Exodus 5 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

After that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: 'Let my people go so they can hold a celebration for me in the wilderness.'"

Pharaoh said, "Who is Yahweh that I should listen to him and let Israel go? I don't know Yahweh, and I'm not letting Israel go."

They said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to Yahweh our God, or he may strike us with disease or violence."

The king of Egypt said to them, "Moses and Aaron, why are you pulling the people away from their work? Get back to your forced labor!"

Pharaoh added, "Look, there are already so many of these people in the land, and you want them to stop working?"

That same day, Pharaoh gave orders to the slave drivers and the Israelite foremen:

"Stop giving the people straw for making bricks like you've been doing. Make them go gather their own straw."

"But require the same number of bricks from them as before — don't reduce it at all. They're lazy, that's why they're crying out, 'Let us go offer sacrifices to our God.'"

"Pile the work on these men heavier so they stay busy and stop listening to lies."

So the slave drivers and foremen went out and told the people, "This is what Pharaoh says: 'I'm not giving you any more straw.'"

"Go get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your workload won't be reduced one bit."

So the people scattered across the whole land of Egypt to gather stubble to use as straw.

The slave drivers kept pressuring them, saying, "Finish your daily quota — the same as when you had straw!"

The Israelite foremen that Pharaoh's slave drivers had put in charge were beaten and asked, "Why haven't you met your brick quota yesterday or today, like you did before?"

Then the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: "Why are you treating your servants like this?"

"No straw is being given to your servants, but they tell us, 'Make bricks!' And look — your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people."

But Pharaoh said, "Lazy! That's what you are — lazy! That's why you keep saying, 'Let us go offer sacrifices to Yahweh.'"

"Now get back to work! No straw will be given to you, but you will produce the full number of bricks."

The Israelite foremen realized they were in serious trouble when they were told, "You will not reduce your daily brick output at all."

When they left Pharaoh, they ran into Moses and Aaron, who were waiting to meet them.

They said to Moses and Aaron, "May Yahweh look at what you've done and judge you! You've made us repulsive to Pharaoh and his officials — you've handed them the sword to kill us with."

Moses went back to Yahweh and said, "My Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why did you even send me?"

Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought nothing but trouble on this people, and you haven't rescued your people at all."