| New Living Translation | International 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.” | 1After Moses and Aaron arrived, they told Pharaoh, "This is what the LORD God of Israel says: 'Let my people go so they may make a pilgrimage for me in the desert.'" |
| 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.” | 2Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD that I should listen to him and let Israel go? I don't know about the LORD, nor will I 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-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God so he does not strike us with pestilence or sword." |
| 4Pharaoh replied, “Moses and Aaron, why are you distracting the people from their tasks? Get back to work! | 4The king of Egypt replied to them, "Moses and Aaron, why are you keeping the people from their labor? Go back to your work!" |
| 5Look, there are many of your people in the land, and you are stopping them from their work.” Making Bricks without Straw | 5Then Pharaoh said, "Look, the people in the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working." |
| 6That same day Pharaoh sent this order to the Egyptian slave drivers and the Israelite foremen: | 6That day Pharaoh ordered the taskmasters of the people and their officials, |
| 7“Do not supply any more straw for making bricks. Make the people get it themselves! | 7"You're no longer to give the people straw for making bricks, as in the past. They must 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 you're to impose the previous quota of bricks that they're making. You're not to reduce it! It is because they're lazy that they're crying out, 'Let's go offer sacrifices to our God.' |
| 9Load them down with more work. Make them sweat! That will teach them to listen to lies!” | 9So increase the work load on the people, and let them do it so they don't pay attention to deceptive speeches." |
| 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. | 10Then the taskmasters of the people and their officials went out and told the people, "This is Pharaoh's response: 'I'll no longer give you any straw. |
| 11Go and get it yourselves. Find it wherever you can. But you must produce just as many bricks as before!” | 11Go get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work quotas won't be reduced at all.'" |
| 12So the people scattered throughout the land of Egypt in search of stubble to use as straw. | 12So the people scattered throughout the entire land of Egypt to collect 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 pressured them by saying, "Finish your work—each day's quota —just as when you were given 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. | 14The Israeli supervisors whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had appointed over them were beaten and told, "Why didn't you, both yesterday and today, fulfill your quota for making bricks as before?" |
| 15So the Israelite foremen went to Pharaoh and pleaded with him. “Please don’t treat your servants like this,” they begged. | 15The Israeli supervisors came and cried out to Pharaoh, "Why are you doing this to us? |
| 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 being given to us, yet they're saying to us, 'Make bricks!' Look, we are being beaten. It's wrong how you are treating your people!" |
| 17But Pharaoh shouted, “You’re just lazy! Lazy! That’s why you’re saying, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifices to the LORD.’ | 17Then Pharaoh said, "You are lazy, lazy! That's why you're saying, 'Let's go offer sacrifices 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.” | 18Now, go! Get to work! And straw won't be given to you, but you are to 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 Israeli supervisors realized they were in trouble when he said, "You won't reduce each day's quota of bricks!" |
| 20As they left Pharaoh’s court, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who were waiting outside for them. | 20As they left Pharaoh's presence, they met Moses and Aaron standing there. |
| 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!” | 21The supervisors told them, "May the LORD look on you and judge you! You have made us repulsive to Pharaoh and his servants. You have put a sword in their hands 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? | 22So Moses returned to the LORD and asked him, "LORD, why have you caused trouble for this people? Why have you sent me here? |
| 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!” | 23Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has caused trouble for this people, and you have done nothing to deliver your people." |
| 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. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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