Exodus 5

Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a feast for me in the wilderness.’” Pharaoh said, “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.” They said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three-day journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest he strike us with pestilence or with the sword.” The king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you keep the people from their work? Get back to your burdens!” Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens.” That day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters over the people and their foremen, saying, “You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. But impose on them the same quota of bricks they made before. Do not reduce it, for they are idle. That is why they cry out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ Let the work weigh heavily on the men, so that they labor at it and pay no attention to lying words.” The taskmasters over the people and their foremen went out and said to the people, “Thus says Pharaoh: ‘I will not give you straw. Go yourselves and get straw wherever you can find it, for none of your work will be reduced.’” The people scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. The taskmasters pressed them, saying, “Complete your work, each day’s task, as when there was straw.” The Israelite foremen whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had appointed over them were beaten and asked, “Why did you not complete your quota of bricks yesterday and today, as before?” The Israelite foremen came and cried out to Pharaoh, “Why do you treat your servants this way? No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are being beaten, but your people are at fault.” He said, “You are idle, idle! That is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ Now go and work. No straw will be given to you, but you shall deliver the quota of bricks.” The Israelite foremen saw that they were in trouble when they were told, “You shall not reduce your daily number of bricks.” As they came out from Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron, who were standing there to meet them. They said to them, “May the LORD look upon you and judge, because you have made us stink in the eyes of Pharaoh and his servants, putting a sword in their hand to kill us.” Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Lord, why have you harmed this people? Why did you send me? Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has harmed this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.”

Rights and attribution