Exodus 5
1 After this, Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so they may celebrate a festival to me in the wilderness.’”
2 Pharaoh replied, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and 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 to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God; otherwise he may strike us with plague or sword.”
4 The king of Egypt said to them, “Why are you, Moses and Aaron, keeping the people from their work? Get back to your burdens!”
5 Pharaoh continued, “Look, the people of the land are already numerous, and you would have them stop carrying their burdens!”
6 That same day, Pharaoh commanded the people’s taskmasters and their foremen:
7 “Do not keep giving the people straw to make bricks as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.
8 But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; do not reduce it at all, because they are lazy. That is why they cry out, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifices to our God.’
9 Make the work harder for these men, so they stay busy with it and pay no attention to lying words.”
10 The people’s taskmasters and foremen went out and told the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you straw.
11 You must go and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, because none of your work will be reduced.’”
12 So the people scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble in place of straw.
13 The taskmasters kept pressing them, saying, “Finish your work, each day’s quota, just as when there was straw.”
14 The foremen of the Israelites, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had appointed over them, were beaten. They were asked, “Why have you not completed your assigned number of bricks, either yesterday or today, as before?”
15 The foremen of the Israelites went and cried out to Pharaoh, “Why are you treating your servants this way?
16 No straw is given to your servants, yet they tell us, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, your servants are being beaten, but the fault lies with your own people.”
17 He replied, “Lazy! You are lazy! That is why you say, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifices to the LORD.’
18 Now get to work! No straw will be given to you, but you must deliver the assigned number of bricks.”
19 The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they heard, “You must not reduce your daily quota of bricks.”
20 As they left Pharaoh’s presence, they met Moses and Aaron, who were standing there waiting for them.
21 They said to them, “May the LORD look on you and judge you, because you have made us loathsome to Pharaoh and his servants, putting a sword in their hands to kill us.”
22 Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why did you send me?
23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.”
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