Exodus 5
5
Moses and Aaron Go to the King of Egypt
1Moses and Aaron went to the king#5.1 the king: See the note at 1.11. of Egypt and told him, “The Lord God says, ‘Let my people go into the desert, so they can honor me with a celebration there.’ ”
2“Who is this Lord and why should I obey him?” the king replied. “I refuse to let you and your people go!”
3They answered, “The Lord God of the Hebrews has appeared to us. Please let us walk three days into the desert where we can offer sacrifices to him. If you don't, he may strike us down with terrible troubles or with war.”
4-5The king said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you keeping these people from working? Look how many you are keeping from doing their work. Now everyone get back to work!”
6That same day the king gave orders to his Egyptian slave bosses and to the Israelite men directly in charge of the Israelite slaves. He told them:
7Don't give the slaves any more straw#5.7 straw: The straw made the mud bricks stronger and kept them from shrinking, cracking, or losing their shape. to put in their bricks. Force them to find their own straw wherever they can, 8but they must make the same number of bricks as before. They are lazy, or else they would not beg me to let them go and sacrifice to their God. 9Make them work so hard that they won't have time to listen to these lies.
10The slave bosses and the men in charge of the slaves went out and told them, “The king says he will not give you any more straw. 11Go and find your own straw wherever you can, but you must still make as many bricks as before.”
12The slaves went all over Egypt, looking for straw. 13But the slave bosses were hard on them and kept saying, “Each day you have to make as many bricks as you did when you were given straw.” 14The bosses beat the men in charge of the slaves and said, “Why didn't you force the slaves to make as many bricks yesterday and today as they did before?”
15Finally, the men in charge of the slaves went to the king and said, “Why are you treating us like this? 16No one brings us any straw, but we are still ordered to make the same number of bricks. We are beaten with whips, and your own people are to blame.”
17The king replied, “You are lazy—nothing but lazy! That's why you keep asking me to let you go and sacrifice to your Lord. 18Get back to work! You won't be given straw, but you must still make the same number of bricks.”
19The men knew they were in deep trouble when they were ordered to make the same number of bricks each day. 20After they left the king, they went to see Moses and Aaron, who had been waiting for them. 21Then the men said, “We hope the Lord will punish both of you for making the king and his officials hate us. Now they even have an excuse to kill us.”
The Lord's Promise to Moses
22Moses left them and prayed, “Our Lord, why have you brought so much trouble on your people? Is that why you sent me here? 23Ever since you told me to speak to the king,#5.23 the king: See the note at 1.11. he has caused nothing but trouble for these people. And you haven't done a thing to help.”
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Exodus 5: CEV
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Exodus 5
5
Moses and Aaron Confront Pharaoh
1Later Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: Let my people go into the desert to celebrate a festival in my honor.”
2Pharaoh asked, “Who is the Lord? Why should I obey him and let Israel go? I don’t know the Lord, and I won’t let Israel go.”
3They replied, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us travel three days into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God. If we don’t go, he may kill us with a plague or a war.”
4The king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you distracting the people from their work? Get back to work!” 5Then Pharaoh added, “Look how many people there are in the land! Do you want them to quit working?”
Pharaoh Increases the Israelites’ Labor
6That same day Pharaoh gave these orders to the slave drivers and foremen: 7“Don’t give the people any more straw to make bricks as you have been doing. Let them gather their own straw, 8but insist that they make the same number of bricks they were making before. Making fewer bricks will not be acceptable. They’re lazy! That’s why they’re crying, ‘Let us go offer sacrifices to our God.’ 9Make the work harder for these people so that they will be too busy to listen to lies.”
10The slave drivers and foreman went out and said to them, “This is what Pharaoh says: I’m no longer giving you straw. 11Get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work load will not be reduced one bit.”
12So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13The slave drivers kept hurrying them. They said, “Finish the same amount of work each day, just as when you had straw.”
14Pharaoh’s slave drivers had placed Israelite foremen in charge of the people. The slave drivers beat the foremen and said, “You didn’t finish all the bricks you were ordered to make yesterday or today. Why didn’t you make as many as you used to?”
15Then the Israelite foremen complained to Pharaoh. They asked, “Why are you treating us this way? 16We’re given no straw, and yet we’re told to make bricks. We’re being beaten, but your men are at fault.”
17“You’re lazy! ⌞Just plain⌟ lazy!” Pharaoh answered. “That’s why you keep saying, ‘Let us go offer sacrifices to the Lord.’ 18Now get back to work! You won’t be given any straw, but you must still make the same number of bricks.”
19The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, “Don’t make fewer bricks each day than you’re supposed to.”
20As they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting for them. 21So they said, “May the Lord see what you have done and judge you! You have made Pharaoh and his officials hate us. You have given them an excuse to kill us.”
22Moses went back to the Lord and asked, “Why have you brought this trouble on your people? Why did you send me? 23Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak for you, he has treated your people cruelly, and you have done nothing at all to rescue your people.”
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.