Exodus 5:4-9

Contemporary English Version

^4-5 The 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!”

⁶ That 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:

⁷ Don't give the slaves any more straw^[a] to put in their bricks. Force them to find their own straw wherever they can, ⁸ but 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. ⁹ Make them work so hard that they won't have time to listen to these lies.