Exodus 5:3

1 After that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’”

2 But Pharaoh replied, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.”

“The God of the Hebrews has met with us,” they answered. “Please let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God, or He may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”

4 But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your labor!”

5 Pharaoh also said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you would be stopping them from their labor.”

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
“The God of the Hebrews has met with us,” they answered. “Please let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God, or He may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”
KJV
And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
WEB
They said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD, our God, lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword.”
ASV
And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days` journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice unto Jehovah our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
DARBY
And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Jehovah our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with sword.
BLB
And they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us go, please, a journey of three days into the wilderness, and let us sacrifice to YHWH our God, lest He meet us with the pestilence or with the sword.”
ÅB
Da sa de: Hebreernes Gud har møtt oss; la oss dra tre dagsreiser ut i ørkenen og ofre til Herren vår Gud, så han ikke skal slå oss med pest eller sverd!
OTB
De svarte: «Hebreernes Gud har møtt oss. Vær så snill å la oss dra tre dager inn i ørkenen for å ofre til Herren vår Gud, så han ikke slår oss med pest eller sverd.»
B1930
Da sa de: Hebreernes Gud har møtt oss; la oss dra tre dagsreiser ut i ørkenen og ofre til Herren vår Gud, så han ikke skal slå oss med pest eller sverd!

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Exodus 3:18

    The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’

    Read in context
  • 2 Kings 17:25

    Now when the settlers first lived there, they did not worship the LORD, so He sent lions among them, which killed some of them.

    Read in context
  • 2 Chronicles 30:8

    Now do not stiffen your necks as your fathers did. Submit to the LORD and come to His sanctuary, which He has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that His fierce anger will turn away from you.

    Read in context
  • Deuteronomy 28:21

    The LORD will make the plague cling to you until He has exterminated you from the land that you are entering to possess.

    Read in context
  • Zechariah 14:16–19

    Then all the survivors from the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.

    Read in context
  • Ezra 7:23

    Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven must be done diligently for His house. For why should wrath fall on the realm of the king and his sons?

    Read in context
  • Ezekiel 6:11

    This is what the Lord GOD says: Clap your hands, stomp your feet, and cry out “Alas!” because of all the wicked abominations of the house of Israel, who will fall by sword and famine and plague.

    Read in context