NIV 2011
Bricks Without Straw
5 Afterward 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 hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’”
2 Pharaoh said, “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 met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”
4 But the king of Egypt said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!” 5 Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working.”
6 That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and overseers in charge of the people: 7 “You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. 8 But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”
10 Then the slave drivers and the overseers went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you any more straw. 11 Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.’” 12 So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. 13 The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, “Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw.” 14 And Pharaoh’s slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed, demanding, “Why haven’t you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?”
15 Then the Israelite overseers went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why have you treated your servants this way? 16 Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”
17 Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks.”
19 The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day.” 20 When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, 21 and they said, “May the Lord look on you and judge you! You have made us obnoxious to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
God Promises Deliverance
22 Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? 23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.”
WYC 1382
Bricks Without Straw
5 After these things Moses and Aaron entered, and said to Pharaoh, The Lord God of Israel saith these things, Deliver thou my people, that it make sacrifice to me in desert.
2 And Pharaoh answered, Who is the Lord, that I hear his voice, and deliver Israel? I know not the Lord, and I shall not deliver Israel.
3 They said, [The] God of Hebrews called us, that we go the way of three days into wilderness, and that we make sacrifice to our Lord God, lest peradventure pestilence, or sword, befall to us.
4 (And) The king of Egypt said to them, Moses and Aaron, why stir ye (up) the people from their works? Go ye to your charges. 5 And Pharaoh said, The people of the land is much; ye see that the company hath increased; how much more shall it increase, if ye shall give to them rest from works.
6 Therefore Pharaoh commanded in that day to the masters of works, and to the rent gatherers of the people, and said, 7 Ye shall no more give straw to the people, to make tilestones, as ye have done before; but go they, and gather stubble; 8 and ye shall set on them the measure of tilestones, which they made before, neither ye shall abate anything; for they be idle, and therefore they cry (out), and say, Go we, and make we sacrifice(s) to our God; 9 be they oppressed by works, and fulfill they those, (so) that they assent not to false words.
10 Therefore the masters of the works and the rent gatherers went out to the people, and said, Thus saith Pharaoh, I give not to you straw; 11 go ye, and gather ye (it yourselves), if ye may find (it) any where; neither anything shall be decreased of your work. 12 And the people was scattered by all the land of Egypt to gather straw. 13 And the masters of the works were busy, and said, Fulfill ye your work each day, as ye were wont to do (before), when the straw was given to you. 14 And they, that were (the) masters of the works of the sons of Israel, were beaten of the rent gatherers of Pharaoh, that said, Why fulfilled ye not the measure of tilestones, as ye did before, neither yesterday, neither today?
15 And the sovereigns of the children of Israel came, and cried to Pharaoh, and said, Why doest thou so against thy servants 16 Straw is not given to us, and tilestones be commanded in like manner. Lo! we thy servants be beaten with scourges, and it is done unjustly against thy people.
17 (But) Pharaoh said, Ye give attention to idleness, and therefore ye say, Go we, and make we sacrifice(s) to the Lord; 18 therefore go ye (now), and (get to) work; (for) straw shall not be given to you, and ye shall yield the customable number of tilestones.
19 And the sovereigns of the children of Israel saw themselves in evil, for it was said to them, Nothing shall be decreased of tilestones by all days. 20 And they coming out from Pharaoh, met Moses and Aaron, that stood even there against, 21 and they said to them, The Lord see, and deem (thee), for ye have made our odour, or fame, (to) stink before Pharaoh, and his servants, that is, ye have made us abominable and hateful (to them); and ye have given to him a sword, that he should slay us (with).
God Promises Deliverance
22 And Moses turned again to the Lord, and said, Lord, why hast thou tormented this people? why sentest thou me?
23 For since I entered to Pharaoh, that I should speak in thy name, thou hast tormented thy people, and hast not delivered them.
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