KJV ORIGINAL
And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
And Pharaoh said, 'I will let you go so that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; just don't go very far away. Please pray for me.'
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
Pharaoh is making a partial compromise, agreeing to let the Israelites worship God but only nearby, and he's asking Moses to pray for him.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during the fourth plague (flies) when Pharaoh is under intense pressure from God's judgments on Egypt. Moses had been demanding that Pharaoh let the Israelites go into the wilderness to worship God, but Pharaoh kept refusing or making partial concessions. This represents one of Pharaoh's attempts to negotiate terms rather than fully submit to God's demands.
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