Exodus 5

Making Bricks Without Straw

1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.'"2 But Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go."3 Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword."4 But the king of Egypt said to them, "Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens."5 And Pharaoh said, "Behold, the people of the land are now many,t and you make them rest from their burdens!"6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen,7 "You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves.8 But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, 'Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.'9 Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words."

10 So the taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, "Thus says Pharaoh, 'I will not give you straw.11 Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced in the least.'"12 So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.13 The taskmasters were urgent, saying, "Complete your work, your daily task each day, as when there was straw."14 And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, "Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday, as in the past?"

15 Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, "Why do you treat your servants like this?16 No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, 'Make bricks!' And behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people."17 But he said, "You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.'18 Go now and work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks."19 The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, "You shall by no means reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day."20 They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh;21 and they said to them, "The Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us."

22 Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, "O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me?23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all."

Exodus 5

Opposition to the Plan of God

1 s Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “Thus says the Lord,t the God of Israel, ‘Releaset my people so that they may hold a pilgrim feastt to me in the desert.’”2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lordt thatt I should obey himts by releasingt Israel? I do not know the Lord,s and I will not release Israel!”3 And they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us go a three-day journeyt into the desert so that we may sacrificets to the Lord our God, so that he does not strike us with plague or the sword.”s4 The king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you cause the people to refrain from their work?s Return to your labor!”

5 Pharaoh was thinking,t “The people of the land are now many, and you are giving them rest from their labor.”
6 That same day Pharaoh commandedt the slave masters and forement who weret over the people:s7 “You must no longert give straw to the people for making brickst as before.t Let them got and collect straw for themselves.8 But you must requiret of them the same quota of bricks that they were making before.t Do not reduce it, for they are slackers.t That is why they are crying, ‘Let us go sacrifice to our God.’

9 Make the work hardert for the men so they will keep at itts and pay no attention to lying words!”s
10 So the slave masters of the people and their foremen went to the Israelites and said,t “Thus says Pharaoh: ‘I am not givingt you straw.11 Yout go get straw for yourselves wherever you cant find it, because there will be no reduction at all in your workload.’”12 So the people spread outt through all the land of Egypt to collect stubble for straw.13 The slave masters were pressuringt them, saying, “Completet your work for each day, just like when there was straw!”

14 The Israelite foremen whom Pharaoh’s slave masters had set over them were beaten and were asked,t “Why did you not complete your requirement for brickmaking as in the past – both yesterday and today?”s
15 s The Israelite foremen went and cried out to Pharaoh, “Why are you treatingt your servants this way?

16 No straw is given to your servants, but we are told,t ‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are event being beaten, but the faultt is with your people.”
17 But Pharaoh replied,t “You are slackers! Slackers!t That is why you are saying, ‘Let us go sacrifice to the Lord.’18 So now, get back to work!t You will not be given straw, but you must still producet your quotas of bricks!”

19 The Israelite foremen sawt that theyt were in trouble when they were told,t “You must not reduce the daily quota of your bricks.”
20 When they went out from Pharaoh, they encountered Moses and Aaron standing there to meet them,s

21 and they said to them, “May the Lord look on you and judge,t because you have made us stinkt in the opinion oft Pharaoh and his servants,t so that you have given them an excuse to kill us!”t

The Assurance of Deliverance

22 s Moses returnedt to the Lord, and said, “Lord,t why have you caused trouble for this people?ts Why did you evert send me?

23 From the time I went to speak to Pharaoh in your name, he has caused troubles for this people, and you have certainly not rescuedt them!”t