After these things Moses and Aaron went in, and said to Pharao: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: Let my people go that they may sacrifice to me in the desert.

Post hæc ingressi sunt Moyses et Aaron, et dixerunt Pharaoni: Hæc dicit Dominus Deus Israël: Dimitte populum meum ut sacrificet mihi in deserto.

After this, Moses and Aaron obtained audience with Pharao, and said to him, We have a message to thee from the Lord God of Israel, Give my people leave to go and offer me sacrifice in the desert.

But he answered: Who is the Lord, that I should hear his voice, and let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.

At ille respondit: Quis est Dominus, ut audiam vocem ejus, et dimittam Israël? nescio Dominum, et Israël non dimittam.

Why, he answered, who is this Lord, that I must obey his command, and let Israel go free? I know no such Lord as that; I will not let Israel go.

And they said: The God of the Hebrews hath called us, to go three days’ journey into the wilderness and to sacrifice to the Lord our God: lest a pestilence or the sword fall upon us.

Dixeruntque: Deus Hebræorum vocavit nos, ut eamus viam trium dierum in solitudinem, et sacrificemus Domino Deo nostro: ne forte accidat nobis pestis aut gladius.

It is the God of the Hebrews, they told him, who has summoned us to go out into the desert, a matter of three days’ journey, and offer sacrifice to him; he, the Lord, is our God, what if he should bring sickness or war upon us?

The king of Egypt said to them: Why do you Moses and Aaron draw off the people from their works? Get you gone to your burdens.

Ait ad eos rex Ægypti: Quare Moyses et Aaron sollicitatis populum ab operibus suis? ite ad onera vestra.

Nay, said the king of Egypt, it is two men, Moses and Aaron, enticing the people away from their work; go back to your duties.

And Pharao said: The people of the land is numerous: you see that the multitude is increased: how much more if you give them rest from their works?

Dixitque Pharao: Multus est populus terræ: videtis quod turba succreverit: quanto magis si dederitis eis requiem ab operibus?

These folk, Pharao complained, have outgrown their territory already: see how their numbers have increased! And it will be worse still if you ease them of their burdens.

Therefore he commanded the same day the overseers of the works, and the taskmasters of the people, saying:

Præcepit ergo in die illo præfectis operum et exactoribus populi, dicens:

So he gave orders, that very day, to overseer and foreman alike:

You shall give straw no more to the people to make brick, as before: but let them go and gather straw.

Nequaquam ultra dabitis paleas populo ad conficiendos lateres, sicut prius: sed ipsi vadant, et colligant stipulas.

Do not give them any more straw to make bricks with, as your custom has been; let them go and find straw for themselves.

And you shall lay upon them the task of bricks, which they did before, neither shall you diminish any thing thereof: for they are idle, and therefore they cry, saying: Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

Et mensuram laterum, quam prius faciebant, imponetis super eos, nec minuetis quidquam: vacant enim, et idcirco vociferantur, dicentes: Eamus, et sacrificemus Deo nostro.

Meanwhile, you must give them the same tale of bricks to make as before; there must be no lessening of it. They are idle; that is what has led to this outcry about going and offering sacrifice to their God.

Let them be oppressed, with works, and let them fulfil them: that they may not regard lying words.

Opprimantur operibus, et expleant ea: ut non acquiescant verbis mendacibus.

Give them heavier work to do; then they will pay no more attention to these lying tales.

And the overseers of the works and the taskmasters went out and said to the people: Thus saith Pharao, I allow you no straw:

Igitur egressi præfecti operum et exactores ad populum, dixerunt: Sic dicit Pharao: Non do vobis paleas:

So overseer and foreman gave it out to the people as a message from Pharao, You shall have no more straw from me;

Go, and gather it where you can find it: neither shall any thing of your work be diminished.

ite, et colligite sicubi invenire poteritis, nec minuetur quidquam de opere vestro.

go and gather it for yourselves where you can find it; meanwhile, there is to be no lessening of the work done.

And the people was scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather straw.

Dispersusque est populus per omnem terram Ægypti ad colligendas paleas.

And the people found themselves scattered all over Egypt gathering straw;

And the overseers of the works pressed them, saying: Fulfil your work every day as before you were wont to do when straw was given you.

Præfecti quoque operum instabant, dicentes: Complete opus vestrum quotidie, ut prius facere solebatis quando dabantur vobis paleæ.

and still the overseers were urgent with them: Finish those daily tasks of yours, as you did when the straw was found.

And they that were over the works of the children of Israel were scourged by Pharao’s taskmasters, saying: Why have you not made up the task of bricks both yesterday and to day as before?

Flagellatique sunt qui præerant operibus filiorum Israël, ab exactoribus Pharaonis, dicentibus: Quare non impletis mensuram laterum sicut prius, nec heri, nec hodie?

The foremen, who were Israelites, must undergo a beating, now, from Pharao’s overseers, who asked them why the full tale of bricks had not been made up these two days past, as it was formerly.

And the officers of the children of Israel came, and cried out to Pharao, saying: Why dealest thou so with thy servants?

Veneruntque præpositi filiorum Israël, et vociferati sunt ad Pharaonem dicentes: Cur ita agis contra servos tuos?

So the Israelite foremen went and complained to Pharao; Master, they cried, why dost thou treat us so?

Straw is not given us, and bricks are required of us as before: behold we thy servants are beaten with whips, and thy people is unjustly dealt withal.

paleæ non dantur nobis, et lateres similiter imperantur: en famuli tui flagellis cædimur, et injuste agitur contra populum tuum.

The straw is not being found for us any longer, and never a brick less demanded of us. Here are we, thy servants, beaten for it; there is no justice for this people of thine.

And he said: You are idle, and therefore you say: Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.

Qui ait: Vacatis otio, et idcirco dicitis: Eamus, et sacrificemus Domino.

You are idlers, said he, idlers all, or you would not be asking leave to go and sacrifice to this Lord of yours.

Go therefore, and work: straw shall not be given you, and you shall deliver the accustomed number of bricks.

Ite ergo, et operamini: paleæ non dabuntur vobis, et reddetis consuetum numerum laterum.

Off with you to your work; no straw shall you have; and as for the bricks, you must make up the same tale as before.

And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in evil case, because it was said to them: There shall not a whit be diminished of the bricks for every day.

Videbantque se præpositi filiorum Israël in malo, eo quod diceretur eis: Non minuetur quidquam de lateribus per singulos dies.

When they heard that the same tale of bricks was to be demanded each day, the Israelite foremen saw that it would go hard with them;

And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood over against them as they came out from Pharao:

Occurreruntque Moysi et Aaron, qui stabant ex adverso, egredientibus a Pharaone:

and meeting Moses and Aaron face to face, as they came away from Pharao’s audience,

And they said to them: The Lord see and judge, because you have made our savour to stink before Pharao and his servants, and you have given him a sword to kill us.

et dixerunt ad eos: Videat Dominus et judicet, quoniam fœtere fecistis odorem nostrum coram Pharaone et servis ejus, et præbuistis ei gladium, ut occideret nos.

they said to them, The Lord take note of it, and be your judge; you have made our name stink in the nostrils of Pharao and his court, put a weapon in his hand that will be our doom.

And Moses returned to the Lord, and said: Lord, why hast thou afflicted this people? wherefore hast thou sent me?

Reversusque est Moyses ad Dominum, et ait: Domine, cur afflixisti populum istum? quare misisti me?

So that Moses had recourse to the Lord again, and asked him, Lord, why dost thou treat thy people so cruelly? Why didst thou ever send me on such an errand?

For since the time that I went in to Pharao to speak in thy name, he hath afflicted thy people: and thou hast not delivered them.

ex eo enim quo ingressus sum ad Pharaonem ut loquerer in nomine tuo, afflixit populum tuum: et non liberasti eos.

I gained audience with Pharao, and spoke to him in thy name; and since then he does nothing but ill-use thy people; is this the deliverance thou hast sent them?