Moses and Aaron Confront Pharaoh
Study note
Moses and Aaron went boldly into Pharaoh's palace and delivered God's message: 'Let my people go.' Pharaoh's response was defiant. He said he did not know this God called the Lord and would not obey Him. Moses and Aaron warned that if the Israelites could not go worship, God might punish them with disease or war. But Pharaoh only saw this as an excuse to get out of work.
1 After that, Moses and Aaron went before Pharaoh. They said, "The Lord, the God of Israel, has this message for you: 'Let my people go so they can celebrate a worship festival for me out in the wilderness.'" And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.
2 Pharaoh scoffed, "The Lord? Who is that? Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I have no idea who this Lord is, and I am not releasing Israel." And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.
3 Moses and Aaron tried again: "The God of the Hebrews has met with us personally. Please give us permission to travel three days into the desert to sacrifice to the Lord our God. If we do not, he might punish us with a plague or with war." And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
4 The king of Egypt snapped at them, "Moses! Aaron! Why are you pulling the workers away from their jobs? Get them back to work!" And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.
5 Pharaoh added, "There are already huge numbers of Israelites in the land. And now you want to give them a break from work?" And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.
Pharaoh Makes the Work Harder
Study note
To punish the Israelites for their request, Pharaoh ordered that they no longer be given straw for making bricks. Straw was mixed with clay to hold the bricks together. Without straw being provided, the Israelites had to scatter across the land to find stubble to use instead. But Pharaoh still demanded the same number of bricks as before. When they could not meet the quota, the Israelite foremen were beaten by the Egyptian slave masters.
6 That very same day, Pharaoh gave new orders to the slave masters and the Israelite foremen who worked under them. And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
7 "Stop providing straw for the Israelites to make bricks," he ordered. "From now on, make them go out and scrounge up their own straw." Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
8 "But do not lower their brick quota even slightly. They must produce the exact same number as before. They are obviously lazy — therefore they keep whining, 'Let us go sacrifice to our God.'" And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.
9 "Pile on more work! Keep them so busy they will not have time to listen to lies." Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.
10 The slave masters and Israelite bosses told the workers. "Pharaoh says he will no longer give you straw for your bricks." And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.
11 "You will have to go hunt for your own straw wherever you can find it. But the number of bricks you are required to make stays exactly the same." Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.
12 The people spread out across Egypt. They were looking everywhere for stubble from the fields to use as straw. So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.
13 The slave masters kept pressuring them: "Finish your full daily quota, just like when straw was being handed to you!" And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.
14 The Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh's slave masters had appointed, got beaten. "Why did you not meet the brick quota yesterday or today?" the masters demanded. "You used to hit the numbers before." And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?
The People Blame Moses
Study note
The Israelite foremen went to Pharaoh to beg for mercy, but he called them lazy. When they left Pharaoh's palace, they found Moses and Aaron waiting for them. The foremen were angry and blamed Moses for making their situation worse. Moses was deeply troubled and cried out to God, asking why He had sent him if things were only going to get worse.
15 The Israelite foremen went straight to Pharaoh to plead their case: "Why are you doing this to your servants?" Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?
16 "We are not being given any straw, yet we are ordered to make the same number of bricks! And when we fall short, we get beaten! The fault lies with your own officials." There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.
17 Pharaoh fired back, "You are lazy, that is all there is to it! That is the real reason you keep begging, 'Let us go sacrifice to the Lord.'" But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.
18 "Now get back out there and work! You will receive no straw, but you had better deliver the full count of bricks." Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.
19 The Israelite foremen knew they were in big trouble when they heard, "You will not make even one less brick each day." And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.
20 On their way out of the palace, they ran right into Moses and Aaron, who had been waiting for them outside. And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:
21 The foremen lashed out at them: "May the Lord see what you have done and judge you for it! You have made us stink in the eyes of Pharaoh and his officials. You have practically put a sword in their hands to kill us!" And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.
22 Moses went back to the Lord and poured out his frustration: "Lord, why have you let such terrible things happen to these people? Why did you even send me?" And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?
23 "From the moment I went to Pharaoh and spoke in your name, things have only gotten worse for your people. And you have not done a single thing to rescue them!" For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.