Exodus 5

¹ Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.'"

² Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go."

³ Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, or he may strike us with plague or sword."

⁴ But the king of Egypt said, "Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their work? Get back to your labor!"

⁵ Then Pharaoh said, "Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working."

⁶ That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and overseers in charge of the people:

⁷ "You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw."

⁸ "But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; do not reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.'"

⁹ "Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies."

¹⁰ Then the slave drivers and the overseers went out and said to the people, "This is what Pharaoh says: 'I will not give you any more straw.'"

¹¹ "Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all."

¹² So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw.

¹³ The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, "Finish the work required of you each day, just as when you had straw."

¹⁴ And the Israelite overseers, whom Pharaoh's slave drivers had appointed over them, were beaten and asked, "Why haven't you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?"

¹⁵ Then the Israelite overseers went and appealed to Pharaoh: "Why have you treated your servants this way?"

¹⁶ "Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, 'Make bricks!' Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people."

¹⁷ Pharaoh said, "Lazy, that's what you are—lazy! That is why you keep saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.'"

¹⁸ "Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks."

¹⁹ The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble when they were told, "You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you each day."

²⁰ When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them,

²¹ and they said, "May the LORD look on you and judge you! You have made us obnoxious to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us."

²² Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent 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."