Exodus 5:15-6:12

New International Version

¹⁵ Then the Israelite overseers went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why have you treated your servants this way? ¹⁶ Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”

¹⁷ Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy!^(A) That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ ¹⁸ Now get to work.^(B) You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks.”

¹⁹ The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day.” ²⁰ When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, ²¹ and they said, “May the Lord look on you and judge^(C) you! You have made us obnoxious^(D) to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword^(E) in their hand to kill us.”^(F)

God Promises Deliverance

²² Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people?^(G) Is this why you sent me? ²³ Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued^(H) your people at all.”

6 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand^(I) he will let them go;^(J) because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”^(K)

² God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord.^{(L) 3} I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty,^[a](M) but by my name^(N) the Lord^[b](O) I did not make myself fully known to them. ⁴ I also established my covenant^(P) with them to give them the land^(Q) of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners.^{(R) 5} Moreover, I have heard the groaning^(S) of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.^(T)

⁶ “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.^(U) I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem^(V) you with an outstretched arm^(W) and with mighty acts of judgment.^{(X) 7} I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.^(Y) Then you will know^(Z) that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. ⁸ And I will bring you to the land^(AA) I swore^(AB) with uplifted hand^(AC) to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.^(AD) I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”^(AE)

⁹ Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.^(AF)

¹⁰ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹¹ “Go, tell^(AG) Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country.”^(AH)

¹² But Moses said to the Lord, “If the Israelites will not listen^(AI) to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips^[c]?”^(AJ)