Bible in Basic English
Give the men harder work, and see that they do it; let them not give attention to false words.
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.
Go yourselves and get dry stems wherever you are able; for your work is not to be any less.
So the people were sent in all directions through the land of Egypt to get dry grass for stems.
And the overseers went on driving them and saying, Do your full day's work as before when there were dry stems for you.
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?
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?
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.
But he said, You have no love for work: that is why you say, Let us go and make an offering to the Lord.
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.
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.
And they came face to face with Moses and Aaron, who were in their way when they came out from Pharaoh:
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.
And Moses went back to the Lord and said, Lord, why have you done evil to this people? why have you sent me?
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.
— Exodus 5:9-1964, Bible in Basic English
“Let heavier work be laid upon the men, that they may labor therein; and let them not regard lying words. 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. Go yourselves, get you straw where ye can find it: for nought of your work shall be diminished. So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. And the taskmasters were urgent saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw. 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? Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people. But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah. Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the number of bricks. 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. And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: 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. And Moses returned unto Jehovah, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou dealt ill with this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? 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. ”
The same day Pharaoh gave orders to the overseers and those who were responsible for the work, saying,
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.
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.
Give the men harder work, and see that they do it; let them not give attention to false words.
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.
Go yourselves and get dry stems wherever you are able; for your work is not to be any less.
So the people were sent in all directions through the land of Egypt to get dry grass for stems.
And the overseers went on driving them and saying, Do your full day's work as before when there were dry stems for you.
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?
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?
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.
But he said, You have no love for work: that is why you say, Let us go and make an offering to the Lord.
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.
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.
And they came face to face with Moses and Aaron, who were in their way when they came out from Pharaoh:
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.
And Moses went back to the Lord and said, Lord, why have you done evil to this people? why have you sent me?
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.