AKJV And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and you make them rest from their burdens. BSB BSB: Pharaoh also said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you would be stopping them from their labor.”
Bricks and Straw 6 AKJV And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, BSB BSB: That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen:
8 AKJV And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, you shall lay on them; you shall not diminish any thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God. BSB BSB: But require of them the same quota of bricks as before; do not reduce it. For they are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’
9 AKJV Let there more work be laid on the men, that they may labor therein; and let them not regard vain words. BSB BSB: Make the work harder on the men so they will be occupied and pay no attention to these lies.”
10 AKJV 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. BSB BSB: So the taskmasters and foremen of the people went out and said to them, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I am no longer giving you straw.
11 AKJV Go you, get you straw where you can find it: yet not any of your work shall be diminished. BSB BSB: Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it; but your workload will in no way be reduced.’”
12 AKJV So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. BSB BSB: So the people scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
13 AKJV And the taskmasters hurried them, saying, Fulfill your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw. BSB BSB: The taskmasters kept pressing them, saying, “Fulfill your quota each day, just as you did when straw was provided.”
14 AKJV And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Why have you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore? BSB BSB: Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over the people, were beaten and asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as you did before?”
The Cry of the Israelites 15 AKJV Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, Why deal you thus with your servants? BSB BSB: So the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why are you treating your servants this way?
16 AKJV There is no straw given to your servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people. BSB BSB: No straw has been given to your servants, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”
17 AKJV But he said, You are idle, you are idle: therefore you say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD. BSB BSB: “You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. “Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’
18 AKJV Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall you deliver the tale of bricks. BSB BSB: Now get to work. You will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the full quota of bricks.”
19 AKJV And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, You shall not diminish any from your bricks of your daily task. BSB BSB: The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce your daily quota of bricks.”
20 AKJV And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: BSB BSB: When they left Pharaoh, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who stood waiting to meet them.
21 AKJV And they said to them, The LORD look on you, and judge; because you have made our smell 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. BSB BSB: “May the LORD look upon you and judge you,” the foremen said, “for you have made us a stench before Pharaoh and his officials; you have placed in their hand a sword to kill us!”
22 AKJV And Moses returned to the LORD, and said, LORD, why have you so evil entreated this people? why is it that you have sent me? BSB BSB: So Moses returned to the LORD and asked, “Lord, why have You brought trouble upon this people? Is this why You sent me?
23 AKJV 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. BSB BSB: Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and You have not delivered Your people in any way.”