Exodus 5
5
Moses Confronts Pharaoh
1Later, Moses and Aaron went in and said to Pharaoh, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival for me in the wilderness.” # 5:1 Ex 3:18; 10:9
2But Pharaoh responded, “Who is the Lord that I should obey him by letting Israel go? # 5:2 1Sm 25:10; Pr 30:9; Jr 9:6 I don’t know # 5:2 Or recognize the Lord, and besides, I will not let Israel go.” # 5:2 Ex 3:19; 2Kg 18:35; Jb 21:15
3They answered, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go on a three-day trip into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, or else he may strike us with plague or sword.”
4The king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you causing the people to neglect their work? Get to your labor! ” 5Pharaoh also said, “Look, the people of the land are so numerous, and you would stop them from their labor.” # 5:3–5 Ex 1:7,9,11; 3:18
Further Oppression of Israel
6That day Pharaoh commanded the overseers # 5:6 Ex 1:1; 3:7 of the people as well as their foremen, 7“Don’t continue to supply the people with straw for making bricks, as before. They must go and gather straw for themselves. 8But require the same quota of bricks from them as they were making before; do not reduce it. For they are slackers #— #that is why they are crying out, # 5:8 Ex 2:23; 3:7; 5:15 ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9Impose heavier work on the men. Then they will be occupied with it and not pay attention to deceptive words.”
10So the overseers and foremen of the people went out and said to them, “This is what Pharaoh says: # 5:10 Ex 4:22; 5:1 ‘I am not giving you straw. 11Go get straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but there will be no reduction at all in your workload.’ ” 12So the people scattered throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13The overseers insisted, “Finish your assigned work each day, just as you did when straw was provided.” 14Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh’s slave drivers had set over the people, were beaten # 5:14 Is 10:24 and asked, “Why haven’t you finished making your prescribed number of bricks yesterday or today, as you did before? ”
15So the Israelite foremen went in and cried for help to Pharaoh: “Why are you treating your servants this way? 16No straw has been given to your servants, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks! ’ Look, your servants are being beaten, but it is your own people who are at fault.”
17But he said, “You are slackers. Slackers! That is why you are saying, ‘Let us go sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18Now get to work. No straw will be given to you, but you must produce the same quantity of bricks.”
19The Israelite foremen saw that they were in trouble when they were told, “You cannot reduce your daily quota of bricks.” 20When they left Pharaoh, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who stood waiting to meet them.
21“May the Lord take note of you and judge,” they said to them, “because you have made us reek to Pharaoh and his officials #— #putting a sword in their hand to kill us! ” # 5:21 Gn 34:30; Ex 6:9; 14:11
22So Moses went back to the Lord and asked, “Lord, why have you caused trouble for this people? And why did you ever send me? # 5:22 Nm 11:11; Jr 4:10 23Ever since I went in to Pharaoh to speak in your name he has caused trouble for this people, and you haven’t rescued your people at all.”
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Exodus 5: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Exodus 5
5
Bricks without Straw
1Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, so that they may celebrate a festival to me in the wilderness.’ ” 2But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should heed him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.” 3Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has revealed himself to us; let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the Lord our God, or he will fall upon us with pestilence or sword.” 4But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their work? Get to your labors!” 5Pharaoh continued, “Now they are more numerous than the people of the land#5.5 Sam: Heb The people of the land are now many and yet you want them to stop working!” 6That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, as well as their supervisors, 7“You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as before; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8But you shall require of them the same quantity of bricks as they have made previously; do not diminish it, for they are lazy; that is why they cry, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.’ 9Let heavier work be laid on them; then they will labor at it and pay no attention to deceptive words.”
10So the taskmasters and the supervisors of the people went out and said to the people, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I will not give you straw. 11Go and get straw yourselves, wherever you can find it; but your work will not be lessened in the least.’ ” 12So the people scattered throughout the land of Egypt, to gather stubble for straw. 13The taskmasters were urgent, saying, “Complete your work, the same daily assignment as when you were given straw.” 14And the supervisors of the Israelites, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and were asked, “Why did you not finish the required quantity of bricks yesterday and today, as you did before?”
15Then the Israelite supervisors came to Pharaoh and cried, “Why do you treat your servants like this? 16No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks!’ Look how your servants are beaten! You are unjust to your own people.”#5.16 Gk Compare Syr Vg: Heb beaten, and the sin of your people 17He said, “You are lazy, lazy; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18Go now, and work; for no straw shall be given you, but you shall still deliver the same number of bricks.” 19The Israelite supervisors saw that they were in trouble when they were told, “You shall not lessen your daily number of bricks.” 20As they left Pharaoh, they came upon Moses and Aaron who were waiting to meet them. 21They said to them, “The Lord look upon you and judge! You have brought us into bad odor with Pharaoh and his officials, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
22Then Moses turned again to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have you mistreated this people? Why did you ever send me? 23Since I first came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has mistreated this people, and you have done nothing at all to deliver your people.”
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New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.