| New Living Translation | English Standard Version |
| 1After this presentation to Israel’s leaders, Moses and Aaron went and spoke to Pharaoh. They told him, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Let my people go so they may hold a festival in my honor in the wilderness.” | 1Afterward 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 feast to me in the wilderness.’” |
| 2“Is that so?” retorted Pharaoh. “And who is the LORD? Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I don’t know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.” | 2But Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.” |
| 3But Aaron and Moses persisted. “The God of the Hebrews has met with us,” they declared. “So let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness so we can offer sacrifices to the LORD our God. If we don’t, he will kill us with a plague or with the sword.” | 3Then they said, “The 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.” |
| 4Pharaoh replied, “Moses and Aaron, why are you distracting the people from their tasks? Get back to work! | 4But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens.” |
| 5Look, there are many of your people in the land, and you are stopping them from their work.” Making Bricks without Straw | 5And Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens!” |
| 6That same day Pharaoh sent this order to the Egyptian slave drivers and the Israelite foremen: | 6The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, |
| 7“Do not supply any more straw for making bricks. Make the people get it themselves! | 7“You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. |
| 8But still require them to make the same number of bricks as before. Don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy. That’s why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifices to our God.’ | 8But 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.’ |
| 9Load them down with more work. Make them sweat! That will teach them to listen to lies!” | 9Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.” |
| 10So the slave drivers and foremen went out and told the people: “This is what Pharaoh says: I will not provide any more straw for you. | 10So the taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I will not give you straw. |
| 11Go and get it yourselves. Find it wherever you can. But you must produce just as many bricks as before!” | 11Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced in the least.’” |
| 12So the people scattered throughout the land of Egypt in search of stubble to use as straw. | 12So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. |
| 13Meanwhile, the Egyptian slave drivers continued to push hard. “Meet your daily quota of bricks, just as you did when we provided you with straw!” they demanded. | 13The taskmasters were urgent, saying, “Complete your work, your daily task each day, as when there was straw.” |
| 14Then they whipped the Israelite foremen they had put in charge of the work crews. “Why haven’t you met your quotas either yesterday or today?” they demanded. | 14And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s 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?” |
| 15So the Israelite foremen went to Pharaoh and pleaded with him. “Please don’t treat your servants like this,” they begged. | 15Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, “Why do you treat your servants like this? |
| 16“We are given no straw, but the slave drivers still demand, ‘Make bricks!’ We are being beaten, but it isn’t our fault! Your own people are to blame!” | 16No 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.” |
| 17But Pharaoh shouted, “You’re just lazy! Lazy! That’s why you’re saying, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifices to the LORD.’ | 17But he said, “You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ |
| 18Now get back to work! No straw will be given to you, but you must still produce the full quota of bricks.” | 18Go now and work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks.” |
| 19The Israelite foremen could see that they were in serious trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce the number of bricks you make each day.” | 19The 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.” |
| 20As they left Pharaoh’s court, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who were waiting outside for them. | 20They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; |
| 21The foremen said to them, “May the LORD judge and punish you for making us stink before Pharaoh and his officials. You have put a sword into their hands, an excuse to kill us!” | 21and 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.” |
| 22Then Moses went back to the LORD and protested, “Why have you brought all this trouble on your own people, Lord? Why did you send me? | 22Then Moses turned to the LORD and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? |
| 23Ever since I came to Pharaoh as your spokesman, he has been even more brutal to your people. And you have done nothing to rescue them!” | 23For 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.” |
| Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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