Moses and Aaron Before Pharaoh

5 After Moses and Aaron talked to the people, they went to ·the king of Egypt [^LPharaoh] and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go so they may ·hold a feast [celebrate a festival; or make a pilgrimage] for me in the ·desert [wilderness].’”

² But ·the king of Egypt [^LPharaoh] said, “Who is the Lord? Why should I ·obey him [^Llisten to his voice] and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.”

³ Then Aaron and Moses said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us travel three days into the ·desert [wilderness] to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God. If we don’t do this, he may kill us with a ·disease [pestilence; plague] or in war.”

⁴ But the king [^Lof Egypt] said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their work? Go back to your ·jobs [labor]! ⁵ ·There are very many Hebrews [^LThey are more numerous than the people of the land], and now you want them to quit working!”

⁶ That same day ·the king [^LPharaoh] gave a command to the slave masters and ·foremen [supervisors]. ⁷ He said, “Don’t give the people straw to make bricks as you used to do. Let them gather their own straw. ⁸ But they must still make the same number of bricks as they did before. Do not accept fewer. They have become lazy, and that is why they ·are asking me [cry; whine], ‘Let us go to offer sacrifices to our God.’ ⁹ Make these people work harder and ·keep them busy [^Lthey will labor on it]; then they will ·not have time to listen to the lies of Moses [^Lpay no attention to false words/reports].”

Moses Complains to God

¹⁰ So the slave masters [^Lof the people] and ·foremen [supervisors] went ·to the Israelites [^Lout] and said [^Lto the people], “This is what ·the king [^LPharaoh] says: I will no longer give you straw. ¹¹ Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it. But ·you must make as many bricks as you made before [^Lyour work will not dimish at all].” ¹² So the people ·went everywhere in [^Lscattered throughout] Egypt ·looking for dry stalks [^Lgathering stubble] to use for straw. ¹³ The slave masters ·kept forcing the people to work harder [^Lwere urgent]. They said, “You must ·make just as many bricks [^Lfinish your work, the same daily assignment] as you did when you were given straw.” ¹⁴ ·The king’s [^LPharaoh’s] slave masters had made the Israelite ·foremen [supervisors] responsible for the work the people did. The Egyptian slave masters beat these men and asked them, “Why ·aren’t you making as many bricks as you made in the past [^Ldid you not complete the number of bricks yesterday and today, as you did before]?”

¹⁵ Then the Israelite ·foremen [supervisors] went to ·the king [^LPharaoh] and ·complained [protested], “Why are you treating us, your servants, this way? ¹⁶ You give ·us [^Lyour servants] no straw, but we are commanded to make bricks. Our slave masters beat us, but it is your own people’s ·fault [offense; sin].”

¹⁷ ·The king [^LHe] answered, “You are lazy! ·You don’t want to work [^LLazy]! ·That is why you ask to leave here [^LTherefore you say, “Let us go…”] and make sacrifices to the Lord. ¹⁸ Now, go back to work! We will not give you any straw, but you must make just as many bricks as you did before.”

¹⁹ The Israelite ·foremen [supervisors] knew they were in trouble, because ·the king had told them [^Lthey were told], “You must make just as many bricks each day as you did before.” ²⁰ As they were leaving the meeting with ·the king [^LPharaoh], they met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them. ²¹ So they said to Moses and Aaron, “May the Lord ·punish you [^Llook on you and judge]. You ·caused the king and his officers to hate us [^Lhave made us a bad odor in the eyes of Pharaoh and his servants]. You have ·given them an excuse [^Lplaced a sword in their hands] to kill us.”

²² Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Lord, why have you brought this ·trouble [evil; harm] on your people? Is this why you sent me here? ²³ I went to ·the king [^LPharaoh] ·and said what you told me to say [^Lto speak in your name], but ever since that time he has ·made the people suffer [harmed/mistreated this people]. And you have done nothing to ·save them [rescue/deliver your people].”