1 En daarna gaan Moses en A„ron en sê vir Farao: So spreek die HERE, die God van Israel: Laat my volk trek, dat hulle vir My 'n fees kan hou in die woestyn.

2 Maar Farao antwoord: Wie is die HERE na wie se stem ek moet luister om Israel te laat trek? Ek ken die HERE nie, en ek sal Israel ook nie laat trek nie.

3 Toe sê hulle: Die God van die Hebreërs het ons ontmoet; laat ons tog drie dagreise ver die woestyn intrek en aan die HERE onse God offer, sodat Hy ons nie tref met die pes of die swaard nie.

4 Maar die koning van Egipte antwoord hulle: Moses en A„ron, waarom hou julle die volk van hulle werk af? Loop na julle werk toe.

5 Verder het Farao gesê: Kyk, die volk van die land is alreeds baie; en julle wil hulle laat ophou met hulle werk?

6 Daarom het Farao dieselfde dag aan die drywers onder die volk en die opsigters bevel gegee en gesê:

7 Julle moet die volk geen strooi meer gee om bakstene te maak soos gister en eergister nie. Laat hulle self gaan en vir hulle strooi versamel.

8 Maar die hoeveelheid bakstene wat hulle gister en eergister gemaak het, moet julle hulle oplê en niks daarvan verminder nie; want hulle is lui. Daarom roep hulle en sê: Laat ons gaan, laat ons offer aan onse God!

9 Laat die werk swaar druk op die manne, dat hulle daarmee besig kan wees en nie op leuenagtige woorde let nie.

10 Toe het die drywers van die volk en die opsigters uitgegaan en tot die volk gespreek en gesê: So spreek Farao: Ek gee julle geen strooi nie.

11 Loop haal self vir julle strooi waar julle dit kan kry; maar van julle werk word niks verminder nie.

12 Toe het die volk in die hele Egipteland rondgegaan om stoppels te versamel vir strooi.

13 En die drywers het aangedryf en gesê: Voltooi julle werk volgens die eis van elke dag net soos toe daar strooi was.

14 En die opsigters van die kinders van Israel wat Farao se drywers oor hulle aangestel het, het slae gekry, met die woorde: Waarom het julle gister en vandag nie soos tevore julle bepaalde werk, om stene te maak, volbring nie?

15 Daarom het die opsigters van die kinders van Israel gegaan, en hulle het geweeklaag by Farao en gesê: Waarom maak u so met u dienaars?

16 Aan u dienaars word geen strooi gegee nie, en hulle sê vir ons: Maak bakstene! En kyk, u dienaars word geslaan, maar die skuld lê by u volk.

17 Maar hy het geantwoord: Lui is julle, lui! Daarom sê julle: Laat ons gaan, laat ons aan die HERE offer.

18 Nou dan, loop werk! Maar strooi sal julle nie gegee word nie. Ewenwel moet julle die hoeveelheid bakstene aflewer.

19 Toe sien die opsigters van die kinders van Israel dat dit sleg met hulle staan, omdat daar gesê is: Julle mag jul bakstene, volgens die eis van elke dag, nie verminder nie.

20 En hulle het Moses en A„ron teëgekom, wat daar gestaan het om hulle te ontmoet as hulle van Farao af weggaan,

21 en het vir hulle gesê: Mag die HERE op julle let en oordeel, omdat julle ons gehaat gemaak het in die oë van Farao en in die oë van sy dienaars, sodat julle 'n swaard in hulle hand gegee het om ons om te bring.

22 Toe gaan Moses weer na die HERE en sê: Here, waarom het U hierdie volk kwaad aangedoen? Waarom het U my tog gestuur?

23 Want vandat ek na Farao gegaan het om in u Naam te spreek, het hy hierdie volk mishandel, en U het u volk glad nie verlos nie. [ (Exodus 5:24) Daarop het die HERE Moses geantwoord: Nou sal jy sien wat Ek Farao sal aandoen. Want deur 'n sterke hand sal hy hulle laat trek, ja, deur 'n sterke hand gedwing, sal hy hulle uit sy land uitdrywe. ]

1 And after that, Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and said, The Lord, the God of Israel, says, Let my people go so that they may keep a feast to me in the waste land.

2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, to whose voice I am to give ear and let Israel go? I have no knowledge of the Lord and I will not let Israel go.

3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews has come to us: let us then go three days' journey into the waste land to make an offering to the Lord our God, so that he may not send death on us by disease or the sword.

4 And the king of Egypt said to them, Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people away from their work? get back to your work.

5 And Pharaoh said, Truly, the people of the land are increasing in number, and you are keeping them back from their work.

6 The same day Pharaoh gave orders to the overseers and those who were responsible for the work, saying,

7 Give these men no more dry stems for their brick-making as you have been doing; let them go and get the material for themselves.

8 But see that they make the same number of bricks as before, and no less: for they have no love for work; and so they are crying out and saying, Let us go and make an offering to our God.

9 Give the men harder work, and see that they do it; let them not give attention to false words.

10 And the overseers of the people and their responsible men went out and said to the people, Pharaoh says, I will give you no more dry stems.

11 Go yourselves and get dry stems wherever you are able; for your work is not to be any less.

12 So the people were sent in all directions through the land of Egypt to get dry grass for stems.

13 And the overseers went on driving them and saying, Do your full day's work as before when there were dry stems for you.

14 And the responsible men of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's overseers had put over them, were given blows, and they said to them, Why have you not done your regular work, in making bricks as before?

15 Then the responsible men of the children of Israel came to Pharaoh, protesting and saying, Why are you acting in this way to your servants?

16 They give us no dry stems and they say to us, Make bricks: and they give your servants blows; but it is your people who are in the wrong.

17 But he said, You have no love for work: that is why you say, Let us go and make an offering to the Lord.

18 Go now, get back to your work; no dry stems will be given to you, but you are to make the full number of bricks.

19 Then the responsible men of the children of Israel saw that they were purposing evil when they said, The number of bricks which you have to make every day will be no less than before.

20 And they came face to face with Moses and Aaron, who were in their way when they came out from Pharaoh:

21 And they said to them, May the Lord take note of you and be your judge; for you have given Pharaoh and his servants a bad opinion of us, putting a sword in their hands for our destruction.

22 And Moses went back to the Lord and said, Lord, why have you done evil to this people? why have you sent me?

23 For from the time when I came to Pharaoh to put your words before him, he has done evil to this people, and you have given them no help.