Old Testament · Exodus

Exodus 5

Pharaoh’s First Refusal

1And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Let My people go, that they may hold a feast^a to Me in the wilderness."

2And Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should listen to His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover I will not let Israel go."

3And they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us go, we pray, a journey of three days into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword."

4And the king of Egypt said to them, "Why, Moses and Aaron, do you loose the people from their works? Go to your burdens." 5And Pharaoh said, "Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you would make them shabbat from their burdens."

Bricks and Straw

6And Pharaoh commanded^b on that day the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying: 7"You shall not continue to give straw to the people to make the bricks, as yesterday and the day before; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8And the quota of bricks which they made yesterday and the day before you shall lay upon them; you shall not diminish from it; for they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, Let us go, let us sacrifice to our God. 9Let the service^c be heavy upon the men^d, that they may work in it, and not regard lying words."

10And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, "Thus says Pharaoh: I am not giving you straw. 11You, go, take for yourselves straw from wherever you find it; for nothing of your service shall be diminished."

12So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13And the taskmasters were pressing, saying, "Finish your works, the matter of a day in its day, as when there was straw."

14And the officers of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, saying, "Why have you not finished your statute^e of making brick, both yesterday and today, as yesterday?"

The Cry of the Israelites

15Then the officers of the sons of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, "Why do you deal thus with your servants? 16Straw is not given to your servants, and they say to us, Make brick; and behold, your servants are beaten, and the sin is your people's."

17And he said, "You are idle, idle! Therefore you say, Let us go, let us sacrifice to the LORD. 18And now go, work^f; and straw shall not be given to you, yet you shall deliver the measure of bricks."

19And the officers of the sons of Israel saw themselves in trouble, when it was said, "You shall not diminish from your bricks, the matter of a day in its day." 20And they met Moses and Aaron standing to meet them, as they came out from Pharaoh.

21And they said to them, "May the LORD look upon you and judge, because you have made our scent stink in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us."

22And Moses returned to the LORD and said, "My Lord^g, why have You done evil to this people? Why is it that You sent me? 23And since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; and You have not delivered Your people at all."