Exodus
Chapter 5
1 Later, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “God of Israel says, ‘Let my people go, so they can celebrate a festival for me in the desert.’”
2 Pharaoh said, “Who is God, that I should listen to him and let Israel go? I don’t know God, and I will not let Israel go.”
3 They said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go on a three day trip into the desert to offer sacrifices to God, so he won’t strike us with sickness or the sword.”
4 The king of Egypt asked Moses and Aaron, “Why are you stopping the people from working? Go back to your tasks.”
5 Pharaoh said, “Look, there are now many people in the land, and you let them stop working on their heavy tasks.”
6 On that day, Pharaoh ordered the slave drivers and their bosses, saying,
7 You will not provide straw to the people for brick-making anymore. Instead, let them get their own straw.
8 You must give them the same number of bricks they made before; do not give them less. They are lazy, so they beg to worship their God.
9 Give the men more work to do so they work harder and ignore useless talk.
10 The people’s bosses and their helpers went out and told them, “This is what Pharaoh says: I will not give you straw.”
11 Go, find straw wherever you can, but your work must not be lessened.
12 The people spread out all over Egypt to collect stubble because they had no straw.
13 The overseers rushed them, saying, “Finish your work, your daily jobs, just as when you had straw.”
14 The Egyptian leaders beat the Israelite foremen they had appointed and asked, “Why haven’t you made as many bricks yesterday and today as before?”
15 The leaders of the Israelites went to the king and asked, “Why are you treating us, your servants, like this?”
16 Your servants are not given straw, yet we are told to make bricks. Look, your servants are beaten, but it is your own people’s fault.
17 But he said, “You are lazy, you are lazy; that’s why you say, ‘Let’s go and make sacrifices to God.’”
18 Go now and work; you will not be given straw, but you must still produce the same number of bricks.
19 The leaders of the Israelites saw they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not make fewer bricks each day.”
20 They met Moses and Aaron waiting for them as they left Pharaoh.
21 They told them, “God watch you and decide; because you’ve made us hated by Pharaoh and his people, giving them a reason to kill us.”
22 Moses went back to God and said, “God, why have you treated these people badly? Why did you send me?”
23 Since I went to the king to speak for you, he has treated these people badly; you have not rescued your people at all.