Exodus 5
English Standard Version
Making Bricks Without Straw
5 Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold (A)a feast to me in the wilderness.’” 2 But Pharaoh said, (B)“Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, (C)I will not let Israel go.” 3 Then they said, “The (D)God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.” 4 But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your (E)burdens.” 5 And Pharaoh said, “Behold, (F)the people of the land are now many,[a] and you make them rest from their burdens!” 6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the (G)taskmasters of the people and their (H)foremen, 7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.”
10 So the (I)taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I will not give you straw. 11 Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced in the least.’” 12 So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13 The (J)taskmasters were urgent, saying, “Complete your work, your daily task each day, as when there was straw.” 14 And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh's (K)taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday, as in the past?”
15 Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, “Why do you treat your servants like this? 16 No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.” 17 But he said, “You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Go now and work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks.” 19 The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, “You shall by no means reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day.” 20 They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; 21 and (L)they said to them, “The Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
22 Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? 23 For 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.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 5:5 Samaritan they are now more numerous than the people of the land
Exodus 5
International Standard Version
Pharaoh Refuses to Let the People Go
5 After Moses and Aaron arrived, they told Pharaoh, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Let my people go so they may make a pilgrimage for me in the desert.’”
2 Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord that I should listen to[a] him and let Israel go? I don’t know about[b] the Lord, nor will I let Israel go!”
3 Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God so he does not strike us with pestilence or sword.”[c]
4 The king of Egypt replied to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you keeping the people from their labor? Go back to your work!”[d] 5 Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people in the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working.”[e]
Pharaoh Increases the Israelis’ Work
6 That day Pharaoh ordered the taskmasters of the people and their officials, 7 “You’re no longer to give the people straw for making bricks, as in the past.[f] They must gather straw for themselves. 8 But you’re to impose the previous quota[g] of bricks that they’re making. You’re not to reduce it! It is because they’re lazy that they’re crying out, ‘Let’s go offer sacrifices to our God.’ 9 So increase the work load on the people,[h] and let them do it so they don’t pay attention to deceptive speeches.”
10 Then the taskmasters of the people and their officials went out and told the people, “This is Pharaoh’s response: ‘I’ll no longer give you any[i] straw. 11 Go get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work quotas won’t be reduced at all.’”[j] 12 So the people scattered throughout the entire land of Egypt to collect stubble[k] for straw.
13 The taskmasters pressured them by saying, “Finish your work—each day’s quota[l]—just as when you were given straw.”[m]
14 The Israeli supervisors whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had appointed over them were beaten and told,[n] “Why didn’t you, both yesterday and today, fulfill[o] your quota[p] for making bricks as before?”
The Israelis’ Appeal Rejected by Pharaoh
15 The Israeli supervisors came and cried out to Pharaoh, “Why are you doing this to us?[q] 16 No straw is being given to us, yet they’re saying to us, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, we are being beaten. It’s wrong how you are treating your people!”
17 Then Pharaoh[r] said, “You are lazy, lazy! That’s why[s] you’re saying, ‘Let’s go offer sacrifices to the Lord.’ 18 Now, go! Get to work! And straw won’t be given to you, but you are to deliver the same[t] number of bricks!” 19 The Israeli supervisors realized they were in trouble when he said,[u] “You won’t reduce each day’s quota of bricks!”[v]
The Israelis Blame Moses and Moses Complains to God
20 As they left Pharaoh’s presence,[w] they met Moses and Aaron standing there.[x] 21 The supervisors[y] told them, “May the Lord look on you and judge you![z] You have made us repulsive to[aa] Pharaoh and his servants. You have put[ab] a sword in their hands to kill us.”
22 So Moses returned to the Lord and asked him, “Lord, why have you caused trouble for this people? Why have you sent me here? 23 Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has caused trouble for this people, and you have done nothing to deliver your people.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 5:2 Or obey
- Exodus 5:2 The Heb. lacks about
- Exodus 5:3 I.e. invasions by foreign armies
- Exodus 5:4 Lit. burdens
- Exodus 5:5 Lit. from their burdens
- Exodus 5:7 Lit. like yesterday and the day before
- Exodus 5:8 Lit. as yesterday and the day before
- Exodus 5:9 Or men
- Exodus 5:10 The Heb. lacks any
- Exodus 5:11 Lit. from your labor
- Exodus 5:12 I.e. the stalks left in the field after grain is harvested
- Exodus 5:13 Lit. matter
- Exodus 5:13 Lit. when there was straw
- Exodus 5:14 Lit. saying
- Exodus 5:14 Lit. complete
- Exodus 5:14 Lit. prescribed amount
- Exodus 5:15 Lit. your servants; and so throughout the book
- Exodus 5:17 Lit. he
- Exodus 5:17 Lit. therefore
- Exodus 5:18 The Heb. lacks same
- Exodus 5:19 Lit. saying
- Exodus 5:19 Lit. your bricks
- Exodus 5:20 Lit. from with
- Exodus 5:20 The Heb. lacks there
- Exodus 5:21 Lit. they
- Exodus 5:21 The Heb. lacks you
- Exodus 5:21 Lit. made our odor stink in the eyes of
- Exodus 5:21 Lit. servants to give
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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