5
1 Afterward
Moses and Aaron
came, and said to
Pharaoh, “This is
what the LORD,
the God of
Israel, says, ‘Let
my people go,
that they may hold
a feast to
me in the
wilderness.’ ”
2 Pharaoh
said, “Who is
the LORD, that
I should listen
to his voice
to let Israel
go? I don’t know
the LORD, and
moreover I will
not let Israel
go.”
3 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.”
4 The
king of Egypt said
to them, “Why do
you, Moses
and Aaron, take
the people from
their work? Get
back to your
burdens!”
5 Pharaoh said,
“Behold, the
people of the land
are now many,
and you make them
rest from their
burdens.”
6 The
same day Pharaoh
commanded the
taskmasters of the
people and their
officers, saying,
7 “You
shall no longer
give the people
straw to make
brick, as before.
Let them go
and gather straw
for themselves.
8 You
shall require from
them the number of
the bricks which
they made before.
You shall not
diminish anything
of it, for
they are idle.
Therefore they cry,
saying, ‘Let’s go
and sacrifice to
our God.’
9 Let heavier
work be laid
on the men,
that they may
labor in it. Don’t
let them pay any
attention to lying
words.”
10 The
taskmasters of the
people went out
with their
officers, and
they spoke to the
people, saying, “This
is what Pharaoh
says: ‘I will
not give you
straw.
11 Go yourselves, get
straw where you
can find it,
for nothing of
your work shall
be diminished.’ ”
12 So
the people were
scattered abroad
throughout all
the land of Egypt
to gather stubble
for straw.
13 The
taskmasters were urgent
saying, “Fulfill
your work quota
daily, as when
there was straw!”
14 The
officers of the
children of Israel,
whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters
had set over
them, were beaten,
and were asked, “Why
haven’t you fulfilled
your quota both
yesterday and
today, in making
brick as before?”
15 Then
the officers of
the children of
Israel came and
cried to Pharaoh,
saying, “Why do
you deal this
way with your
servants?
16 No
straw is given
to your servants,
and they tell us,
‘Make brick!’ and
behold, your
servants are
beaten; but the
fault is in
your own people.”
17 But Pharaoh
said, “You are
idle! You are
idle! Therefore
you say, ‘Let’s go
and sacrifice to
the LORD.’
18 Go
therefore now, and
work; for no
straw shall be
given to you;
yet you shall
deliver the same number
of bricks!”
19 The
officers of the
children of Israel
saw that they
were in trouble
when it was
said, “You shall
not diminish
anything from your
daily quota of
bricks!”
20 They
met Moses
and Aaron, who
stood along the
way, as they
came out from
Pharaoh.
21 They said
to them, “May
the LORD look
at you and
judge, because you
have made us
a stench to
be abhorred in the
eyes of Pharaoh,
and in the
eyes of his
servants, to put
a sword in
their hand to
kill us!”
22 Moses
returned to the
LORD, and said, “Lord, why have you
brought trouble on
this people? Why
is it that
you have sent
me?
23 For since
I came to
Pharaoh to speak
in your name,
he has brought
trouble on this
people. You have
not rescued your
people at all!”