Shmot (Exodus) - Chapter 5

5:1 Afterward Mosha and Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, "This is what Mar-Yah, God of Yisrael, says, 'Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.'"

5:2 Pharaoh said, "Who is Mar-Yah, that I should listen to his voice to let Yisrael go? I do not know Mar-Yah, and moreover I will not let Yisrael go."

5:3 They said, "God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Mar-Yah, our God, lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword."

5:4 The king of Egypt said to them, "Why do you, Mosha and Aaron, take the people from their work? Get back to your burdens!" 5:5 Pharaoh said, "Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens." 5:6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, 5:7 "You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. 5:8 The number of the bricks, which they made before, you require from them. You shall not diminish anything of it, for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' 5:9 Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may labour therein; and do not let them pay any attention to lying words."

5:10 The taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, "This is what Pharaoh says: 'I will not give you straw. 5:11 Go yourselves, get straw where you can find it, for nothing of your work shall be diminished.'" 5:12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 5:13 The taskmasters were urgent saying, "Fulfil your work quota daily, as when there was straw!" 5:14 The officers of the B'nai Yisrael, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, "Why have you not fulfilled your quota both yesterday and today, in making brick as before?"

5:15 Then the officers of the B'nai Yisrael came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, "Why do you deal this way with your servants? 5:16 No straw is given to your servants, and they tell us, 'Make brick!' and behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people."

5:17 But he said, "You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to Mar-Yah.' 5:18 Go therefore now, and work, for no straw shall be given to you, yet you shall deliver the same number of bricks!"

5:19 The officers of the B'nai Yisrael saw that they were in trouble, when it was said, "You shall not diminish anything from your daily quota of bricks!"

5:20 They met Mosha and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: 5:21 and they said to them, "May Mar-Yah look at you, and judge, because you have made us a stench to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us."

5:22 Mosha returned to Mar-Yah, and said, "Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me? 5:23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people; neither have you delivered your people at all."