Exodus 5

Moses and Aaron Speak to Pharaoh

5After this presentation to Israel's leaders, Moses and Aaron went and spoke to Pharaoh. They told him, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Let my people go so they may hold a festival in my honor in the wilderness."H310H4872H175H935H559H6547H559H3068H430H3478H5971H7971H2287H40572"Is that so?" retorted Pharaoh. "And who is the LORD? Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I don't know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go."H6547H559H3068H8085H6963H3478H7971H3045H3068H3478H79713But Aaron and Moses persisted. "The God of the Hebrews has met with us," they declared. "So let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness so we can offer sacrifices to the LORD our God. If we don't, he will kill us with a plague or with the sword."H559H430H5680H7122H3212H7969H3117H1870H4057H2076H3068H430H6293H1698H27194Pharaoh replied, "Moses and Aaron, why are you distracting the people from their tasks? Get back to work!H4428H4714H559H4872H175H6544H5971H4639H3212H54505Look, there are many of your people in the land, and you are stopping them from their work."H6547H559H5971H776H7227H7673H5450

Making Bricks without Straw

6That same day Pharaoh sent this order to the Egyptian slave drivers and the Israelite foremen.H6547H6680H3117H5065H5971H7860H5597"Do not supply any more straw for making bricks. Make the people get it themselves!H3254H5414H5971H8401H3835H3843H8032H8543H3212H7197H84018But still require them to make the same number of bricks as before. Don't reduce the quota. They are lazy. That's why they are crying out, 'Let us go and offer sacrifices to our God.'H4971H3843H6213H8032H8543H7760H1639H7503H6817H559H3212H2076H4309Load them down with more work. Make them sweat! That will teach them to listen to lies!"H5656H3513H582H6213H8159H8267H169710So the slave drivers and foremen went out and told the people: "This is what Pharaoh says: I will not provide any more straw for you.H5065H5971H3318H7860H559H5971H559H559H6547H5414H840111Go and get it yourselves. Find it wherever you can. But you must produce just as many bricks as before!"H3212H3947H8401H834H4672H3588H1697H5656H163912So the people scattered throughout the land of Egypt in search of stubble to use as straw.H5971H6327H776H4714H7197H7179H840113Meanwhile, the Egyptian slave drivers continued to push hard. "Meet your daily quota of bricks, just as you did when we provided you with straw!" they demanded.H5065H213H559H3615H4639H3117H1697H1961H840114Then they whipped the Israelite foremen they had put in charge of the work crews. "Why haven't you met your quotas either yesterday or today?" they demanded.H7860H1121H3478H6547H5065H7760H5221H559H3615H2706H3835H8543H3117H8032H854315So the Israelite foremen went to Pharaoh and pleaded with him. "Please don't treat your servants like this," they begged.H7860H1121H3478H935H6817H6547H559H6213H565016"We are given no straw, but the slave drivers still demand, 'Make bricks!' We are being beaten, but it isn't our fault! Your own people are to blame!"H8401H5414H5650H559H6213H3843H5650H5221H2398H597117But Pharaoh shouted, "You're just lazy! Lazy! That's why you're saying, 'Let us go and offer sacrifices to the LORD.'H559H7503H7503H559H3212H2076H306818Now get back to work! No straw will be given to you, but you must still produce the full quota of bricks."H3212H5647H8401H5414H5414H8506H384319The Israelite foremen could see that they were in serious trouble when they were told, "You must not reduce the number of bricks you make each day."H7860H1121H3478H7200H7451H559H1639H3843H3117H3117H169720As they left Pharaoh's court, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who were waiting outside for them.H6293H4872H175H5324H7125H3318H654721The foremen said to them, "May the LORD judge and punish you for making us stink before Pharaoh and his officials. You have put a sword into their hands, an excuse to kill us!"H559H3068H7200H8199H7381H887H5869H6547H5869H5650H5414H2719H3027H202622Then Moses went back to the LORD and protested, "Why have you brought all this trouble on your own people, Lord? Why did you send me?H4872H7725H3068H559H136H7489H5971H797123Ever since I came to Pharaoh as your spokesman, he has been even more brutal to your people. And you have done nothing to rescue them!"H935H6547H1696H8034H7489H5971H5337H5971H5337