Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ New Living Translation But Pharaoh shouted, “You’re just lazy! Lazy! That’s why you’re saying, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifices to the LORD.’ English Standard Version But he said, “You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ Berean Standard Bible “You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. “Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ King James Bible But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD. New King James Version But he said, “You are idle! Idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ New American Standard Bible But he said, “You are lazy, very lazy; for that reason you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ NASB 1995 But he said, “You are lazy, very lazy; therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ NASB 1977 But he said, “You are lazy, very lazy; therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ Legacy Standard Bible But he said, “You are lazy—lazy! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to Yahweh.’ Amplified Bible But Pharaoh said, “You are lazy, very lazy and idle! That is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ Christian Standard Bible But he said, “You are slackers. Slackers! That is why you are saying, ‘Let us go sacrifice to the LORD.’ Holman Christian Standard Bible But he said, “You are slackers. Slackers! That is why you are saying, ‘Let us go sacrifice to the LORD.’ American Standard Version But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah. Contemporary English Version The king replied, "You are lazy--nothing but lazy! That's why you keep asking me to let you go and sacrifice to your LORD. English Revised Version But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD. GOD'S WORD® Translation "You're lazy! [Just plain] lazy!" Pharaoh answered. "That's why you keep saying, 'Let us go offer sacrifices to the LORD.' Good News Translation The king answered, "You are lazy and don't want to work, and that is why you ask me to let you go and offer sacrifices to the LORD. International Standard Version Then Pharaoh said, "You are lazy, lazy! That's why you're saying, 'Let's go offer sacrifices to the LORD.' Majority Standard Bible ?You are slackers!? Pharaoh replied. ?Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ?Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.? NET Bible But Pharaoh replied, "You are slackers! Slackers! That is why you are saying, 'Let us go sacrifice to the LORD.' New Heart English Bible But he said, "You are idle. You are idle. Therefore you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to God.' Webster's Bible Translation But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go, and do sacrifice to the LORD. World English Bible But Pharaoh said, “You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let’s go and sacrifice to Yahweh.’ Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd he says, “Remiss—you are remiss, therefore you are saying, Let us go, let us sacrifice to YHWH; Young's Literal Translation And he saith, 'Remiss -- ye are remiss, therefore ye are saying, Let us go, let us sacrifice to Jehovah; Smith's Literal Translation And he will say, Ye are idle, ye are idle: for this ye said, We will go to sacrifice to Jehovah. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd he said: You are idle, and therefore you say: Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord. Catholic Public Domain Version And he said: “You are idle. And for this reason you say, ‘We shall go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ New American Bible He answered, “Lazy! You are lazy! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to the LORD.’ New Revised Standard Version He said, “You are lazy, lazy; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleBut Pharaoh said to them, You are surely idle; therefore you say, Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And Pharaoh said to them, “Idle, you are idle, because of this you are saying, ‘Let us go, we will sacrifice to LORD JEHOVAH.’ OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917But he said: 'Ye are idle, ye are idle; therefore ye say: Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD. Brenton Septuagint Translation And he said to them, Ye are idle, ye are idlers: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to our God. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Cry of the Israelites…16No straw has been given to your servants, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.” 17“You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. “Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ 18Now get to work. You will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the full quota of bricks.”… Cross References Exodus 1:11-14 So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. / But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. / They worked the Israelites ruthlessly ... Exodus 3:7-9 The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings. / I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. / And now the cry of the Israelites has reached Me, and I have seen how severely the Egyptians are oppressing them. Exodus 6:6-9 Therefore tell the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. / I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. / And I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD!’” ... Exodus 14:11-12 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us into the wilderness to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? / Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” Numbers 20:4-5 Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here? / Why have you led us up out of Egypt to bring us to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain, figs, vines, or pomegranates—and there is no water to drink!” Deuteronomy 26:6-7 But the Egyptians mistreated us and afflicted us, putting us to hard labor. / So we called out to the LORD, the God of our fathers; and the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, toil, and oppression. Nehemiah 9:9-10 You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt; You heard their cry at the Red Sea. / You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his officials, and all the people of his land, for You knew they had acted with arrogance against our fathers. You made a name for Yourself that endures to this day. Psalm 81:6-7 “I relieved his shoulder of the burden; his hands were freed from the basket. / You called out in distress, and I rescued you; I answered you from the cloud of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah Isaiah 30:12-14 Therefore this is what the Holy One of Israel says: “Because you have rejected this message, trusting in oppression and relying on deceit, / this iniquity of yours is like a breach about to fail, a bulge in a high wall, whose collapse will come suddenly—in an instant! / It will break in pieces like a potter’s jar, shattered so that no fragment can be found. Not a shard will be found in the dust large enough to scoop the coals from a hearth or to skim the water from a cistern.” Jeremiah 34:13-14 “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your forefathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, saying: / Every seventh year, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who has sold himself to you. He may serve you six years, but then you must let him go free. But your fathers did not listen or incline their ear. Acts 7:34 I have indeed seen the oppression of My people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’ Acts 13:17 The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers. He made them into a great people during their stay in Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out of that land. Romans 9:17-18 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” / Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden. 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and that they all passed through the sea. / They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. / They all ate the same spiritual food ... Hebrews 3:7-9 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice, / do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness, / where your fathers tested and tried Me, and for forty years saw My works. Treasury of Scripture But he said, You are idle, you are idle: therefore you say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD. Matthew 26:8 But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? John 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. 2 Thessalonians 3:10,11 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat… Jump to Previous Idle Lazy Offering Pharaoh Remiss Sacrifice That's WorkJump to Next Idle Lazy Offering Pharaoh Remiss Sacrifice That's WorkExodus 5 1. Pharaoh chides Moses and Aaron for their message.6. He increases the Israelites' task. 16. He ignores their complaints. 19. They cry out to Moses and Aaron. 22. Moses complains to God. “You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. Pharaoh's accusation of the Israelites as "slackers" reflects his perception of their request to worship as an excuse to avoid work. In the ancient Egyptian context, the Israelites were enslaved and expected to meet rigorous labor demands. Pharaoh's response reveals his hardened heart and lack of understanding of the Israelites' spiritual needs. This accusation also highlights the oppressive conditions under which the Israelites lived, emphasizing their need for deliverance. The term "slackers" underscores Pharaoh's dismissive attitude towards their plight, contrasting with God's compassion and plan for their freedom. “Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’” Persons / Places / Events 1. PharaohThe ruler of Egypt, representing the oppressive power and authority that resists God's will. His heart is hardened against the Israelites and their God. 2. Moses and Aaron God's chosen leaders to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. They are the ones who convey God's command to Pharaoh. 3. Israelites The people of God who are enslaved in Egypt. They are suffering under harsh labor and are seeking deliverance. 4. Egypt The land where the Israelites are enslaved. It symbolizes a place of bondage and opposition to God's purposes. 5. Sacrifice to the LORD The request made by Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh, representing the Israelites' desire to worship and serve God freely. Teaching Points The Nature of OppressionPharaoh's accusation of laziness highlights how oppressors often dismiss legitimate spiritual needs and demands for freedom. Believers should be aware of how worldly systems can resist God's purposes. The Cost of Obedience Moses and Aaron's persistence in the face of Pharaoh's accusations teaches us the importance of steadfastness in obeying God's commands, even when faced with opposition. Spiritual Warfare Pharaoh's resistance is a reminder of the spiritual battle believers face. Just as Pharaoh resisted God's will, we must be prepared for spiritual resistance in our own lives. The Importance of Worship The request to sacrifice to the LORD underscores the centrality of worship in the life of God's people. Worship is not just a ritual but a declaration of allegiance to God. Trust in God's Deliverance Despite Pharaoh's harsh response, the account encourages believers to trust in God's ultimate plan for deliverance and freedom.(17) Ye are idle.--Idleness was regarded by the Egyptians as one of the worst sins. It had to be specially disclaimed in the final judgment before Osiris (Birch, in Bunsen's Egypt, vol. v. p. 254). Men sometimes disclaimed it in the epitaphs which they placed upon their tombs (Records of the Past, vol. vi. p. 137). Pharaoh had already made the charge, by implication, against Moses and Aaron (Exodus 5:4). No doubt, among the Egyptians themselves, a good deal of idleness resulted from the frequent attendance upon religious festivals (Herod. ii. 59-64). Hence the charge might seem plausible.Verse 17. - Ye are idle, etc. Compare ver. 8. Pharaoh is evidently pleased with his "happy thought." It seems to him clever, witty, humorous, to tax overworked people with idleness; and equally clever to say to religious people - "Your religion is a mere pretence. You do not want to worship. You want a holiday." We may remark further that idleness and hypocrisy were two sins of the deepest dye, according to Egyptian notions. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew “Youאַתֶּ֖ם (’at·tem) Pronoun - second person masculine plural Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you are slackers,” נִרְפִּ֥ים (nir·pîm) Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural Strong's 7503: Sink, relax Pharaoh replied. וַיֹּ֛אמֶר (way·yō·mer) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say “Slackers! נִרְפִּ֑ים (nir·pîm) Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural Strong's 7503: Sink, relax That is why עַל־ (‘al-) Preposition Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against you אַתֶּ֣ם (’at·tem) Pronoun - second person masculine plural Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you keep saying, אֹֽמְרִ֔ים (’ō·mə·rîm) Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural Strong's 559: To utter, say ‘Let us go נֵלְכָ֖ה (nê·lə·ḵāh) Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk and sacrifice נִזְבְּחָ֥ה (niz·bə·ḥāh) Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural Strong's 2076: To slaughter for sacrifice to the LORD.’ לַֽיהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh) Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel Links Exodus 5:17 NIVExodus 5:17 NLT Exodus 5:17 ESV Exodus 5:17 NASB Exodus 5:17 KJV Exodus 5:17 BibleApps.com Exodus 5:17 Biblia Paralela Exodus 5:17 Chinese Bible Exodus 5:17 French Bible Exodus 5:17 Catholic Bible OT Law: Exodus 5:17 But he said You are idle! 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