Exodus 5:20 | New International Reader’s Version

New International Reader’s Version

Bricks without straw

1 Later on, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. They said, ‘The LORD is the God of Israel. He says, “Let my people go. Then they will be able to hold a feast to honour me in the desert.” ’ 2 Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the LORD? Why should I obey him? Why should I let Israel go? I don’t even know the LORD. And I won’t let Israel go.’ 3 Then Moses and Aaron said, ‘The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a journey that lasts about three days. We want to go into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God. If we don’t, he might strike us with plagues. Or he might let us be killed by swords.’ 4 But the king of Egypt said, ‘Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their work? Get back to work!’ 5 Pharaoh continued, ‘There are large numbers of your people in the land. But you are stopping them from working.’ 6 That same day Pharaoh gave orders to the slave drivers and the overseers in charge of the people. 7 He said, ‘Don’t give the people any more straw to make bricks. Let them go and get their own straw. 8 But require them to make the same number of bricks as before. Don’t lower the number they have to make. They are lazy. That’s why they are crying out, “Let us go. We want to offer sacrifices to our God.” 9 Make them work harder. Then they will be too busy to pay attention to lies.’ 10 The slave drivers and the overseers left. They said to the people, ‘Pharaoh says, “I won’t give you any more straw. 11 Go and get your own straw anywhere you can find it. But you still have to make the same number of bricks.” ’ 12 So the people scattered all over Egypt. They went to gather any pieces of straw left in the fields. 13 Pharaoh’s slave drivers kept making the people work hard. They said, ‘Finish the work you are required to do each day. Make the same number of bricks you made when you had straw.’ 14 The slave drivers whipped the Israelite overseers they had appointed. The slave drivers asked, ‘Why haven’t you made the same number of bricks yesterday or today, just as before?’ 15 Then the Israelite overseers appealed to Pharaoh. They asked, ‘Why have you treated us like this? 16 You didn’t give us any straw. But you told us, “Make bricks!” We are being whipped. But it’s the fault of your own people.’ 17 Pharaoh said, ‘You are lazy! That’s why you keep saying, “Let us go. We want to offer sacrifices to the LORD.” 18 Now get to work. We won’t give you any straw. But you still have to make the same number of bricks.’ 19 The Israelite overseers realised they were in trouble. They knew it when they were told, ‘Don’t reduce the number of bricks you are required to make each day.’ 20 When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them. 21 They said to Moses and Aaron, ‘We want the LORD to look at what you have done! We want him to judge you for it! We are like a very bad smell to Pharaoh and his officials. You have given them an excuse to kill us with their swords.’

The Lord promises to save the Israelites

22 Moses returned to talk to the LORD. He said to him, ‘Why, Lord? Why have you brought trouble on these people? Is this why you sent me? 23 I went to Pharaoh to speak to him in your name. Ever since then, he has brought nothing but trouble on these people. And you haven’t saved your people at all.’

English Standard Version

Making Bricks Without Straw

1 Afterward 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.’” (Ex 10:9) 2 But 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.” (Ex 3:19; 2Ki 18:35; Job 21:15) 3 Then 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.” (Ex 3:18; Ex 7:16; Ex 9:1; Ex 9:13)

Ex 3:18Ex 7:16Ex 9:1Ex 9:13

4 But 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.” (Ex 1:11) 5 And Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are now many,^[1] and you make them rest from their burdens!” (Ex 1:7; Ex 1:9) 6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, (Ex 3:7; Ex 5:14; Ex 5:19) 7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 But 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.’ 9 Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.” 10 So the taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I will not give you straw. (Ex 3:7) 11 Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced in the least.’” 12 So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13 The taskmasters were urgent, saying, “Complete your work, your daily task each day, as when there was straw.” (Ex 3:7) 14 And 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?” (Ex 5:13) 15 Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, “Why do you treat your servants like this? 16 No 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.” 17 But he said, “You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Go now and work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks.” 19 The 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.” 20 They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; 21 and 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.” (Ex 6:9) 22 Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? 23 For 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.”