Exodus, Chapter 5:
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Verses from Exodus, Chapter 5 of the book of Exodus of the Bible.
Bricks without straw
- 1. Then Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'Let my people go, so that they may serve me in the wilderness.'”
- 2. Pharaoh replied, “Who is the Lord that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”
- 3. Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has found us. We will take a three-day journey through the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God. If we do not do so, he will punish us with plagues or with the sword.”
- 4. But the king of Egypt answered them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you diverting the people from their work? Go back to your work!”
- 5. Pharaoh said, “I see that the people of Israel are too numerous for you to stop working.”
- 6. That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the people's overseers and their overseers:
- 7. “Do not provide the people with straw to make bricks, as has been the case until now. Let them go out collecting straw themselves.
- 8. And demand from them the same number of bricks as you did before. Do not reduce production. They are idle, so they are crying out, 'Let us offer sacrifices to our God.'
- 9. Increase the burden on these people, so that they will not listen to lies.”
- 10. Then the people's taskmasters and their overseers went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: 'I will no longer provide you with straw.
- 11. Go yourselves, get straw where you find it, but the amount of bricks you have to make will not be reduced'”.
- 12. Then the people dispersed throughout Egypt, to gather stubble instead of straw.
- 13. The taskmasters pressed them, saying: “Complete your work, your daily task, as when there was straw.”
- 14. And the overseers of the Israelites, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had appointed over them, were scourged and urged, saying, "Complete your work, your daily task, as when there was straw."
- 15. The overseers of the Israelites went to Pharaoh and cried out, “Why do you treat your servants like this?
- 16. Straw is not given to your servants, and yet they say to us, 'Make bricks!' Your servants are beaten, but your own people are to blame.”
- 17. But he replied: “You are idle, you are idle. Therefore you say, 'Let us offer sacrifices to the Lord.'
- 18. Now go, work. You will not be provided with straw, but you will produce the same amount of bricks.”
- 19. The Israelites' overseers realized that they were in a difficult situation when they said to them, “You will not reduce any of the daily quantity of bricks.”
- 20. When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting for them.
- 21. And they said to them, “May the Lord look upon you and judge you, for you have made us disgusting in the eyes of Pharaoh and his servants. You put a sword in your hands to kill us.”
- 22. Moses turned to the Lord and said, “Lord, why have you treated these people so badly? Why did you send me?
- 23. Since I came before Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has mistreated this people, and you have not delivered your people.”
