Moses and Aaron Before Pharaoh
5 After Moses and Aaron talked to the people, they went to ·the king of Egypt [L Pharaoh] and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go so they may ·hold a feast [celebrate a festival; or make a pilgrimage] for me in the ·desert [wilderness].’”
2 But ·the king of Egypt [L Pharaoh] said, “Who is the Lord? Why should I ·obey him [L listen to his voice] and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.”
3 Then Aaron and Moses said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us travel three days into the ·desert [wilderness] to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God. If we don’t do this, he may kill us with a ·disease [pestilence; plague] or in war.”
4 But the king [L of Egypt] said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their work? Go back to your ·jobs [labor]! 5 ·There are very many Hebrews [L They are more numerous than the people of the land], and now you want them to quit working!”
6 That same day ·the king [L Pharaoh] gave a command to the slave masters and ·foremen [supervisors]. 7 He said, “Don’t give the people straw to make bricks as you used to do. Let them gather their own straw. 8 But they must still make the same number of bricks as they did before. Do not accept fewer. They have become lazy, and that is why they ·are asking me [cry; whine], ‘Let us go to offer sacrifices to our God.’ 9 Make these people work harder and ·keep them busy [L they will labor on it]; then they will ·not have time to listen to the lies of Moses [L pay no attention to false words/reports].”
Moses Complains to God
10 So the slave masters [L of the people] and ·foremen [supervisors] went ·to the Israelites [L out] and said [L to the people], “This is what ·the king [L Pharaoh] says: I will no longer give you straw. 11 Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it. But ·you must make as many bricks as you made before [L your work will not dimish at all].” 12 So the people ·went everywhere in [L scattered throughout] Egypt ·looking for dry stalks [L gathering stubble] to use for straw. 13 The slave masters ·kept forcing the people to work harder [L were urgent]. They said, “You must ·make just as many bricks [L finish your work, the same daily assignment] as you did when you were given straw.” 14 ·The king’s [L Pharaoh’s] slave masters had made the Israelite ·foremen [supervisors] responsible for the work the people did. The Egyptian slave masters beat these men and asked them, “Why ·aren’t you making as many bricks as you made in the past [L did you not complete the number of bricks yesterday and today, as you did before]?”
15 Then the Israelite ·foremen [supervisors] went to ·the king [L Pharaoh] and ·complained [protested], “Why are you treating us, your servants, this way? 16 You give ·us [L your servants] no straw, but we are commanded to make bricks. Our slave masters beat us, but it is your own people’s ·fault [offense; sin].”
17 ·The king [L He] answered, “You are lazy! ·You don’t want to work [L Lazy]! ·That is why you ask to leave here [L Therefore you say, “Let us go…”] and make sacrifices to the Lord. 18 Now, go back to work! We will not give you any straw, but you must make just as many bricks as you did before.”
19 The Israelite ·foremen [supervisors] knew they were in trouble, because ·the king had told them [L they were told], “You must make just as many bricks each day as you did before.” 20 As they were leaving the meeting with ·the king [L Pharaoh], they met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them. 21 So they said to Moses and Aaron, “May the Lord ·punish you [L look on you and judge]. You ·caused the king and his officers to hate us [L have made us a bad odor in the eyes of Pharaoh and his servants]. You have ·given them an excuse [L placed a sword in their hands] to kill us.”
22 Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Lord, why have you brought this ·trouble [evil; harm] on your people? Is this why you sent me here? 23 I went to ·the king [L Pharaoh] ·and said what you told me to say [L to speak in your name], but ever since that time he has ·made the people suffer [harmed/mistreated this people]. And you have done nothing to ·save them [rescue/deliver your people].”