Exodus 4:27-5:5

New International Version

²⁷ The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he met Moses at the mountain^(A) of God and kissed^(B) him. ²⁸ Then Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say, and also about all the signs he had commanded him to perform.

²⁹ Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders^(C) of the Israelites, ³⁰ and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs^(D) before the people, ³¹ and they believed.^(E) And when they heard that the Lord was concerned^(F) about them and had seen their misery,^(G) they bowed down and worshiped.^(H)

Bricks Without Straw

5 Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go,^(I) so that they may hold a festival^(J) to me in the wilderness.’”

² Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord,^(K) that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”^(L)

³ Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey^(M) into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, or he may strike us with plagues^(N) or with the sword.”

⁴ But the king of Egypt said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor?^(O) Get back to your work!” ⁵ Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous,^(P) and you are stopping them from working.”