Exodus 5

Israel’s Labor Increased

1And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, “1Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘2Let My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” 2But Pharaoh said, “3Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and besides, 4I will not let Israel go.” 3Then they said, “5The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, otherwise He will fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.” 4But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you 6draw the people away from their 7work? Get back to your 89labors!” 5Again Pharaoh said, “Look, 10the people of the land are now many, and you would have them cease from their labors!” 6So the same day Pharaoh commanded 11the taskmasters over the people and their 12foremen, saying, 7“You are no longer to give the people straw to make brick as previously; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8But the quota of bricks which they were making previously, you shall impose on them; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are 13lazy, therefore they cry out, ‘14Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9Let the labor be heavier on the men, and let them work at it so that they will pay no attention to false words.”

10So 15the taskmasters of the people and their foremen went out and spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I am not going to give you any straw. 11You go and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but none of your labor will be reduced.’” 12So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13The taskmasters pressed them, saying, “Complete your 16work quota, 17your daily amount, just as when 18you had straw.” 14Moreover, 19the foremen of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, 20were beaten 21and were asked, “Why have you not completed your required amount either yesterday or today in making brick as previously?”

15Then the foremen of the sons of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you deal this way with your servants? 16There is no straw given to your servants, yet they keep saying to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are being beaten; but it is the fault of your own people.” 17But he said, “You are 22lazy, very lazy; therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18So go now and work; for you will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the quota of bricks.” 19The foremen of the sons of Israel saw that they were in trouble 23because they were told, “You must not reduce 24your daily amount of bricks.” 20When they left Pharaoh’s presence, they met Moses and Aaron as they were 25waiting for them. 2126They said to them, “27May the Lord look upon you and judge you, for you have 28made 29us odious in Pharaoh’s sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

22Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “30O Lord, why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You ever send me? 23Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people, 31and You have not delivered Your people at all.”