Exodus Chapter 5
So, Moses and Aaron showed up to Pharaoh and were like, "Ayo, the Lord God of Israel wants you to let my crew go so they can have a feast for me out in the wilderness."
And 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.
Pharaoh responded, "Who’s this Lord guy? Why should I care about him and let Israel dip? I don’t even recognize him, so nah."
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.
They replied, "The God of the Hebrews just linked up with us. Let us bounce for three days into the desert to vibe and sacrifice to our God; otherwise, we might catch some serious bad vibes."
And 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; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
The king of Egypt then said, "Why are you, Moses and Aaron, letting the people chill instead of grinding? Get back to work, fam."
And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.
Pharaoh was like, "Look, the people are already a lot, and you want them to stop hustling?"
And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now {are} many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.
Pharaoh ordered the taskmasters and their crew, "Listen up, fam."
And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
"No more supplying the people with straw for brick-making like before; let them go hunt for their own straw."
Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
"And the same number of bricks they made earlier? You better keep that up; don’t drop it at all because they’re just being lazy, saying they wanna go and sacrifice to their God."
And 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.
"Put more pressure on them so they can grind harder; ignore their whining."
Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words. {Let there...: Heb. Let the work be heavy upon the men}
The taskmasters and officers hit the streets and told the people, "Pharaoh said, I ain't giving you straw."
And 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.
"Go scavenge for straw wherever you can, but don’t you dare slack on your work."
Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.
So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.
So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.
The taskmasters were on their case, saying, "Get your grind on, your daily hustle, just like when there was straw."
And the taskmasters hasted {them}, saying, Fulfil your works, {your} daily tasks, as when there was straw. {your daily...: Heb. a matter of a day in his day}
The officers of the Israelites, whom Pharaoh’s crew put in charge, got wrecked and were asked, "Why haven’t you completed your brick tasks like before?"
And 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?
Then the Israelite officers approached Pharaoh and were like, "Why you treating us like this?"
Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?
"There’s no straw for us, and they expect us to make bricks; look, we’re getting beat up, but it’s your people’s fault."
There 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.
But Pharaoh said, "Y’all are just being lazy; that’s why you claim you wanna go and sacrifice to the Lord."
But he said, Ye {are} idle, {ye are} idle: therefore ye say, Let us go {and} do sacrifice to the LORD.
"So get back to work; no straw is coming your way, but you better still hit the same brick quota."
Go therefore now, {and} work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.
The Israelite officers realized they were in a tight spot after hearing they couldn’t drop their brick load.
And 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.
They ran into Moses and Aaron, who were chilling on the way out from Pharaoh.
And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:
They told them, "The Lord better check you, ‘cause you’ve made us look bad in front of Pharaoh and his crew, like they’re out to get us."
And 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. {to be...: Heb. to stink}
Moses went back to the Lord and was like, "Why you gotta treat this people so harshly? Why’d you send me here?"
And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou {so} evil entreated this people? why {is} it {that} thou hast sent me?
"Ever since I showed up to Pharaoh in your name, he’s been making it worse for these people; you haven’t even done anything to save them."
For 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. {neither...: Heb. delivering thou hast not delivered}