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

Exodus 5

1 And afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said unto Pharaoh, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.2 And Pharaoh said, Who is Jehovah, that I should hearken unto his voice to let Israel go? I know not Jehovah, and moreover I will not let Israel go.3 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.4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, loose the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land are now many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.6 And the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.8 And the number of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish aught thereof: for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.9 Let heavier work be laid upon the men, that they may labor therein; and let them not regard lying words.

10 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.11 Go yourselves, get you straw where ye can find it: for nought 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 And the taskmasters were urgent saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.14 And the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task both yesterday and to-day, in making brick as heretofore?

15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?16 There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault it in thine own people.17 But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah.18 Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the number of bricks.19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, when it was said, Ye shall not diminish aught from your bricks, your daily tasks.20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:21 and they said unto them, Jehovah look upon you, and judge: because ye have made our savor to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.

22 And Moses returned unto Jehovah, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou dealt ill with this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath dealt ill with this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.