Exodus · Chapter 5

[ edit] Aftir þes þingis ȝeden in Moyſes and Aaron, and ſeiden to Pharao, Þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord God of Yrael, Leeue my puple, þat þei doo ſacrifice to me in deſert. And he anſwerde, Who is þe Lord, þat I here his voys, and leeue Yrael? Y knowe not þe Lord, and Yrael Y ſhal not leeue. Þei ſeiden, Þe God of Ebrews haþ clepid vs, þat we goon þe weie of þre dayes into wildernes, and ſacrifye unto þe Lord oure God, leſt perauenture falle to us peſtilence, or ſwerd. Þe kyng of Egipte ſeiþ to hem, Whi, Moyſes and Aaron, biſyen ȝe þe puple fro her werkis? Go ȝe to ȝoure charges.

And Pharao ſeide, Mych is þe puple of þe loond; ȝe ſeyn þat þe folk vudur growiþ; myche more, if ȝe ȝyuen hem reſte fro werkis. He comaundide þanne þat day to þe mayſtris of werkis, and to þe conſtreyners of þe puple, ſeiynge, No more ȝe ſhal ȝyue chaf to þe puple, þat tiles ben maad as before; but goo þei hem ſiluen, and gadere ſtoble; and þe meſure of tyles þat þei before maden, ȝe ſhulen putt vpon hem, and ȝe ſhulen not laſſen eny þing; forſoþe þei ben voyd, and þerfor þei cryen out, ſeiynge, Goo we, and ſacrifye we to oure God; be þei oppreſſid wiþ werkis, and fulfille þei hem, þat þei aſſenten not to leſynge wordis.

Þanne, goon out, þe mayſtris of werkis and þe conſtreyners ſeyden to þe puple, Þus ſeiþ Pharao, Y ȝyue ȝou not chaf; goþ, and gederiþ, where euer ȝe mowen fynde; ne eny þing ſhal be laſſe of ȝoure werk. And þe puple is ſcaterid þurȝ out al þe loond of Egipte to be gadered chaf. And þe mayſtris of werkis greetly ſtoden, ſeiynge, Fulfilleþ ȝoure werk eche day, as before ȝe weren wont to doon, whanne chaf was ȝouun to ȝou. And þei ben tourmentid, þat weren mayſtris to þe werkis of þe children of Yrael, of þe conſtreyners of Pharao, ſeiynge, Whi han ȝe not fulfillid þe meſure of tylis, as bifore, nowþer ȝiſtirday ne to day?

And þe mayſtrys of þe children of Yrael camen, and crieden out to Pharao, ſeiynge, Whi doſt þow þus aȝens þi ſeruauntis? Chaf ben not ȝouun to vs, and tiles aliche many ben comaundid. Loo! we þi ſeruauntis ben betun wiþ ſcourges, and wrongfuli it is doon aȝens þi puple. Þe which ſeiþ, Ȝe tenden to ydelnes; and þerfor ȝe ſeyn, Go we and ſacrifye to þe Lord; goþ þanne and worchiþ; chaf ſhal not be ȝouun to ȝow, and ȝe ſhulen ȝelde þe cuſtomyd noumbre of tilys. And þe mayſtris of þe ſones of Yrael ſeen hem ſeluen into yuel, for þat it was ſeide to hem, Þere ſhal not be maad laſſe eny þing of þe tiles bi eche daies.

And þei aȝen wenten to Moyſes and to Aaron, þat ſtoden euen aȝens, goynge out fro Pharao, and þei ſeiden to hem, Se þe Lord, and deme, for to ſtynken ȝe han maad oure ſmel before Pharao and his ſeruauntis; and ȝe han ȝouun hym a ſwerd, þat he ſlee vs. And Moyſes turnede aȝen to þe Lord, and ſeiþ, Lord, whi haſt þow turmentid þis puple? whi haſt þow ſent me? Fro þat tyme forſoþe þat Y ȝede yn to Pharao for to ſpek in þi name, he turmentide þi puple, and þow haſt not delyuered hem.