AfterwardוְאַחַרMosesמֹשֶׁהand Aaronוְאַהֲרֹןcameבָּאוּand saidוַיֹּאמְרוּtoאֶלPharaoh,פַּרְעֹה“ThusכֹּהsaysאָמַרYHWH,יְהוָהthe Elohimאֱלֹהֵיof Israel:יִשְׂרָאֵל‘Letשַׁלַּחmy peopleאֶת עַמִּיgo,שַׁלַּחthat they may hold a feastוְיָחֹגּוּfor meלִיin the wilderness.’”בַּמִּדְבָּר
But Pharaohוַ פַּרְעֹהsaid,יֹּאמֶר“Whoמִיis YHWH,יְהוָהthatאֲשֶׁרI should listenאֶשְׁמַעto his voiceבְּקֹלוֹand letלְשַׁלַּחIsraelאֶת יִשְׂרָאֵלgo?שַׁלַּחI do notלֹאknowיָדַעְתִּיYHWH,אֶת יְהוָהand moreoverוְגַםI will notלֹאletאֲשַׁלֵּחַIsraelאֶת יִשְׂרָאֵלgo.”אֲשַׁלֵּחַ
They said,וַיֹּאמְרוּ“The Elohimאֱלֹהֵיof the Hebrewsהָעִבְרִיםhas metנִקְרָאwith us.עָלֵינוּPlease let us goנֵלֲכָה נָּאa journeyדֶּרֶךְof threeשְׁלֹשֶׁתdaysיָמִיםinto the wildernessבַּמִּדְבָּרand sacrificeוְנִזְבְּחָהto YHWHלַיהוָהour Elohim,אֱלֹהֵינוּorפֶּןhe will fall upon usיִפְגָּעֵנוּwith pestilenceבַּדֶּבֶרorאוֹwith the sword.”בֶחָרֶב
The kingמֶלֶךְof Egyptמִצְרַיִםsaidוַיֹּאמֶרto them,אֲלֵהֶם“Why,לָמָּהMosesמֹשֶׁהand Aaron,וְאַהֲרֹןdo you takeתַּפְרִיעוּthe peopleאֶת הָעָםaway fromמִtheir work?מַּעֲשָׂיוGoלְכוּto your burdens!”לְסִבְלֹתֵיכֶם
And Pharaohוַ פַּרְעֹהsaid,יֹּאמֶר“Look,הֵןthe peopleעַםof the landהָאָרֶץare nowעַתָּהmany,רַבִּיםand you make them ceaseוְהִשְׁבַּתֶּם אֹתָםfrom their burdens!”מִסִּבְלֹתָם
Thatהַהוּאsame dayבַּיּוֹםPharaohפַּרְעֹהcommandedוַיְצַוthe taskmastersאֶת הַנֹּגְשִׂיםof the peopleבָּעָםand their supervisors,וְאֶת שֹׁטְרָיוsaying,לֵאמֹר
“You shall noלֹאlongerתֹאסִפוּןgiveלָתֵתstrawתֶּבֶןto the peopleלָעָםto makeלִלְבֹּןbricksהַלְּבֵנִיםasכִּbefore;תְמוֹל שִׁלְשֹׁםlet themהֵםgoיֵלְכוּand gatherוְstrawתֶּבֶןfor themselves.קֹשְׁשׁוּ לָהֶם
But the quotaוְאֶת מַתְכֹּנֶתof bricksהַלְּבֵנִיםthatאֲשֶׁרtheyהֵםwere makingעֹשִׂיםbeforeתְּמוֹל שִׁלְשֹׁםyou shall imposeתָּשִׂימוּon them;עֲלֵיהֶםyou shall notלֹאreduceתִגְרְעוּany of it,מִמֶּנּוּforכִּיtheyהֵםare lazy;נִרְפִּיםthat is whyעַל כֵּןtheyהֵםcry out,צֹעֲקִיםsaying,לֵאמֹר‘Let us goנֵלְכָהand sacrificeנִזְבְּחָהto our Elohim.’לֵאלֹהֵינוּ
Let the workהָעֲבֹדָהbe heavyתִּכְבַּדonעַלthe menהָאֲנָשִׁיםso that they laborוְיַעֲשׂוּat itבָהּand do notוְאַלpay attentionיִשְׁעוּto lyingשָׁקֶרwords.”בְּדִבְרֵי
So the taskmastersוַ נֹגְשֵׂיof the peopleהָעָםand their supervisorsוְשֹׁטְרָיוwent outיֵּצְאוּand saidוַיֹּאמְרוּtoאֶלthe people,הָעָםsaying,לֵאמֹר“ThusכֹּהsaysאָמַרPharaoh:פַּרְעֹה‘I am notאֵינֶנִּיgivingנֹתֵןyouלָכֶםstraw.תֶּבֶן
Youאַתֶּםgoלְכוּand getקְחוּyourselvesלָכֶםstrawתֶּבֶןwhereverמֵאֲשֶׁרyou can find it,תִּמְצָאוּforכִּיnotאֵיןa thingדָּבָרwill be reducedנִגְרָעfrom your work.’”מֵעֲבֹדַתְכֶם
So the peopleוַ הָעָםwere scatteredיָּפֶץthroughoutבְּallכָלthe landאֶרֶץof Egyptמִצְרָיִםto gatherלְקֹשֵׁשׁstubbleקַשׁfor straw.לַתֶּבֶן
The taskmastersוְהַנֹּגְשִׂיםkept pressing them,אָצִיםsaying,לֵאמֹר“Completeכַּלּוּyour work,מַעֲשֵׂיכֶםeach day’s taskדְּבַר יוֹםon its day,בְּיוֹמוֹjust asכַּאֲשֶׁרwhen there wasבִּהְיוֹתstraw.”הַתֶּבֶן
And the supervisorsוַ שֹׁטְרֵיof the sonsבְּנֵיof Israel,יִשְׂרָאֵלwhomאֲשֶׁרthe taskmastersנֹגְשֵׂיof Pharaohפַרְעֹהhad setשָׂמוּover them,עֲלֵהֶםwere beaten,יֻּכּוּbeing told,לֵאמֹר“Whyמַדּוּעַhave you notלֹאcompletedכִלִּיתֶםyour quotaחָקְכֶםof making bricksלִלְבֹּןasכִּbefore,תְמוֹל שִׁלְשֹׁםbothגַּםyesterdayתְּמוֹלandגַּםtoday?”הַיּוֹם
Then the supervisorsוַ שֹׁטְרֵיof the sonsבְּנֵיof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלcameיָּבֹאוּand cried outוַיִּצְעֲקוּtoאֶלPharaoh,פַּרְעֹהsaying,לֵאמֹר“Whyלָמָּהdo you treatתַעֲשֶׂהyour servantsלַעֲבָדֶיךָthis way?כֹה
Noאֵיןstrawתֶּבֶןis givenנִתָּןto your servants,לַעֲבָדֶיךָyet bricks!וּלְבֵנִיםthey keep sayingאֹמְרִיםto us,לָנוּ‘Make them!’עֲשׂוּAnd look,וְהִנֵּהyour servantsעֲבָדֶיךָare beaten;מֻכִּיםbut the sinוְחָטָאתis your people’s.”עַמֶּךָ
He said,וַיֹּאמֶר“You are lazy,נִרְפִּים אַתֶּםlazy!נִרְפִּיםThat is whyעַל כֵּןyouאַתֶּםsay,אֹמְרִים‘Let us goנֵלְכָהand sacrificeנִזְבְּחָהto YHWH.’לַיהוָה
So nowוְעַתָּהgoלְכוּand work;עִבְדוּand strawוְתֶבֶןwill notלֹאbe givenיִנָּתֵןto you,לָכֶםyetוְthe quotaתֹכֶןof bricksלְבֵנִיםyou shall deliver.”תִּתֵּנּוּ
The supervisorsשֹׁטְרֵיof the sonsבְנֵיof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלsawוַיִּרְאוּthat theyאֹתָםwere in troubleבְּרָעwhen they were told,לֵאמֹר“You shall notלֹאreduceתִגְרְעוּany ofמִyour bricks,לִּבְנֵיכֶםeach day’s taskדְּבַר יוֹםon its day.”בְּיוֹמוֹ
They metוַיִּפְגְּעוּMosesאֶת מֹשֶׁהand Aaron,וְאֶת אַהֲרֹןwho were standingנִצָּבִיםto meet them,לִקְרָאתָםas they came outבְּצֵאתָםfromמֵאֵתPharaoh.פַּרְעֹה
And they saidוַיֹּאמְרוּto them,אֲלֵהֶם“May YHWHיְהוָהlookיֵרֶאupon youעֲלֵיכֶםand judge,וְיִשְׁפֹּטbecauseאֲשֶׁרyou have made us odiousהִבְאַשְׁתֶּם אֶת רֵיחֵנוּin the eyesבְּעֵינֵיof Pharaohפַרְעֹהand in the eyesוּבְעֵינֵיof his servants,עֲבָדָיוputtingלָתֶתa swordחֶרֶבin their handבְּיָדָםto kill us.”לְהָרְגֵנוּ
Then Mosesוַ מֹשֶׁהreturnedיָּשָׁבtoאֶלYHWHיְהוָהand said,וַיֹּאמַר“Adonai,אֲדֹנָיwhyלָמָהhave you done evilהֲרֵעֹתָהto thisלָ הַזֶּהpeople?עָםWhyלָמָּהis it thatזֶּהyou sent me?שְׁלַחְתָּנִי
SinceוּמֵאָזI cameבָּאתִיtoאֶלPharaohפַּרְעֹהto speakלְדַבֵּרin your name,בִּשְׁמֶךָhe has done evilהֵרַעto thisלָ הַזֶּהpeople,עָםand you have notוְ לֹאrescuedהִצַּלְתָּyour peopleאֶת עַמֶּךָat all.”הַצֵּל