Exodus 5:17
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Pharaoh said to them, “Idle, you are idle, because of this you are saying, ‘Let us go, we will sacrifice to LORD JEHOVAH.’

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.

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.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said: You are idle, and therefore you say: Let us go and sacrifice to the 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.'

JPS Tanakh 1917
But he said: 'Ye are idle, ye are idle; therefore ye say: Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.

Literal Standard Version
And he says, “Remiss—you are remiss, therefore you are saying, Let us go, let us sacrifice to YHWH;

Majority Standard Bible
“You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. “Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us 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.’

NET Bible
But Pharaoh replied, "You are slackers! Slackers! That is why you are saying, 'Let us go 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.’

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.’

Young's Literal Translation
And he saith, 'Remiss -- ye are remiss, therefore ye are saying, Let us go, let us sacrifice to Jehovah;

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 5:8
But require of them the same quota of bricks as before; do not reduce it. For they are lazy; that is why they are crying out, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.'

Exodus 5:16
No 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."

Exodus 5:18
Now get to work. You will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the full quota of bricks."


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 Work
Jump to Next
Idle Lazy Offering Pharaoh Remiss Sacrifice That's Work
Exodus 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.














(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
“You
אַתֶּ֖ם (’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 NIV
Exodus 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! (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 5:16
Top of Page
Top of Page