1
וְאַחַר, בָּאוּ מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, וַיֹּאמְרוּ, אֶל-פַּרְעֹה: כֹּה-אָמַר יְהוָה, אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, שַׁלַּח אֶת-עַמִּי, וְיָחֹגּוּ לִי בַּמִּדְבָּר.
And afterward
Moses and Aaron went in and said to
Pharaoh, "Thus says
Jehovah, the God of Israel: Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness."
noteY después Moisés y Aarón entraron y dijeron al faraón: «Así dice Jehová, el Dios de Israel: Deja ir a mi pueblo, para que me celebre una fiesta en el desierto».
2
וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה--מִי יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר אֶשְׁמַע בְּקֹלוֹ, לְשַׁלַּח אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל: לֹא יָדַעְתִּי אֶת-יְהוָה, וְגַם אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא אֲשַׁלֵּחַ.
But Pharaoh said, "Who is Jehovah, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know Jehovah, and moreover I will not let Israel go."
notePero el faraón dijo: «¿Quién es Jehová, para que yo oiga su voz y deje ir a Israel? No conozco a Jehová, y además no dejaré ir a Israel».
3
וַיֹּאמְרוּ, אֱלֹהֵי הָעִבְרִים נִקְרָא עָלֵינוּ; נֵלְכָה נָּא דֶּרֶךְ שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים בַּמִּדְבָּר, וְנִזְבְּחָה לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ--פֶּן-יִפְגָּעֵנוּ, בַּדֶּבֶר אוֹ בֶחָרֶב.
And they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us go, please, a three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to Jehovah our God, lest he strike us with pestilence or with the sword."
noteY ellos dijeron: «El Dios de los hebreos se ha encontrado con nosotros. Déjanos ir, por favor, camino de tres días al desierto, y ofrezcamos sacrificios a Jehová nuestro Dios, no sea que nos hiera con peste o con espada».
4
וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם, מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם, לָמָּה מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, תַּפְרִיעוּ אֶת-הָעָם מִמַּעֲשָׂיו; לְכוּ, לְסִבְלֹתֵיכֶם.
And the king of
Egypt said to them, "Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get to your burdens!"
noteY el rey de Egipto les dijo: «Moisés y Aarón, ¿por qué apartan al pueblo de sus trabajos? ¡Vayan a sus cargas!»
5
וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה, הֵן-רַבִּים עַתָּה עַם הָאָרֶץ; וְהִשְׁבַּתֶּם אֹתָם, מִסִּבְלֹתָם.
And Pharaoh said, "Look, the people of the land are now many, and you would make them rest from their burdens."
noteY dijo el faraón: «Miren, el pueblo de la tierra es ahora numeroso, y ustedes los harían descansar de sus cargas».
6
וַיְצַו פַּרְעֹה, בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא, אֶת-הַנֹּגְשִׂים בָּעָם, וְאֶת-שֹׁטְרָיו לֵאמֹר.
And that same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, saying,
noteY aquel mismo día el faraón mandó a los capataces del pueblo y a sus jefes de cuadrilla, diciendo:
7
לֹא תֹאסִפוּן לָתֵת תֶּבֶן לָעָם, לִלְבֹּן הַלְּבֵנִים--כִּתְמוֹל שִׁלְשֹׁם: הֵם, יֵלְכוּ, וְקֹשְׁשׁוּ לָהֶם, תֶּבֶן.
"You shall no longer give the people straw to make the bricks, as yesterday and the day before; let them go and gather straw for themselves.
note«Ya no darán paja al pueblo para hacer los ladrillos, como ayer y anteayer; que vayan ellos y recojan paja para sí.
8
וְאֶת-מַתְכֹּנֶת הַלְּבֵנִים אֲשֶׁר הֵם עֹשִׂים תְּמוֹל שִׁלְשֹׁם, תָּשִׂימוּ עֲלֵיהֶם--לֹא תִגְרְעוּ, מִמֶּנּוּ: כִּי-נִרְפִּים הֵם--עַל-כֵּן הֵם צֹעֲקִים לֵאמֹר, נֵלְכָה נִזְבְּחָה לֵאלֹהֵינוּ.
But the quota of bricks that they made yesterday and the day before you shall lay on them; you shall not reduce it. For they are idle; that is why they cry out, saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.'
notePero la cuota de ladrillos que hacían ayer y anteayer se la impondrán; no la reducirán. Porque están ociosos; por eso claman diciendo: "Vayamos y ofrezcamos sacrificios a nuestro Dios".
9
תִּכְבַּד הָעֲבֹדָה עַל-הָאֲנָשִׁים, וְיַעֲשׂוּ-בָהּ; וְאַל-יִשְׁעוּ, בְּדִבְרֵי-שָׁקֶר.
Let the work be heavier on the men, and let them labor at it, and let them pay no regard to lying words."
noteQue se agrave el trabajo sobre los hombres, y que se ocupen en él, y que no hagan caso de palabras mentirosas».
10
וַיֵּצְאוּ נֹגְשֵׂי הָעָם, וְשֹׁטְרָיו, וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל-הָעָם, לֵאמֹר: כֹּה אָמַר פַּרְעֹה, אֵינֶנִּי נֹתֵן לָכֶם תֶּבֶן.
So the taskmasters of the people and their foremen went out and said to the people, "Thus says Pharaoh: I am giving you no straw.
noteSalieron, pues, los capataces del pueblo y sus jefes de cuadrilla, y dijeron al pueblo: «Así dice el faraón: No les doy paja.
11
אַתֶּם, לְכוּ קְחוּ לָכֶם תֶּבֶן, מֵאֲשֶׁר, תִּמְצָאוּ: כִּי אֵין נִגְרָע מֵעֲבֹדַתְכֶם, דָּבָר.
Go yourselves, get straw wherever you can find it; but nothing of your work will be reduced."
noteVayan ustedes y consíganse paja donde la hallen; pero nada se reducirá de su trabajo».
12
וַיָּפֶץ הָעָם, בְּכָל-אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם, לְקֹשֵׁשׁ קַשׁ, לַתֶּבֶן.
So the people scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
noteY el pueblo se esparció por toda la tierra de Egipto para recoger rastrojo en lugar de paja.
13
וְהַנֹּגְשִׂים, אָצִים לֵאמֹר: כַּלּוּ מַעֲשֵׂיכֶם דְּבַר-יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ, כַּאֲשֶׁר בִּהְיוֹת הַתֶּבֶן.
And the taskmasters pressed them, saying, "Finish your work, your daily quota, as when there was straw."
noteY los capataces los apremiaban, diciendo: «Terminen su trabajo, la tarea de cada día, como cuando había paja».
14
וַיֻּכּוּ, שֹׁטְרֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲשֶׁר-שָׂמוּ עֲלֵהֶם, נֹגְשֵׂי פַרְעֹה לֵאמֹר: מַדּוּעַ לֹא כִלִּיתֶם חָקְכֶם לִלְבֹּן, כִּתְמוֹל שִׁלְשֹׁם--גַּם-תְּמוֹל, גַּם-הַיּוֹם.
And the foremen of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and it was said, "Why have you not finished your appointed task of bricks, yesterday and today, as before?"
noteY los jefes de cuadrilla de los hijos de Israel, a quienes los capataces del faraón habían puesto sobre ellos, fueron golpeados, y se les dijo: «¿Por qué no han terminado su cuota de ladrillos, ayer y hoy, como antes?»
15
וַיָּבֹאוּ, שֹׁטְרֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וַיִּצְעֲקוּ אֶל-פַּרְעֹה, לֵאמֹר: לָמָּה תַעֲשֶׂה כֹה, לַעֲבָדֶיךָ.
Then the foremen of the sons of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, "Why do you deal this way with your servants?
noteEntonces los jefes de cuadrilla de los hijos de Israel fueron y clamaron al faraón, diciendo: «¿Por qué haces así con tus siervos?
16
תֶּבֶן, אֵין נִתָּן לַעֲבָדֶיךָ, וּלְבֵנִים אֹמְרִים לָנוּ, עֲשׂוּ; וְהִנֵּה עֲבָדֶיךָ מֻכִּים, וְחָטָאת עַמֶּךָ.
No straw is given to your servants, and they say to us, 'Make bricks!' And look, your servants are beaten — but the fault is your own people's."
noteNo se da paja a tus siervos, y nos dicen: "¡Hagan ladrillos!" Y mira, tus siervos son golpeados — pero la culpa es de tu propio pueblo».
17
וַיֹּאמֶר נִרְפִּים אַתֶּם, נִרְפִּים; עַל-כֵּן אַתֶּם אֹמְרִים, נֵלְכָה נִזְבְּחָה לַיהוָה.
But he said, "Idle, you are idle! That is why you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah.'
notePero él dijo: «¡Ociosos, están ociosos! Por eso dicen: "Vayamos y ofrezcamos sacrificios a Jehová".
18
וְעַתָּה לְכוּ עִבְדוּ, וְתֶבֶן לֹא-יִנָּתֵן לָכֶם; וְתֹכֶן לְבֵנִים, תִּתֵּנוּ.
Now go, work! No straw will be given you, yet you shall deliver the full quota of bricks."
noteAhora vayan, trabajen. No se les dará paja, y entregarán la cuota completa de ladrillos».
19
וַיִּרְאוּ שֹׁטְרֵי בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֹתָם--בְּרָע לֵאמֹר: לֹא-תִגְרְעוּ מִלִּבְנֵיכֶם, דְּבַר-יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ.
And the foremen of the sons of Israel saw that they were in trouble when it was said, "You shall not reduce your daily quota of bricks."
noteY los jefes de cuadrilla de los hijos de Israel se vieron en aprietos cuando se les dijo: «No reducirán nada de su cuota diaria de ladrillos».
20
וַיִּפְגְּעוּ אֶת-מֹשֶׁה וְאֶת-אַהֲרֹן, נִצָּבִים לִקְרָאתָם, בְּצֵאתָם, מֵאֵת פַּרְעֹה.
And they met Moses and Aaron, who were standing there to meet them as they came out from Pharaoh,
noteY se encontraron con Moisés y Aarón, que estaban allí esperándolos cuando salían de la presencia del faraón,
21
וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֲלֵהֶם, יֵרֶא יְהוָה עֲלֵיכֶם וְיִשְׁפֹּט: אֲשֶׁר הִבְאַשְׁתֶּם אֶת-רֵיחֵנוּ, בְּעֵינֵי פַרְעֹה וּבְעֵינֵי עֲבָדָיו, לָתֶת-חֶרֶב בְּיָדָם, לְהָרְגֵנוּ.
and they said to them, "May Jehovah look upon you and judge, because you have made us a stench in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants, putting a sword in their hand to kill us."
notey les dijeron: «Que Jehová los mire y juzgue, porque nos han hecho odiosos ante los ojos del faraón y ante los ojos de sus siervos, poniendo una espada en su mano para matarnos».
22
וַיָּשָׁב מֹשֶׁה אֶל-יְהוָה, וַיֹּאמַר: אֲדֹנָי, לָמָה הֲרֵעֹתָה לָעָם הַזֶּה--לָמָּה זֶּה, שְׁלַחְתָּנִי.
Then Moses returned to Jehovah and said, "My Lord, why have you brought evil on this people? Why did you ever send me?
noteEntonces Moisés volvió a Jehová y dijo: «Señor mío, ¿por qué has hecho mal a este pueblo? ¿Por qué me enviaste?
23
וּמֵאָז בָּאתִי אֶל-פַּרְעֹה, לְדַבֵּר בִּשְׁמֶךָ, הֵרַע, לָעָם הַזֶּה; וְהַצֵּל לֹא-הִצַּלְתָּ, אֶת-עַמֶּךָ.
For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people — and you have not delivered your people at all."
notePorque desde que vine al faraón para hablar en tu nombre, él ha hecho mal a este pueblo — y tú no has librado en nada a tu pueblo».
Translator’s Notes
The first confrontation. “Thus says Jehovah” — the messenger-formula of the prophets, spoken here to a king. And Pharaoh’s answer is the question the entire book exists to answer: “WHO IS JEHOVAH, that I should obey his voice? I do not know Jehovah.” ⚠ It is not merely defiance; from an Egyptian throne it is a statement of fact — this god is not on his lists. Everything that follows is aimed at it: the plagues come again and again “so that you may KNOW that I am Jehovah” (7:5, 17; 8:22; 14:4). The book is the answer to Pharaoh’s sneer. ASV “Who is Jehovah, that I should hearken unto his voice?”
⚠ The modest request. What Moses asks for is a three days’ journey to hold a feast and sacrifice — not, on its face, a permanent departure. Readers have long asked whether this is less than the whole truth. The likeliest reading is that it is a genuine first demand, a test of Pharaoh’s willingness in a small thing, which he refuses outright — so that the total demand (“let my people go,” with no return) follows his own refusal. The text offers no comment, and the note will not manufacture one.
Pharaoh’s counter is pure administration: “why do you take the people away from their work? Get to your burdens!” He hears a request for worship and files it as a labor problem. It is the whole conflict in miniature: to Pharaoh these are units of production; to Jehovah they are his firstborn son (4:22).
The retaliation is precise and cruel. Straw (teben) was chopped and mixed into Nile mud to bind the bricks — the practice is well attested in Egyptian brickmaking, as are the daily brick quotas recorded by Egyptian scribes. Pharaoh does not lower the quota; he removes the supply and keeps the number. The people must now scatter across Egypt gathering stubble and still deliver as before.
Two ranks stand between Pharaoh and the people: the NOGSIM, Egyptian taskmasters, and the SHOTRIM, Israelite foremen appointed over their own kinsmen. And it is the Israelite foremen who are beaten when the quota fails — the cruelty of every such system, that it makes the oppressed enforce their own oppression and then punishes them when it breaks.
«They are idle» (nirpim). Pharaoh’s theory of worship: a people with time to think about God is a people with too little work. It is the oldest slander against the sabbath, and he will repeat it, doubled, in verse 17.
The foremen appeal over the taskmasters’ heads to Pharaoh himself — and get his word thrown back at them doubled: “Idle, you are idle!” The appeal to the top, in a system like this, only confirms that the cruelty comes from the top.
⚠ Their protest ends in a genuinely difficult phrase (v16): chatat ammekha — either “the fault is your own people’s” (your Egyptians are to blame) or “you sin against your own people” (a far bolder accusation, aimed at Pharaoh himself). The Hebrew genuinely supports both, and the versions divide: KJV “the fault is in thine own people”; the ESV “the fault is in your own people.” This translation keeps the ambiguity rather than choosing a side for the reader.
And so the foremen “saw that they were in trouble.” The first casualties of the deliverance are the men who tried to work within the system.
The chapter ends in a double collapse. The foremen, coming out from Pharaoh, meet Moses and Aaron waiting and turn on them: “May Jehovah look upon you and judge — you have made us a stench in Pharaoh’s eyes and put a sword in his hand to kill us.” The people God sent Moses to save now count him their disaster.
And Moses turns on God, with a bluntness Scripture does not censor: “My Lord, why have you brought evil on this people? Why did you ever send me?… and you have not delivered your people at all.” KJV “neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.”
⚠ This is the honest shape of the story, and it is worth saying plainly: the FIRST result of God’s word of deliverance is that things get WORSE. The oppression intensifies, the people despair, and the deliverer accuses God to his face. The Bible neither hides this nor rebukes Moses for it — chapter 6 opens with the answer, “NOW you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh.” The dawn is real; but it comes after the darkest hour, and Exodus makes the reader sit in that hour for a whole chapter before it breaks. (Jeremiah will one day accuse God in the same register, 20:7.)
Patterns worth carrying forward
Where this translation keeps the exact / distinct words: “Let my people go” for shalach, the exodus refrain, kept identical to “let my SON go” of 4:23; “I do not know Jehovah” for yada, the verb the plagues exist to reverse; “straw” and “quota” kept concrete, as the Egyptian brick-records have them; “taskmasters” (nogsim) held distinct from “foremen” (shotrim), the Egyptians over the Israelites over their own; “idle” for nirpim; and the ambiguity of “the fault is your own people’s” (v16) left standing.
Echoes paid. “Let my people go” answering “Israel is my firstborn son… let my son go” (4:22-23); Pharaoh’s “I do not know Jehovah” set against the Name revealed at the bush (3:14-15); and the “burdens” (sivlot) that were the whole condition Jehovah said he had come down to see (3:7).
Echoes planted. The question “Who is Jehovah?”, which the ten plagues will answer one by one (“that you may know that I am Jehovah”); the hardening already promised at 4:21, now visible in Pharaoh’s flat refusal; and Moses’ complaint, which chapter 6 answers with the great “I am Jehovah” speech and the promise, “NOW you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh.”
Next in this book: Exodus 6 — God’s answer to Moses’ accusation: “I am Jehovah… I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah I did not make myself known to them” — the seven “I will” promises of redemption, spoken to a people so crushed by their labor that they cannot hear them.