The Second Book of Moses: Exodus

⭑ Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 5 -

Then Moses and Aaron went to the king. They said to him, “Yahweh God, whom we Israelite people worship, says this to you: ‘Let my people go to the desert in order that they may have a festival to honor me!’”

But the king said, “Yahweh is no one important. I do not need to pay attention to what he says, or let the Israelite people go. I do not know this Yahweh! Furthermore, I will not let the Israelite people go!”

Moses and Aaron replied, “Yahweh God, the one we Hebrews worship, has revealed himself to us and told us what to tell you. So we ask you to let us go for three days into the wilderness. We must offer sacrifices to Yahweh God there. If we do not do that, he will cause us to die from diseases or from attacks by our enemies.”

But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you preventing the Israelite people from working? Tell those slaves to return to work!”

The king also said, “Listen to me! You people who now live in this land are more numerous than we Egyptians. Why are you stopping them from working?”

Bricks and Straw

That same day the king commanded the Egyptian slave bosses and the Israelite assistants who directed the slaves,

“Do not continue to give straw to the Israelite people for making bricks. Make them go into the fields and gather straw for themselves.

However, still force them to make the same number of bricks that they did before. Do not lower the number at all. They do not want to work. That is the reason they are asking me to let them go into the wilderness to worship their god.

Make the men work harder so that they will not have time to listen to lies from their leaders!”

So the slave bosses and Israelite assistants went to where the Israelite people were and said to them, “The king has said that he will no longer give you any straw.

So you must go and get straw where you can find it. But you must keep working to make the same number of bricks.”

So the Israelite people went all over Egypt to find straw.

The slave bosses kept telling them, “Do all the work you are assigned each day. Make the same number of bricks as you did before when we gave you straw!”

When they were not able to make enough bricks, the slave bosses working for Pharaoh beat the Israelite assistants with sticks. They asked them, “Why have all the men you are in charge of not been able to make the same number of bricks today as they did before?”

The Cry of the Israelites

Then the Israelite assistants went to the king and cried out, “Your Majesty, why are you treating us this way?

Now they are not giving us any straw for making bricks, but they keep telling us to make more bricks. And they beat us. But it is because of your own slave bosses that we cannot make as many bricks as before!”

But the king said, “You are lazy and do not want to work! That is why you keep saying, ‘Allow us to go to the desert to worship Yahweh.’

So get back to work! We are not going to give you any straw, but you must keep making the same number of bricks!”

The Israelite assistants knew that they were having a bad time because they had been told, “We are not going to lower the number of bricks you must make each day.”

As they left the king’s palace, they met Aaron and Moses, who were waiting for them there.

They said to Aaron and Moses, “May Yahweh see what you two have done! May he punish you because you have caused the king and his officials to hate us! You have given them a reason to kill us!”

Moses left them and prayed to Yahweh again, saying, “O Yahweh, why have you caused all these evil things to happen to your people? And why did you send me here?

Ever since I went to the king and told him what you told me to say, he has treated your people very badly, and you have not done anything to help them!”

Afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’”

Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don’t know the LORD, and moreover I will not let Israel go.”

They said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD, our God, lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword.”

The king of Egypt said to them, “Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people from their work? Get back to your burdens!”

Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens.”

Bricks and Straw

The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying,

“You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.

You shall require from them the number of the bricks which they made before. You shall not diminish anything of it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, saying, ‘Let’s go and sacrifice to our God.’

Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it. Don’t let them pay any attention to lying words.”

The taskmasters of the people went out with their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you straw.

Go yourselves, get straw where you can find it, for nothing of your work shall be diminished.’”

So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

The taskmasters were urgent saying, “Fulfill your work quota daily, as when there was straw!”

The officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and were asked, “Why haven’t you fulfilled your quota both yesterday and today, in making brick as before?”

The Cry of the Israelites

Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you deal this way with your servants?

No straw is given to your servants, and they tell us, ‘Make brick!’ and behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.”

But Pharaoh said, “You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let’s go and sacrifice to the LORD.’

Go therefore now, and work; for no straw shall be given to you; yet you shall deliver the same number of bricks!”

The officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble when it was said, “You shall not diminish anything from your daily quota of bricks!”

They met Moses and Aaron, who stood along the way, as they came out from Pharaoh.

They said to them, “May the LORD look at you and judge, because you have made us a stench to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us!”

Moses returned to the LORD, and said, “Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me?

For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people. You have not rescued your people at all!”