New International Version NIV
American Standard Version ASV
1 Afterward 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 festival to me in the wilderness.’ ”
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And afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said unto Pharaoh, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.
2 Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go.”
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And Pharaoh said, Who is Jehovah, that I should hearken unto his voice to let Israel go? I know not Jehovah, and moreover I will not let Israel go.
3 Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”
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And 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 Jehovah our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
4 But the king of Egypt said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!”
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And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, loose the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.
5 Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working.”
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And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land are now many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.
6 That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and overseers in charge of the people:
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And the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
7 “You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw.
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Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
8 But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’
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And the number 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.
9 Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”
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Let heavier work be laid upon the men, that they may labor therein; and let them not regard lying words.
10 Then the slave drivers and the overseers went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you any more straw.
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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.
11 Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.’ ”
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Go yourselves, get you straw where ye can find it: for nought of your work shall be diminished.
12 So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw.
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So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
13 The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, “Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw.”
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And the taskmasters were urgent saying, Fulfil your works, [your] daily tasks, as when there was straw.
14 And Pharaoh’s slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed, demanding, “Why haven’t you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?”
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And the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task both yesterday and to-day, in making brick as heretofore?
15 Then the Israelite overseers went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why have you treated your servants this way?
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Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?
16 Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”
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There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault it in thine own people.
17 Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’
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But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah.
18 Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks.”
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Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the number of bricks.
19 The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day.”
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And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, when it was said, Ye shall not diminish aught from your bricks, [your] daily tasks.
20 When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them,
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And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:
21 and they said, “May the LORD look on you and judge you! You have made us obnoxious to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
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and they said unto them, Jehovah look upon you, and judge: because ye have made our savor 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.
22 Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me?
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And Moses returned unto Jehovah, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou dealt ill with this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?
23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.”
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For 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.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
The American Standard Version is in the public domain.