JPS Tanakh 1917Berean Standard Bible

1. Pharaoh’s First Refusal

2. 1JPSAnd afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said unto Pharaoh: 'Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: Let My people go, that they may hold a feast unto Me in the wilderness.'BSBBSB: 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.’”
3. 2JPSAnd Pharaoh said: 'Who is the LORD, that I should hearken unto His voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, and moreover I will not let Israel go.'BSBBSB: 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.”
4. 3JPSAnd they said: 'The God of the Hebrews hath met with us. Let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest He fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.'BSBBSB: “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.”
5. 4JPSAnd the king of Egypt said unto them: 'Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, cause the people to break loose from their work? get you unto your burdens.'BSBBSB: 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!”
6. 5JPSAnd Pharaoh said: 'Behold, the people of the land are now many, and will ye make them rest from their burdens?'BSBBSB: Pharaoh also said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you would be stopping them from their labor.”

7. Bricks and Straw

8. 6JPSAnd the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying:BSBBSB: That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen:
9. 7JPS'Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.BSBBSB: “You shall no longer supply the people with straw for making bricks. They must go and gather their own straw.
10. 8JPSAnd the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish aught thereof; for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying: Let us go and sacrifice to our God.BSBBSB: 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.’
11. 9JPSLet heavier work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard lying words.'BSBBSB: Make the work harder on the men so they will be occupied and pay no attention to these lies.”
12. 10JPSAnd the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying: 'Thus saith Pharaoh: I will not give you straw.BSBBSB: 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.
13. 11JPSGo yourselves, get you straw where ye can find it; for nought of your work shall be diminished.'BSBBSB: Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it; but your workload will in no way be reduced.’”
14. 12JPSSo the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.BSBBSB: So the people scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
15. 13JPSAnd the taskmasters were urgent, saying: 'Fulfil your work, your daily task, as when there was straw.'BSBBSB: The taskmasters kept pressing them, saying, “Fulfill your quota each day, just as you did when straw was provided.”
16. 14JPSAnd the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, saying: 'Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your appointed task in making brick both yesterday and today as heretofore?'BSBBSB: 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?”

17. The Cry of the Israelites

18. 15JPSThen the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying: 'Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?BSBBSB: So the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why are you treating your servants this way?
19. 16JPSThere 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.'BSBBSB: 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.”
20. 17JPSBut he said: 'Ye are idle, ye are idle; therefore ye say: Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.BSBBSB: “You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. “Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’
21. 18JPSGo therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.'BSBBSB: Now get to work. You will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the full quota of bricks.”
22. 19JPSAnd the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were set on mischief, when they said: 'Ye shall not diminish aught from your bricks, your daily task.'BSBBSB: The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce your daily quota of bricks.”
23. 20JPSAnd they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh;BSBBSB: When they left Pharaoh, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who stood waiting to meet them.
24. 21JPSand 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.'BSBBSB: “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!”
25. 22JPSAnd Moses returned unto the LORD, and said: 'Lord, wherefore hast Thou dealt ill with this people? why is it that Thou hast sent me?BSBBSB: So Moses returned to the LORD and asked, “Lord, why have You brought trouble upon this people? Is this why You sent me?
26. 23JPSFor since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Thy name, he hath dealt ill with this people; neither hast Thou delivered Thy people at all.'BSBBSB: 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.”