Exodus Chapter 5

Moses and Aaron Speak to Pharaoh

¹ After that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh, “Yahveh, Israel’s God, says to let his people go so they can celebrate a festival to him in the open country.”

² Pharaoh said, “Who is Yahveh that I should obey him? I don’t know him. I’m not going to let them go.”

³ They said,

“The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us go a three-day’s journey into open country to sacrifice to Yahveh our God so he won’t fall on us with disease or sword.”

⁴ The king said,

“Moses and Aaron, why are you trying to pull the people away from their work? Get back to work! ⁵ Look at how many there are, and you want them to stop working!”

Making Bricks Without Straw

⁶ That same day Pharaoh told the taskmasters and their foremen,

⁷ “Don’t give them straw anymore to make bricks. They can gather their own straw! ⁸ But don’t reduce their quota. They’re lazy, so they’re crying out, ‘Let us go sacrifice to our God.’ ⁹ Give them more work so they won’t get false ideas in their heads.”           

Ex 5:1-9

¹⁰ The taskmasters and their foremen went out to the people, “Pharaoh says he’s not going to give you straw anymore. ¹¹ Get your own wherever you can find it, but your quota will stay the same. ¹² The people scattered out across Egypt to gather stubble. ¹³ The taskmasters pressed them, “Make your daily quota like when you had straw.” ¹⁴ What’s more, Pharaoh’s taskmasters beat the Israelite foremen that they’d set over them, “Why haven’t you completed your required amount yesterday or today?”

Ex 5:10-14

¹⁵ The Israelite foremen came and appealed to Pharaoh, “Why are you treating us like this? ¹⁶ We don’t have any straw, but they keep telling us to make bricks! They’re beating us, but it’s your own people’s fault.”

¹⁷ “You’re lazy, very lazy. That’s why you want me to let you go sacrifice to Yahveh. ¹⁸ Get to work. You won’t be given any straw, but you still have to make your quotas.”

¹⁹ The foremen saw they were in trouble. ²⁰ When they left him, they met Moses and Aaron, waiting for them. ²¹ They said, “Yahveh condemn you! You’ve made us offensive to Pharaoh and his officers! You’ve put a sword in their hand to kill us!”        

Ex 5:15-21

²² Moses went back to Yahveh and said,

“Why hurt the people? Why send me? ²³ Since I spoke to Pharaoh in your name, he’s been hurting them more. You haven’t delivered them at all.”